Unit 4 · Media & Information · Lesson 19
Fact or Fiction
Learn how to sound thoughtful when you don't know for sure. Practise hedging phrases like 'tends to', 'it seems that' and 'it could be argued' so you can discuss misinformation at B2 level.
Warm-up · §1
5 minGet talking
Have you ever shared a story and later found out it was false? How did you feel?
When you're not sure a story is true, what's your first move?
Rank: 'I'm sure', 'I think', 'It seems', 'It could be'. Which do you use most — and about what?
Grammar focus · §2
8–10 minHedging — how to sound careful without sounding weak
Quick rule
Don't say 'IT IS'. Say 'it seems / appears / tends to / could be'. Same idea, ten times more credible.
Pattern builder
Modal hedge
might / could / may + verb
e.g. It could be a hoax.
Hedging verb
seem / appear / tend + to + infinitive
e.g. The story appears to be false.
'There seems to be'
there seems / appears to be + noun
e.g. There seems to be no evidence.
Hedged claim
It could be argued (that) / It's often the case (that)
e.g. It could be argued that…
Softened opinion
arguably / in many cases / to some extent
e.g. Arguably, the source is unreliable.
Compare
| Strong (risky) | Hedged (B2) | Why hedge? |
|---|---|---|
| It's fake. | It appears to be a hoax. | You don't have full proof yet. |
| Everyone shares fake news. | People tend to share stories without reading them. | 'Tend to' avoids absolutes. |
| Both sides are biased. | It could be argued that both sides are biased. | Frames it as an argument, not a fact. |
Examples
- →
It might be true, but I'd want to see the source.
- →
The story appears to be exaggerated.
- →
People tend to share things without reading them.
- →
It could be argued that both sides are biased.
- →
It's often the case that the headline is stronger than the story.
- →
There seems to be no clear evidence either way.
Common mistakes
It seems to be false, isn't it?
✓ It seems to be false, doesn't it?
Match the tag to 'seems' → 'doesn't it'.
People tend share fake news.
✓ People tend TO share fake news.
'tend' + to + infinitive.
It could be argue that…
✓ It could be argued that…
Passive form: 'be argued', not 'be argue'.
Natural English
Native speakers hedge more than learners expect. In academic and professional English, overclaiming ('It IS X') sounds naive. Hedging is the mark of expertise, not doubt.
Deep dive (full explanation)
Hedging is the B2 art of making a claim WITHOUT overstating it. It signals that you know something might not be 100% true. English does it in three main ways: modal verbs (might, could, may), hedging verbs (tend to, appear to, seem to), and hedging phrases (it could be argued, it's often the case that, arguably). Overusing 'I think' is a B1 habit; hedging like a B2 speaker is a real upgrade.
Question 1.Choose the most hedged sentence:
Question 2.Correct form:
Question 3.'It could ___ argued that…'
Question 4.Most natural B2 hedge:
Question 5.Which is closest in meaning to 'arguably'?
Build the sentence → spot the natural chunks → say it aloud → reply like a real conversation.
1.Rebuild the sentence — then say it aloud.
2.Rebuild the sentence — then say it aloud.
3.Rebuild the sentence — then say it aloud.
Quick check 1.Choose the most hedged sentence:
Quick check 2.Correct form:
Vocabulary · §3
5–7 minWords & phrases to own
misinformation
false information shared by mistake.
disinformation
false information shared on purpose.
a hoax
a trick made to look real.
a fact-check
an official verification of a claim.
credible
believable, trustworthy.
a source
where information comes from.
clickbait
a headline designed to make you click, often misleading.
to debunk
to prove something is not true.
biased
unfairly one-sided.
an assumption
something you believe without proof.
Activate it now
Use each word about something you've actually seen online.
- Make it yours#1
Describe one hoax or clickbait story you fell for. Use 'clickbait' and 'assumption'.
clickbaitan assumption - Your view#2
Which is more dangerous — misinformation or disinformation? Why?
misinformationdisinformation - Complete#3
Finish: 'A source is credible when ___ .'
crediblea source - Discuss#4
Should social media platforms be responsible for debunking hoaxes? Why / why not?
to debunka hoax
Tap an item on the left, then tap its match on the right.
Pronunciation · §4
3–4 minIntonation on hedges
Hedges are almost always said with a slightly falling intonation and a small pause after. 'It appears to be false, ↘ but…' If you say a hedge with rising intonation, it sounds like a question and undermines the whole sentence. Practise the small pause.
- It ap-PEARS to be false, ↘ but…
- People TEND to share, ↘ without READ-ing
- There SEEMS to be no evidence, ↘ eith-er WAY
- It could be AR-gued that ↘ both sides are BIASED
Reading · §5
8–10 minSix Questions to Ask Before You Share
Listen to the passage
Tap play to listen. Replay as many times as you need.
Most misinformation spreads because it feels true — not because we're gullible. The shortcut past that feeling is a short checklist you can run in about twenty seconds. First: who is the source? Not the person sharing, but the original one. A screenshot of a screenshot rarely leads anywhere solid. If the source seems to be a website you've never heard of, that's not proof it's fake, but it should slow you down. Second: when was it published? A story from 2018 shared today can be technically true and completely misleading. Third: what's the emotional pull? If a headline appears to be engineered to make you angry or afraid, it probably is. Anger travels faster than accuracy — that's not a moral claim, it's how the algorithm works. Fourth: is there a named person, place or date? Vague stories ('a scientist claims…') are usually weaker than specific ones. Fifth: has anyone credible debunked it? A quick fact-check search takes less time than typing the share. Sixth, and hardest: does it just happen to confirm what you already think? Confirmation is comforting. It's also the exact feeling misinformation is designed to produce. Sharing anyway is the choice; noticing is the skill.
Question 1.Why does the writer say misinformation spreads?
Question 2.What does the writer say about anger?
Question 3.What is the hardest question, according to the writer?
Question 4.The writer's overall advice is…
Q1.According to the writer, people share misinformation because they're gullible.
Q2.A story from 2018 shared today can be technically true and still misleading.
Q3.The writer says fact-checking always takes longer than sharing.
Listening · §6
8–10 minTwo friends debating a viral post (about 1:30)
Listening audio
Tap play to listen. Replay as many times as you need.
Show transcript
Ines:Did you see that post about the new tax law?
Rob:The one with the shouting headline? Yeah. It appears to be pretty exaggerated.
Ines:You think? A lot of people are sharing it.
Rob:Sharing isn't a fact-check. It could be argued that the actual law is much narrower than the post suggests.
Ines:Where did the story even come from?
Rob:Some site I've never heard of. The source doesn't seem credible, and the piece has no named expert.
Ines:So you'd call it misinformation?
Rob:Probably. It might not be deliberate. But it's classic clickbait — engineered to make you angry before you check anything.
Ines:Fair. I'll wait until someone credible debunks it or confirms it.
Question 1.What is Rob's view of the post?
Question 2.What does he say about the source?
Question 3.What does he call the post?
Question 4.What does Ines decide to do?
Exam skills · §7
5 minStrategy focus — Hedging in Speaking Part 3 discussion
Task
In discussion tasks, B2 examiners reward learners who present opinions carefully rather than as absolute facts. Overclaiming ('It IS true that all social media is bad') lowers the score.
Strategy
For any strong claim, add one hedge: 'It could be argued that…', 'People tend to…', 'It appears that…'. Do this even when you feel strongly. A hedged argument sounds more educated, not less confident.
Example
It could be argued that social media has damaged our attention span. People tend to blame the platforms, but arguably we share responsibility. There seems to be no easy solution — but ignoring the problem isn't one either.
Practice · §8
8–10 minFill in the blank
Question 1.It ___ to be a hoax.
Question 2.People ___ to share without reading.
Question 3.It could be ___ that both sides are biased.
Question 4.There ___ to be no clear evidence.
Question 5.The source doesn't seem ___.
Question 6.That's just ___ — engineered to make you click.
Q1.'It ___ to be false.' (hedge)
Q2.'People ___ to share things without reading.'
Q3.'It could be ___ that both sides are biased.'
Writing · §9
5 minPut it in writing
Your task
Write a 130–170 word opinion piece titled 'How I Decide What to Share'. Use at least: three hedging phrases (appears to, tends to, could be argued, it seems that, arguably), and three unit-vocabulary items (misinformation, source, credible, clickbait, debunk, assumption).
Your answer
Show model answer
How I Decide What to Share Most of what I nearly share, I don't. It's not that I've become sceptical of everything. It's that I've noticed how often a story that appears to be a scoop is really just clickbait engineered to make me angry. My rough rule is this: before I share, I ask who the original source is, and whether it seems credible. If the story is a screenshot of a screenshot from a site I've never heard of, that's not proof it's misinformation, but it's a reason to slow down. It could be argued that platforms should do the checking for us, and to some extent they try. In practice, though, people tend to share faster than any fact-check can catch up. So my final test is uncomfortable: does the story just happen to confirm what I already think? If yes, I probably shouldn't be the one to spread it.
Speaking · §10
10–15 minMake it a real conversation
ROLEPLAY — The Group Chat Debate. A friend has just sent you a shocking headline. Discuss whether it's credible. You MUST use at least three hedging phrases. Then swap roles.
Useful phrases
- • It appears to be…
- • It could be argued that…
- • The source doesn't seem credible.
- • People tend to share this kind of thing…
- • There seems to be no clear evidence.
- • Arguably, it's just clickbait.
- • Let's wait until it's fact-checked.
- FriendDid you see this? It's insane.
- You_______________
- FriendIt's from that site everyone's sharing.
- You_______________
- FriendSo — should I share it?
- You_______________
Optional · Teacher-led
Teacher Activities
Optional teacher-led activities. ~25 min total
Homework · §11
Take-homeTake it home
Write the 150-word opinion piece above about your own sharing habits.
Read one viral story this week. Underline every claim; note whether it's hedged or absolute.
Write true sentences using: misinformation, hoax, credible, source, clickbait, debunk, biased, assumption.
Record a 90-second voice note debating a real viral story. Use at least three hedging phrases.
Recap · §12
2–3 minWhat you've learned
- You can hedge claims with modal verbs, hedging verbs and hedging phrases.
- You can evaluate a source with 'credible', 'biased', 'assumption' and 'debunk'.
- You can name types of false information (misinformation, disinformation, hoax, clickbait).
- You can discuss a viral story at B2 level without overclaiming.