Hedging Language (Quiz)

1. Mark the statement that doesn't show politeness, caution, and protect the speaker/writer from criticism if the idea is proven wrong.

• Eating fast food is likely bad and perhaps should be avoided.

• Eating fast food is bad and should be avoided.

• Eating fast food is believed to be bad, so it should be avoided.

• Many people say that eating fast food should be avoided.

2. Mark all statements that show politeness, caution, and protect the speaker/writer from criticism if the idea is proven wrong.

• The assumption is that politicians are dishonest.

• Politicians are said to be dishonest.

• Politicians are dishonest.

• Politicians are usually seen as dishonest.

3. Mark all statements that don't show politeness, caution, and protect the speaker/writer from criticism if the idea is proven wrong.

• Hedging' is certainly very useful in writing.

• Hedging' is deemed as very useful in writing.

• 'Hedging' is very useful in writing.

• 'Hedging' is probably very useful in writing.

4. Rewrite this sentence as an hedged statements using the suggested verb and making any necessary grammatical changes:

Male gorillas are more aggressive than female gorillas, according to research. (tend)

5. Rewrite this sentence as a hedged statement using the suggested verb and making any necessary grammatical changes:

A 2005 study said that the accuracy of Wikipedia was similar to that of the Encyclopaedia Britannica. (suggested)