Hedging

Hedging is the use of cautious language in academic writing to manage the strength of a claim. It allows writers to show appropriate levels of certainty, protect their arguments from easy dismissal, and reflect the limits of evidence or support. Used well, hedging helps position claims carefully within a discipline, balancing precision with academic credibility. Academic writers can hedge in two different ways, utilising:

1. Approximators: words or phrases that indicate a lack of precision or clarity.
2. Shields: words or phrases that indicate a lack of commitment.

Consider the student example which highlights both types of hedging constructions.

Is it Possible to Over-Hedge?

While hedging is a useful tool, it should be used strategically. It is important that academic writers do not hedge unnecessarily or indiscriminately throughout their text. Over-hedging can result in writing that sounds uncertain and overly speculative. Consider the student example to see the effect of excessive hedging language.

Language Considerations

The list below outlines common words and phrases used for hedging.

Hedging Language

Approximators

Nouns: tendency, estimate, approximation

Verbs: tend, estimate, approximate

Adverbs: roughly, approximately, largely, for the most part, partially, as a whole, generally, to a certain extent, usually, typically, in general

Adjectives: rough, approximate, partial, general, usual, typical, estimated, preliminary

Shields

Nouns: doubt, indication, likelihood, possibility, probability, suggestion, suspicion

Verbs: could, may, might, should, appear, claim, indicate, seem, suggest, suspect

Adverbs: conceivably, perhaps, possibly, probably, presumably, seemingly

Adjectives: conceivable, doubtful, likely, possible, probable, questionable, unclear, unlikely

Hedging Grammar Patterns

• it + link verb + adjective + that/whether
  Example: “it is unlikely that”, “it is unclear whether”
• it + link verb + adjective + to + infinitive
  Example: “it is possible to ascertain”
• it + passive verb + that
  Example: “it is thought that”, “it is believed that”
• it + link verb + that
  Example: “it seems that”
• there + be + the/a + noun + that
  Example: “there is a suspicion that”, “there is an assumption that”
• this + noun
  Example: “this possibility”
• the/a + noun + that
  Example: “the suggestion that”
• the/a + noun + be + that
  Example: “the probability is that”, “the likelihood is that”