Using Reporting Verbs when Summarizing

A reporting verb is a word used to discuss another person’s writings or assertions. They
are generally used to incorporate the source to the discussion in the text. To illustrate, see the
sample text below. The reporting verbs are italicized.

Having a syntactically correct sentence is not enough to create meaning. As Noam

Chomsky pointed out, a sentence can be perfect in terms of syntax and still not make sense.
He showed this by coming up with the famous sentence, “Colorless green sleep furiously”
(Chomsky, 1957).

In summarizing, you are highly encouraged to vary the verbs you use to make your
writing more interesting and to show importance to each of your sources. You can use either
the past or the present tense depending on your meaning. Using the past tense usually
indicates that you view the idea to be outdated and therefore want to negate it. On the other
hand, using the present tense generally indicates that you view the idea to be relevant or
agreeable.

Hyland (1999) lists a frequency of reporting verbs used according to discipline.

Discipline Reporting Verbs from left to right, most common to least common
Biology Describe Find Report Show Suggest Observe
Marketing Suggest Argue Find Demonstrate Propose Show
Linguistics Suggest Argue Show Explain Find Point out
Sociology Argue Suggest Describe Note Analyze Discuss
Philosophy Say Suggest Argue Claim Point out Hold Think
Overall Suggest Argue Find Show Describe Propose Report