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Indicators: Stance and engagement
(continued)
•
Hedges and boosters
: Determine level of
assertiveness (too assertive – arrogant; not
assertive – lacks confidence
)(Ventola, 1997)
Hedges – to withhold complete commitment to a
proposition →
possible
,
might
and
perhaps
Boosters - allow writers to express certainty in what
they say →
clearly
and
obviously
(Hyland, 2005b)