Entry #17: Hedging and boosting

Although HEDGES and BOOSTERS can be used in the same academic writing piece of work, both refer to two different ways of claiming. On one hand, hedges are vocabulary items (verbs, adjectives, adverbs) which avoid commiting the absolute truth of a claim. On the other hand, boosters are the opposite of hedgers bacause they are vocabulary items (verbs, adejctives, adverbs) which strenghthen a claim. Because of this main difference, our tone as writers would change in relation to our position from other reasearchers.

The idea of this entry is to understand what HEDGING and BOOSTING are as well as the importance of using them in our academic writing. For that reason, let's start with some examples:

Video 1: HEDGING


 CATEGORICAL CLAIM
 'HEDGED' CLAIM
The issues highlighted in this study are applicable to all participants institutions.
 The highlighted in this study may be applicable to many participants institutions.
Government support will assure the spread of new knowledge and the skills necessary to use the internet to thousands of people in rural areas.
 Government support may help the spread of new knowledge and the skills necessary to use the internet to thousands of people in rural areas.
The study proves the link between smoking and lung disease.
 The study indicates/suggests a (possible) link between smoking and lung desease.
The number of unemployed people will continue to raise as the poor economic situation persists.
 The number of unemployed people will probably continue to raise as the poor economic situation persists.
This (and subsequent) studies led to the conclusion that the GTP itself must be the elusive base, and therefore to the proposal of the GTP-as-base mechanism (Schweins et. al 1994, 1995)
This (and subsequent) studies led to the conclusion that the GTP itself may be the elusive base, and therefore to the proposal of the GTP-as-base mechanism (Schweins et. al 1994, 1995)


Video 2: BOOSTING

Example 1: Clearly these sale figures show a definite increase in consumer confidence, which will undoubtedly have an impact on our share space.

Example 2: Employees will always respond positively in such circumstances.

Example 3: This will have an impact on future reasearch in the field.

Example 4: These figures prove that there has been strong growth as a result of policy change.






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