1b reporting what others say

Reporting what others say Reporting verbs Reporting what others say is a key aspect of academic English and you need a range of verbs to do this in an appropriate and varied way. Note the structures used with each verb. In her latest article Morton explains how information technology is changing society. Schmidt describes the process of language change. Kon suggests that all poets are strongly influenced by their childhood. [says indirectly or tentatively] Lee states that problems arose earlier than was previously thought. [says directly] Uvarov claims/asserts/contends/maintains/declares that the causes of the revolution can be traced back to the 18th century. [says something is true directly and firmly, often used when others disagree] Van Ek implies that other historians have misinterpreted the period. [suggests indirectly] Patel argues that governments should continue to fund space research. [use of this verb suggests he gives reasons for his view] Greenberg emphasises/highlights/stresses the importance of taking a liberal approach. [gives particular importance to] Levack observes/notes/comments/points out that there are contradictions in Day's interpretation of the poem. [states but does not develop at length] Kim demonstrates/shows how Bach's music draws considerably on earlier composers' work. Gray proves there is a link between obesity and genes. [shows that something must be true] In the book Dean mentions some new research in the field. [refers to briefly] McIntosh pinpoints the key features of the period in question. [focuses in on] Vaz advances/puts forward/proposes a new theory. [used with idea, theory, hypothesis] Davidson casts doubt on previous research in the field. [suggests it is inaccurate] Gerhard questions previous interpretations of the play. [expresses doubts about] Reporting nouns Academic writing also frequently uses nouns rather than verbs to report others' ideas (see Unit 1). Notice the corresponding nouns for some verbs in A. Note how these nouns often head long phrases (underlined below) which can be either the subject or the object of the verb. Morton provides an explanation as to how information technology is changing socier.y. Schmidt gives a description of the process of language change. Kon's suggestion that poets are influenced by their childhood is uncontroversial. Lee's statement that problems arose earlier than previously thought has been challenged. , Uvarov's claim/assertion/contention that the causes of the revolution can be traced back to the 18th century is worth considering in some depth. ,..I Van Ek's implication that other historians have misinterpreted the period has caused some controversy. [suggests indirectly] Patel's argument that governments should continue to fund space research is convincing. Greenberg's emphasis/stress on the importance of taking a liberal approach is not new. Levack's observation that there are contradictions in Day's interpretation of the poem has been supported by a number of other scholars. Kim's demonstration of the way in which Bach's music draws on the work of earlier composers is fascinating. Gray's proof of the link between obesity and genes is of considerable interest. 72 Academic Vocabulary in Use According to is used when reporting others' viewpoints rather than one's own. For example, according to Greene and Willis ... but in my opinion ... NOT 8EEBffliRg te me. McCarthy, M. & O'Dell, F. (2008). Academic Vocabulary in Use. Cambridge University Press 32. 1 32.2 Exercises ~ Fill in the missing verbs and nouns. noun verb noun verb implication describe observe statement argument emphasise assertion explain contend demonstration Rewrite the sentences h;ing nouns instead of the verbs in bold and beginning as shown. 1 Harkov contends that continued population growth will be a more serious problem than globa l warming, but this is not accepted by many scientists. (Harkov's ... ) 2 'Global symmetry' states that the laws of physics take the same form when expressed in terms of distinct variables. ('Global symmetry' is ... ) 3 The report implies that no individual government will ever be able to control the internet. (The report makes ... ) 4 Dudas demonstrates how dangerous genetic modification might be. (Dudas provides ... ) S Groot emphasises the role of schools in preventing teenage drug abuse. (Groot puts ... ) 6 Lenard observes that women use expressions such as 'you know' in English more than men but this was later proved to be inaccurate. (Lenard's ... ) 7 Plana explained the possible origins of the pyramids in Guelcoga but this has been disputed by Ruiz. (Plana's ... ) 8 Wilson describes the ancient alphabet of the Guelcoga people. (Wilson gives ... ) 9 Wu argues that daylight-saving time should be extended throughout the year. (Wu puts ... ) 10 The President asserts that he cares about fighting poverty. (The President makes ... ) 32.3 In each sentence two of the options in italics are possible and one is not. Which is not? 1 The author notes / observes / pinpoints that commodity prices change depending on the season . 2 Grey puts forward / proves / advances a controversial theory to explain climate change. 3 Philipson claims / questions / challenges the accuracy of Malwar's figures. 4 Trakov stresses / emphasises / asserts the importance of pilot testing before carrying out a survey. S Ripoll advances / demonstrates / shows how large-scale urban planning can go wrong. 6 Thompson's assertion / contention / description that no member of the committee was informed of the director's plan is incorrect. 7 Evans declared / cast doubt / maintained there was no causal link between the events. 32.4 There is one mistake in each of these sentences. Find and correct it. 1 According to me, courses in academic writing should be compulsory for all new students. 2 It has not yet been proof that the virus can jump from species to species. 3 Richardson emphasises on a number of weaknesses in the theory. 4 Taylor mentions to several studies which have looked at the problem in the past. S Pratt's suggest that the poet may have suffered from depression is an interesting one. 6 Our latest results cast doubt to our original hypothesis . own field. Do they use language from this unit? Copy out any interesting examples. • " Find some examples of reporting what others say in an academic article or textbook in your Academic Vocabulary ;n Use 73 McCarthy, M. & O'Dell, F. (2008). Academic Vocabulary in Use. Cambridge University Press img-913105536 img-913105547