How to use hedging to make nuanced claims
To express a nuanced claim, you need to draw on a range of hedging devices. Generally, hedging devices can be divided into four main types:
| Modal verbs | Verbs of moderation | Adverbs | Adjectives |
|---|---|---|---|
| might, may, could, can, should | appear, suggest, indicate, tend to+ verb stem, seem to + verb stem | somewhat, perhaps, possibly, probably, generally, typically, frequently, often, evidently, relatively, recently | likely, unlikely, possible, probable, some, many, most |
Expressions such as “majority of…”, “minority of…”, “a variety of…”, “a number of…” also have a similar qualifying function which can weaken or strengthen claims.
How to use modal verbs and expressions
A cautious tone is often expressed through the use of modal verbs and other modal expressions. Below, you can see which modal verbs are used to express low to high certainty.
Increasing level of certainty | High
Low | Low certainty | Moderate | High certainty |
“could” “may” “might” | “would” “can” | “will” “must” “should” |
Often you use these hedging devices to add meaning to the main verb (action word). For instance, modal verbs - a type of auxiliary verb - are used to indicate possibility, ability, permission, potential, expectation, and duty/obligation/necessity in statements.
When used with the main verb, modal verbs don’t change form, whether the main verb is in the first-person (“I”), second-person (“you/we”) or third-person (“she/he/it/they”) form.
Here are three example sentences with the ‘modal verb’ in blue and the ‘main verb’ in orange:
“I may finish the essay tomorrow.” (first-person pronoun)
“We may finish the essay tomorrow.” (second-person, plural)
“She may finish the essay tomorrow.” (third-person, singular)
As you can see in the above sentences, immediately after a modal verb, you should use what is known as the infinitive form of the main verb without “to” (e.g. “Risk factors for Type-2 Diabetes can include…”). The infinitive form is the simple or basic form of a verb (action word), having no tense and not changing its form. It is the form listed in dictionaries, such as “(to) write”, “(to) read”, “(to) study”.
Further examples of how to use modal verbs:
Question form: “Can A be in a direct relationship with B?” (placed in front of the subject)
Negative statement: “In 2020, most university classes could not be taught in-person on campus.” (“not” added after the modal verb)
Below, you will find four of the functions of modal verbs provided. Click on these to find out what they mean and how to use them in your own statements.
The modal verbs are in bold.
Qualifying claims
Qualifying your language expression refers to using words and phrases that limit or enhance another word’s meaning. Qualifiers - also known as downtoners or intensifiers - affect the level of certainty and specificity of statements.
These words and phrases can be further categorised in terms of quantity, frequency and probability. A combination of these is key to aptly qualifying your statements and ensuring that you conform to the conventions of academic writing.
You can draw on these examples of downtoners and intensifiers to craft your claims into a nuanced argument.
