A hedge is a word or phrase that makes a statement less forceful or assertive, for example, “sometimes” or “seems to”, or “roughly”. Hedges are an important part of polite conversation. They make what we say less direct, and express the limits of our claims.
However, it is important to avoid using too many hedge terms, which could make the author sound unsure of her findings, even if the conclusions are strong
As a basic rule of thumb, try not to include more than one hedge term in a single sentence. If hedging against two or more separate ideas, consider splitting the sentence.
Note: This piece of Instant Feedback is intended as guidance to help improve your writing. It is not used as part of your Curiosity Score calculation, and if you disagree with the feedback it can safely be dismissed without impacting your score.