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In academic writing, it’s essential to cite original sources when using others’ ideas. Reporting verbs are commonly used to integrate these citations, helping to present information clearly. These verbs also allow you to express your stance on the sourced information and strengthen your arguments in your assignments.

There is a wide variety of reporting verbs in the English language, some of which are detailed below:

Part 1: Advanced ways to show your attitude

Reporting verbs are a way for you, the writer, to show your attitude towards the source of information you are citing. These attitudes are either ‘positive’, ‘negative’ or ‘neutral’.

Keep in mind that there are many more reporting verbs you can use to more fully express how you feel about the sources you are using in your essays and papers.

Adapted from: The Independent Learning Centre (n.d.). Reporting verbs, Chinese University, Hong Kong, viewed 26 October 2012.

Part 2: Your "writer's" voice

Academic writing at university normally requires you to use multiple information sources, and to evaluate the quality of these ideas. One important tool for doing this is reporting verbs.

Reporting verbs can show your opinion of others’ ideas:

  • a belief that the literature is correct (stronger position)
  • a neutral attitude towards the veracity of the literature (i.e. neither correct nor incorrect – neutral position)
  • a belief that the literature is incorrect (weaker position)

Reporting verbs tell us that someone said something. However, careful selection of reporting verbs can help show your assessment of the quality of what they have said. This is a vital academic skill. It not only helps turn ordinary Pass-level work into much better work, but it also develops your critical thinking skills.

The grammar of reporting verbs

Reporting verbs have simple basic grammar. However, it can be confusing because there are two basic patterns.  Some reporting verbs belong to one pattern, some to the other, and some to both.

Adapted from:

Office of Student Success. (2010). Reporting verbs, Australian Catholic University. (Retrieved 17 October 2012.)
University of Adelaide. (2014). Common reporting verbs for academic writing. (PDF 80kB, four pages)