A qualifier
is a word or phrase that tempers language nearby. Words like fairly, rather, somewhat, and relatively,
and expressions like seems to be, a little, and a
certain amount of limit the severity of other words or phrases they modify.
Why use qualifiers?
Writing an Analysis of Issue essay is walking a tight rope. You
must be persuasive about your argument, yet you cannot be excessively
one-sided. There are no clear-cut answers to essay topics on the
Analysis of Issue questions, so do not overstate your case. To
express that you are reasonable, sporadically use qualifiers in
your essay. Qualifiers
show that you are conscious of the nuances of the issue at hand
and that you understand both sides of it.
Be careful!
As useful as qualifiers are, excessive qualification
will dilute your argument and weaken the essay.
WORDY: The Hess spy case was
a rather serious breach of national security and likely helped
the Soviets.
CONCISE: The Hess spy case breached national
security and helped the Soviets.
Too many qualifiers in the first sentence
make it vague and confusing. Remember, you want to be clear about
what you are saying, just not unreasonably opinionated.
Clear up the following
sentences by eliminating excessive qualifiers.
1. You yourself are the very
best person to decide what you should do for a living.
2. It is possible that
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Chapter 5 - Section 5a3: Qualification 
