As the word is being used here, "hedge" means to qualify your statements, express them as opinions, or tell the reader that you are not confident in what you are writing.

In the following sample statements, the writer demonstrates his lack of confidence:

- "I think the ball is about to explode."
- "If I understand the instructions correctly, the ball will explode."
- "I wonder if the ball will explode."
- "I feel certain that the ball is about to explode."
- "I suppose the ball could explode."
- "I have heard that the ball can explode."
-" It's possible that the ball is about to explode." [This is also poor writing for the use of "it."]
- "The ball might explode."
- "The ball could explode."

Writers hedge when they are not sure about the correctness of their statements or when they want to remove responsibility for their words. Writers also do this when they fear being proven wrong. By hedging, you give yourself the liberty to say, "I only said it might explode; I didn't say it would explode." Hedging always weakens writing because it weakens the readers ability to believe what you write.

If you are not confident in what you write (and this is especially true for non-fiction writing), redirect your doubt to a third party. In this way, you don't reduce your own authority in the subject matter or reduce the readers' confidence in you: "Some people have found that the ball can explode." Then, if the idea is disproved, any negative impression is directed toward the third party and not you.

The best writing states ideas with confidence: "The ball will explode." The example of redirection in the previous paragraph does this, too. When you demonstrate confidence in what you write, readers will have confidence in you. The writing will be more active, more engaging, and more likely to provoke the response you desire from your readers.

David Bowman is the Owner and Chief Editor of Precise Edit http://preciseedit.com/, a comprehensive editing, proofreading, and document analysis service for authors, students, and businesses. Precise Edit also offers a variety of other services, such as translation, transcription, and website development.