Modal Passive — Hedging

Article excerpt · target grammar marked

Researchers at MIT and the University of Cambridge have been studying exactly this moment — and what they found should be noted by anyone who works alongside an algorithm. The result may be attributed to something more fundamental than laziness.

Grammar Reference · Modal Passive — Hedging

Modal passive —

This could be argued to be a design flaw. — softens a claim, no named speaker

Impersonal passive —

It should be noted that oversight remains limited. — formal, detached attribution

Modal passive —

The result may be attributed to cognitive load. — hedges cause without asserting it

Common error

It can argued... ✗ → It can be argued... ✓ — never drop be after modal

01Exercise 1 — Form · Write the Correct Form

Modal Passive — Hedging

1.It that the algorithm was never tested on a sufficiently diverse dataset.

2.The high error rate in the early trials the team's decision to rush the deployment.

3.It that the oversight process was inadequate from the beginning.

4.The tendency to defer to algorithmic recommendations as a form of rational cognitive efficiency.

5.It that greater human review would have prevented the bias from entering the shortlist.

6.The vendor's performance claims until they have been independently verified.

02Exercise 2 — Transform

rewrite with the new structure

1.We can argue that the training data was biased.

2.We should note that the oversight committee never reviewed the outputs.

3.We might attribute the failure to a lack of independent audit.

4.We could say the rubber-stamping problem is structural, not individual.

5.Someone might interpret this decision as an attempt to pass the buck.

6.We must note that any performance claim from the vendor requires scrutiny.

03Exercise 3 — About You

in your notebook

Personalise: complete five sentences about yourself using the target grammar.

Modal Passive — Hedging01EnglishPlans.com