noteswale
Notegraduate

Hedging & academic tone

Lesson 71 of 84

C1

Hedging = savdhani se likhna. Claim ko naram rakho jab data poora nahi: perhaps, tend to, it seems, suggest. may / might grammar = 45. must have left = 72. Letter kapde = 69. Paragraph jod = 73.

1. Kya hai

Hedge = savdhani se likhna (claim 100% sure nahi). Exam essay / report: All students always fail zyada tez. Fact (paani 100°C) hedge mat karo.

Too strong Naram
The metro is always late. The metro is often late. / It tends to be late in monsoon.
This proves the fees are unfair. This suggests that the fees may be high.
I think the queue was long. The queue appears to have been long.

2. Hedges

Type Yaad rakho Example
chance perhaps / possibly / probably / may / might / could The delay was perhaps due to rain.
habit / typical tend to / often / generally / typically / in many cases Commuters tend to take the local at 8.
distance it seems / it appears / it is likely that It seems that the hall was full.
verb suggest / indicate (not prove / show for sure) The numbers suggest that the metro helped.
quantity a number of / some / many (not all) A number of students missed the form deadline.

may / might + base = 45 (yahan sirf tone; naya modal map nahi). Pehle ka andaza must have + V3 = 72.

3. Academic tone

Essay / report Not this
It could be argued that the metro is cheaper. I think / According to me / The fact is…
There is some evidence that queues grew. Obviously / Clearly / Everybody knows
Water boils at 100°C. (no hedge — known fact) Water perhaps boils at 100°C.
It has been suggested that fees rose. (passive distance) Yaar the fees went up. / a piece of cake (65)

Noun-heavy extra = 63. Formal letter open/close = 69. however / therefore jod = 53. Paragraph chain extra = 73.

4. Examples

Bold = hedge / academic.

  1. The metro is often crowded after chai time. (not always)
  2. Commuters tend to take the local at 8.
  3. The delay was perhaps due to monsoon rain.
  4. It seems that the hall was full on 15 May.
  5. The numbers suggest that the metro helped Ravi's area.
  6. A number of students missed the form deadline.
  7. It could be argued that an auto is faster in light traffic.
  8. There is some evidence that queues grew before Diwali.
  9. The fees appear to be high for some families.
  10. In many cases, Papa prefers the metro to an auto.
  11. The train may be late tomorrow. (45 — yahan sirf tone)
  12. Water boils at 100°C. (fact — no hedge)
  13. Mr Khan generally waits in the queue, not always.
  14. It has been suggested that the clinic should open at 7.
  15. To some extent, cricket on TV reduced street play.

5. Common mistakes

All Indians always take the metro. / This proves everything.
Many commuters often take the metro. This suggests that…
Water perhaps boils at 100°C. / 15 May might be after 14 May.
Known facts: no hedge. Hedge opinions and general patterns.
I think / According to me / The fact is the fees are high.
The fees appear to be high. / It could be argued that…
Obviously the queue was long. / Everybody knows…
The queue appears to have been long. / There is some evidence that…
must have left (72, yahan nahi) / Dear Mr Khan (69, yahan nahi)
must have = 72. Letter kapde = 69. Yahan: claim ki tone.
too long to finish → so long that… (70, yahan nahi)
Transformation = 70. Hedge = perhaps / tend to / suggest.
Well, actually, the metro… / a piece of cake in the essay
66 / 65 yahan nahi. Academic: It seems that the metro…
Hedge every verb in a paragraph (73 glue missing)
One or two hedges per claim. Paragraph jod = 73.
Hindi note. Hedge = shayad / aksar / lagta hai, jab proof 100% nahi. always / all / prove / obviously tez. Paani 100°C jaisa fact naram mat karo. must have gone = 72, yahan nahi.

6. Practice

A. 10 MCQ

1. Academic: The metro is ______ late in monsoon.
2. Soften: All students fail.
3. The numbers ______ that the metro helped.
4. I think the fees are high. Academic:
5. People ______ take the local at 8.
6. Uncertain delay:
7. Known fact (no hedge):
8. Quantity hedge:
9. ______ that the hall was full.
10. This page is not:

B. 5 fill-in

1. The delay was ______ due to rain. (soft chance)

2. Commuters ______ to take the local at 8.

3. The numbers ______ that the metro helped. (not prove)

4. It ______ that the hall was full.

5. Sahi karo: The metro is always late.

C. 3 sentences

Model answers neeche. Ek often / tend, ek suggest, ek it seems.

  1. often: The metro is often crowded after chai time.
  2. suggest: The numbers suggest that the metro helped.
  3. it seems: It seems that the hall was full.

7. Answer key

MCQ
  1. b) often — hedge. always / definitely always tez.
  2. b) Many students tend to struggle. — all / never dono extreme.
  3. b) suggest — academic verb. prove too sure. scream informal.
  4. b) The fees appear to be high. — I think / yaar = 69 informal.
  5. a) tend to — typical pattern. gonna = 69.
  6. b) perhaps due to rain — obviously tez. must have = 72.
  7. a) Water boils at 100°C. — fact, no hedge.
  8. b) a number of students — all / every last too strong.
  9. a) It seems — The fact is tez. Well, actually = 66.
  10. c) too…to → so…that — 70, not 71.
Fill-in
  1. perhaps / possibly / probably
  2. tend — tend to.
  3. suggest / indicate
  4. seems / appears
  5. The metro is often late. / The metro tends to be late.
Model sentences
  1. The metro is often crowded after chai time.
  2. The numbers suggest that the metro helped.
  3. It seems that the hall was full.

Check: hedge opinions not facts; often/tend/perhaps/suggest/it seems; no all/always/prove/obviously; may/might grammar = 45; must have = 72; letter = 69; transformation = 70; paragraph jod extra = 73; idioms = 65; well/actually = 66.