Lesson 3 of 6
Hedging and Softening
Sound diplomatic, careful and more native by softening strong statements.
Native speakers rarely speak in absolute terms. Instead of "This is wrong", they say "This might not be quite right". This is called hedging, and it's one of the clearest signs of advanced English. It makes you sound thoughtful, polite and professional.
LearnThe key ideas
Hedging tools
| Tool | Direct | Hedged |
|---|---|---|
| Modal verbs | This is a problem. | This could be a problem. |
| Seem / appear | He's angry. | He seems a bit upset. |
| Softening adverbs | It's expensive. | It's a little on the expensive side. |
| Tend to | Americans are direct. | Americans tend to be fairly direct. |
| I'd say | It's two hours. | I'd say it's about two hours. |
| Kind of / sort of | It's boring. | It's kind of boring. |
Negative softening
Instead of a negative adjective, use "not very" + a positive one: "It's not very good" instead of "It's bad", "He's not the most organized person" instead of "He's disorganized". Americans use this constantly to stay polite.
ListenListen and repeat
- It might be worth reconsidering.Instead of "This is wrong."
- I'd say we need about a week.An estimate, softened.
- It's not the best idea, to be honest.Negative softening.
- She tends to be a little late.A generalization, softened.
AvoidCommon mistakes
SpeakShadowing practice
Press Listen, then repeat straight away, copying the speed, rhythm and tone. Say each sentence three times, then record yourself.
- I'd say it'll take about two weeks, maybe a little more.
- It's not the cheapest option, but it's probably the best.
- It seems like there might be a small issue with the numbers.
CheckQuick quiz
1. Hedged version of "This is wrong":
2. "He's not the most organized person" means:
3. Too much hedging can sound:
PracticeToday's speaking task
Write 6 direct, critical sentences about a product or plan, then rewrite each with a hedging tool. Read both versions aloud.