Switch words and hedge words in English

Steve: Hi Jill.

Jill: Hello Steve.

Steve: Let's talk today about words that I think are gonna' be helpful for some of our intermediate learners both when speaking and when writing and particularly when they want to introduce thoughts, ideas or perhaps, you know, change direction sometimes in their discussions. And, I'm talking about words such as nevertheless, however, on the other hand. Jill: Moreover.

Steve: Moreover.

Jill: By contrast.

Steve: Exactly. So, Jill: There's lots of them. Steve: sometimes, and these are very good because when you are speaking or you're writing you, you need to introduce your thoughts. And, sometimes you are adding to what you just said, right? So, you might say today is a nice day; what's more; what's more or what is more, if we are gonna' write it out. Jill: Or in addition.

Steve: In addition, it's not only a nice day it's a sunny day. Ah, now if you were speaking you might say and on top of that it's my birthday. Jill: That's right. Steve: Which it isn't by the way. But you could say on top of that, Jill: Which you wouldn't Steve: which you wouldn't do in writing. Jill: I was going to say which you wouldn't use in writing, yeah. Steve: But in writing you might say moreover.

Jill: Right.

Steve: And moreover is a very good term to use.

Jill: Yes.

Steve: So, in addition, moreover, furthermore Jill: Furthermore, yeah. Steve: furthermore.

Jill: I use all of those actually quite a lot in my writing. And, it's, they're just so much better than always saying and and but. Steve: Right.

Jill: You know, when you can Steve: That's a very good point. Jill: when you can use these better words.

Steve: One of the rules that you always hear about writing is don't start a sentence with and or but. Personally, I feel there are situations when you do start sentences with and and but; however, it's usually better not to start Jill: Right. Steve: with and or but. So, either you don't have a word to start the sentence Jill: Right. Steve: or you use moreover, furthermore and so forth. Um, now we used words there where we were kind of expanding on the meaning, but sometimes we want to change directions. So, what are some of the change direction words?

Jill: By contrast.

Steve: By contrast.

Jill: On the other hand.

Steve: On the other hand. However.

Jill: However.

Steve: However. Ah, nevertheless, Jill: Nevertheless. Steve: nevertheless. Let's try using some of these, you know. I was late for work today; nevertheless, I'm so efficient it didn't matter. Jill: You got everything done anyway.

Steve: I got everything done anyway.

Jill: Exactly.

Steve: Anyway. Ah Jill: Or, you know, you could say something like, um Steve: Or I could say, just to finish off mine Jill: you know what? I lost my train of thought.

Steve: Yeah. While you're looking for that thought I could say, you know, I came late. I came to work late today; nevertheless, it didn't matter because I'm so efficient. However, my boss didn't agree. He didn't agree at all. Jill: Right.

So, you can use more than one.

Steve: That's right. So, I could say on the one hand, I think I'm entitled to come to work whenever I want; however, on the other hand, my boss has a different opinion. Jill: Right.

Steve: So Jill: And you have to be careful, um, you do have to be careful with these words that you don't over use them. Steve: Right.

Jill: I mean they are good words and I use them often and, in fact, I had an English teacher in high school who was really, really big on these words. He hated and and but Steve: Right. Jill: and he stressed the importance of these words all the time. And, so, I think that's why they are engrained in me. But it is important not to be repetitive and so not to say however, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah and then the very next sentence you start again with however.

Steve: Right, absolutely.

Jill: You have to be careful.

Steve: That's a good point. One thing, of course, we want people to do is to, to read this in our library and then save some of these words because we're using them once or twice, but if you save the word however or nevertheless or even a short, you know, in contrast was the one I think you used, a little phrase like that, you will generate a lot of example sentences. And, so, then you'll see the word in many different contexts and that will help give you a better sense of how these words are used. So, we are deliberately using these words here in order to give our learners a chance to save them Jill: Save them. Steve: when they read them in the library and when they listen to them. Now there are other words that I would call kind of like hedge words, you know, and this is very good in writing because in English we don't, particularly in, even in business, but, and even more so in an academic, you know, context. If you say, you know, that is absolutely wrong, that's generally not as effective as saying it would appear, you know, based on the evidence; or to some extent; one could argue that. So, every time you can hedge, in other words hedge, It would appear that, that's generally received better. Jill: Of course. People aren't going to be defensive immediately and get their backs up because it, it's like, they will feel like you are attacking them if you say it or that you are attacking their opinion if you say, no, that's completely wrong. Steve: That is certainly true, so that you are more persuasive, in that way, but it's also true that, when you use these terms, it, it suggests that you have been objective in evaluating evidence. So, it would appear that. Whereas if you say it's obvious that; well, it may or may not be obvious and the more sort of dogmatic, you know, your statement is, people are generally more inclined to challenge what you say. Whereas if you can say it would appear that; it seems that; based on the evidence; to some extent or even to a great extent, ah, such and such is the case. Those kinds of words are very effective in, in introducing ideas when writing.

Jill: Right.

Steve: I think that's enough on that subject. I think when people are reading and people who require English for academic purposes, when they are reading academic documents or papers where they see these kinds of words, even though they know what they mean, again, as we always say, they should save them in our system so that they can create more examples for themselves of these words in use and then Jill: So they know how to Steve: they get into the habit. Jill: properly use them because so many people, like we've talked about before, do know them when they come across them in their reading; understand them; seem to get what they mean, but don't necessarily use them correctly when they try to write or when they try to speak, so. Steve: You see, there again, perfect example of a hedge word. You said they don't necessarily use them properly. Jill: Right.

Steve: If you had said they never use them properly or they always use them wrong, Jill: Right. Steve: that is not as persuasive as saying they don't necessarily, that's a perfect, we should have, there's another one, you see? Jill: There you go. They don't necessarily always use them correctly. Steve: Right.

Now there you're really overdoing it! And, again, while these are terms that are particularly useful when writing, I think the same applies when speaking.

Jill: Yeah, for sure.

Steve: And, one thing that I have tried to do in our discussions at the Linguist, ah, whereas we often talk about subjects that are easy to talk about like, what did you do over the weekend and your favorite food and so forth.

Jill: Pets and Steve: Pets. But this morning, for example, I had a discussion and I started talking a little bit about history and we talked about the history of Japan and the history of Italy. It was more difficult for our learners to talk about those slightly more academic subjects. And, so, we are going to try with some of our more advanced learners to get into subjects that are a little more difficult to talk about. And where some of these words, I think, can be quite useful. And, and in particular, because the new TOEFL is going to be testing people on their ability to make short, oral presentations. So, we want to help people, you know, prepare for that kind of thing as well. Okay, any other comments?

Jill: Ah Steve: Would there be anything you would like to add, Jill? Jill: No, I think that's it for today. Steve: Alright then. Well, thank you and, ah, have a good weekend.

Jill: Thank you. You, too!

End.