1 Understanding main verbs
Study the following sentence and underline the main verbs:
The author concludes that no reasonable alternative is currently available to
replace constitutional democracy, even though he does not completely reject the
possibility of creating a better political system in the future.
To follow the writer’s meaning, the reader needs to be clear that ‘conclude’ and
‘reject’ are the main verbs in the two parts of the sentence.
Academic writing tends to use rather formal verbs to express the writer’s
meaning accurately:
In the last decade the pace of change accelerated.
Could Darwin have envisaged the controversy his work would cause?
In spoken English we are more likely to use ‘speed up’ and ‘imagined’.
Study the following list and find a synonym in each case.
(Some of these verbs (e.g. ‘hold’) are used in academic writing with a special
meaning).
Verb
Example of use Synonym
to adapt the health system has been adapted from modified
France
to arise a similar situation arises when we look at
younger children
to conduct the largest study was conducted in Finland
to characterise developing countries are characterised by … .
to clarify the project was designed to clarify these
contradictions
to concentrate that study concentrated on older children
on
to be concerned the programme is concerned primarily with …
with
to demonstrate further research has demonstrated that few
factors …
to determine the water content was experimentally
determined
to discriminate a failure to discriminate between the two
species
to establish the northern boundary was established first
to exhibit half of the patients exhibited signs of
improvement
to focus on her work focused on female managers
to generate a question which has generated a range of
responses
to hold Newton’s Second Law, F=ma, holds everywhere
to identify three main areas have been identified
to imply his absence implies a lack of interest
to interact understand how the two systems interact
to interpret the result can be interpreted as a limited
to interpret the result can be interpreted as a limited
success
to manifest as manifested in antisocial behaviour
to overcome both difficulties were overcome in the first
week
to propose they propose that social class is the main factor
to prove the use of solar power is proving successful
to recognise he is now recognised as a leading expert
to relate to the pattern was related to both social and
physical factors
to supplement the diet was supplemented with calcium and
iodine
to undergo the system underwent major changes in the
1980s
to yield both surveys yielded mixed results
2 Using verbs of reference
Referring verbs are used to summarise another writer’s ideas:
Previn argued that global warming was mainly caused by the solar cycle.
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’.
a) The following mean that the writer is presenting a case:
argue claim consider hypothesise suggest believe
think state
Melville (2007) suggested that eating raw eggs could be harmful.
b) A second group describe a reaction to a previously stated position:
accept admit agree with deny doubt
Handlesmith doubts Melville’s suggestion that eating raw eggs could be
harmful.
c) Others include:
assume conclude discover explain imply maintain
presume reveal show
Patel (2013) assumes that inflation will remain low.
3 Practice A
Write a sentence referring to what the following writers said (more than
one verb may be suitable). Make sure you use the past tense.
Example:
Z: ‘My research shows that biofuels are environmentally neutral’.
Z claimed/argued that biofuels were environmentally neutral.
a) A: ‘I may have made a mistake in my calculations on energy loss’.
b) B: ‘I did not say that women make better doctors than men’.
c) C: ‘Small firms are more dynamic than large ones’.
d) D: ‘I support C’s views on small firms’.
e) E: ‘I’m not sure, but most people probably work to earn money’.
f) F: ‘After much research, I’ve found that allergies are becoming more
common’.
g) G: ‘I think it unlikely that electric cars will replace conventional ones’.
h) H: ‘There may be a link between crime and sunspot activity’.
4 Further verbs of reference
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.
NB: All except ‘commend’ have a negative meaning.
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.
See Unit 1.8.3 References and Quotations – Reference verbs
5 Practice B
Example:
K: ‘Guttman’s work is responsible for many of the current social problems’.
K blamed Guttman’s work for many of the current social problems.
a) L: ‘She was very careless about her research methods’.
b) M: ‘There are four main types of children in care’.
c) N: ‘That company has an excellent record for workplace safety’.
d) O: ‘The noises whales make must be expressions of happiness’.
e) P: ‘Wind power and biomass will be the leading green energy sources of the
future’.
f) Q: ‘Darwin was the most influential naturalist of the nineteenth century’.
6 Using adverbs
In the following sentence, adverbs are used to give information about time
(currently) and degree (completely).
The author concludes that no reasonable alternative is currently available to replace constitutional
democracy, even though he does not completely reject the possibility of creating a better political system
in the future.
1 Adverbs are used in academic writing in a variety of ways. Among the most
important are:
a) to provide more detail, with verbs and adjectives:
Reasonably good data are available for only the first two years.
Decomposition eventually ceases in modern landfills.
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 is
worth exploring.
NB: Adverbs used individually need to be employed with care. It is
dangerous to overuse them, since they can be like the author
commenting on the topic. As an academic writer aims to be objective,
adverbs such as ‘fortunately’ or ‘remarkably’ may be unsuitable.
2 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?)
1. medically complicated
2. remotely located
Further common examples include:
Time Degree Manner
recently clearly (un)surprisingly factually
increasingly originally particularly broadly politically locally
presently highly alternatively similarly
currently wholly psychologically
traditionally continuously crucially
emphatically
See Unit 3.4.4 Passive and Active – adverbs with passives
