HEDGING IN ENGLISH SPORTS DISCOURSE (ON THE MATERIAL OF FORMULA-1 RUNNING COMMENTARIES)

This article discusses the use of hedging in sports discourse on the material of Formula 1 Running commentaries. Sports commentators play an important role in covering all kinds of sports events. A mere statement of facts and a simple description of what is happening in the sports arena will not attract a large number of viewers. A demanding recipient must be captivated by something interesting and memorable. Competent commentators-an-alysts express their point of view, share vivid emotions, make assumptions, establish cause-and-effect relationships, help viewers feel the very essence of the sports event. All this helps sports commentators have a direct impact on the addressee of communication - the viewer. The goal of a sports commentator is to maintain interest in a sporting event, make it unforgettable for fans, and awaken true fans in them. Such viewers are more likely to watching the next live broadcast of a sporting event. The recipient’s involvement directly depends on the way the commentator presents information. The use of hedges in sports discourse protects the commentator by reducing responsibility for their statements, make them less categorical and more polite, avoid possible conflicts and misunderstandings in the communication process. Hedges mitigate the illocutionary force of the utterance, allow for smoother communication and foster a more harmonious exchange between the commentator and the audience. As a result of the study, we state that the most frequent classes of hedges in sports discourse are plausibility hedges and adapters. The least popular subclasses are attribution hedges and rounders.