HEDGING AND EPISTEMIC MODALITY IN ENGLISH ACADEMIC WRITING: PRAGMATIC FUNCTIONS AND COMMUNICATIVE SIGNIFICANCE

Authors

  • Christian Mair Professor of English Linguistics, University of Freiburg, Germany Research fields: English Linguistics, World Englishes, Corpus Linguistics, Language Change, English as a Lingua Franca Author
  • Anna Mauranen Professor Emerita / Research Director, University of Helsinki, Finland Department of Languages — English Philology Research fields: English as a Lingua Franca, Academic Language, Spoken Language, Scientific Rhetoric, Language Processing Author

Abstract

Academic writing requires authors to present knowledge while simultaneously acknowledging uncertainty, alternative interpretations, and limitations. One of the most significant linguistic mechanisms used to achieve this balance is hedging. This article investigates the relationship between hedging and epistemic modality in English academic discourse. The analysis focuses on modal verbs, epistemic adverbs, lexical verbs, approximators, and impersonal constructions. Drawing on pragmatic and discourse-oriented approaches, the article argues that hedging should not be understood simply as linguistic uncertainty. Instead, it performs several communicative functions: limiting the strength of claims, expressing scholarly caution, negotiating relationships with readers, and positioning new knowledge within disciplinary communities. The study demonstrates that appropriate hedging is an essential component of effective English academic writing.

 

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Published

2026-09-28

Issue

Vol. 4 No. 6 (2026): SCIENCE AND PEDAGOGY IN THE MODERN WORLD: PROBLEMS AND SOLUTIONS

Section

Articles