Abstract
The purpose of this study is to examine the use of reporting verbs (RVs) in China-based and Western SSCI indexed English journal articles. Writing samples (N=168) are compared in terms of the frequencies of RVs, selection of high-frequency RVs and the evaluative orientations of RVs. The results suggest that whereas both English academic articles published in China and English academic articles published in English-speaking countries use similar varieties of RVs. Using the resources of appraisal theory, we found that English academic articles published in Chinas use fewer discourse RVs; they tend to use more neutral RVs, providing no overt intersubjective stance on the cited evidence, whereas English academic articles published in English-speaking countries favor more positive RVs to endorse the evidence during the argument. In particular, English academic articles published in China rarely employ negative and critical RVs. Academic writers’ preferences of RVs are not only due to their language proficiency, but also due to their discursive tradition and underlying cultural values. They also have to do with the journals’ coverage of topics and attitude toward academic debates and original thinking. The comparative findings have implications for English academic articles published in China, especially those based in non-English-speaking countries, when they try to use RVs to develop authorial stance in English: that is, to distinguish the semantic stance of RVs and cultivate cross-language and -culture awareness.
About the authors
Min Zhou is a graduate student with a major in English language studies from Jiangnan University, in China. Her research has focused on corpus analysis and translation, especially on stance and engagement in academic discourse.
Zhixiang Sun is Professor of English (translation) at Jiangnan University, in China. His research interests include translation studies and Business English studies. He is a member of the editorial board of the Journal of Literature and Art Studies published by David Publishing House in the United States.
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Glossary of 100 Reporting Structures
| RVs | RVs | RVs | RVs | RVs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. accept | 21. challenge | 41. emphasize | 61. measure | 81. recognize |
| 2. accord with | 22. cite | 42. encourage | 62. misuse | 82. refuse |
| 3. account for | 23. claim | 43. establish | 63. name | 83. reject |
| 4. acknowledge | 24. comment | 44. evaluate | 64. notice | 84. retain |
| 5. address | 25. conceptualize | 45. examine | 65. object | 85. see |
| 6. advocate | 26. condemn | 46. explain | 66. observe | 86. show |
| 7. advance | 27. conduct | 47. explore | 67. obtain | 87. state |
| 8. allude to | 28. confuse | 48. express | 68. oppose | 88. subscribe to |
| 9. analyze | 29. consider | 49. find | 69. overlook | 89. substantiate |
| 10. anticipate | 30. contrast with | 50. focus on | 70. point out | 90. suggest |
| 11. argue | 31. correspond to | 51. generalize | 71. pose | 91. support |
| 12. ascribe | 32. demonstrate | 52. hold | 72. posit | 92. suspect |
| 13. assay | 33. deny | 53. highlight | 73. predict | 93. tackle |
| 14. assess | 34. describe | 54. hypothesize | 74. prefer | 94. term |
| 15. attack | 35. develop | 55. identify | 75. propose | 95. think |
| 16. believe | 36. discover | 56. ignore | 76. prove | 96. underline |
| 17. betray | 37. discuss | 57. improve | 77. quantify | 97. undertake |
| 18. bring out | 38. dismiss | 58. investigate | 78. question | 98. urge |
| 19. calculate | 39. dispute | 59. invoke | 79. quote | 99. view |
| 20. carry out | 40. disregard | 60. look at | 80. reason | 100. write |
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