THE ROLE OF HEDGES IN LANGUAGE: DIFFERENT APPROACHES

Abstract

The aim of the present paper is to study the term “hedging”, to find out its role and significance in language use. An attempt is made to introduce different approaches towards hedges brought by various scholars who carried out studies on this linguistic strategy, to reveal the generalizations of the conclusions, at the same time singling out specifities of each to the approach. The study shows that hedges are used for various purposes. Three main functions are differentiated: hedges used to express vagueness, to display politeness, to mitigate speech.