A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF REPORTING VERBS IN NON-NATIVE MA THESES AND INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL ARTICLES
Main Article Content
Abstract
Using reporting verbs effectively in academic writing is an essential academic skill and a prominent learning activity to present previous research outcomes. But it seems to have been a problem for non-native graduate students for many years. Non-native learners often use reporting verbs inappropriately. To raise graduate students’ awareness of using reporting verbs, this study compares the frequency, types, and tenses of reporting verbs in the literature review section of 25 MA theses written in English by Chinese graduate students, and 45 articles from 5 prestigious international journals in the field of linguistics. The findings demonstrate the similarities and differences in the use of reporting verbs by Chinese graduate students majoring in English and international experts in the field of linguistics. The two groups of writers use discourse, research, and cognition reporting verbs in a descending order of frequency. Chinese graduate students use a larger number but fewer types of reporting verbs. Experienced researchers demonstrate greater proficiency in using reporting verbs than graduate students who are considered novice researchers. The comparison also reveals that the two groups of writers show a similar tendency in using verb tenses to report information, namely, using simple present tense and past tense frequently, and using the present perfect tense infrequently. Via the analysis, suggestions for novices and pedagogical implications are provided.
Article Details
Keywords
MA thesis, international journals, reporting verbs, contrastive study, linguistic
References
Chen, W., Lam, P., & Yung, A. (2022). Cross-disciplinary perspectives on research article introductions: The case of reporting verbs. East Asian Pragmatics, 7(1), 1-21. https://doi.org/10.1558/eap.18787
Duong, M. T., & Tran, P. N. (2021). A corpus-based study on reporting verbs used in TESOL research articles by native and non-native writers. VNU Journal of Foreign Studies, 37(3), 135-148. https://doi.org/10.25073/2525-2445/vnufs.4729
Eckstein, G., Rawlins, J., Taylor, H., Briggs, H., Candland, A., Hanks, E., & Hill, S. (2022). Reporting verb variation across disciplines: An academic corpus study. Journal of Academic Language and Learning, 16(1), 59-75.
Hu, Z. Q., & Jiang, Y. C. (2007). A contrastive study on reporting verbs in English M.A. theses. Studies in Language and Linguistics, 3, 123-126.
Hyland, K. (2000). Disciplinary discourses: Social interactions in academic writing. Longman.
Hyland, K. (2002). Activity and evaluation: Reporting practices in academic writing. In J. Flowerdew (Ed.), Academic discourse (pp. 115-130). Longman.
Jalilifar, A., & Dabbi, R. (2012). Citation in applied linguistics: Analysis of introduction sections of Iranian master’s theses. Linguistik Online, 57(7), 91-104. https://doi.org/10.13092/lo.57.252
Jaroongkhongdach, W. (2015). Idea sharing: Reporting verbs in research writing: Lessons from experts. PASAA, 50, 143-154.
Kwon, M. H., Staples, S., & Partridge, R. S. (2018). Source work in the first-year L2 writing classroom: Undergraduate L2 writers’ use of reporting verbs. Journal of English for Academic Purposes, 34, 86-96. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jeap.2018.04.001
Liardét, C. L., & Black, S. (2019). “So and so” says, states and argues: A corpus-assisted engagement analysis of reporting verbs. Journal of Second Language Writing, 44, 37–50. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jslw.2019.02.001
Liu, Y. H., & Si, X. Z. (2022). A contrastive study of academic evaluation ability of Chinese and English scholars: The case of English reporting verbs in international publications. Foreign Language in China, 19(2), 69-77.
Lombardi, A. (2021). More is more: Explicit intertextuality in university writing placement exam essays. Journal of English for Academic Purposes, 50, 1-12. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jeap.2020.100955
Lou, B. C. (2011). Reporting verbs in English MA theses of learners. Journal of PLA University of Foreign Languages, 34(5), 64-68.
Lou, B. C. (2013). Reporting verbs and stance expression in British and Chinese undergraduates’ essays. Shandong Foreign Language Teaching, 34(2), 50-55.
Manan, N. A., & Noor, M. N. (2014). Analysis of reporting verbs in master’s theses. Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences, 134, 140–145. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2014.04.232
Manoochehr, J., & Amirali, M. (2015). Reporting verbs in applied linguistics research articles by native and non-native writers. Theory and Practice in Language Studies, 12(5), 2490-2496. http://dx.doi.org/10.17507/tpls.0512.08
Marti, L., Yilmaz, S., & Bayyurt, Y. (2019). Reporting research in applied linguistics: The role of nativeness and expertise. Journal of English for Academic Purposes, 40, 98-114. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jeap.2019.05.005
Maryam, B. (2021). Reporting verbs in the humanities and medical sciences research articles. Language Teaching Research Quarterly, 22, 17-32. https://doi.org/10.32038/ltrq.2021.22.02
Park, H. (2021). The use of reporting verbs by native and non-native English writers in applied linguistics and engineering. Studies in British and American Language and Literature, 141, 277-301.
Swales, J. M. (1990). Genre analysis: English in academic and research settings. Cambridge University Press.
Tang, Y. Q. (2004). Reporting in academic texts. Foreign Languages and Their Teaching, 2, 3-6.
Thomas, S., & Hawes, T. P. (1994). Reporting verbs in medical journal articles. English for Specific Purposes, 13(2), 129-148. https://doi.org/10.1016/0889-4906(94)90012-4
Thompson, G., & Ye, Y. (1991). Evaluation in the reporting verbs used in academic papers. Applied Linguistics, 12(4), 365-382. https://doi.org/10.1093/applin/12.4.365
Un-udom. S., & Un-udom. N. (2020). A corpus-based study on the use of reporting verbs in applied linguistics articles. English Language Teaching, 13(4), 162-169. https://doi.org/10.5539/elt.v13n4p162
Weissberg, R., & Buker, S. (1990). Writing up research: Experimental research report writing for students of English. Prentice Hall.
Yeganeh, M. T., & Boghayeri, M. (2015). The frequency and function of reporting verbs in research articles written by native Persian and English speakers. Procedia – Social and Behavioral Sciences, 192, 582–586. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2015.06.097
Yongkook, W. (2021). Differential use of reporting verbs in academic papers and personal blogs. English Language & Literature Teaching, 27(3), 89-107.