{"id":376375,"date":"2022-04-25T10:51:36","date_gmt":"2022-04-25T08:51:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.scribbr.nl\/?p=376375"},"modified":"2023-05-31T16:37:06","modified_gmt":"2023-05-31T14:37:06","slug":"signal-phrases","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.scribbr.com\/working-with-sources\/signal-phrases\/","title":{"rendered":"Signal Phrases | Definition, Explanation &#038; Examples"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>A <strong>signal phrase<\/strong> attributes a quote or idea to an outside source. Signal phrases are often used alongside in-text citations to help the reader to distinguish between your work and sources that you are<a href=index-1828.html> quoting<\/a>,<a href=index-1249.html> paraphrasing<\/a>, or<a href=index-3262.html> summarizing<\/a>.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"kb-textbox border-left purple\"><figcaption>Example: Signal phrase<\/figcaption><strong>According to the folklorist and scholar Vladimir Propp,<\/strong> all fictional characters relate to seven basic character types.<\/figure>\n<p><!--more--><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"purpose\">What is the purpose of a signal phrase?<\/h2>\n<p>Signal phrases serve a range of purposes, including:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><a href=index-3697.html>Integrating sources<\/a> smoothly, introducing a quote or idea that is not your own<\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\">Giving credit to outside scholars or studies and <a href=index-1792.html>avoiding plagiarism<\/a><\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\">Establishing the credentials of your sources<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Signal phrases also allow you to position the source in relation to your own<a href=index-3691.html> argument<\/a>. For example, phrases such as \u201chas shown\u201d and \u201chave proven\u201d suggest that you agree, while phrases like \u201chas claimed\u201d or \u201cproposes\u201d are less definitive and may introduce a counterargument.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"how\">How to use signal phrases<\/h2>\n<p>Once you have found a relevant quote or argument that you want to include in your <a href=index-1578.html>academic essay<\/a>, a signal phrase can help you to introduce it.<\/p>\n<p>Signal phrases can be used at the beginning, middle, or end of a sentence. Vary how you use them to create a sense of flow in your writing. Using signal phrases effectively means including:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li aria-level=\"1\">The name of the scholar(s) or study that you want to reference<\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\">An attributive tag such as \u201caccording to\u201d or \u201chas argued\u201d<\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\">The quote or idea you want to include<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>You might also include the title of the source or the credentials of the author to establish their authority on the topic.<\/p>\n<p>When using signal phrases, it is important not to misrepresent the author\u2019s argument. Your word choice will determine how accurately you characterize the author\u2019s position.<\/p>\n<ul class=\"kb-checklist\">\n<li class=\"error\">In his groundbreaking work <em>The Hero with a Thousand Faces<\/em>, Joseph Campbell <span class=\"highlight-red\">concedes<\/span> that all myths are variations of a single, earlier myth.<\/li>\n<li>In his groundbreaking work <em>The Hero with a Thousand Faces<\/em>, Joseph Campbell <span class=\"highlight-green\">argues<\/span> that all myths are variations of a single, earlier myth.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Signal phrases can also be used to contrast different arguments. This can be done using a <a href=index-3399.html>transition word<\/a> such as \u201calthough\u201d or \u201chowever.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure class=\"kb-textbox document\"><figcaption>Example: Signal phrases showing contrasting arguments<\/figcaption><div class=\"doc-wrap\">\n<p>Literary critic Harold Bloom criticizes all theories that \u201cconnect the pleasures of solitary reading to the public good&#8221; (22). <strong>However<\/strong>, feminist and Marxist critics oppose this view and stress the importance of \u2026<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<h2 id=\"examples\">Examples of signal phrases<\/h2>\n<p>Signal phrases have many different functions, implying various different perspectives on the information they frame. Your choice of signal phrases can tell the reader something about the stance of the author you\u2019re citing, and sometimes about your own stance.<\/p>\n<table class=\"kb-table alternate bordered vertical-borders\">\n<caption>Signal phrases and their functions<\/caption>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<th>Function<\/th>\n<th>Example sentence<\/th>\n<th>Signal words and phrases<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>Propositional: <\/strong>The position is arguable rather than definitive, but the author isn\u2019t necessarily responding to an existing debate.<\/td>\n<td>The historian Oswald Spengler (1918) <strong>proposed that<\/strong> all cultures are superorganisms with a predictable lifespan.<\/td>\n<td>assumes, believes, claims, concludes, declares, emphasizes, proposes, suggests<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>Demonstrative: <\/strong>A positive or negative statement is made, which can be verified.<\/td>\n<td>Galileo Galilei <strong>proved that<\/strong> the earth rotates around the sun by examining \u2026<\/td>\n<td>proves, has disproven, confirms, displays, reveals, shows<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>Argumentative: <\/strong>A position is taken for or against something, with the <a href=index-3698.html>implication<\/a> that the debate is ongoing.<\/td>\n<td>Allen Ginsberg <strong>denies the importance of<\/strong> artistic revision \u2026<\/td>\n<td>argues, contends, denies, insists, maintains<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>Supportive: <\/strong>A position is taken in agreement with what came before.<\/td>\n<td>Recent research <strong>has confirmed <\/strong>Einstein\u2019s theory of general relativity by observing light from behind a black hole.<\/td>\n<td>agrees, confirms, endorses, reinforces, promotes, supports<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>Conciliatory: <\/strong>The author acknowledges the validity of an idea or argument, but with the implication that their other ideas may be quite different.<\/td>\n<td>While Foucault (1980) <strong>concedes that<\/strong> individual power can only be exercised in a field of limited possibilities, he goes on to say that \u2026<\/td>\n<td>acknowledges, admits, concedes, grants<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>Neutral: <\/strong>You present the author\u2019s position neutrally, without any special emphasis.<\/td>\n<td><strong>According to<\/strong> recent research, food services are responsible for one third of anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions.<\/td>\n<td>according to, analyzes, asks, describes, discusses, explains, in the words of, notes, observes, points out, reports, writes<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<h2 id=\"styles\">Signal phrases and citation styles<\/h2>\n<p>Signal phrases can vary in tense depending on the <a href=index-1052.html>citation style<\/a> being used.<\/p>\n<p>Some signal phrases like \u201caccording to\u201d and \u201cin the words of\u201d will remain the same regardless of citation style, but signal phrases that contain a <a href=index-3523.html>verb<\/a> need to adhere to the chosen style. This means using the correct <a href=index-3386.html>verb tense<\/a> with your signal phrases.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><a href=index-1778.html>APA Style<\/a> requires you to use the past tense or <a href=index-3699.html>present perfect tense<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><a href=index-1779.html>MLA<\/a> and <a href=index-1780.html>Chicago<\/a> require you to use the present tense.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div class=\"scribbrTabs\" style=\"border: none;\">\n<ul class=\"scribbrTabs-menu\" style=\"text-align: center; border-radius: 10px; background-color: #202f66; font-size: 0.9em;\">\n<li class=\"current\"><a href=index.html#\"><span class=\"text-color-white\">Signal phrases in APA<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=index.html#\"><span class=\"text-color-white\">Signal phrases in MLA<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div class=\"scribbrTabs-tabs\">\n<div class=\"scribbrTabs-content\">\n<figure class=\"kb-textbox border-left red\"><figcaption>Example: Incorrect signal phrase in APA Style<\/figcaption>As LaJeunesse <span class=\"highlight-red\">demonstrates<\/span>, \u201cthe increased social productivity that results from reduced work times can create long-term improvements in the standard of living\u201d (1999, pp. 93\u201394).<\/figure>\n<figure class=\"kb-textbox border-left green\"><figcaption>Example: Correct signal phrase in APA Style<\/figcaption>As LaJeunesse <span class=\"highlight-green\">has demonstrated<\/span>, \u201cthe increased social productivity that results from reduced work times can create long-term improvements in the standard of living\u201d (1999, pp. 93\u201394).<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"scribbrTabs-content\">\n<figure class=\"kb-textbox border-left red\"><figcaption>Example: Incorrect signal phrase in MLA style<\/figcaption>T. S. Eliot <span class=\"highlight-red\">argued<\/span> that the seventeenth-century Metaphysical poets are of greater significance than the Romantic poets of the nineteenth century.<\/figure>\n<figure class=\"kb-textbox border-left green\"><figcaption>Example: Correct signal phrase in MLA style<\/figcaption>T. S. Eliot <span class=\"highlight-green\">argues<\/span> that the seventeenth-century Metaphysical poets are of greater significance than the Romantic poets of the nineteenth century.<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h2 id=\"other\">Other interesting articles<\/h2>\n<p>If you want to know more about ChatGPT, <a href=index-3668.html>AI tools<\/a>, <a href=index-1775.html>citation<\/a>, and <a href=index-1154.html>plagiarism<\/a>, make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples.<\/p>\n<div class=\"container\">\n<div class=\"row\">\n<div class=\"col-md\" style=\"background-color: #e8f2fc; padding: 1.27rem 1.56rem; line-height: 1.8; border-radius: .5rem; margin-right: 0.5rem; margin-top: 0.5rem;\">\n<p><strong><em class=\"fa fa-user-circle\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/em>ChatGPT<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul style=\"padding: 5px;\">\n<li><a href=index-3669.html>ChatGPT vs human editor<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=index-3670.html>ChatGPT citations<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=index-3671.html>Is ChatGPT trustworthy?<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=index-3672.html>Using ChatGPT for your studies<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=index-3673.html>What is ChatGPT?<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"col-md\" style=\"background-color: #e8f2fc; padding: 1.27rem 1.56rem; line-height: 1.8; border-radius: .5rem; margin-right: 0.5rem; margin-top: 0.5rem;\">\n<p><strong><em class=\"fa fa-book\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/em> Citation<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul style=\"padding: 5px;\">\n<li><a href=index-1778.html>APA Style<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=index-1779.html>MLA style<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=index-1775.html>Chicago style<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=index-3329.html>IEEE style<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=index-3330.html>AMA style<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=index-1249.html>Paraphrasing<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=index-1828.html>Quoting<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"col-md\" style=\"background-color: #e8f2fc; padding: 1.27rem 1.56rem; line-height: 1.8; border-radius: .5rem; margin-right: 0.5rem; margin-top: 0.5rem;\">\n<p><strong><em class=\"fa fa-globe\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/em>\u00a0Plagiarism<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul style=\"padding: 5px;\">\n<li><a href=index-1837.html>Types of plagiarism<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=index-1838.html>Self-plagiarism<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=index-1792.html>Avoiding plagiarism<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=index-1840.html>Academic integrity<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=index-1839.html>Consequences of plagiarism<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=index-1832.html>Common knowledge<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n    <h2>Frequently asked questions about signal phrases<\/h2>\n<dl class=\"faq-list faq-list--arrows w-100 my-5\" itemscope itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/FAQPage\">\n            <div itemscope itemprop=\"mainEntity\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/Question\">\n            <dt id=\"what-is-a-signal-phrase\" class=\"faq-list__title\">\n                <a href=index-3700.html class=\"faq-list__link qa-faq-anchor\">\n                    <span itemprop=\"name\">\n                        What is a signal phrase?\n                    <\/span>\n                <\/a>\n            <\/dt>\n            <dd id=\"what-is-a-signal-phrase-answer\" class=\"faq-list__answer qa-faq-answer kb-article-styles\" itemscope itemprop=\"acceptedAnswer\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/Answer\">\n                <div itemprop=\"text\">\n                                        <p>A <a href=index-3701.html>signal phrase<\/a> is a group of words that ascribes a quote or idea to an outside source.<\/p>\n<p>Signal phrases distinguish the cited idea or argument from your own writing and introduce important information including the source of the material that you are <a href=index-1828.html>quoting<\/a>,<a href=index-1249.html> paraphrasing<\/a>, or<a href=index-3262.html> summarizing<\/a>. For example:<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;<strong>Cognitive psychologist Steven Pinker (1994) insists that <\/strong>humans possess an innate faculty for comprehending grammar.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n                <\/div>\n            <\/dd>\n        <\/div>\n            <div itemscope itemprop=\"mainEntity\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/Question\">\n            <dt id=\"how-do-i-use-signal-phrases\" class=\"faq-list__title\">\n                <a href=index-3702.html class=\"faq-list__link qa-faq-anchor\">\n                    <span itemprop=\"name\">\n                        How do I use signal phrases?\n                    <\/span>\n                <\/a>\n            <\/dt>\n            <dd id=\"how-do-i-use-signal-phrases-answer\" class=\"faq-list__answer qa-faq-answer kb-article-styles\" itemscope itemprop=\"acceptedAnswer\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/Answer\">\n                <div itemprop=\"text\">\n                                        <p><a href=index-3701.html>Signal phrases<\/a> can be used in various ways and can be placed at the beginning, middle, or end of a sentence.<\/p>\n<p>To use signal phrases effectively, include:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li aria-level=\"1\">The name of the scholar(s) or study you\u2019re referencing<\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\">An attributive tag such as \u201caccording to\u201d or \u201cargues that\u201d<\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\">The quote or idea you want to include<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Different citation styles require you to use specific <a href=index-3386.html>verb tenses<\/a> when using signal phrases.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><a href=index-1778.html>APA Style<\/a> requires you to use the past or present perfect tense when using signal phrases.<\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><a href=index-1779.html>MLA<\/a> and <a href=index-1780.html>Chicago<\/a> requires you to use the present tense when using signal phrases.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n                <\/div>\n            <\/dd>\n        <\/div>\n            <div itemscope itemprop=\"mainEntity\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/Question\">\n            <dt id=\"why-use-signal-phrases\" class=\"faq-list__title\">\n                <a href=index-3703.html class=\"faq-list__link qa-faq-anchor\">\n                    <span itemprop=\"name\">\n                        Why do I need to use signal phrases?\n                    <\/span>\n                <\/a>\n            <\/dt>\n            <dd id=\"why-use-signal-phrases-answer\" class=\"faq-list__answer qa-faq-answer kb-article-styles\" itemscope itemprop=\"acceptedAnswer\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/Answer\">\n                <div itemprop=\"text\">\n                                        <p><a href=index-3701.html>Signal phrases<\/a> allow you to give credit for an idea or quote to its author or originator. This helps you to:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li aria-level=\"1\">Establish the credentials of your sources<\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\">Display your depth of reading and understanding of the field<\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\">Position your own work in relation to other scholars<\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><a href=index-1792.html>Avoid <span>plagiarism<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n                <\/div>\n            <\/dd>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/dl>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A signal phrase attributes a quote or idea to an outside source. Signal phrases are often used alongside in-text citations to help the reader to distinguish between your work and sources that you are quoting, paraphrasing, or summarizing. Example: Signal phraseAccording to the folklorist and scholar Vladimir Propp, all fictional characters relate to seven basic [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":152,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_relevanssi_hide_post":"","_relevanssi_hide_content":"","_relevanssi_pin_for_all":"","_relevanssi_pin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_unpin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_include_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_exclude_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_no_append":"","_relevanssi_related_not_related":"","_relevanssi_related_posts":"","_relevanssi_noindex_reason":""},"categories":[50208],"tags":[],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<title>Signal Phrases | Definition, Explanation &amp; Examples<\/title>\n
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