HEDGING IN ENGLISH BUSINESS DISCOURSE: THE LINGUOPRAGMATIC ASPECTThe article considers the concept of linguistic hedging, interpreted within the framework of the linguo-pragmatic features of its implementation in English-language business communication. The authors explore hedging techniques as tools for manipulation in speech production, with premises stemming from the theory of communicative politeness, as well as the postulates of strategic speech planning. Analyzing the material of the English-language business discourse, the authors identify three key methods of hedging: through emphatic enumeration, through the expression of modality, and through the implementation of the politeness strategy. Based on study results, the article identifies the pragmatic functions of linguistic hedging that prevail in English-speaking business discourse: avoiding conflict, maintaining a positive image of communicants, weakening the illocutionary force of the statement, down-toning and protecting the propositional component of the statement. The authors conclude that these functions gain significance within the framework of business communication, often centered around manipulative intentions, which makes hedging a significant tool for constructing an effective dialogue.