Adobe Systems Referring verbs Academic writing Seminar 5 Adobe Systems Define footer – presentation title / department 2 ̶ Adobe Systems Define footer – presentation title / department 3 ̶ Adobe Systems Define footer – presentation title / department 4 ̶ Adobe Systems Define footer – presentation title / department 5 ̶ Adobe Systems Define footer – presentation title / department 6 General meaning of agreement ̶ Adobe Systems Define footer – presentation title / department 7 General meaning of disagreement ̶ Adobe Systems Define footer – presentation title / department 8 ̶ Using referring verbs Referring verbs are used to summarise another writer’s ideas: Previn argued that interest rates were too low. Bakewell (1992) found that most managers tended to use traditional terms . . . They may also be used to introduce a quotation: As Scott observed: ‘Comment is free but facts are sacred.’ Most of these verbs are followed by a noun clause beginning with ‘that’. Using referring verbs The following mean that the writer is presenting a case: • argue • claim • consider • hypothesise • suggest • believe • think • state. Melville (2007) suggested that tax rates should be harmonised. A second group describe a reaction to a previously stated position: • accept • admit • agree with • deny • doubt. Handlesmith doubts Melville’s suggestion that tax rates should be harmonised. Others include: • assume • conclude • discover • explain • imply • indicate • maintain • presume • reveal • show. Patel (2003) assumes that inflation will remain low. • argue • claim • consider • hypothesise • suggest • believe • think • state • accept • admit • agree with • deny • doubt • assume • conclude • discover • explain • imply • indicate • presume • reveal • show. Further referring verbs A small group of verbs is followed by the pattern (somebody/thing + for + noun/gerund): • blame • censure • commend • condemn • criticise. "Lee (1998) blamed the media for creating uncertainty." Another group is followed by (somebody/thing + as + noun/gerund): • assess • characterise • classify • define • describe • evaluate • identify • interpret • portray • present. "Terry interprets rising oil prices as a result of the Asian recovery." • blame • censure • commend • condemn • criticise. • assess • characterise • classify • define • describe • evaluate • identify • interpret • portray • present. Adobe Systems 14 Reporting Verbs ̶Hard sciences have a more detached reporting style The relevant theory was developed by Bruno. Stein et al. reported that a typical force.. Paiva and Venturinit presented an alternative formulation… ̶ ̶Contrasted with soft sciences: Baumgarter and Bagozzi (1995) strongly recommend the use of… Law and Whitley (1989) argued, for instance, that….. ̶ ̶Plus use of evaluative adverbial comment He argues, correctly to my mind, that… Churchland justifiably rejects this notion…. As Stern and Terrell, correctly assert… ̶ ̶ Adobe Systems 15 Hedges ̶Hedging, also called caution or cautious language or tentative language or vague language, is a way of softening the language by making the claims or conclusions less absolute. Although duration of smoking is also important when considering risk, it is highly correlated with age, which itself is a risk factor, so separating their effects can be difficult; however, large studies tend to show a relation between duration and risk. Because light smoking seems to have dramatic effects on cardiovascular disease, shorter duration might also be associated with a higher than expected risk. Adobe Systems 16 Hedges Adobe Systems Define footer – presentation title / department 17 How to express caution Introductory verbs tend to ➞ tendency (n) ̶assume ➞ assumption (n) ̶indicate ➞ indication (n) ̶estimate ➞ estimate (n) ̶seem to ➞ seemingly (adv) ̶appear to be ➞ apparently (adv) ̶doubt ➞ doubtful (adj) ̶believe ̶suggest ̶think ̶ Modal verbs expressing uncertainty instead of more certain modals such as will or would: ̶may ̶might ̶can ̶could Adobe Systems Define footer – presentation title / department 18 How to express caution ̶probably ➞ probable (adj), probability (n) ̶possibly ➞ possible (adj), ̶possibility (n) ̶seemingly ➞ seem to (v) ̶apparently ➞ appear to be (v) ̶arguably ̶perhaps ̶maybe ̶presumably ̶conceivably Adobe Systems Define footer – presentation title / department 19 How to write objectively Adobe Systems Define footer – presentation title / department 20 Focus on the evidence ̶Another way to use active voice while remaining objective is to focus on the evidence, and make this the subject of the sentence. ̶ For example: ̶The findings show... ̶The data illustrate... ̶The graph displays... ̶The literature indicates... ̶ ̶Use evidence from sources ̶Evidence from sources is a common feature of objective academic writing. This generally uses the third person active. For example: ̶Newbold (2021) shows that... He further demonstrates the relationship between... ̶Greene and Atwood (2013) suggest that... ̶ Adobe Systems Define footer – presentation title / department 21 Use impersonal constructions Adobe Systems Define footer – presentation title / department 22 Personify the writing Adobe Systems A text on a page Description automatically generated https://www.aerogrammestudio.com/2014/08/05/this-sentence-has-five-words/ 23 Using adverbs Adverbs are used in academic writing in a variety of ways. (a) to provide more detail, with verbs and adjectives: Reasonably good data are available for only . . . Economists traditionally argued for import controls. (b) individually, often at the beginning of sentences, to introduce new points or link sentences together: Currently, the Earth’s atmosphere appears to be warming up. Alternatively, the use of non-conventional renewable energies . . . Note: Adverbs used individually need to be employed with care. It is dangerous to overuse them. Adverbs such as ‘fortunately’ or ‘remarkably’ may be unsuitable Using adverbs Adverbs linked to verbs and adjectives usually fall into three groups: (a) time (when?) previously published retrospectively examined (b) degree (how much?) declined considerably contribute substantially (c) manner (in what way?) financially complicated remotely located Time: recently increasingly originally presently currently traditionally continuously Degree: clearly particularly broadly highly wholly crucially emphatically Manner: (un)surprisingly factually politically locally alternatively similarly psychologically (a) particularly (b) Originally (c) Alternatively (d) Recently (e) locally (f) Clearly/Crucially