Cautious or tentative style
It is wise to use a
cautious tone in your writing, because very often you are discussing issues in
which there is no absolutely right answer, or absolutely correct definition, or
absolutely perfect solution. If you present something as being the best way, it
might easily be shown not to be the best way. Therefore, it is usually better to
'suggest', rather than 'state.
Here are some phrases that convey a cautious tone.
1.
|
Introductory
verbs:
|
e.g. seem, tend,
look like, appear to be, think, believe, doubt, be sure, indicate, suggest
|
2.
|
Certain lexical
verbs
|
e.g. believe,
assume, suggest
|
3.
|
Certain modal
verbs:
|
e.g. will, must,
would, may, might, could
|
4.
|
Adverbs of
frequency
|
e.g. often,
sometimes, usually
|
5.
|
Modal adverbs
|
e.g. probably,
possibly, perhaps, conceivably (compare with less tentative adverbs like
certainly, definitely, clearly)
|
6.
|
Modal adjectives
|
e.g. probable,
possible (compare with less tentative adjectives like certain, definite,
clear)
|
7.
|
Modal nouns
|
e.g. assumption,
possibility, probability
|
8.
|
That clauses
|
e.g. It could be
the case that .
e.g. It might be suggested
that .
e.g. It appears
that .
e.g. It may be
that .
e.g. It is likely
that .
e.g. This
suggests that .
|
9.
|
To-clause +
adjective
|
e.g. It may be
possible to obtain .
e.g. It is
important to develop .
e.g. It is useful
to study .
|