Hedging and tentative language / pronouns and antecedents

PowerPoint for week 9

Pronouns• Pronouns usually refer to other

words, called their antecedents • An antecedent and a pronoun

must refer to the same thing.• A pronoun's antecedent may be

either a noun or another pronoun.

Example

- The argument presented by Jones is unclear because it focuses on a continent rather than on a single country.

- Jones and McCarthy agree that the research carried out by Jones is unclear. In their analysis they point out that focusing on a single country leads to a better argumentation.

Tentative language:Distance yourself from the data:Based on the limited data available, …In the view of some experts, ….According to this preliminary study, …Based on an informal survey of nine

department managers, …

Academic Language Centre

Tentative language: Qualify a generalisation:Children living in poverty have a history of health

problems.Children living in poverty tend to have a history of

health problems.Many children living in poverty have a history of

health problems.The majority of children living in poverty have a

history of health problems.In most parts of the world children living in poverty

have a history of health problems.

Academic Language Centre

Tentative language:Choose a weaker verb:Unsound policies of the IMF led to the

financial crisis.Unsound policies of the IMF

contributed to the financial crisis.

Academic Language Centre

Tentative language:Combine several types of

qualifications, but do not overdo it: It could be concluded that the

majority of studies seem to suggest that some of the unsound policies of the IMF might have led to the financial crisis.

Academic Language Centre

Pronouns• Pronouns usually refer to other

words, called their antecedents • An antecedent and a pronoun

must refer to the same thing.• A pronoun's antecedent may be

either a noun or another pronoun.

Exercise: identify the hedging expressions

1. There is no difficulty in explaining how a structure such as an eye or a feather contributes to survival and reproduction; the difficulty is in thinking of a series of steps by which it could have arisen.

Source for these examples: http://www.uefap.com/writing/exercise/feature/hedgeex.htm

1. There is no difficulty in explaining how a structure such as an eye or a feather contributes to survival and reproduction; the difficulty is in thinking of a series of steps by which it could have arisen

2. There is experimental work to show that a week or ten days may not be long enough and a fortnight to three weeks is probably the best theoretical period.

2. There is experimental work to show that a week or ten days may not be long enough and a fortnight to three weeks is probably the best theoretical period.

3. Conceivably, different forms, changing at different rates and showing contrasting combinations of characteristics, were present in different areas.

3. Conceivably, different forms, changing at different rates and showing contrasting combinations of characteristics, were present in different areas.

4. It appears to establish three categories: the first contains wordings generally agreed to be acceptable, the second wordings which appear to have been at some time problematic but are now acceptable, and the third wordings which remain inadmissible.

4. It appears to establish three categories: the first contains wordings generally agreed to be acceptable, the second wordings which appear to have been at some time problematic but are now acceptable, and the third wordings which remain inadmissible.