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Trimming adverbs and hedges from persuasive nonfiction
My nonfiction/persuasive writing tends to hedge and qualify too much, which weakens the argument. Go through the passage below and strengthen it without becoming overconfident or making claims I can't support.
Passage:
passage_text
Do this:
1. Flag every hedge word or phrase (somewhat, perhaps, it could be argued, in some ways, I think) and classify each as: (a) genuinely necessary because the claim IS uncertain, keep it, or (b) a reflexive verbal tic weakening a claim I actually believe and can support, cut it.
2. For (b) instances, rewrite the sentence as a direct claim.
3. Flag any adverb that's doing no work (very, really, quite, actually) and cut or replace with a stronger word choice.
4. Do NOT push me into overclaiming; if removing a hedge would make the sentence claim more than my evidence supports, keep the hedge and tell me so explicitly.
5. Give me the revised passage plus a tally: how many hedges were cut vs. kept, and why.