Data analysis T1 112011042 Full text

11 and claims to later be supported by examples, explanations or previous research in order to strengthen their propositions or claims. Proposition refers to “sentence or expression that is either true or false”Neuffer, n.d, para.1. The following are discussion on the distribution of hedging in the EFL students’ propositions or claims and comments towards the topic they were writing on.

1. The Use of Hedging in Students ’ Writing

Table 1. Distributions of All Types of Hedges in the S tudents’ Writing RESPON DENTS S S 1 S 2 S 3 S 4 S 5 S 6 S 7 S 8 S 9 S 10 S 11 S 12 S 13 S 14 S 15 S 16 S 17 S 18 S 19 MAV                    MLV                    AAMP            A- DFT                    I P             I-C             CH       Note. MAV = Modal Auxiliary Verbs; MLV = Modal Lexical Verbs; AAMP = Adverbial, Adjectival, Nominal Modal Phrase; ADFT = Aproximators of Degree, Frequency and Time; IP = Introductory Phrase; CH = Compound Hedges As shown in table 1, three types which are, Modal Auxiliary Verbs, Modal Lexical Verbs and Approximators appeared in all of the students’ writing. The distribution of the rest of types are not even between each students. However, the table shows that all of the students applied at least 4 types of hedges in their writing. The table also shows that all types of hedges proposed by Salager-Meyer 1997 appeared in the students writing despite of the random distribution within the students writing. 12 The following section discussed further about the use of each type in the students writing. Diagram 1. Occurrence Percentage The data indicate that approximators of degree, frequency and time have the highest percentage, being used in the students writing followed by Modal Auxiliary Verbs and Modal Lexical verbs in the second and third highest. The other four types were applied in some of the students writing but only less than 10 percent.

1.1 Approximators of Degree, Frequency and Time

Table 2. Distribution of Approximators of Degree, Frequency and Time Approximators of Degree, Time and Frequency Total Occurrence Many 82 Some 80 Most 14 39.24

23.92 17.42

6.51 5.21

5.21 2.50

Occurrence Percentage Approximators of Degree, Frequency and Time Modal Auxiliary verbs Modal Lexical Verbs Introductory Phrase If Clause Adverbial, Adjectival, Nominal Modal Phrase Compound Hedges