Tentative language

Sometimes, when we’re writing, we want to be very definite about something. Sometimes we want to be more hesitant. The use of hesitant, cautious or tentative language is a common feature of academic writing.

You might see expressions such as:

• This may be because..
• Andrews (2017) might view this as…
• The results could be interpreted as…

 

Why do think this kind of language is common in many academic disciplines?

Can you think of other examples of tentative language?