 Hedging in category membership is used in reference to the prototype theory, to signify the extent to which items are typical or atypical members of different categories.Hedges might be used in writing, to downplay a harsh critique or a generalization, or in speaking, to lessen the impact of an utterance due to politeness constraints between a speaker and addressee.Typically, hedges are adjectives or adverbs, but can also consist of clauses such as one use of tag questions.