Ingles

HEDGING

We do not always want to commit absolutely to an opinion and we use language to show that our view is not always true or only true in certain circumstances. Read the material in theattachment and learn how to hedge or make comments on your views.

AVOIDING COMMITMENT

In order to put some distance between what you’re writing and yourself as writer, to be cautious rather thanassertive, you should:

[pic]avoid overuse of first person pronouns (I, we, my, our)
[pic]use impersonal subjects instead (It is believed that ..., it can be argued that ...)
[pic]use passive verbs toavoid stating the ‘doer’ (Tests have been conducted)
[pic]use verbs (often with it as subject) such as imagine, suggest, claim, suppose
[pic]use ‘attitudinal signals’ such as apparently, arguably,ideally, strangely, unexpectedly.
   These words allow you to hint at your attitude to something without using personal language.
[pic]use verbs such as would, could, may, might which ‘soften’ whatyou’re saying.
[pic]use qualifying adverbs such as some, several, a minority of, a few, many to avoid making overgeneralisations.
EXAMPLES
Compare the following:
1. It may be said that thecommitment to some of the social and economic concepts was less strong than it is now.
The commitment to some of the social and economic concepts was less strong than it is now.
2. The livesthey chose may seem overly ascetic and self-denying to most women today.
The lives they chose seem overly ascetic and self-denying to most women today.
3. Weismann suggested that animalsbecome old because, if they did not, there could be no successive replacement of individuals and hence no evolution.
Weismann proved that animals become old because, if they did not, therecould be no successive replacement of individuals and hence no evolution.
4. Yet often it cannot have been the case that a recalcitrant trustee remained in possession of the property entrusted to...