Reporting verbs

Reporting verbs help you introduce the ideas or words of others as paraphrase or quotation from scholarly
literature. Always accompanied by a reference, they indicate where you’re drawing on other people’s
work to build your own argument. They also indicate your stance (agree, disagree, etc) on the
scholarship you’re describing, highlighting your critical contribution. There are lots of reporting verbs to
choose from and, depending on the context, they might be used to convey more than one stance, so you’ll
notice that some appear in more than one category.

This list of reporting verbs has been organised according to the critical stances they signal:

Critical Stance Reporting Verb Example

Neutral description of what the text Observes Abrams mentions that
says Describes culture shock has “long
Discusses been misunderstood as
Reports a primarily
Outlines psychological
Remarks phenomenon” (34)
States
Goes on to say that Chakrabarty outlines
Quotes that the four stages of
Says mitosis (72-3)
Mentions
Articulates
Writes
Relates
Conveys
Acceptance as uncontested fact, having Recognises Abrams refutes the
critiqued it Clarifies idea that culture shock
Acknowledges is a “primarily
Concedes psychological
Accepts phenomenon” (34)
Refutes
Uncovers Chakrabarty
Admits demonstrates
Demonstrates that mitosis actually
Highlights occurs over five stages
Illuminates (73)
Supports
Concludes
Elucidates
Reveals

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 Verifies
Recognition that this is one perspective Argues
on or interpretation of an issue or Reasons Abrams contends that
conclusion, and others might be Maintains culture shock is
possible Contends socially produced (38)
Hypothesises
Proposes Chakrabarty
Theorises hypothesises that
Feels metaphase is a more
Considers complex process than
Asserts previously thought (77)
Disputes
Advocates
Opines
Thinks
Implies
Posits
Agreement with that Shows Abrams points out that
perspective/interpretation/conclusion Illustrates culture shock is a
Points out “stress response
Proves mechanism” (34)
Finds
Explains Chakrabarty proves
Agrees that mitosis is
Confirms irreversible, once
Identifies triggered (80)
Evidences
Attests
Disagreement with that Believes
perspective/interpretation/conclusion Claims Abrams’ analysis
Justifies disregards the
Insists neurochemical factors
Assumes that contribute to
Alleges culture shock (36)
Denies
Speculates Chakrabarty
Disregards speculates that
Supposes “metaphase is the most
Conjectures important stage of
Surmises mitosis” (78)
Slight reservations held – probably true Notes
but being cautious Asserts Abrams asserts that
Suggests theories of culture
Challenges shock have moved
Critiques away from
Emphasises psychological
Declares explanations.

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 Indicates
Comments Chakrabarty
Upholds emphasises the role of
metaphase within
mitosis (78)

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