In most parts of the country, consumers have less confidence in the economy.

Consumers in most income brackets have less confidence in the economy.

A third alternative is to add exceptions:

With the exceptions of / Apart from / Except for a few oil-rich states, national economies in Africa are not likely to improve greatly over the next decade.

Weaker Verbs

Finally, claims can be reduced in strength by choosing a weaker verb. At the beginning of this Unit, we compared the following:

Deregulation caused the banking crisis. (stronger)

Deregulation contributed to the banking crisis. (weaker)

Task Four

Which of the verbs in the following examples makes the weaker claim?

1. The results indicate/establish that there is a link between ...

2. Table 9 suggests/shows that Venezuelan scientists may need ...

3. The latest series of experiments question/undermine much ...

4. The results given in figure 4 validate/support the hypothesis.

5. The quantities displayed in the table have been assumed/shown ...

6. The test results create/suggest a basis for product modification.

7. Changes in temperature may have influenced/distorted the results.

8. In their earlier work, they failed/neglected to take into account ...

9. As can be seen from table 3, the new tax laws have encouraged/stimulated industrial investment in ...

10. Figure 12 depicts/clarifies the genetic relationship.

Combined Qualifications

Often, of course, several types of qualification are combined to construct a highlighting statement. Here is an example. We start with a big claim:

The use of seat belts prevents physical injuries in car accidents.

Now see what happens when the following qualifications are added:

prevents ® reduces (weaker verb)

reduces ® may reduce (adding probability)

+ In some circumstances (weakening generalization)

+ certain types of injury (weakening generalization)

+ According to simulation studies (adding distance)

So we now have:

According to simulation studies, in some circumstances the use of seat belts may reduce certain types of physical injuries in car accidents.

(This is a good example of the writer being ‘confidently uncertain’.)

Task Five

Now, see what you can do with the following statements to make them academically respectable and defensible:

1. Economic sanctions are ineffective.

2. Alcohol causes people to become violent.

3. Passive smoking causes cancer.

4. Recycling is the best solution to the waste disposal problem.

5. Physical exercise lessens the severity of depression.

Organization

Highlighting statements are usually ordered from general to specific. In other words, major claims are followed by minor claims. However, decisions about organization become more complex with comparative data.

Suppose, in the course of sociology you are studying differences in parental behavior with regard to their adolescent children. Your instructor suggests that, contrary to popular belief, American parents may be stricter with their teenage sons than with daughters. You are given Table 6, which is based on survey conducted among suburban families in a midsize Midwestern U.S. city and asked to prepare a short commentary on the main findings.

Table 7. Percentage of Teenagers Reporting the Listed Parental Restrictions on their Lives (N=200)

Girls Boys

Limitations on

Opportunities to go out at night 56% 35%

Use of the family car 15% 40%

Time of expected return 30% 61%