When writing, we have many opportunities to support our claims with the words of outside sources. In academic writing, scholarly sources are best. For more on research and finding sources, visit the Shapiro Library, or view our playlist on these topics, here.
The following verbs can be used to insert information you read during research or study. Since even discussion posts often call for evidence, it’s important to know how to put the work of others in to yours essays, competencies, and discussions.
It is common to want to use “said” when quoting someone. But, most of the time, you didn’t hear the words, you read them. However, an essay full of “Researchers wrote” can get redundant, too. Here’s a list of verbs you can use in signal phrases, to introduce quotes and paraphrases from your sources.
*Note: In APA format, use past tense—wrote, asserted, found; in MLA and Chicago/Turabian, use present tense in reference to the works you read—writes, asserts, finds.
In your paper, begin with the source “Researchers, Dr. Peabody, the authors, historians” and insert one of these signal verbs before your quote or paraphrase. Source + signal verb = signal phrase:
| Acknowledge | Counter/counter-argue | Point out |
| Analyze | Declare | Predict |
| Add | Define | Propose |
| Admit | Deny | Reason |
| Affirm | Dispute | Recognize |
| Agree | Echo | Recommend |
| Answer | Emphasize | Refute |
| Argue | Endorse | Reject |
| Attack | Estimate | Respond |
| Assert | Find | Report |
| Ask | Grant | Retort |
| Believe | Illustrate | Speculate |
| Call | Imply | Suggest |
| Claim | Insinuate | State |
| Comment | Insist | Surmise |
| Compare | Label | Tell |
| Concede | Mention | Think |
| Confirm | Note | Warn |
| Contend | Observe | Write |
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