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Many verbs that refer to what someone else has written are immediately followed by noun clauses (clauses beginning with that). Some of the most common of these verbs are:
admit agree argue assume believe claim conclude consider decide deny determine discover doubt explain hypothesize imply indicate infer maintain prove presume reveal show state
- Smith argues that the data have been misinterpreted.
- Researchers have claimed that the procedure is harmful.
- Positivists find that social disorders are exacerbated by class issues.
- We can infer that both states are essential.
However, not all reporting verbs are followed by noun clauses. Some verbs require different grammatical structures:
1. Verb + (somebody/something) + for + Noun/Gerund
blame censure commend condemn criticize decry
- She criticized the researcher for his use of incomplete data.
- He blamed the lack of funding for his failure to meet the deadline.
- They commended the student for working so hard.
2. Verb + something/somebody + as + Noun/Gerund
appraise assess characterize class classify define depict describe evaluate interpret portray present view
- He interpreted the findings as a defeat for his hypothesis.
- She identified the remains as belonging to an elderly man.
- Singh presents this hypothesis as the most likely of the three.
- The author interprets the data as evidence for her hypothesis.
Written by Martine Johnson.
Copyright 2001. All rights reserved.
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