Home › C2 › Grammar › Advanced reporting and stance verbs
Advanced reporting and stance verbs
C2 C2 grammar · lesson 4 of 12
Reporting verbs do more than repeat words: they show how the writer views the claim. Choosing between ‘says’, ‘claims’, ‘concedes’ or ‘alleges’ signals agreement, doubt or neutrality.
Verbs that carry an attitude
You already know reported speech and verbs such as suggest, deny, admit. At C2 the choice of reporting verb becomes a tool for expressing stance – your view of the source and its claim.
| Stance | Verbs | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Neutral | state, note, report, observe, point out | The writer simply passes on the idea. |
| Writer agrees | show, demonstrate, establish, acknowledge | The claim is presented as true. |
| Writer doubts | claim, allege, assert, purport, maintain | The claim may not be true. |
| Reluctant agreement | concede, admit, grant, accept | The source agrees, perhaps unwillingly. |
| Rejection | dismiss, refute, reject, dispute | The source (or writer) rejects an idea. |
Patterns to get right
Each verb has its own grammar. Some take a that-clause, some an object, some a gerund, and some an object + infinitive.
The author concedes that the sample was small.
Critics dismissed the plan as unrealistic.
The company purports to be carbon neutral.
Several witnesses alleged that the guard had been asleep.
Tom was accused of leaking the report, which he flatly denied.
The study demonstrates that sleep affects memory.
Mia attributed her success to careful planning.
The minister is alleged to have accepted gifts from suppliers.
Impersonal reporting
For distance, use the passive: It is alleged that… or He is alleged to have…. Use a perfect infinitive when the reported event happened before the reporting.
Common mistakes
✗ She explained me the problem.
✓ She explained the problem to me.
✗ The critics dismissed the plan to be unrealistic.
✓ The critics dismissed the plan as unrealistic.
✗ He denied to take the money.
✓ He denied taking the money.
✗ The report claims that the results prove it, so they are true.
✓ The report shows that… (if you accept it) / The report claims that…, but… (if you doubt it)
Adverbs that sharpen the verb
Reporting verbs are often combined with adverbs that add more attitude: she rightly points out…, he wrongly assumes…, the author convincingly argues…, they repeatedly denied…. These adverbs make your judgement explicit, so use them only when you can support it.
When you summarise sources in essays or reports, vary your reporting verbs deliberately: each choice tells the reader how much weight to give the idea.