Casa · C2 Mastery · Lesson 6 of 20 · Step 1

Evolutionary Biology

Scientific hedging at the highest level — tentative conclusions, limitations

Use hedging language to express uncertainty with precision
Distinguish between degrees of certainty in scientific claims
Deploy scientific vocabulary related to evolution and biology
Write conclusions that appropriately acknowledge limitations

Words · tap a card to see it used

Grammar

Scientific hedging — tentative conclusions, limitations, and degrees of certainty

Scientific English requires precise calibration of certainty. Strong hedges: "may," "might," "could," "it is possible that." Moderate hedges: "appears to," "seems to," "tends to," "is likely to." Weak hedges (near-certainty): "strongly suggests," "provides compelling evidence." Limitation language: "within the constraints of," "given the limitations of the sample," "it should be noted that." Results are rarely stated as absolute: "The data are consistent with..." rather than "The data prove..."

These findings appear to be consistent with the hypothesis, though further research is warranted.

It is conceivable that epigenetic factors may play a more significant role than previously recognised.

The data strongly suggest a correlation, though causation cannot be definitively established.

Given the limitations of the sample size, these results should be interpreted with appropriate caution.

Exercises · type, then check

1. Rewrite each statement to include appropriate scientific hedging. The current version is too absolute.

1.Too absolute: "This gene causes the disease." Hedged:

2.Too absolute: "The species went extinct because of climate change." Hedged:

3.Too absolute: "Epigenetics disproves the central dogma of molecular biology." Hedged:

4.Too absolute: "Our experiment proves the theory." Hedged:

5.Too absolute: "All variation is genetic." Hedged:

2. Choose the hedging expression that best conveys the intended degree of certainty.

1. The researcher is 90% confident in the finding: "The data ___ a strong link between habitat loss and population decline."

2. The researcher is only slightly confident: "It ___ that dietary factors play some role."

3. The researcher acknowledges a limitation: "___ the relatively small sample, these results should be interpreted cautiously."

4. The researcher states a moderate probability: "The two species ___ have diverged during the Miocene epoch."

5. The researcher refuses to overclaim: "While suggestive, the evidence ___ warrant a definitive conclusion."

0 of 10 answered · nothing you type leaves this device

Reading

The Cautious Science

Evolutionary biology is, in one sense, a science of overwhelming confidence: the evidence for evolution by natural selection is as robust as any finding in the natural sciences, and no credible alternative framework exists. Yet the language in which evolutionary biologists communicate their findings is, paradoxically, saturated with caution. A paper might report that a trait "appears to have been selected for," that two species "may have diverged approximately" a given number of years ago, or that a particular adaptation "is consistent with" a specific selective pressure. This hedging is not timidity but epistemic rigour. Evolutionary biology deals in deep time and incomplete fossil records; it reconstructs events that occurred millions of years ago from fragmentary evidence. Given the inherent limitations of the available data, overclaiming would be not merely imprudent but unscientific. The distinction between "suggests" and "demonstrates," between "is consistent with" and "proves," is not merely stylistic but epistemological. It reflects a discipline's commitment to calibrating its claims to the strength of the underlying evidence. Students of scientific English must learn to read these hedges not as weakness but as precision — and to deploy them with equal care in their own writing.

1. Why does the passage describe the hedging language of evolutionary biology as "epistemic rigour" rather than "timidity"?

2. What distinction does the passage draw between "suggests" and "demonstrates"?

Speaking · say it out loud, with a partner or alone

1Why might a scientist avoid saying "this proves..." even when the evidence is very strong? How does the language of certainty differ between scientific discourse and everyday conversation?

2Think about a claim you believe to be true but cannot definitively prove. How would you express it using the hedging language studied in this unit?

Writing

Write a short results paragraph (100-130 words) for an imaginary scientific study. Use at least four different hedging expressions to appropriately qualify your findings.

0 words

Finished?

Check your exercises first, then mark the lesson done.