Carol Garza Flores

Verbs of Attribution: Going Beyond So-and-so says

From the Undergraduate Writing Center, The University of Texas at Austin Verbs of attribution, also known as lead-in verbs, signal that the writer is uoting, !ara!hrasing, or referring to another sour"e# $%ays& is the most "ommon'and boring if overused'verb of attribution# The following verbs indi"ate you are "iting someone else(s o!inions, or information you found elsewhere# )ften these verbs show whether or not the writer or the sour"e author agrees with the "ited material# While some verbs of attribution are relatively ob*e"tive, others "arry more emotional weight and should be used with "are# +ore ob*e"tive, illustrates, indi"ates, mentions, addresses, states, suggests, "ites, writes, re!ortsUse with "are, ex"laims, insinuates, retorts, mumbles, whinesGeneral list of attributive verbs: a""e!ts a""ounts for a"knowledges addresses adds admits advises affirms agrees alleges allows analy.es answers argues asks asserts assumes believes "ategori.es "hallenges "harges "ites "laims "omments "om!ares "om!lains "on"edes "on"ludes "on"urs "onfesses "onfirms "onsiders "ontends "ontents "riti"i.es deals with de"ides de"lares defines denies des"ribes disagrees dis"usses dis!utes em!hasi.es em!hasi.es endorses ex"laims ex!lains ex!resses finds grants hy!othesi.es illustrates im!lies indi"ates insinuates insists inter!rets introdu"es lists maintains mentions mumbles notes ob*e"ts observes offers o!!oses !oints out !ro!oses uestions reali.es reasons refutes re*e"ts remarks re!lies re!orts res!onds reveals sees shows s!e"ulates states suggests su!!orts su!!oses thinks uses utili.es verifies whines writes

Carol Garza Flores

/e attentive to ea"h verb(s im!lied meanings# /e "areful not to mislead the reader with ina!!ro!riate verbs of attribution# For exam!le, here is a uotation from bell hooks 01loria Watkins !ublishes as bell hooks, and she !ur!osefully does not "a!itali.e her name2, Feminism is essentially a white, middle-"lass endeavor# -bell hooks, 3earning Which of these attributive verbs are or are not appropriate for the above uote! 4 admits 5 indicates resistant acceptance; will likely be qualified with a rebuttal. bell hooks admits that $feminism is essentially a white, middle-"lass endeavor#& 4 asserts 5 the writer is presenting the statement as bell hooks opinion rather than a fact. bell hooks asserts that $feminism is essentially a white, middle-"lass endeavor#& 4 insinuates 5 indicates that the source author is indirectly suggesting a negative evaluation. bell hooks insinuates that $feminism is essentially a white, middle-"lass endeavor#& 4 believes 5 the quotation is a belief, not a statement of fact. The writer has the opportunity to agree or disagree in the following sentences. bell hooks believes that $feminism is essentially a white, middle-"lass endeavor#& 4 verifies 5 the writer is using the source authors statement to support his own claim, and thereby implying that the source author is an authoritative source. Be sure to use verifiable facts rather than opinions with this verb. Notice that this verb does not appropriately introduce bell hooks opinion. bell hooks verifies that $feminism is essentially a white, middle-"lass endeavor#& 4 "onfesses 5 the writer is implying that the source author accepts responsibility or admits guilt. bell hooks "onfesses that $feminism is essentially a white, middle-"lass endeavor# 6f in doubt, use a di"tionary to "he"k the im!lied meanings of any attributive verb you use# /e aware of that some verbs re uire s!e"ial senten"e stru"ture7 not all verbs are dire"tly inter"hangeable with $says#& For exam!le, the verb $a""ounts for& must be followed by a noun# Also remember that verbs of attribution are used to not only dire"tly uote a sour"e, but also to !ara!hrase, bell hooks a""ounts for "lass and ra"e within a feminist !aradigm#

Carol Garza Flores

"sing and #ra$ing %irect &uotations From the Undergraduate Writing Center, The University of Texas at Austin When used !ro!erly, uotations "an add authority, !ersuasion, and strength to your argument# 8owever, uotations should only su!!lement your argument# 9on(t make an argument of only uotations : then it(s not your argument# 1etting the hang of using uotations "orre"tly "an be tri"ky# The guidelines below will hel! you# ;emember that all uotes must be !ro!erly "ited# "sage <uote a !erson who, 's an authority in a field related to your issue( For exam!le, if you were writing a !a!er about =ane Austen, you "ould uote another well-res!e"ted author# >xam!le, $=ane Austen is the !inna"le to whi"h all other authors as!ire,& a""ording to international bestselling author =#?# ;owling# 's in a position that )ould strengthen your argu$ent( For exam!le, if you were examining how the !eo!le in @ew )rleans felt when 8urri"ane ?atrina hit, any !erson who was there would be a "redible sour"e# >xam!le, @ew )rleans resident 6hsan +ahdi said, $@ow 6 have a taste of what !eo!le in war ravaged "ountries go through#& "ses vivid or $e$orable language that )ould lose po)er if paraphrased( >xam!le, $3esterday, 9e"ember A, BCDB : a day whi"h will live in infamy : the United %tates was suddenly and deliberately atta"ked by naval and air for"es of the em!ire of =a!an#& : Franklin 9elano ;oosevelt(s s!ee"h after the Eearl 8arbor atta"k *as a uni ue idea or point of vie)( >xam!le, ?arl +arx famously wrote, $;eligion is the o!iate of the masses#& Avoid direct uotes if the language or idea is $undane or ordinary( Chu"k @orris said, $+y name is Chu"k @orris#& $The Ameri"an ;evolution began in BAAF#& $There are DGH members of the 8ouse of ;e!resentatives and BII members of the %enate#& #ra$ing Framing is a fan"y name for fitting uotations into your writing# 6t is almost always a good idea to frame your uotes and !rovide analysis# The most straightforward method of framing uotes is to use s!eaker tags 0also "alled attributive tags or lead-in verbs2 at the beginning, middle, or end of a uote# As the name im!lies, these tags tell your reader about the s!eaker# As a"tress +ae West ui!s, $Too mu"h of a good thing is wonderful#& Another o!tion is to embed the uote into the senten"e, ;oald 9ahl believes that $a little nonsense now and then is relished by the wisest men#&

Carol Garza Flores

/lo"k uotes are uotations of more than four lines# They should be used rarely and only when omitting !art of the uote would hurt its !ower# 6n +JA style, blo"k uotes should be double-s!a"ed and indented one in"h on the left 0BI s!a"es2# %enten"es !re"eding a blo"k uote should introdu"e the s!eaker and "ontext# The senten"e immediately !re"eding a blo"k uote is !un"tuated with a "olon or !eriod# 0%ee the +JA 9o"umentation Format handout or a handbook for "itation details#2 +hetorical uses of fra$ing uotes: Framing "an do mu"h more than !rovide sim!le attribution# The way you frame uotes "an also indi"ate your stan"e on the issue at hand, and how the uote "ontributes to the overall argument of your !a!er# The exam!les below show very different ways of framing 1loria %teinem(s observation, $6 have yet to hear a man ask for advi"e on how to "ombine marriage and a "areer#& As legendary feminist 1loria %teinem said, $6 have yet to hear a man ask for advi"e on how to "ombine marriage and a "areer#& 1loria %teinem(s o!inion may have held sway in the BCFIs, but it does not a!!ly today, $6 have yet to hear a man ask for advi"e on how to "ombine marriage and a "areer#& Analysis: @ever use a uote without analy.ing it# To analy.e, ex!lain how the uote fits into your argument# ,itations: All dire"t uotations must be !ro!erly "ited in standard a"ademi" writing# Elease "onsult your instru"tor or relevant books or websites if you have uestions about how to "ite your uotes#

http !!pro"ects.uwc.ute#as.edu!handouts!$q%node!&' http !!www.ute#as.edu!tip!T()*+,!ct-links!verbs-attrition.pdf