Speculating, hedging and comparing: learn

In this lesson you will

Express different degrees of certainty when speculating about the future, the past and hypothetical situations
Hedge claims naturally so you sound measured rather than vague or dogmatic
Make precise comparisons using modifiers and structures beyond “more… than”

Before you start

Think about these questions, or answer them aloud.

→How do you think your city will look in thirty years? Make one prediction you are sure about and one you are not sure about.
→What is the difference between “Young people are addicted to their phones” and “A lot of young people seem to spend a great deal of time on their phones”?

Why these three skills matter

Part 3 questions often have no factual answer: Will…? Why might…? How does… compare with…? Strong candidates show how sure they are, and they choose words that match.

Speculating means discussing what is possible or probable, now, in the past or in the future.
Hedging means softening a claim so it is accurate. “Rich people don't understand everyday problems” is a sweeping claim; “People on very high incomes are arguably more insulated from everyday problems” is a hedged one.
Comparing precisely means saying how much things differ, not just that they do.

Be careful: too much hedging sounds evasive. Hedge the claims you can't prove, and state your actual opinion clearly.

Degrees of certainty
Certainty	Future / general	Past
Almost certain	There's no doubt that… / …is bound to… / I'd be amazed if… didn't…	…must have… / There's no question that…
Probable	In all likelihood… / Chances are… / …is likely to… / I wouldn't be surprised if…	…probably… / …will have…
Possible	It's conceivable that… / …could well… (a real possibility) / There's an outside chance that… (a small one)	…might well have… / …may have…
Unlikely	I can't really see… / It's doubtful whether… / …is unlikely to…	…probably didn't… / I doubt that…
Almost certainly not	There's no way… / I can't imagine… ever…	…can't have… / …couldn't have…

Hedging: from sweeping to measured

Sweeping: “Social media makes people depressed.”
Hedged: “Heavy social media use would seem to be linked to low mood in some teenagers, although it's hard to say which causes which.”
Sweeping: “Nobody reads books any more.”
Hedged: “People tend to read fewer full-length books than they used to, or at least that's the impression I get.”
Other useful hedges: to some extent, arguably, more often than not, by and large, I'd be inclined to say, it's fair to say that

Precise comparison
Meaning	Structure	Example
Big difference	far / considerably / significantly + comparative	Rents are considerably higher in the capital.
Big difference (negative)	nowhere near as… as / not nearly as… as	Public transport is nowhere near as reliable as it used to be.
Small difference	slightly / marginally / a little + comparative	Online courses are marginally cheaper.
Similarity	much the same as / on a par with / just as… as	Pay in the private sector is roughly on a par with pay in the public sector.
Change together	the + comparative…, the + comparative…	The more choice people have, the harder it is to decide.
Contrast	whereas / while / by contrast / unlike…	Unlike their parents, many young people rent rather than buy.

Audio

Model answer: Part 3 on the topic of “Cities”

In the exam you usually hear it once.

Try the questions first.

How a strong speaker does it

Sets expectations: “It's very hard to predict, but…” is a brief hedge, followed immediately by a clear prediction. It doesn't hide behind the uncertainty.
Varies certainty: I'd be amazed if… (almost certain) → Chances are… (probable) → I wouldn't be surprised if… (probable) → to some extent (limited) → I can't really see… (unlikely). The listener knows exactly how confident the speaker is about each point.
Precise comparison: “considerably more automated”, “the more people work remotely, the more they value…”, “less about work and more about leisure”.
Hedges the bold claim: “arguably” softens the idea that remote workers value city life more, which is an interesting but unproven claim.
Conditions: “that's assuming housing doesn't become even more unaffordable, which is a big if.” Ending with a condition shows the speaker sees the bigger picture.

Precise comparison
Meaning	Structure	Example
Big difference	far / considerably / significantly + comparative	Rents are considerably higher in the capital.
Big difference (negative)	nowhere near as… as / not nearly as… as	Public transport is nowhere near as reliable as it used to be.
Small difference	slightly / marginally / a little + comparative	Online courses are marginally cheaper.
Similarity	much the same as / on a par with / just as… as	Pay in the private sector is roughly on a par with pay in the public sector.
Change together	the + comparative…, the + comparative…	The more choice people have, the harder it is to decide.
Contrast	whereas / while / by contrast / unlike…	Unlike their parents, many young people rent rather than buy.

Gap fill

Make precise comparisons

Complete the answer with ONE word in each gap.

Question: How does life in the countryside compare with life in the city? Well, the countryside is nowhere as convenient, obviously. Things like hospitals and shops can be miles away. city dwellers, people in rural areas usually need a car just to get by. On the other hand, the cost of living tends to be lower, sometimes by a third or more. And I'd say the pace of life is a lot more relaxed, in the city everyone seems to be in a hurry. Interestingly, broadband speeds in some villages are now roughly on a with those in the city, so remote workers have started moving out. I suppose the expensive cities become, the more attractive the countryside looks.

Build a sentence

Build a hedged sentence

Put the words in order to make a natural, hedged sentence.

Tap the words below in the right order

Precise comparison
Meaning	Structure	Example
Big difference	far / considerably / significantly + comparative	Rents are considerably higher in the capital.
Big difference (negative)	nowhere near as… as / not nearly as… as	Public transport is nowhere near as reliable as it used to be.
Small difference	slightly / marginally / a little + comparative	Online courses are marginally cheaper.
Similarity	much the same as / on a par with / just as… as	Pay in the private sector is roughly on a par with pay in the public sector.
Change together	the + comparative…, the + comparative…	The more choice people have, the harder it is to decide.
Contrast	whereas / while / by contrast / unlike…	Unlike their parents, many young people rent rather than buy.

Speaking task

IELTS Part 3: compare and speculate

No preparation. Compare the past and present, then speculate about the future. Use at least two certainty expressions and one precise comparison. Aim for 45–60 seconds.

Topic: Communication. How has the way people keep in touch with family changed compared with your grandparents' generation? Do you think face-to-face contact will become less important in the future?

No preparation time · 1:00 speaking

Speaking task

TOEFL Take an Interview: speculate in 45 seconds

No preparation, as in the TOEFL interview. Give a clear answer first, compare now with the future, and use one expression of certainty. Stop at 45 seconds.

Interviewer: Some people think that in ten years most university lectures will be online. Do you think that will happen? Why or why not?

No preparation time · 0:45 speaking

Save words to review them later with flashcards.

be bound to
to be almost certain to happen
“With so much traffic, there's bound to be a delay.”
in all likelihood
very probably
“In all likelihood, the meeting will be postponed.”
an outside chance
a very small possibility
“There's an outside chance we'll finish early.”
conceivable
possible to imagine or believe
“It's conceivable that petrol cars will be banned within ten years.”
arguably
used to say something can be supported with reasons, though others may disagree
“She is arguably the best player of her generation.”
by and large
generally, when everything is considered
“By and large, the public reacted positively.”
nowhere near as
not nearly as; much less
“The sequel was nowhere near as good as the original.”
on a par with
at the same level or standard as
“Salaries here are on a par with those in the capital.”
pedestrianised
made into an area for people walking, with no cars
“The old town centre was pedestrianised in 2015.”
superficial
only on the surface; not deep or serious
“Our conversations were polite but fairly superficial.”
a big if
a condition that is very uncertain
“We'll finish on time if the supplier delivers, but that's a big if.”

Key points

Match your language to your certainty: bound to → chances are → could well → I can't really see.
Use modal perfects (must have, might have, can't have) to speculate about the past.
Hedge claims you can't prove, but always give a clear opinion; don't pile up hedges.
Say how big a difference is: considerably, marginally, nowhere near as, on a par with.
“The more…, the more…” and “whereas” are natural ways to compare and contrast in speech.

Check your answers in the practice exercises to record a score.

Up next · Speaking C1 Advanced

Less common vocabulary and idioms (used naturally)

Go to lesson

In this lesson you will

Express different degrees of certainty when speculating about the future, the past and hypothetical situations
Hedge claims naturally so you sound measured rather than vague or dogmatic
Make precise comparisons using modifiers and structures beyond “more… than”

Before you start

Think about these questions, or answer them aloud.

→How do you think your city will look in thirty years? Make one prediction you are sure about and one you are not sure about.
→What is the difference between “Young people are addicted to their phones” and “A lot of young people seem to spend a great deal of time on their phones”?

Why these three skills matter

Part 3 questions often have no factual answer: Will…? Why might…? How does… compare with…? Strong candidates show how sure they are, and they choose words that match.

Speculating means discussing what is possible or probable, now, in the past or in the future.
Hedging means softening a claim so it is accurate. “Rich people don't understand everyday problems” is a sweeping claim; “People on very high incomes are arguably more insulated from everyday problems” is a hedged one.
Comparing precisely means saying how much things differ, not just that they do.

Be careful: too much hedging sounds evasive. Hedge the claims you can't prove, and state your actual opinion clearly.

Degrees of certainty
Certainty	Future / general	Past
Almost certain	There's no doubt that… / …is bound to… / I'd be amazed if… didn't…	…must have… / There's no question that…
Probable	In all likelihood… / Chances are… / …is likely to… / I wouldn't be surprised if…	…probably… / …will have…
Possible	It's conceivable that… / …could well… (a real possibility) / There's an outside chance that… (a small one)	…might well have… / …may have…
Unlikely	I can't really see… / It's doubtful whether… / …is unlikely to…	…probably didn't… / I doubt that…
Almost certainly not	There's no way… / I can't imagine… ever…	…can't have… / …couldn't have…

Hedging: from sweeping to measured

Sweeping: “Social media makes people depressed.”
Hedged: “Heavy social media use would seem to be linked to low mood in some teenagers, although it's hard to say which causes which.”
Sweeping: “Nobody reads books any more.”
Hedged: “People tend to read fewer full-length books than they used to, or at least that's the impression I get.”
Other useful hedges: to some extent, arguably, more often than not, by and large, I'd be inclined to say, it's fair to say that

Precise comparison
Meaning	Structure	Example
Big difference	far / considerably / significantly + comparative	Rents are considerably higher in the capital.
Big difference (negative)	nowhere near as… as / not nearly as… as	Public transport is nowhere near as reliable as it used to be.
Small difference	slightly / marginally / a little + comparative	Online courses are marginally cheaper.
Similarity	much the same as / on a par with / just as… as	Pay in the private sector is roughly on a par with pay in the public sector.
Change together	the + comparative…, the + comparative…	The more choice people have, the harder it is to decide.
Contrast	whereas / while / by contrast / unlike…	Unlike their parents, many young people rent rather than buy.

Audio

Model answer: Part 3 on the topic of “Cities”

In the exam you usually hear it once.

Try the questions first.

How a strong speaker does it

Sets expectations: “It's very hard to predict, but…” is a brief hedge, followed immediately by a clear prediction. It doesn't hide behind the uncertainty.
Varies certainty: I'd be amazed if… (almost certain) → Chances are… (probable) → I wouldn't be surprised if… (probable) → to some extent (limited) → I can't really see… (unlikely). The listener knows exactly how confident the speaker is about each point.
Precise comparison: “considerably more automated”, “the more people work remotely, the more they value…”, “less about work and more about leisure”.
Hedges the bold claim: “arguably” softens the idea that remote workers value city life more, which is an interesting but unproven claim.
Conditions: “that's assuming housing doesn't become even more unaffordable, which is a big if.” Ending with a condition shows the speaker sees the bigger picture.

Precise comparison
Meaning	Structure	Example
Big difference	far / considerably / significantly + comparative	Rents are considerably higher in the capital.
Big difference (negative)	nowhere near as… as / not nearly as… as	Public transport is nowhere near as reliable as it used to be.
Small difference	slightly / marginally / a little + comparative	Online courses are marginally cheaper.
Similarity	much the same as / on a par with / just as… as	Pay in the private sector is roughly on a par with pay in the public sector.
Change together	the + comparative…, the + comparative…	The more choice people have, the harder it is to decide.
Contrast	whereas / while / by contrast / unlike…	Unlike their parents, many young people rent rather than buy.

Gap fill

Make precise comparisons

Complete the answer with ONE word in each gap.

Build a sentence

Build a hedged sentence

Put the words in order to make a natural, hedged sentence.

Tap the words below in the right order

Precise comparison
Meaning	Structure	Example
Big difference	far / considerably / significantly + comparative	Rents are considerably higher in the capital.
Big difference (negative)	nowhere near as… as / not nearly as… as	Public transport is nowhere near as reliable as it used to be.
Small difference	slightly / marginally / a little + comparative	Online courses are marginally cheaper.
Similarity	much the same as / on a par with / just as… as	Pay in the private sector is roughly on a par with pay in the public sector.
Change together	the + comparative…, the + comparative…	The more choice people have, the harder it is to decide.
Contrast	whereas / while / by contrast / unlike…	Unlike their parents, many young people rent rather than buy.

Speaking task

IELTS Part 3: compare and speculate

No preparation. Compare the past and present, then speculate about the future. Use at least two certainty expressions and one precise comparison. Aim for 45–60 seconds.

Topic: Communication. How has the way people keep in touch with family changed compared with your grandparents' generation? Do you think face-to-face contact will become less important in the future?

No preparation time · 1:00 speaking

Speaking task

TOEFL Take an Interview: speculate in 45 seconds

No preparation, as in the TOEFL interview. Give a clear answer first, compare now with the future, and use one expression of certainty. Stop at 45 seconds.

Interviewer: Some people think that in ten years most university lectures will be online. Do you think that will happen? Why or why not?

No preparation time · 0:45 speaking

Save words to review them later with flashcards.

be bound to
to be almost certain to happen
“With so much traffic, there's bound to be a delay.”
in all likelihood
very probably
“In all likelihood, the meeting will be postponed.”
an outside chance
a very small possibility
“There's an outside chance we'll finish early.”
conceivable
possible to imagine or believe
“It's conceivable that petrol cars will be banned within ten years.”
arguably
used to say something can be supported with reasons, though others may disagree
“She is arguably the best player of her generation.”
by and large
generally, when everything is considered
“By and large, the public reacted positively.”
nowhere near as
not nearly as; much less
“The sequel was nowhere near as good as the original.”
on a par with
at the same level or standard as
“Salaries here are on a par with those in the capital.”
pedestrianised
made into an area for people walking, with no cars
“The old town centre was pedestrianised in 2015.”
superficial
only on the surface; not deep or serious
“Our conversations were polite but fairly superficial.”
a big if
a condition that is very uncertain
“We'll finish on time if the supplier delivers, but that's a big if.”

Key points

Match your language to your certainty: bound to → chances are → could well → I can't really see.
Use modal perfects (must have, might have, can't have) to speculate about the past.
Hedge claims you can't prove, but always give a clear opinion; don't pile up hedges.
Say how big a difference is: considerably, marginally, nowhere near as, on a par with.
“The more…, the more…” and “whereas” are natural ways to compare and contrast in speech.

Check your answers in the practice exercises to record a score.

Up next · Speaking C1 Advanced

Less common vocabulary and idioms (used naturally)

Go to lesson

Warm-up

In this lesson you will

Before you start

Why these three skills matter

How a strong speaker does it

How sure is the speaker?

Make precise comparisons

Build a hedged sentence

IELTS Part 3: compare and speculate

TOEFL Take an Interview: speculate in 45 seconds

Key points

Warm-up

In this lesson you will

Before you start

Why these three skills matter

How a strong speaker does it

How sure is the speaker?

Make precise comparisons

Build a hedged sentence

IELTS Part 3: compare and speculate

TOEFL Take an Interview: speculate in 45 seconds

Key points