Forms and Functions of Hedges in Student-Written Editorial Articles

Abstract

INTRODUCTION

In recent years, there have been wide interest in investigating hedging devices in journalistic articles. Because hedges were found to be essential medium in communication in this genre, researchers have focused on different sections of the newspaper to gather information about the predominant use of these devices in establishing claims and statements. Content became the interest of most researchers in order to give merit in its linguistic and rhetorical features and to stretch attention on meta-discourse forms and functions.

METHODS

This study examines the forms and functions of hedges through descriptive qualitative-quantitative approach. This approach provides effective frequency distribution of forms and functions of hedging devices to be able to draw implications in the student-written articles. Specifically, this study is based on a set of English data composed of 15 student-written editorial articles, both the main editorial articles and opinion columns.

RESULTS

Results revealed that modal auxiliary verbs are the most frequently used hedged forms in student-written editorial articles. Also, it was shown that student-journalists mostly write editorial articles with complete responsibility of their insights and opinions based on their use of accuracy-oriented hedged functions rather than writer-oriented hedged functions.

DISCUSSIONS

It is fairly indicated in the present study that the fifteen chosen articles had varied distribution of the forms and functions of hedges.