Attention should be paid not only to how you incorporate the work of others, but how you introduce the quotation, paraphrase or summary. Many students, who otherwise have a wide vocabulary, lose all imagination and precision here, thoughtlessly repeating 'points out' and 'argues'.

To contrast the two favourites:

'Points out' automatically means that the statement is true, a demonstrable fact that you and everyone one else should accept.

'Argues', in contrast, suggests that an argument is going on and that no agreement on the facts has been established.

Each verb should be selected carefully to convey any or all of the following elements:

1. your attitude towards the quotation you are including
2. the author's attitude towards the subject
3. the academic community's attitude towards the author's views

Here is a list of some of the many verbs that can be used:

It is not simply the verb itself that is important. The tense is also significant. Usually quotations are introduced in the present tense: this suggests that the statement is still important and a living issue. A shift into the past tense indicates that the statement is of historical interest only, that no-one bothers with the idea anymore. For example, you would not write Plato believes the earth is flat, but rather Plato believed the earth was flat. The present perfect can be used to indicate a significant recent development that has changed perceptions significantly. For example:

In addition to tense the use of as is very important. It indicates that you agree completely with the view expressed. Consider how the three elements of verb, tense and as operate in this example,

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