make your ielts essay sound more academic with hedging

MAKE YOUR IELTS ESSAY SOUND MORE ACADEMIC IN 5 MINUTES

When you analyse Band 9 essays, you’ll notice something that can change your writing.

Practically all of them will use

HEDGING.

Advantages of using HEDGING:

1. Increases your score because you use a wider selection of grammar constructions.

Advantages of using HEDGING:

2. You increase the amount of words in your essay, (helpful for those who struggle reaching 250).

Advantages of using HEDGING:

3. The essay has a more academic style.

What does HEDGING mean?

In essay writing, it basically means to

limit or qualify your opinion to

avoid an over generalisation.

How to spot a non-hedged sentence:

A non-hedged sentence will most likely present a belief as a fact.

Look for sweeping statements, usually using the words WILL, ALL, EVERYWHERE, ALWAYS, OR NEVER.

EVERYWHERE ALWAYS NEVER

WILL ALL

FOR EXAMPLE:

ALL German people are ALWAYS punctual. English people WILL act politely when around others.

STUDENT'S EXAMPLE:

Over the last half of the century, young members of society acquire extremely high positions and power. This phenomenon will cause enormously serious issues in the future.

WHERE ARE THE PROBLEMS IN THOSE SENTENCES?

STUDENT'S EXAMPLE:

Over the last half of the century, young members of society acquire extremely high positions and power. This phenomenon will cause enormously serious issues in the future.

PROBLEMS

Over the last half of the century, young members of society acquire extremely high positions and power. This phenomenon will cause enormously serious issues in the future.

Does every young person really acquire extremely high positions and power?

Over the last half of the century, young members of society acquire extremely high positions and power. This phenomenon will cause enormously serious issues in the future.

Will this phenomenon 100% definitely cause problems? Probably not. So we have to insert an element of probability.

HEDGED VERSION

Over the last half of the century, it is widely believed that many young people have acquired extremely high positions and power. This phenomenon could cause enormously serious issues in the future.

By using generalisations the sentence avoids making strong statements and presenting statements as facts.

It wraps sentences in probabilities, and opinions.

The first sentence was transformed by using a 'that clause'.

It could be suggested that... It might be the case that...It may be argued that..

It could be suggested that... It might be the case that...It may be argued that..

The second sentence was transformed by changing WILL for a less certain modal verb 'could'. Other possible modal verbs are may, might, could, must, would.

The second sentence could also be modified by placing an adverb of frequency after 'WILL'. This phenomenon will cause enormously serious issues in the future.

This phenomenon will OFTEN cause enormously serious issues in the future. This phenomenon will USUALLY cause enormously serious issues in the future.

WHAT NEEDS 'HEDGING' IN THIS ESSAY?

A student's essay sent to me for correction.

People will always value luxurious things and high status more than honest friendship and family life. This can be seen everywhere, for example parents always choose friends from families with the same status. Therefore, people are becoming more egoistic, and they will separate from poorer people.

A student's essay sent to me for correction.

People will always value luxurious things and high status more than honest friendship and family life. This can be seen everywhere, for example parents always choose friends from families with the same status. Therefore, people are becoming more egoistic, and they will separate from poorer people.

A student's essay sent to me for correction.

The factors mentioned above cause serious issues in our society. The most significant is that people will separate from others, especially from people with a low level of income. This causes some tensions in the local community. For example, there will be more fights between neighbours. Another problem is our children's behaviour. They will learn how to behave from their ignorant parents who value money more than anything else. Thus, they might have problems at school and between their peers.

A student's essay sent to me for correction.

The factors mentioned above cause serious issues in our society. The most significant is that people will separate from others, especially from people with a low level of income. This causes some tensions in the local community. For example, there will be more fights between neighbours. Another problem is our children's behaviour. They will learn how to behave from their ignorant parents who value money more than anything else. Thus, they might have problems at school and between their peers.

These paragraphs contain just one possibility, in the last sentence, the rest of the text is stated as fact in the present simple or future simple.

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