Reporting Verbs in Academic Writing

Reporting verbs are used when citing other writers' work or ideas. Examples of reporting verbs are 'state', 'argue', 'discuss' and 'report'. They have differences in meaning, strength and grammar usage. The video also shows examples in an authentic academic text. ▬ Contents of this video ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ 00:00 Intro and definition 01:37 Meaning of reporting verbs 03:32 Strength of reporting verbs 05:49 Grammar of reporting verbs 09:10 According to + end of sentence citations 10:17 Reporting verbs in an authentic text ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ Video created using VideoScribe software [affiliate link]: https://tidd.ly/37VdIB7 Reporting verbs, also called referring verbs, are commonly used in academic writing to cite (or 'refer to') other people's writing. The most common reporting verb is 'state', which is neutral in meaning. The verbs 'comment', 'note' and 'remark' have the same general meaning as 'state' but are weaker in meaning, while 'assert', which also has the same general meaning, is much stronger. There are also verbs which mean 'agree' (e.g. 'concede' - weak, 'echo' - neutral, 'concur' - strong), verbs which mean 'disagree' (e.g. 'question' - weak, 'doubt' - neutral, 'disapprove' - strong), others to show accusation (e.g. 'accuse', 'blame' – both strong), verbs which mean 'believe', 'discuss', 'emphasise', 'examine', and so on. Reporting verbs can be used in either the present or past tense. Many are followed by a 'that' clause, though some have special usage, e.g. 'accuse sb of sth', 'compare sth to sth', 'disapprove of sth', and 'define sth as sth'. The video also shows how the phrase 'According to' is used, how to use end-of-sentence citations, and takes a text from the Journal of English for Academic Purposes to show how reporting verbs are used in authentic academic text.