USING REPORTING VERBS AMONG DISCIPLINE-SPECIFIC ACADEMIC ESSAYS: APPLIED LINGUISTICS FOCUS

Abstract

This study investigates the use of reporting verbs in discipline-specific academic essays across four disciplines. Reporting verbs play a critical role
in academic writing, facilitating the attribution of ideas, the construction of arguments, and the reflection of disciplinary conventions. Using a mixedmethods approach, this research combines quantitative corpus analysis with qualitative discourse analysis to examine the frequency, functions, and evaluative stance conveyed by reporting verbs in 50 student essays. The
essays, sourced from 3,000 undergraduate students’ texts, revealed that reporting verb usage varies significantly across disciplines: discourse acts dominate in Law and Public Relations, while research acts are prevalent in Marketing and Management, reflecting differing disciplinary conventions for engaging with source material. Moreover, the analysis found that neutral
reporting verbs, such as state and report, are overused across disciplines, limiting critical engagement, while critical verbs, such as challenge and dispute, are underutilized, especially outside of Law. Additionally, the
study highlights challenges students face in aligning their verb choices with disciplinary norms, suggesting a need for explicit instruction on
reporting verbs in academic writing. This research contributes to a deeper understanding of how reporting verbs are used in the disciplinary but
academic domain and provides pedagogical insights for improving students’
academic writing skills.