Purdue University North Central Writing Center Handout

Active Verbs for Discussing Ideas*

informs

protects

cautions

confronts

reviews

insists

shares

regards

states

handles

convinces

toys with

argues

confuses

declares

hypothesizes

synthesizes

intimates

ratifies

suggests

asserts

simplifies

analyzes

contradicts

claims

narrates

affirms

considers

answers

outlines

exaggerates

highlights

responds

allows

observes

disconfirms

critiques

initiates

substitutes

admires

illuminates

supports

resolves

uncovers

determines

compares

assaults

hesitates

challenges

distinguishes

disputes

denies

experiments

describes

conflates

refutes

pleads

sees

reconciles

demands

experiences

assists

retorts

assembles

defends

persuades

complicates

criticizes

reconsiders

quotes

reads

diminishes

verifies

exposes

parses

shows

provides

believes

stresses

accepts

formulates

categorizes

facilitates

buttresses

qualifies

disregards

contrasts

relinquishes

hints

tests

discusses

treats

repudiates

postulates

guides

clarifies

infers

acknowledges

proposes

grants

marshals

defies

points out

insinuates

summarizes

accepts

judges

identifies

disagrees

emphasizes

enumerates

explains

rationalizes

confirms

reveals

interprets

shifts

praises

condemns

adds

maintains

supplies

implies

persists

seeks

reminds

concludes

supplements

announces

warns

 

 

 

*Source: The Curious Researcher by Bruce Ballenger; used by permission of Cinthia Gannett