My Science School

When we read the word hedge, the first thing we visualise is a neatly grown green fence around a garden. That's a physical hedge. But there's also a hedge in writing: the creation of word shrubbery to protect your words.

What is hedging?

Hedging is a way of writing. It is a language tool used to express opinions, make complaints and claims, and answer questions. This type of writing is used mainly in academic work- such as in describing a discovery. Scientists and lawyers often use hedging language.

How do you define hedging?

Hedging is the use of language in a cautious or vague way. With hedging, you can make evasive statements. The verb "to hedge is to use cautious, vague or evasive language so that the writer is not challenged on what he writes.

One simple example of hedging is "If the material is left in the open, it is possible it may burst into flames." The writer avoids saying "It will burst into flames."

We often read this sort of language in statements made by economists and those from the meteorological department. There may be isolated rain in some parts of the district. The weather may remain cloudy in other parts." if none of this happens the Met department can say, "Well, we said may happen?

You now understand the importance of hedging. Hedging is done to avoid answering a question directly.

Q: Will it rain tomorrow?

A: It is likely that there may be light-to-heavy showers in different parts of the country during the day or night.

This way, the Met, department does not commit itself to rain or shine. Weather is unpredictable, it says through hedging. At the same time, it has warmed you of possible rain!

Hedging has its uses

Using this language softens strong claims and demands.

Normal: Don't go near that statue! Hedged: If I were you, wouldn't go near that statue.

Hedging helps to limit or qualify the claims and statements we make.

Normal: The man caught by the police yesterday is the one who robbed the bank

Hedged: The man caught by the police yesterday allegedly robbed the bank.

In their reports, journalists use the word "allegedly" quite often. This is because the statements they make may not have proof. In that case, it is better to hedge so that no one catches them for wrong reporting later on.

Hedging protects reporters from court cases.

But be careful!

Do not make hedging a habitual feature of your writing. Then you start sounding like you don't have confidence in your thoughts, ideas, and opinions.

Overuse of hedging language may make the reader wonder what is the authors stand on this? Is he/she saying it is right or wrong? Did it happen or not? Will this work or not?

Phrases such as "1 think we should "or "1 feel like or it would be great if weaken your sentences. The sentences seem to ramble aimlessly.

Show your readers that you have done your research and stand by what you say. Your readers will be happy to read your reports. They will respect your opinions if they are put out in crisp, unambiguous language. Your sentences should express confidence and your arguments should be to the point.

How do we go about hedging?

Here are some tips for you.

[1] Modal verbs

• can


• could


• may


• might


• should


• would

Example: From the data available, we can conclude that greenhouse gases may be responsible for global warming.

Non-hedged: Data available show that greenhouse gases are responsible for global warming

[2] Modal adjectives

• possible


• probable


• likely


• unlikely

Example: It is likely that the probable results of the experiments are faulty Non-hedged. The results of the experiments are faulty

[3] Adverbs

• conceivably


• perhaps


• possibly


• probably


• usually

Example: We could conceivably map out the area before September

[4] Nouns

• assumption


• likelihood


• possibility


• probability

Example: There is a strong possibility, therefore, that there will be a dust storm over the weekend

[5] Lexical verbs

• assume


• believe


• indicate


• interpret


• seem


• suggest

Example: I believe that his words made the audience angry: his speech seemed to suggest that the people were stupid. Maybe his words were interpreted wrongly.

[6] Introductory phrases

• It appears that…


• It can be argued that…


• We can assume that…


• It is likely to be the case that…


• It is probable that…


• It can be concluded that…


• The data indicates…

[7] Vague language

‘about’, ‘kind of’, ‘sort of’, feel, ‘seems like’.

Example: It's kind of difficult for me to share that information with you.

I feel that you should play less and pay more attention to your books. It is about time

[8] Hedging in academic writing

Hedge words and phrases allow writers to be academically cautious, to acknowledge the degrees of uncertainty in their statements and claims. Rather than claiming something is an absolute truth or fact, they hedge and stay safe. The chances their claims will be questioned or disputed by other academics then are fewer.

Examples of hedging in academic writing:

• The evidence from this research suggests that…


• The data collected from this study appears to support the assumption that…


• It seems likely that these results are due to...


• There are various possible explanations for this...


• It is almost certain these changes can be attributed to…


• There is a strong possibility that X would be enhanced by…


• Current research appears to suggest that…

 

Picture Credit : Google

 

How do you decide what you want to read in a newspaper or a magazine? By reading the headline, right?

These days, when people have little patience for reading long passages, the only thing that will get their attention is a well-worded headline. A catchy headline is essential; it is critical to get the reader interested in what you write.

But be warned: In the name of catchy headlines, we cannot mislead the reader. Nor can we have a headline that is grammatically questionable.

Classic examples

Here are some headlines that have been around since 1987. They make us chuckle, and that’s a good indication that we will want to read further. No one can tell when or by whom they were published, but they get forwarded from time to time

‘Miners Refuse to Work After Death'

‘Something Went Wrong in Plane Crash Say Experts’

 ‘Red Tape Holds Up New Bridge’

Your headline has to be compelling, it should get the reader to move to the next line, says Brian Clark, an expert on writing attractive headlines.

Some tips

How do we make our headlines eye-catching? Memorable? Here are some tips.

[1] Be positive. Turn negative statements into positives. [2] Specific details or numbers can be valuable in a headline. For ex: "How I Upped My Score by 25% Last Year."

[3] Headlines are vital for getting attention. Give them a lot of thought before writing them down.

[4] Finally, practise and test your headline by writing it. Ask for feedback!

Hint, tease & promise

Read on to find out how you can create, improve and enlighten with your headlines.

[1] Be brief, but be clear. Chop off unnecessary words. Watch out for grammatical errors. Read this one carefully: "Bill proposes hefty fines for traffic violations in Lok Sabha."

Traffic violations in the Lok Sabha? Mmmmm.

[2] Don't tell too much of the story. The heading just hints at what is to come in the story below. It makes reading irresistible. It should give the reader a reason to read further.

"A star is born" will want readers to know what the word "star stands for

[3] Remember the five-Ws and one H of writing - Who What Where. When. Why and How of these, which question is the most important in your story? Use the answer for that in your headline

"Film crew practises shooting in tiger reserve answers what

[4] See that the headline has a hint that the reader will benefit from reading the story.

"Japanese at your fingertips is a good example

[5] Use numbers if you can. Odd numbers like 7 and 19 help to catch attention. But an even one can help too.

Examples: "Five steps to improve memory." Twenty funny headlines." You are sure to scroll down to read the story!

[6] Use interesting adjectives. Try these fun, incredible, free, effortless, strange heart-warming.

Look at the headlines describing Roger Federer. You will get all the adjectives you want.

[7] Try making a promise. Will the reader learn something valuable from what you have written? Perhaps some new insight about world affairs? A new skill, maybe? A new place to visit? An ancient mystery A health tip? A positive story on nature?

[8] One writer uses this formula for headline-writing Number or Trigger word + Adjective + Keyword + Promise

Here's an example: Take the subject "litter-free India. You could headline the essay "How to make India Litter free" or “Seven steps to make India Litter free” or use this formula: "Nine unbelievably simple ways to make India squeaky dean. Which one do you prefer?

Winning headlines

Headlines make all the difference in getting people to read what you write. They tell the reader what to expect in the essay and why they should read it. These essential steps will help you get the right headline.

Writing for the reader

Understand the target. Before writing, ask: who are my readers? What are they looking for when they read? Form headlines to target the emotions of the readers.

Write an outline of the content first. Then write the headline. Write several different headlines and read them out loud. Pick the most important benefit readers will get from reading your paragraph and include that benefit in the headlines.

Be clear

Use a fairly standard, straightforward headline based on the formula. If you can, write a headline that's whacky, offbeat or different.

There is the danger that headlines based on a play of words ("Enraged Cow Injures Farmer with Axe.) will not be understood. But it is worth trying

 

Picture Credit : Google

 

We know that the English language has parts of speech-like nouns verbs, adjectives and so on. You’ve probably learnt about them in grammar class.

But there are other fun groups too that words are classified into, in the language Have you heard of these?

Dolch and Fry Words

In 1936, linguist Edwart William Dolch created a list of 95 nouns that were commonly used in writing. He said that students should memorise these Sight words as whole words and not break them down. For example: "Answer” not aun-ser”.

Dolch also has a 220-word list without nouns. The theory was that if children could easily recognise these common words and read them, they could achieve reading fluency.

Based on this sight theory, in 1957, Edward Fry took words from "American Heritage Word Frequency Book" and created another group of high-frequency words. He ranked them according to how many times they occur in textbooks in classes 3-9. This list has all the parts of speech, and was revised in 1980.

These two lists are used in primary schools and help children become fluent speakers. Many of us have learnt English by simply memorising whole words! We read well, but our pronunciation may have been rather shaky because we memorised the words without worrying about their sounds. Today, you have audio to help you with pronunciation. Just practise!

Portmanteau words

Portmanteaus (or portmanteaux) are words that combine the sounds and meanings of two words. You know "brunch" is a combo of breakfast and lunch. right? And "motel" combines motor and hotel.

"Portmanteau" is a French word meaning "a large leather travelling bag" that opens into two equal parts - a special compartment for hanging clothing (suits) and a normal one for folded clothes and other stuff Makes sense to use it for a word that blends the sounds and meanings of two words! "Podcast" is a portmanteau (or blend), a made-up word from iPod and broadcast.

The word portmanteau has Latin origins, from portare, meaning a cloak. Over time, the word changed to include both suitcase and a language blend.

Surprisingly, it first appeared in a children's book "Alice Through the Looking Glass" and was introduced by a talking egg!

In the story, Alice asks Humpty Dumpty to explain the nonsensical Jabberwocky poem. What do the words slithy' and 'mimsy' mean, she asks. Humpty Dumpty replies: "Well, "slithy" means "lithe and slimy" You see it's like a portmanteau there are two meanings packed up into one word." "Mimsy" is flimsy and miserable"

So, if a friend tell you: "Let's go glamping!", do agree! Glamping is glamorous+camping, and was coined by fashion magazine Vogue in October 2011.

Today, there are numerous portmanteaus in English. Smoke + fog - smog. Jeans + leggings = jeggings, breath + analyser – breathalyzer, Obama + healthcare -Obamacare.

Try creating portmanteaus, and hold a class competition for original ones!

Crazy words

Shakespeare is supposed to have created "crazy words. “Hurry" and “zany” are common words today, but were thought of as odd in his time! People make up CTRZY sounding words all the time! Try this: Do you bloviate and carry a bumbershoot with you while your lollygag? Got you!

More weird words:

Bumfuzle or dumfoozle: To confuse, perplex

Cattywampus: in disarray, not directly across from something.

Bumbershoot: Umbrella

Lollygag: Surfaced around 1868. A “lollygag” is someone who is messing around wasting time

Bloviate: This refers to people who talk for a long period of time, who inflate their story to make themselves sound better.

Flibbertigibbet: Someone silly, doesn't do anything serious. Maria, in the film Sound of Music was called this!

Unique words:

Syzygy: The only English word with three Ys. Refers to the alignment of three celestial bodies in a straight line.

Dreamt: The only verb to end with-mt.

Hydroxyzine: Only one word in all of English that has an X Y, and z in order.

 

Picture Credit : Google

 

What is a clause? You may have heard about clauses in your grammar class. A sentence becomes a clause when it is attached to another sentence.

Take a look at this sentence: Children read books. This is a complete sentence. It follows the patterns S (subject) + V(verb) + O(object) = complete thought.

Now, look at this sentence: Children read books and they write stories. This sentence has two parts. Each has an S + V + O = complete thought.

Each part of the second sentence is called a main clause. Each part can stand on its own and make complete sense.

Every main clause has a subject and a verb and forms a complete thought.

The important point to remember is that every sentence must have at least one main clause. Otherwise, you have a fragment, which is a major error in writing.

For example: The sky which was clear – this is only a fragment.

The sky which was clear, later turned cloudy.

This sentence has a main clause – The sky turned cloudy

Subordinate clauses

The important point to remember about subordinate clauses is that they can never stand alone as complete sentences.

To complete the thought, you must attach each subordinate clause to a main clause.

Check out these sentences with the coloured portions, which are subordinate clauses:

Whenever the wind blows, the windows rattle.

Guru ran to get water when his friend fell.

Mani’s dog, whose name is Judo, is a big Labrador.

Tip: Subordinate clauses always start with a connecting word. The clause can be in the beginning, middle or at the end of the sentence.

Conditional clauses

Clauses that have “If” and express a condition are known as conditional clauses.

For instance: If I had gone to Assam this winter, I would have met my uncle.

Conditional clauses are of three types.

Type 1

If you are not quiet, you will be punished.

If the weather is good, we will play outside.

If it rains, the cat will come inside.

These sentences express an open condition. The condition may or may not be fulfilled. The verb in this clause is in the simple present tense.

Type 2

In the following sentences, the “if” clause is in the simple past tense.

If we had a car, we would go on a tour.

If he behaved well, he would be forgiven.

If I stayed at home, I would be bored.

These verbs do not refer to a past action. They talk of conditions put forward for consideration.

Type 3

Study these sentences:

If I had worked hard, I would have won the prize.

If he had listened to me, he would have got the first prize.

If we had foreseen the tsunami, we would have been prepared.

These “if” clauses express conditions that were not fulfilled in the past.