Modality Weakness

Hedged instructions ("should", "try to", "consider", "prefer") couple significantly weaker than direct instructions ("do not", bare imperatives).

Antipatterns

• Writing "You should run tests before merging" instead of "Run tests before merging" -- hedged modality reduces compliance compared to direct imperatives.
• Using "Consider using ruff for formatting" when the intent is mandatory -- "consider" signals optional guidance, so the agent may skip it entirely.
• Prefixing constraints with "Try to avoid" instead of "Do not" or "NEVER" -- the softer phrasing undercuts the constraint's force.
• Reserving hedges like "prefer" for hard requirements -- "Prefer X over Y" reads as a suggestion, not a mandate.

Pass / Fail

Pass

Run `uv run pytest` before every commit.
ALWAYS use `ruff` for formatting.
Do not modify generated files in `dist/`.

Fail

You should run tests before merging.
Consider using `ruff` for formatting.
Try to avoid modifying generated files.

Fix

Replace "You should run tests before merging" with "Run tests before merging" (direct) or "ALWAYS run tests before merging" (absolute). Reserve hedging for genuinely optional guidance.

Limitations

Detects hedged modality markers ("should", "try to", "consider", "prefer") in instructions. Some hedging is intentional for truly optional guidance — this diagnostic flags all hedging regardless of intent.