Which statement best explains why authors use qualifying words such as 'typically,' 'in most instances,' or 'evidence suggests' in academic writing?
Answer and explanation
Correct answer: B. To maintain scholarly accuracy and avoid unsubstantiated overgeneralizations
- Step 1: Hedging and qualification (using words like 'typically', 'indicates', 'suggests') reflect academic rigor.
- Step 2: They ensure conclusions remain strictly aligned with the empirical boundaries of the data, avoiding unjustified absolute claims that could be readily falsified.
Answer
To maintain scholarly accuracy and avoid unsubstantiated overgeneralizations.
Why not the others: 'To disguise a lack of data' misattributes dishonest motives to standard academic modesty; 'To lengthen word count' is trivial and inaccurate; 'To express personal confusion' mistakes careful precision for ignorance.
Practise more Reading Comprehension and Textual Evidence.
Free questions with an explanation for every one, and full timed Egyptian Scholastic Test (EST) mock tests.
More Reading Comprehension and Textual Evidence questions
- In academic reading passages, which rhetorical device involves presenting an opposing argument specifically to refute or qualify it?
- Read the sentence: 'The scholar's hypothesis was initially met with skepticism, but subsequent empirical findings served to CORROBORATE her…
- Which transition word best indicates a logical relationship of contrast between two independent clauses?
- An author describes a scientific discovery by stating: 'While earlier models predicted linear growth, the collected sensor data revealed an…
- In a passage analyzing urban planning, the author notes that 'walkable avenues bolster local commerce while reducing greenhouse emissions.'…
- What tone is conveyed by the phrase: 'The research team rigorously documented every anomaly, ensuring that experimental confounding was syst…