C1 Stage 1: Sentence
Make a careful claim (hedging)
Hedging in English writing (may, tend to, in some cases)
You can make a claim that is not stronger than you can show, so a careful reader agrees with it.
This guide is for B2 writers moving to C1. It is a stage 1 skill: write one sentence (8-50 words).
When to use hedging
Every time you give an opinion or say something about a big group (people, young people, companies). Ask yourself: is this true always, for everyone? If not, make it softer.
Hedging: how to do it
A big claim like 'Social media destroys friendships' is easy to attack, because it is not always true. Make it softer with one small word: 'Heavy social media use may weaken some friendships.' Useful softeners: may, could, tend to, often, many, in some cases. A word like 'may' or 'could' is already a careful claim. To say how far the claim reaches, you can add 'in many cases', 'to some extent', 'a significant minority' or 'it is likely that': they make it more exact, but you do not need them. One or two softeners are enough; with too many, your sentence says nothing. This is called hedging.
Useful language for hedging
- may / might / could
- tend to
- arguably
- it is likely that
- to some extent
- in many cases
- a significant minority of ...
- appears to
Example of hedging
Fast-paced video games may, in some cases, improve players' ability to switch quickly between tasks.
Topic: Video games
How the BetterWrite coach checks hedging
The BetterWrite coach checks 3 points for this skill, plus accuracy and staying on topic, and quotes your own words when one is not there yet.
Try it
Write ONE sentence that makes a careful general claim about social media and friendship.
Write 8-50 words (one sentence).