This document discusses moderating assertions in academic writing. It encourages using words like "largely", "generally", "somewhat", and "arguably" to make statements more accurate when discussing topics like economic activity, populations, social issues, and opinions. Examples are provided of unmodified statements and rewriting them using moderating language. The document also discusses phrases like "is considered", "can be considered", and "to a large/some/certain extent" that can be combined with moderating words to soften assertions.

1. Writing II – Moderating Your Voice
Dr. Ron Martinez
Universidade Federal do Paraná

2. Today’s agenda
• Focus on key words and phrases that can
affect your “voice” in the text.
• Practice “moderating” your assertions when
you write academic texts.

3. Do you agree?
1. In Brazil, economic activity is concentrated in
the city of São Paulo.
2. Curitibanos are not as friendly as other
Brazilians.
3. Curitiba is safer than most capital cities in Brazil.
4. Curitiba has the best public transportation
system in Brazil.
5. The population of Curitiba is of European
descent.

4. Look up these words
• How are these words used?
• What kind of language occurs after the words?
(Positive? Negative? Neutral?)
• largely
• generally
• somewhat
• arguably
• mostly

5. Try to use a word to make these
sentences more “accurate.”
1. In Brazil, economic activity is concentrated in
the city of São Paulo.
2. Curitibanos are not as friendly as other
Brazilians.
3. Curitiba is safer than most capital cities in Brazil.
4. Curitiba has the best public transportation
system in Brazil.
5. The population of Curitiba is of European
descent.

6. SOURCE: http://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2015/04/brazil-where-free-
universities-largely-serve-the-wealthy/389997/

7. More ways to moderate
• What is the difference between these
sentences?
• Feijoada is the national dish of Brazil.
• Feijoada is considered the national dish of
Brazil
• Social inequality in Brazil has improved over
the past decade.
• Social inequality in Brazil has improved to
some extent over the past decade.

8. Now consider these phrases
• Can the words presented earlier combine with
these phrases? Which ones? Any other words?
• is considered
• can be considered
• is believed to...
• to a large extent
• to some extent
• to a certain extent

9. from COCA

10. Now Practice
Download worksheet (on website)