IELTS & PTE lesson · Vocabulary

IELTS & PTE Hedging Vocabulary notesHedging: how sure are you, really?

Say it as strongly as you can prove it. This IELTS & PTE lesson is a deck of 9 visual cards from BandLadder's own study library, written and fact-checked by our team.
  • 9 cards
  • Free to read online
  • PDF with any plan
  • Updated 30 September 2026

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What's inside

Along the way you get worked examples with the key words marked, before-and-after fixes that show why the first version loses marks, a one-page visual summary, word cards with meanings and examples (most, often, rarely and I'd imagine), a quick check to test yourself and a recap of the rules to remember. Each card holds one idea, so you can read it on a phone between practice sessions.

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The first 3 of 9 cards

Preview

  1. IELTS · PTEVocabulary · Hedging

    Everyone? Always? Never?

    big words, easy to knock down

    They sound sure. But one counter-example proves them wrong.

    Everyone knowswho says? that phones ruin sleep. Teenagers alwaysevery night? use them in bed, and they nevernot one book? read books any more.

    The IELTS Task 2 descriptors call it "a tendency to over-generalise".

    © 2026 BandLadder · original material1 / 9
  2. IELTS · PTEVocabulary · Hedging

    The certainty ladder

    most sure at the top

    SayYou mean
    willCertain.
    is likely toProbably.
    mayPossibly.
    mightPossibly, but less sure.
    is unlikely toProbably not.

    Pick the row you can defend. Predictions usually sit in the middle.

    © 2026 BandLadder · original material2 / 9
  3. IELTS · PTEVocabulary · Hedging

    Swap the big words

    true-sized, still strong

    • mostinstead of everyone: more than half

      In my class, most students walk to school.

      most peoplein most casesmost of the time
    • ofteninstead of always: a lot, not every time

      The 8 a.m. bus is often late.

      quite oftenmore often than notall too often
    • rarelyinstead of never: almost never

      My grandfather rarely uses his phone.

      rarely, if eververy rarelyonly rarely
    © 2026 BandLadder · original material3 / 9
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9 cards

Contents

  1. 1Everyone? Always? Never?big words, easy to knock downIn the preview
  2. 2The certainty laddermost sure at the topIn the preview
  3. 3Swap the big wordstrue-sized, still strongIn the preview
  4. 4Overclaimed, then hedgedthe same point, twiceFree account
  5. 5Guessing out loudfor questions about the futureFree account
  6. 6In a Part 3 answerasked: will people stop writing by hand?Free account
  7. 7Too sure, too softsize it, but keep your viewFree account
  8. 8Your turnhow sure should it sound?Free account
  9. 9Save thisthe hedging checklistFree account

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The BandLadder team wrote and checked it. It is original BandLadder material, not copied from books or other websites, and its exam facts are checked against the official IELTS and PTE pages.

Is it for IELTS or PTE?+

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IELTS is a registered trademark of the University of Cambridge, the British Council and IDP Education Australia. PTE is a trademark of Pearson. BandLadder is not affiliated with either.

© 2026 BandLadder. Written and checked by the BandLadder team. You may quote or cite this page with credit to BandLadder and a link to it; republishing it in full needs our written permission. Content use policy

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