Between Doubt and Certainty: A Study of Hedges in English Political Discourse

Hedges are linguistic devices that are labeled as expressions of uncertainty, probability and doubt. These linguistic devices are inserted by the speakers and writers in their discourse or writings to make their statements and utterances less direct and uncertain. This research aims to conduct a comprehensive analysis of hedges in English political discourse, focusing on their form and functions. By adopting a mixed method approach, which involves collecting and analyzing political discourses and interviews available on YouTube, this research seeks to utilize Salager Meyer’s (1997) framework to comprehensively analyze the use of hedges. It was found that approximators (used 42 times) are common in English political speech. These findings are particularly pertinent as approximators are useful in expressing uncertainty and in facilitating general statements. Introductory phrases, modal auxiliaries, as well as other language forms also came out as significant sources of hedging since they indicated the speakers’ desire to restrain the audience expectations and the stature of the claims made. Through this research, it is anticipated to provide a deeper understanding of the linguistic nuances and persuasive strategies used in political communication.