Pragmatics: Hedging and Politeness
Soften statements.
Examples
- It would appear that...
Key rules
- Hedges soften statements: seem, tend, may, perhaps, somewhat
- Indirect requests: Would you mind...?
- Use past modals for distance: I wondered if...
- Avoid too strong commands
Common mistakes
- Give me the report → Could you give me the report?
- This is wrong → This seems to be incorrect
💡 Tip: Directness depends on culture and context.