Grammar 2: Reporting Verbs

Higher Education Language & Presentation Support

Contact us David Sotir - Advisor

HELPS (Higher Education Language & Presentation Support) • Location: CB01.05.25 • Telephone: 9514 9733 • Email: helps@uts.edu.au • Website: www.helps.uts.edu.au

UTS:HELPS 2

Reporting verbs

Reporting verbs are used with: • quotes • paraphrases • summaries • (author prominent writing and citation)

UTS:HELPS 3

Considerations

Choosing the ‘right’ reporting verb depends on: • what the author is doing • the extent to which you agree with the author • the significance the author has placed on the

information • the way the reporting verb fits together with

other words in a sentence

UTS:HELPS 4

What the author is doing

ARGUE: verbs concerned with writing or saying • argue, suggest, propose, point out, observe,

explain, conclude, claim, state THINK: verbs concerned with thinking, knowing, understanding • think, believe, assume, feel, hold, hope

UTS:HELPS 5

What the author is doing

SHOW: verbs concerned with indicating a fact or situation • show, demonstrate, reveal, indicate, confirm,

imply FIND: verbs concerned with the research process • find, discover, observe, establish, identify, infer

UTS:HELPS 6

Agreement with author

You can indicate, through a choice of reporting verbs, your viewpoint: • a belief that the information is correct • a neutral attitude towards the veracity of the

information • a belief that the information is incorrect

UTS:HELPS 7

Agreement with author

Correct: • acknowledge, define, demonstrate, explain,

identify, observe, outline, show, throw light on

Neutral: • add, argue, claim, clarify, conclude, describe,

express, feel, find, indicate, inform, present, propose, remark, remind, report, state, use

Incorrect: • allege, confuse, disregard, ignore

UTS:HELPS 8

Agreement with author

Stein-Parbury (2000) defines listening as the ability to hear, understand, and appreciate a patient’s experience. De Cieri et al. (2003) clarify the role of human resources in terms of a company’s improved competitiveness in their Australian Business Excellence Model. In their presentation, Sawyer and Smith (2001) described their sampling methods and data analysis in great detail.

UTS:HELPS 9

Agreement with author

In their study on acculturation, Birman, Sharpe and Angeles (2004) propose a variety of solutions to the current problem facing Australian cities such as Melbourne and Sydney, that of “ghettoisation” (p. 77). Previous studies on the work-study balance of tertiary students (Campbell 2004; Guthrie, Logan & Tuomy 2003; Smith 1999) have concluded that most students prioritise work over study. Lygon (2001) ignores conflicting data in his review of the literature, thereby compromising the credibility of his research in the field.

UTS:HELPS 10

Significance of information

It is possible to indicate whether the author is positive or negative in their attitude to the content of the information. Positive • accept, advise, affirm, agree, applaud, assert,

concur, insist, maintain, note, praise, point out, posit, recommend, remark, stress, subscribe to, suggest, support, think, urge

Negative/uncertain: • attack, challenge, disagree, dismiss, dispute, doubt,

mistrust, oppose, question, reject, suspect, warn

UTS:HELPS 11

Significance of information

The author is very assertive/certain • argue, challenge, claim, insist, refute, reject The author is tentative • propose, speculate, suggest

The author believes the information is very important • contend, emphasise, stress The author believes the information is of lesser importance • mention, note, say

The author is offering advice to the reader • caution, recommend, warn, urge

UTS:HELPS 12

Taib (2003) and Patridge (2003) concur that the most effective way of improving second language proficiency is through social and linguistic immersion in a country’s culture and society. Bertrand and Sullivan (2002) note that in order to succeed academically, children require strict discipline at home as well as at school. Along with others in the field, Noonan and Williams (2002) subscribe to the theory that carefully selected domestic animals have a positive role to play in the palliative care of children and adults.

UTS:HELPS 13

Beaumont (1998) challenges many long-held beliefs amongst the medical fraternity about mind-body-spirit connections. In their thorough review of related literature, Scederis et al. (2000) dismiss previous studies’ findings relating to the use of Royal Jelly to treat asthmatics. Kennedy (1998) questions the claims made in Beaumont’s paper (1998) on the role of meditation amongst sufferers of post-traumatic stress.

UTS:HELPS 14

How it fits in the sentence

Mostly in the present tense • ARGUE (concerned with writing or saying),

THINK (concerned with thinking, knowing and understanding) and SHOW (concerned with indicating a fact/situation) verbs

Occasionally in the present perfect tense • ARGUE, FIND and SHOW verbs

Mostly in the past tense • FIND (concerned with the research process)

verbs

UTS:HELPS 15

UTS:HELPS 16

UTS:HELPS 17

UTS:HELPS 18

References

Centre for Learning and Professional Development 2010, Reporting verbs, University of Adelaide. Craven, E. n.d., Which reporting verb should I use?, ELSSA Centre, University of Technology, Sydney. Office of Student Success 2010, Reporting verbs, Australian Catholic University.

UTS:HELPS 19

Location: CB01.03.08 Telephone: 9514 9733 Email: helps@uts.edu.au Website: ssu.uts.edu.au/helps

UTS:HELPS 20

UTS:HELPS