Hedges

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1 Hedges or “softeners”

Here are a few words and phrases which are used to soften, qualify, “hedge” or mitigate statements, for the sake of politeness, or to simply soften a statement. The following classifies hedges into abstract pragmatic linguistic categories; this list is only a partial list.[1]


1.1 Epistemic hedges

These soften statements by toning down the forcefulness of the truth value of statements.

basically

according to
actually
apparent(ly)
approximate(ly)
broad(ly)
clear(ly)
comparative(ly)
essential(ly), in essence
hypothetically
indeed
likely
most (+adjective)
normal(ly)
potential(ly)
presumably
probable, probably
rare(ly)
really
relative(ly)
roughly
somehow
somewhat
theoretically
the very +-most (adj.)
virtually


1.2 Phrasal hedges

These are longer expressions that act like epistemic hedges.

as it were

so to say
so to speak
(at) about
if you know what I mean
in a way
kind of
might as well be
more of a ___
more or less
most
something like
sort of
more of a...
sort of
kind of
can be looked at
can be viewed as
strictly speaking
in one sense
in some sense
in a real sense
would like to
details aside
I wouldn’t
if not...


1.3 Possibility hedges

by (some/any) chance

hopefully
maybe
perhaps
possible, possibly
in case (of)
could
can
may
might
if you catch / get / understand my meaning / drift
if you know what I mean (to say)
if you/we know/understand (what it/that means)


1.4 Quality hedges

These expressions hedge the speaker’s commitment to the truth value of statements (truth quality), one’s certainty of statements, or the directness of such statements.

(as) we all know

as far as we/I know
as is (well) known
as you/everyone/the reader know(s)
as the saying goes
(as) everyone/people/people/they say(s)
from what I hear/know/see/understand
in a sense
one/you they say(s)/tell(s) it
for all intents and purposes
for all practical purposes
one might say that
let us say that
in a manner of speaking
don’t you think
wouldn’t you say
as far as I/we know
as you know
I / we understand that
so-called
-like, -esque, -ish
quasi-
practically
in name only
like


For example:

  • That’s rather Clinton-like.
  • That's rather Obama-esque.
  • That’s more of a quasi-theory, if not a bad theory altogether.
  • The color is kind of navy-ish.


1.5 Performative verb hedges

Certain verbs themselves perform the action they refer to. For example, consider the verb ‘declare’ in “I declare that X is true.” In such statements, the verb itself performs the action of declaring, and linguists refer to such verbs as performatives. In a lecture, one can begin a discussion by saying, “I’d like to discuss X,” and one can indicate that X is only one’s opinion by stating, “I think / believe that...”

(would) like to/want to/can/may + verb (e.g., ask, comment, discuss, explain, mention, note, point out, remark, say, state, tell)

I/we/one/people/the reader/they + (perhaps/like/mostly/sometimes + verb
don’t think / believe (so)
I believe / think / thought
I’m just saying...


A relatively new expression in colloquial English is “I’m just saying,” which is added as an afterthought to distance oneself from the preceding statement; it is like saying, “that’s just an observation” or “I’m just stating that as a possibility.”

  • I think the teacher looks cute. …. Hey, I’m just saying.


1.6 Other expressions

at least

that is
i.e.,
should have
ought to

Other hedges include the colloquial phrases ‘like’ and ‘it’s like,’ which are discussed in the section on discourse particles.


2 See also

2.1 References

  1. Some of these are from http://www.umich.edu/~jlawler/lakoffhedgesCLS8.pdf. A hedge is a protective shrub around one’s property. Analogously, linguistic hedges serve to protect the speaker’s and listeners’ sense of “face” (體面, tǐmiàn, 체면) by softening the forcefulness of a statement.