C2 editing: possibility, reported claims and speaker evaluation
A small sentence adverb can change whether a writer reports a claim, leaves a possibility open or evaluates an event they assert. Do not remove it as if it were decoration.
Angeblich attributes a claim rather than confirming it as the writer’s own finding. It may signal distance or doubt, but the word alone does not prove the claim false. Keep the distinction between an unconfirmed report and an established error.
Möglicherweise leaves the proposition open as a possibility. It does not specify a fixed probability. Removing it from Möglicherweise sind Werte fehlerhaft produces the stronger assertion Werte sind fehlerhaft.
Bedauerlicherweise and erfreulicherweise usually evaluate a state of affairs that the writer asserts: regret in the first case, a positive evaluation in the second. This is a linguistic commitment in the sentence, not independent evidence that the event actually happened.
Sentence adverbs can occupy the initial position before the finite verb: Möglicherweise fehlen zwei Stellungnahmen. When editing, preserve the source and degree of commitment as well as word order. Do not equate an expression of surprise with an explanation of the cause.
| Funktion | Beispiel |
|---|---|
| fremde Behauptung | Angeblich wurde der Bericht zurückgezogen. |
| Möglichkeit | Möglicherweise sind einzelne Werte fehlerhaft. |
| Bewertung eines behaupteten Sachverhalts | Bedauerlicherweise wurde der Bericht zurückgezogen. |
| positive Bewertung | Erfreulicherweise liegen alle Stellungnahmen vor. |
Examples
Angeblich wurde der Bericht zurückgezogen.
The report was allegedly withdrawn.
The withdrawal is presented as an attributed claim, not a finding confirmed by the writer.
Bedauerlicherweise wurde der Bericht zurückgezogen.
Regrettably, the report was withdrawn.
The writer asserts the withdrawal and expresses regret.
Möglicherweise sind einzelne Werte fehlerhaft.
Some individual values may be incorrect.
Incorrect values remain a possibility rather than an established finding.
Erfreulicherweise liegen alle Stellungnahmen vor.
Fortunately, all the statements have now been received.
The writer asserts that all statements are available and evaluates this positively.