A scale of certainty
An academic claim carries its degree of certainty in its wording. The same observation can be presented as proof, as an indication or as a cautious guess. The choice depends on how solid your data is, not on how convinced you are. Spanish calls this softening atenuación; in English it is hedging.
One observation, five levels
Los datos demuestran que el teletrabajo reduce el absentismo.
The data prove that remote work reduces absenteeism.
Proof, only with very broad evidence.
Los datos indican que el teletrabajo reduce el absentismo.
The data indicate that remote work reduces absenteeism.
A clear finding, but not proof.
Todo parece indicar que el teletrabajo reduce el absentismo.
Everything seems to suggest that remote work reduces absenteeism.
Several indications point the same way.
Cabría pensar que el teletrabajo reduce el absentismo.
One might think that remote work reduces absenteeism.
An interpretation you put up for discussion.
No es descartable que el teletrabajo reduzca el absentismo.
It cannot be ruled out that remote work reduces absenteeism.
A mere possibility, with the subjunctive.
Certainty and mood
English hedges with modal verbs and adverbs alone. In Spanish the formula also decides the mood. If it asserts something as the case, the indicative follows. If it only raises a possibility, the subjunctive follows. That is why many of the most cautious formulas require the subjunctive.
Indicative
Todo parece indicar que…
Cabe pensar que…
Resulta evidente que…
Es indudable que…
Subjunctive
Es posible / probable que…
No es descartable que…
Cabe la posibilidad de que…
No parece que…
Es probable que la muestra esté sesgada hacia perfiles urbanos.
The sample is probably skewed towards urban profiles.
No parece que el efecto dependa del tamaño de la empresa.
The effect does not seem to depend on company size.
Taking a stance
Hedging does not mean having no opinion. Spanish academic texts usually take a position in the plural of modesty, the plural de modestia: consideramos, entendemos, even when there is only one author. English academic writing increasingly accepts a plain I argue; in Spanish a bare yo creo que usually sounds too conversational.
Tools for your own position
| Function | Formula |
|---|---|
| Your own view | a nuestro juicio · consideramos que · este trabajo sostiene que |
| Limiting the scope | en cierta medida · hasta cierto punto · en principio |
| Objecting | cabría objetar que · resulta difícil sostener que |
| Conceding, then countering | si bien es cierto que…, no lo es menos que… |
| Reframing the question | no se trata tanto de… como de… |
Stance with a sense of proportion
Si bien es cierto que el teletrabajo ahorra costes, no lo es menos que dificulta la formación de los nuevos empleados.
While it is true that remote work saves costs, it is equally true that it makes training new staff harder.
Acknowledge the counterargument, then weigh it.
No se trata tanto de trabajar desde casa como de decidir quién controla el horario.
It is less a question of working from home than of deciding who controls working hours.
Shifting the debate.
Cabría objetar que el estudio solo abarca empresas tecnológicas.
It could be objected that the study only covers tech companies.
Criticising other research, politely wrapped.
A nuestro juicio, los resultados respaldan en cierta medida la hipótesis inicial.
In our view, the results support the initial hypothesis to some extent.
Position plus limitation.
