in his life.) When this phrase has full syntactic complementation, speakers emphasize their lack of knowledge or display reluctance to answer. However, without an object complement, speakers display uncertainty about the truth of the following proposition or about its sufficiency as an answer. Hedges in fuzzy language Hedges are generally used to either add or take away fuzziness or obscurity in a given situation, often through the use of modal auxiliaries or approximates. Fuzzy language refers to the strategic manipulation of hedges so as to deliberately introduce ambiguity into a statement. Hedges can also be used to express sarcasm as a way of making sentences more vague in written form. Sapphire works really hard. In this sentence, the word really can make the sentence fuzzy depending on the tone of the sentence. It could be serious (where Sapphire really is hard-working and deserves a raise or promotion) or sarcastic (where Sapphire is not contributing to the work). Lillian sure nailed her phonetics exam. In this sentence, sure is used sarcastically to create vagueness. Evasive hedging Hedging can be used as an evasive tool. For example, when expectations are not met or when people want to avoid answering a question. This is seen below: A: What did you think of Steve?B: As far as I can tell, he seems like a good guy. A: What did you think about Erica's presentation?B: I mean, it wasn't the best. Hedges and politeness Hedges can also be used to politely respond negatively to commands and requests by others. A: Are you coming to my ceremony tonight? B: I might, I'll have to see. A: Did you like that book? B: Personally, it wasn't my favorite, but it isn't bad I suppose. Incorrect usage of hedges There are cases in which particular hedges cannot be used or are considered strange given the context. Loosely speaking, my computer is also my television. *Loosely speaking, my computer is an electronic device. In the first sentence, 'loosely speaking' is used correctly, as it precedes a somewhat inaccurate, perhaps interpretive picture of the computer's identity. In the second sentence, 'loosely speaking' is used when the phrase 'broadly speaking' would be more apt: the description itself is accurate, but more general in nature. Hedging strategies Indetermination – serves to augment the uncertainty of a statement or response Depersonalisation – circumvents the use of direct reference of a specific subject, creating