A signal phrase is the clause that introduces a quotation, paraphrase, or summary and attributes it to its source. “As Smith argues,” “According to the report,” “Ogilvy claimed that” — these are signal phrases. They tell the reader who is speaking before the reader encounters the idea.
Signal phrases do more than attribute. The verb in the signal phrase shapes how the reader receives the source:
- Neutral verbs present without evaluating: “states,” “writes,” “notes,” “observes.”
- Arguing verbs frame the source as making a debatable claim: “argues,” “contends,” “claims,” “asserts.”
- Agreeing verbs signal the writer’s endorsement: “demonstrates,” “shows,” “proves,” “confirms.”
- Disagreeing verbs signal the writer’s skepticism: “alleges,” “assumes,” “overlooks.”
The choice of signal verb is a rhetorical act — it tells the reader how to evaluate the source before they’ve read it. “Smith proves that notification systems cause anxiety” and “Smith claims that notification systems cause anxiety” present the same source with different framing. The writer must choose the verb that honestly represents both the source’s certainty and the writer’s assessment of it.
Signal phrases also prevent the “floating quotation” — a quotation dropped into a paragraph without introduction. A floating quotation asks the reader to guess who said it and why it matters. A signal phrase answers both questions: who said it (attribution) and what the writer thinks of it (verb choice).
Related terms
- evidence — signal phrases introduce evidence from sources
- paraphrase — requires attribution through signal phrases
- analysis — often follows the signal phrase and quotation
- ethos — signal phrases build ethos by showing engagement with sources