Hedges and Boosters in the Writing of Advanced Iranian EFL Learners

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

English Department, Faculty of Humanities, Yasouj University, Yasouj, Iran

Abstract

This quantitative corpus-based study investigated the use of hedges and boosters in the writing of Iranian advanced EFL learners, with particular attention to potential gender differences. Forty EFL learners (20 males and 20 females, aged 15-20) were purposively selected from private language institutes in Yasouj, Iran, based on their performance on the Quick Oxford Placement Test (QOPT). A corpus of 40 essays (12,464 words total) was analyzed using Hyland's (2005) metadiscourse framework to identify and categorize hedges and boosters. Manual coding by two raters achieved substantial inter-rater reliability (r = .79). Frequency counts were normalized per 1,000 words, and chi-square tests were employed to examine gender differences. Results revealed that learners employed various types of hedges and boosters, with epistemic modal verbs being the most frequent category for both marker types, while epistemic nouns were rare or absent. Epistemic adjectives were the least frequent hedges, and epistemic nouns were the least frequent boosters. Notably, chi-square tests indicated no statistically significant gender differences in the use of either hedges or boosters, suggesting that male and female learners employed these markers with similar frequency and variety. The findings highlight the predominance of basic, frequently taught metadiscourse forms and suggest a need for explicit instruction to expand learners' repertoire of hedging and boosting strategies. Pedagogical implications emphasize the importance of genre-based, corpus-informed instruction and teacher professional development in metadiscourse awareness.

Keywords

Main Subjects

References

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Teaching English as a Second Language Quarterly
Volume 45, Issue 2
March 2026
Pages 97-119

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History

  • Receive Date: 12 May 2025
  • Revise Date: 15 November 2025
  • Accept Date: 23 November 2025

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