VERBS OF REFERENCE

Presenting a caseDescribing a reaction to another writer’s position

Other verbs of reference

Presenting a caseDescribing a reaction to another writer’s position

Other verbs of reference

argueclaimconsiderhypothesisesuggestbelievethinkstate

acceptadmitagreedenydoubt

assumeconcludediscoverexplainimplyindicatemaintainpresumerevealshow

Practice 1

Complete the sentences on your handout so that they reflect what the following writers say /said.

Ashcroft: “You could be right. I may have made a mistake in my estimate.”

Bradley: “I did not say that sheep were faster than horses.”

Cowdrill: “Whales are very intelligent animals.”

De Freitas: “I support Ashcroft’s position on cats and dogs.”

Evans: “I’m not sure, but cows probably get cold in winter.”

Fortune: “After much research, I’ve found that pigs can’t fly.”

Garner: “On my travels in the jungle I found a new type of frog.”

Harbey: “I think it unlikely that cats can learn to talk.”

Iacono: “Somebody should compare mouse behaviour with rat behaviour”

J: “There may be a link between health and the seasons”.

Key

Ashcroft admitted* that he might have made a mistake in his estimate. (*or accepted / agreed)

Bradley denied saying that sheep were faster than horses.

Cowdrill stated that whales were very intelligent animals.

De Freitas agreed with Ashcroft’s position on cats and dogs.

Evans assumed that cows could get cold in winter.

Fortune concluded that pigs could not fly.

Garner discovered a new type of frog in the jungle.

Harbey doubted that cats could learn to talk.

Iacono suggested that mouse behaviour should be compared with rat behaviour.

Johnson hypothesised that there might be a link between health and the seasons.

What do the following verbs have in common?

•blame, censure, commend, condemn, criticise

What do the following verbs have in common?

•blame, censure, commend, condemn, criticise

They are followed by somebody/something + for + noun / gerund.

e.g. Lee (1998) blames foreign investors for the panic.

What pattern follows this group of verbs?

• assess, characterise, classify, define, describe, evaluate, identify, interpret, portray, present

What pattern follows this group of verbs?

• assess, characterise, classify, define, describe, evaluate, identify, interpret, portray, present

Verb + somebody/something + as + noun / gerund

e.g. Terry interprets rising oil prices as a result of Asian recovery.

Practice 2

Rewrite the following statements using one of the two sets of verbs listed above.

e.g. King: “Bradley’s work is responsible for many of our current economic problems”King blamed Bradley’s work for many of our current economic problems.

Lillwall: “She was very careless about her research methods”

Mellon: “There are three main species of bees”

Naylor: “The cat family are the kings of the animal world”

O'Reilly: “I’m sure that dogs bark because they are nervous”

Palmer: “Trying to estimate the number of animal species is like shooting in the

dark”

Quinn: “Darwin was the greatest naturalist of the nineteenth century”

Roberts: “An insect is a six-legged arthropod.”

Smith: “Queen Victoria was a short, rather fat woman with dark eyes”

Taylor: “Gregor Mendel can be considered the founder of modern genetics”

Practice 2 : Prompts

Lillwall criticised…

Mellon classified…

Naylor characterised…

O'Reilly interpreted…

Palmer described…

Quinn evaluated…

Roberts defined…

Smith portrays…

Taylor identifies Gregor Mendel…

Practice 2 : Key

Lillwall criticised her for being careless about her research methods / for the carelessness of her research methods.

Mellon classified bees into three main species.

Naylor characterised the cat family as “the kings of the animal world”.

O'Reilly interpretted dogs’ barking as nervousness.

Palmer described trying to estimate the number of animal species as being like

“shooting in the dark”.

Quinn evaluated Darwin as “the greatest naturalist of the nineteenth century.”

Roberts defined an insect as a “six-legged arthropod.”

Smith portrayed Queen Victoria as “a short, rather fat woman with dark eyes.”

Taylor identified Gregor Mendel as “the founder of modern genetics.”