This document contains the agenda and notes for a class on hedging in academic language. It discusses what hedging is, provides examples of hedging words and phrases, and has exercises for students to practice modifying claims and arguments using hedging. The instructor reviews how hedging makes arguments stronger or weaker and emphasizes its importance in academic writing. Students are given examples like "word of mouth advertising influences purchases" versus "word of mouth advertising could influence purchases" and asked to hedge additional sentences about topics like studying habits.

1. +
Grammar for Interactions 130
IECP, Nikki Mattson, Spring 2016

2. +
Collect pg. 34 Revision and
Labeling

3. +
Agenda
 Hedging introduction
 Hedging activity
 Grammar Test 2 Review

4. +
What is hedging and why is it
important?
 Studying leads to good grades.
 Compared to…
 Reviewing lecture notes for at least one hour each evening
seems to have a positive effect on student grades in
university.

5. +
Hedging
 This is used in academic talk to make claims/arguments
stronger or weaker.
 What are some counter arguments for the following
sentence?
 Studying leads to good grades.
 What about this one?
 Reviewing lecture notes for at least one hour each evening
seems to have a positive effect on student grades in
university.

6. +
Let’s look at some examples
1. Word-of-mouth advertising influences a consumers
incentive to purchase a product.
2. Word-of-mouth advertising can influence a consumers
incentive to purchase a product.
3. Word-of-mouth advertising could influence a consumers
incentive to purchase a product.
4. Word-of-mouth advertising may influence a consumers
incentive to purchase a product.
5. Word-of-mouth advertising might influence a consumers
incentive to purchase a product.

7. +
Try it Out
 Does studying influence student grades?
 1.Yes, studying influences student grades.
 2. can influence
 3. could influence
 4. may influence
 5. might influence

8. +What other ways could you modify this
sentence to make it sound more academic?
 Studying influences student grades.
 Hints:
 1) make it more specific
 2) add a hedge

9. +
Some More Examples
 It is clear that
 It is rather clear that
 It is very probable that
 It is probable that
 It is possible that
 It is unlikely that

10. +
Try It Out!
 Does studying influence student grades?
 It is clear that studying influences student grades.
 It is rather clear that
 It is very probable that
 It is probable that
 It is possible that
 It is unlikely that

11. +
One more group of hedges
1. There is a definite possibility that
2. There is a strong possibility that
3. There is a good possibility that
4. There is a slight possibility that
5. There is little possibility that

12. +
Try It Out!
 Does studying influence student grades?
1. There is a definite possibility that studying influences
student grades.
2. There is a strong possibility that
3. There is a good possibility that
4. There is a slight possibility that
5. There is little possibility that

13. +
Activity

14. +Task 3 – Hedge the following sentences
(add hedges and make the claims more specific)
1. Tall people have higher incomes than short people.
2. Alcohol causes brain damage in teenagers.
3. Passive smoking causes cancer.
4. Physical exercise prevents depression.
5. Private schools are better than public schools in terms of
quality of education.

15. +
Test 2 Review
 Reporting Verbs
 Simple Past vs. Past Continuous
 Adjective Clauses
 Noun Clauses
 Pathways 2 Collocations

16. +
Verb Tense Review
 Before my soccer game last Sunday, I (put)
________________ my car keys in my pocket.
 While I (play) ______________________________
soccer, my keys (fall)
______________________________ out of my pocket.
 After the game I (want)
______________________________ to drive.

17. +
Verb Tense Review
Oscar arrived at 10:00. Francisco and Tony
(play) ______________________________
cards when Oscar (arrive)
______________________________.

18. +
Verb Tense Review
Heidi started to clean her apartment at
11:00 yesterday morning. She stopped at
12:00.
Abby came at 11:30. Heidi (clean)
______________________________ her
apartment when
Abby (come)
______________________________ at 11:30.

19. +
Answer the question with an adjective
clause
What is your father like? My father is a man who has
black hair and is very
generous. OR
I have a father who is
intelligent.
1. What is your apartment
like?
2. What is your best friend
like?
3. What kind of shoes do
you like?

20. +
HW
 Grammar Test 2 = Monday (130A),Tuesday (130B)