A Comparative Study of Hedges in Introduction Section of English and Chinese Medical Research Articles
Yue Jiang · Northwest Medical Education · 2009
In scientific research articles,the use of hedges can make the statement of a proposition more precise and comprehensive,protect the author by reducing his responsibility,and show the author's respect for the reader.This study compares hedges used in the introduction section of Chinese and English medical research articles in leading medical journals.Our analysis of the samples indicates that there are significant differences in the use of hedges in the introduction section of the samples in terms of frequency,type and distribution of hedges.A tentative study is made of the differences and pragmatic functions of hedges in such section.