Hedging and Boosting

Hedging and Boosting

INDEX

6. Body weight and cancer

1. Introduction

7. Gapfill Exercise

2. Hedging

3. Boosing

8. Gapfill Answers

4. Hedging vs Boosting

9. References

5. Cardiovascular disease & Cancer

10. Thanks

1. Introduction

In our writing, we often indicate how confident we are about the claims we make. If we are doubtful that something is true, we may use words like perhaps or possibly. If we’re confident, we may say that something is clearly or obviously true. These words are called hedges and boosters. They affect the tone of our writing, and good writers use them effectively.

Hedging

To hedge means to waffle on an issue, to avoid committing oneself. Originally, the term referred to literally hiding in a bush or hedge. These days, hedging simply means expressing some feeling of doubt or hesitancy.

Boosting

If hedges express doubt, boosters demonstrate confidence. The danger with boosters is that they can make you seem cocky and pompous. However, if you use them sparingly they can convey the right amount of self-assurance. The selective use of boosters will convince your reader that you know your stuff and are an expert in your field.

Hedging

Boosting

• To avoid sounding too certain when putting forward an argument, you can use specific language to minimise or soften what you say.

• In academic situations, arguments are often presented cautiously. You can use a variety of language to hedge or express caution, before discussing the evidence in detail.

VS

• Boosting is often used in summary sentences and conclusions. It shows that the writer has considered the evidence, and now they have formed their own opinions about it.

• To sound more certain or to maximise or boost your message, you can use more ‘definite’ language.

• Hedging and being specific (in the right places) makes writing more accurate, persuasive and academic.

• We use boosting to support our claims by reliable evidence. It makes academic writing more decisive, persuasive and impressive.

5. Cardiovascular disease & Cancer

Read the following paragraphs of the article. The hedging language is in bold. In the breakout rooms,

• Download the document.
• Add the hedging language from the text to the correct row of the table in the wooclap activity.
• Compare your answers.

Read the text

Wooclap

6. Body Weight & Cancer

Read the following paragraphs of the article. The hedging language is in bold. In the breakout rooms,

• Discuss the questions in Task 4
• Add the boosting language from the text to the correct row of the table in the wooclap activity.

Read the text

Wooclap

6. Gapfill Exercise

7. Gapfill Answers:

1. clear 2. question 3. evidence 4. frequently 5. Some 6. some 7. Many

8. largely 9. Some 10. unlikely 11. often 12. arguable 13. Much 14. brief 15. provided

List of References

Craig W. J. (2009) Health effects of vegan diets, The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Volume 89, Issue 5, May 2009, Pages 1627S–1633S. Grifith University, Hedging and boosting, griffith.edu.au/ Available at: https://www.griffith.edu.au/international/englishhelp/hedging-and-boosting [Last Accessed: 26/11/202] Lanou A.J., Svenson B. (2010) 'Reduced cancer risk in vegetarians: an analysis of recent reports'. Cancer Manag Res. 3:1–8. doi: 10.2147/CMAR.S6910. Nordquist, R. Aug. 25, 2020, Boosting": Definition and Examples in English. thoughtco.com Available at: thoughtco.com/what-is-boosting-language-1689175. [Last Accessed: 26/11/2020] The Nature of Writing, Hedges and Boosters, natureofwriting.com Available at: https://natureofwriting.com/courses/introduction-to-rhetoric/lessons/hedges-and-boosters/topic/hedges-and-boosters/ [Last Accessed: 26/11/202] The Writing Centre Hedges: Softening Claims in Academic Writing 2020, writingcenter.gmu.edu/ Available at: https://writingcenter.gmu.edu/guides/hedges-softening-claims-in-academic-writing [Last Accessed: 26/11/2020]

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