1、Reporting Verbs,BUAA 2014.6.23,1.Defines 2.Classes 3.Tips 4.Usages,In academic writing ，it will often be necessary to refer to the research of others and to report on their findings. In order to do so, we have to use reporting verbs. A reporting verb is a word which is used to talk about or report o

2、n other peoples work. Such as： Evans (1994) suggests that.; Brown (2001) argues that.；,1.Defines,The difficulty with using reporting verbs is that there are many different verbs, and each of them has slightly different, and often subtle shade of meaning. Using the correct words relies on making the

3、correct interpretation of what the writer you are studying is saying.,1.Defines,2.Classes,a) tentative reporting verbs,Some reporting verbs are used to show when the writer has an inclination to believe something but still wishes to be hesitant; we may call these tentative reporting verbs.,b) neutra

4、l reporting verbs,A second group of verbs is used principally to say what the writer does and does not do. These verbs do not indicate any value judgment on the part of the writer; they are called neutral reporting verbs.,c) strong reporting verbs,Finally, if the writer has strong arguments to put f

5、orward and is absolutely sure of his or her ground, we can use strong reporting verbs to refer to these ideas.,1.The structure of sentences when using reporting verbs can vary, and can be flexible; For example: Jones (1999) argues, in his study of thermodynamics, that. As Jones (1999) argues in his

6、study of thermodynamics, . In his study of thermodynamics, Jones (1999) argues that.,3.Tips,2. It is possible (and often quite attractive stylistically) to invert the subject and verb when reporting; For example: Thermodynamics, Jones (1999) argues, is 3. Reporting the work of others often needs an

7、extra sentence introduction or lead-in; For example: In considering Smiths discussion on thermodynamics, Jones (1999) argues that ,3.Tips,4. Very often, in academic writing, reporting takes place in the present tense, because of the need to bring past research into the present moment. (third person) 5. If you have used the verb said very often in your writing, try to replace this with some words more descriptive and precise. 6. Informal v