Reporting verbs from the handout "Common reporting verbs for academic writing" add Join or combine or unite

with others advise Give advice to accept Receive willingly something given or offered acknowledge Express recognition of the presence or existence of something agree Consent to a condition, or to do something concur Happen simultaneously confirm Establish or strengthen the truth of something with new evidence or fact s recognise Accept (someone) to be what is claimed or accept his power and authori ty applaud Express approval of congratulate Say something to someone that expresses praise extol Glorify, or honour praise Express approval of support Give moral or psychological aid, or courage to someone apologise Express regret for something bad that one has done; acknowledge faults and mistakes assure Cause to feel sure; give reassurance to encourage Inspire with confidence; give hope or courage to interpret Make sense of; assign a meaning to justify Show to be reasonable or provide adequate ground for reason Decide by reasoning; draw or come to a conclusion alert Warn or make aware to a sense of danger or call to a state of preparedness argue Have an argument about something boast Show off contend Have an argument about something convince Make (someone) agree, understand, or realize the truth or validity of s omething emphasise Single out as important; draw attention to (something) exhort Spur on or encourage especially by cheers and shouts forbid Command against insist Be emphatic or resolute and refuse to budge prove Make clear the validity of something, as by an example, explanation or exp eriment promise Make a commitment to do (or not to do) something in the future persuade Cause somebody to adopt a certain position, belief, or course of action threaten Present a danger to warn Notify of danger, potential harm, or risk guess Form an estimate of hope Expect and wish imagine Form a mental image of something that is not present or that is not the case believe Accept as true; take to be true claim Assert or affirm strongly; state to be true or existing declare Announce publicly or officially express Give expression to feel Come to believe on the basis of emotion, intuition, or indefinite grounds hold Have or possess, either in a concrete or an abstract sense know Be aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about maintain Cause to remain in a certain state, position, or activity profess Confess one's faith in, or allegiance to something subscribe to Receive or obtain regularly think Use or exercise the mind or one's power of reason in order to make decisio ns, or arrive at a solution or judgment assert To declare or affirm solemnly and formally as true guarantee Give surety or assume responsibility uphold Keep or maintain in unaltered condition; cause to remain or last

conclude Decide by reasoning; draw or come to a conclusion discover Determine the existence, presence, or fact of find Establish after a calculation, investigation, experiment, survey, or study infer (logic) Reason by deduction; establish by deduction realise Make real or concrete; give reality or substance to doubt Consider unlikely or have doubts about question Challenge the accuracy, probity, or propriety of challenge Question the truth or validity of; take exception to debate Argue with one another disagree Be of different opinions request Express the need or desire for; ask for wonder Place in doubt or express doubtful speculation accuse Blame for, make a claim of wrongdoing or misbehaviour against someone attack Launch assault on; begin hostilities or start warfare with complain Express complaints, discontent, displeasure, or unhappiness contradict Deny the truth of criticise Find fault with; express criticism of; point out real or perceived fla ws deny Declare untrue; Refuse to accept or believe discard Throw or cast away disclaim Renounce a legal claim or title to dismiss Cease to consider; put out of judicial consideration dispute Question the truth or validity of; take exception to disregard Refuse to acknowledge negate (logic) Prove negative; show to be false object to Express or raise an objection or protest or criticism or express disse nt oppose Fight against or resist strongly refute Overthrow by argument, evidence, or proof reject Not accept comment Explain or interpret something discuss Speak with others about (something); talk (something) over in detail; ha ve a discussion explore Inquire into, examine accentuate Single out as important; draw attention to (something) (2 verbs have this meaning) highlight Move into the foreground to make more visible or prominent stress Single out as important; draw attention to (something) (2 verbs have this meaning) underscore Give extra weight to (a communication) analyse Consider in detail and subject to an analysis in order to discover essen tial features or meaning (2 verbs have this meaning) appraise Consider in a comprehensive way assess Estimate or determine the nature, value, quality, ability, extent, or sig nificance of compare Examine and note the similarities or differences of consider Think about carefully; weigh contrast Put in opposition to show or emphasize differences critique Appraise critically evaluate Form a critical opinion of examine Consider in detail and subject to an analysis in order to discover essen tial features or meaning (2 verbs have this meaning) investigate Study, try to understand; examine scientifically; Conduct an inquiry or investigation of understand Know and comprehend the nature or meaning of blame Attribute responsibility to ignore Refuse to acknowledge scrutinise Examine carefully for accuracy with the intent of verification articulate Put into words or an expression clarify Make clear and (more) comprehensible

explain Make plain and comprehensible define Determine the essential quality of describe To give an account or representation of in words estimate Judge to be probable forget Be unable to remember identify Recognize as being; establish the identity of someone or something illustrate Clarify by giving an example of imply Express or state indirectly inform Impart or communicate information or knowledge instruct Give directions for some task list Give or make a list of; name individually; give the names of mention Make reference to note Detect and remember; perceive with the mind observe Determine the existence, presence, or fact of outline Describe roughly or briefly or give the main points or summary of point out Draw attention to present Tell or show, often with explanation and alternatives remark Speak of something; say to bring other people's attention to something remind Assist (somebody acting or reciting) by suggesting the next words of some thing forgotten or imperfectly learned report To give an account or representation of in words restate To say, state, or perform again reveal Make known to the public information that was previously known only to a few people or that was meant to be kept a secret show Give an exhibition of something to an interested audience state Express in words (2 verbs have this meaning) study Be a student; follow a course of study; be enrolled at an institute of lea rning tell Express in words (2 verbs have this meaning) use Put into service; make work for a particular purpose or use as designed announce Make known; make an announcement allege Make an accusation or assertion without any proof intimate Imply as a possibility speculate To believe especially on uncertain or tentative grounds (2 verbs have this meaning) advocate Speak, plead, or argue in favour of hypothesise To believe especially on uncertain or tentative grounds (2 verbs ha ve this meaning) posit Take as a given; assume as a postulate or axiom (2 verbs have this meaning ) postulate Take as a given; assume as a postulate or axiom (2 verbs have this mea ning) propose Present for consideration, examination, criticism, etc. suggest Make a proposal, declare a plan for something theorise Form or construct theories recommend Push for something urge Force or impel in an indicated direction