PRACTISE HEDGING IN YOUR WRITING - PART THREE
Hedging is an important component and characteristic of academic writing. If you wish to know more about hedging before you attempt the activities here, go to Part One or Part Two and complete the activities there first.
Task One
Put the following sentences in order beginning with the most categorical (1) and ending with the most hedged (7). There is not just one answer to this question, because hedging is also interpreted through context and by looking at the surrounding information. So there may be some flexibility in the order you decide upon.
Answer:
In your answer you may have some of the following sentences reversed: F/C, G/A, B/D; in other words: C/F, A/G, D/B. This is still within the range of acceptability and shows that you have a good understanding of hedging. Now let’s get down to some writing practice. Notice in G how hedging can also be used to mitigate, or soften, your criticism of someone else’s work.
| 1. | The reason she cannot sing is undoubtedly because she has never been taught. (E) |
| 2. | Unlike the Mainland Chinese, Hong Kong people do not ride bicycles, probably because many of them are simply not taught. (F) |
| 3. | There’s a strong possibility that this new technique will be very successful. (C) |
| 4. | Bennett (2005) appears to ignore the impact of this change in medical practice on nursing services. (G) |
| 5. | Evidence seems to suggest that juggling work, studies and family commitments contributes to stress among students. (A) |
| 6. | Apparently, it rains in England all the time. That’s why everywhere is so green. (B) |
| 7. | That could the reason why Hong Kong students go abroad to study. (D) |
In your answer you may have some of the following sentences reversed: F/C, G/A, B/D; in other words: C/F, A/G, D/B. This is still within the range of acceptability and shows that you have a good understanding of hedging. Now let’s get down to some writing practice. Notice in G how hedging can also be used to mitigate, or soften, your criticism of someone else’s work.
Matching Hedges with Evidence
Task Two
The following sentences are overly assertive and may attract criticism if the evidence presented does not match the same strength as the claim. In your own writing make sure that your hedging language is in proportion to the evidence you give.
Rewrite each sentence by incorporating the hedging language in brackets to soften the claims. You may need to change other words too and also the form of the words in the brackets. Check your answer after each one to see how you are doing.
| 1. | When the King of Thailand dies, the people of Thailand will be deeply saddened. (many, likely) |
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Your Answer:
Answer:
When the King of Thailand dies, many people in Thailand are likely to be deeply saddened.
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| 2. | If the dinosaurs were still roaming the Earth today, the human race would not exist. (extremely unlikely) |
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Your Answer:
Answer:
If the dinosaurs were still roaming the Earth today, it is extremely unlikely that the human race would exist.
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| 3. | The level of English in Hong Kong has been getting worse and worse since the handover in 1998. (argue) |
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Your Answer:
Answer:
It has been argued that the level of English in Hong Kong has been getting worse and worse since the handover in 1998.
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| 4. | Working through this set of activities will enhance your ability to use hedging in your academic writing. (should) |
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Your Answer:
Answer:
Working through this set of activities should enhance your ability to use hedging in your academic writing
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| 5. | The lack of concrete initiatives to solve the pollution problem in Hong Kong is a clear indication that the Government does not take pollution seriously. (apparent, seem, suggest) |
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Your Answer:
Answer:
The apparent lack of concrete initiatives to solve the pollution problem in Hong Kong seems to suggest that the Government does not take pollution seriously.
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| 6. | Taking a lot of vitamin C will help you overcome a bad cold. (may) |
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Your Answer:
Answer:
Taking a lot of vitamin C may help you overcome a bad cold.
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| 7. | Teachers in Hong Kong simply teach the way they were once taught - by rote. (a lot of, tend) |
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Your Answer:
Answer:
A lot of teachers in Hong Kong simply tend to teach the way they were once taught - by rote.
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| 8. | People between the ages of 30 – 40 sleep 7 hours a night, whereas those over 65 sleep 6 hours a night. (research, carry out, recently, in Hong Kong, reveal, often, generally) |
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Your Answer:
Answer:
Research carried out recently in Hong Kong reveals that people between the ages of 30 – 40 often sleep 7 hours a night, whereas those over 65 generally sleep 6 hours a night
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| 9. | Students are starting to suffer from neck problems because they spend so much of their time at the computer. (seem, reasonable, assume, some) |
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Your Answer:
Answer:
It seems reasonable to assume that some students are starting to suffer from neck problems because they spend so much of their time at the computer.
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| 10. | The Earth’s tilt was caused by a collision with another planet during its formation billions of years ago. (now, assume) |
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Your Answer:
Answer:
It is now assumed that the Earth’s tilt was caused by a collision with another planet during its formation billions of years ago.
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Task Three
The following text would not get published in an academic journal, because the writer appears arrogant and too certain about his/her ideas. It does not follow the academic convention of hedging. Improve the two paragraphs by incorporating hedging devices. Write your new paragraphs in the boxes below. If you need any help, click on HINT to see some possible devices you could use. Of course, you may use different hedging language if it makes sense and appears natural.
Part A |
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Your Answer:
Answer:
Your answers may be quite different from the ones given here, so print off your answers and ask a teacher in the self-access centre to check them for you.
Part A
Electronic portfolios, or ePortfolios, have become somewhat popular in recent years for cataloguing and showcasing one’s skills and achievements online. They can be a useful tool for gaining employment. Research suggests that some employers in Hong Kong are quite interested in the concept of ePortfolios and that these employers will probably look at them if they are given links to online portfolios in job applications.
Hint:
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Part B |
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Your Answer:
Answer:
Your answers may be quite different from the ones given here, so print off your answers and ask a teacher in the self-access centre to check them for you.
Part B
However, many university students are not completely convinced. They do not believe that most employers have the time, or the will, to look at hundreds of ePortfolios. In addition, creating one is often time-consuming and very hard work. It seems reasonable to assume that this kind of thinking probably originates from the belief that ePortfolios are simply a product, and students, who tend to be product-oriented, ignore the possible benefits accrued by the process of portfolio creation. Constructing an ePortfolio generally requires a lot of thought; specifically, critical thinking and self-reflection. Candidates who have devoted time to these thought processes are likely to be better prepared in interview situations.
Hint:
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