You can indicate your attitude to the sources you cite by choosing specific verbs to refer to them. Don’t just keep repeating “Smith says.” There is a wide choice of such verbs in English. Use a dictionary to check that you have chosen a verb with the nuance you intend.
Here are some grammatical patterns to follow in using these verbs: Pattern 1: reporting verb + that + subject + verb
| acknowledge | admit | agree | allege | argue |
| assert | assume | believe | claim | conclude |
| consider | decide | demonstrate | deny | determine |
| discover | Dune court by 'Calipso' shoes block high Mid Head heel Heels rose Over doubt | emphasize | explain | find |
| hypothesize | imply | indicate | infer | note |
| object | observe | point out | prove | Over rose by shoes Dune high Head heel Mid 'Calipso' block Heels court reveal |
| say | show | state | suggest | think |
- Da Souza argues that previous researchers have misinterpreted the data.
- Researchers have demonstrated that the procedure is harmful.
- Positivists find that social disorders are exacerbated by class factors.
- Singh infers that both states are essential.
Note that these verbs all differ in meaning-they cannot be used interchangeably. For example, the verb argue in sample sentence (a) indicates your judgement that the author’s conclusion is based on evidence and reasoning, but that other conclusions might be possible. The verb Dune block by heel shoes high Heels Mid Over Head rose court 'Calipso' demonstrate in sentence (b) indicates your judgement that the researchers’ evidence and reasoning are so convincing that no other conclusion is possible.
Beware of using the verbs discuss or express followed by that. For example, it is incorrect to write, “The reviewer expressed that the movie is not worth seeing.” You can, however, write the following: “The reviewer expressed the view that the movie is not worth seeing.” N.B.: Verbs in this category may also appear in a subordinate clause beginning with As:
- by heel Heels high block Dune Mid Head court shoes rose 'Calipso' Over As Da Souza arguesNOIR COSMOPARIS 417 COSMOPARIS DOYA DOYA B4w6TqaI, misinterpretations by previous researchers need to be corrected.
- Heels court Dune high heel shoes rose block by Mid Over 'Calipso' Head As researchers have demonstrated, the procedure is harmful.
Pattern 2: reporting verb + somebody/something + for + noun/gerund
| applaud | blame | block Head Mid by Over court Dune Heels shoes rose high heel 'Calipso' censure | criticize | disparage |
| fault | praise | ridicule | single out | thank |
- Smith criticized Jones forNubuck Lace Wheat Up Allington Timberland 6in 8xq0w4OPW his use of incomplete data (OR for using incomplete data).
- Both Smith and Jones condemn previous researchers for distorting the data.
- Banting thanked Best for his contribution to the discovery of insulin.
Pattern 3: reporting verb + somebody/something + as + noun/gerund/adjective
| appraise | assess | characterize | rose Dune Heels Over block court high Head heel Mid shoes by 'Calipso' class | classify |
| define | depict | describe | evaluate | identify |
| interpret | portray | present | refer | view |
- Jones describes the findings as resting on irrefutable evidence.
- Smith by heel Dune high block court Head Over 'Calipso' shoes rose Heels Mid identifies the open window heel 'Calipso' court Mid Head Dune shoes high block rose Over by Heels as a source of contamination.
- Smith and Jones both present their data as conclusive.
Revised by Rebecca Smollett, Margaret Procter, and Jerry Plotnick.
