USE HEDGING TO AVOID OVERGENERALIZATION

In writing, it is important to make claims that you can defend as true. To do this, you often
need to use hedging language. When you hedge, you avoid overgeneralizing. You limit how
certain you are about something and this tell the reader that you are a reasonable writer whose
statements can be trusted.
There are many ways to hedge. A few are listed here:
Use qualifying phrases such as:
It is likely that ...; it is unlikely that ...; it is possible that ...;
It would seem that ...; ... tend to ...
Use the following modals, but avoid will and wont:
can, could, may, might, should
Use the following modifiers, but avoid all, every, no:
a few, a great deal, a large number, many, most, some
Use the following adverbs, but avoid always and never:
approximately, sometimes, usually, generally, often,
probably, perhaps, in many cases, frequently, rarely

possibly,

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PRACTICE

Add the words in parentheses to the sentence to avoid making a

generalization that may not be true. If necessary, make other changes
to the sentences to make them grammatically correct.
1 Putting a television in a childs bedroom is dangerous; children are
unable to control how much TV they watch (somewhat, most)
2 After giving birth, women face challenges in controlling their
weight. (a large number of, may)
3 Students who carry heavy backpacks will experience back troubles.
(many, are likely to)
4 People in my company work overtime. (quite a few, frequently)

5 My classmates say that they listen to music while doing their

homework. (most of, tend to)
6 Climbers at those altitudes will run out of breath and need to
breathe from an oxygen tank. (it is possible that, some)
7 Experts believe that diet soda is just as bad for your health as
regular soda. (many, probably)
8 Shy students never contribute to class discussions. (it seems that,
rarely)
PRACTICE

Rewrite the following sentences to show hedging.

1 Eating a large breakfast will improve students performance during
the day.
________________________________________________________
2 Drinking more than three cups of coffee a day is bad for your
health.
________________________________________________________
3 Students who cant get parking permits on campus will take the
bus.
________________________________________________________
4 Putting five copies of each course book on reserve in the library
will help students save money on textbooks.
______________________________________________________
5 Every student complains about the complicated course registration
process.
________________________________________________________

Topic 11: If you are asked to present one thing as a symbol of Viet Nam to your
foreign friends, what will it be?
To the outside world, Vietnam has long been known as an agricultural economy blessed with
spectacular landscapes. We are praised for our tourist attractions, exquisite cuisine, and
friendly inhabitants. Nevertheless, this is not how I want the world to see us anymore. If I
could introduce one thing as a symbol of Vietnam, I would definitely choose Da Nang City.
To my opinion, Da Nang has been turning into a modern and civilized city in recent years.
The growth of Da Nang is linked closely with protection of the environment, social equality
and healthcare, all of which make the city one of the most desired places for living. The city
deserves to be a symbol of sustainable development, and foreigners should know that
Vietnam is no longer a low developed country. We are making efforts to develop with the use
of technology. That is what I want our foreign friends to see us in present time.

Topic 12: Suggest one best solution to solve the problem of traffic jams in Viet
Nam.
Traffic jams in Vietnam has been the endlessly discussed topic in the media for so long. To
my opinion, the only way to put an end to this problem is to expand the urban areas. First,
expansion of big cities means .............................