Signal phrase — English definition
Defined in 2 courses:
- A short phrase introducing a quotation or paraphrase, such as 'According to Chen...' (English 9: Experience, Perspective & Inquiry)
- A short lead-in that names the source of a quotation or paraphrase, such as 'According to historian Dana Reyes...' (English 10: Choices, Conscience & Consequences)
Where it is taught
- Synthesizing Evidence — Research & Source-Based Writing, English 9: Experience, Perspective & Inquiry, Grade 9
- Integrating Evidence & Citation — Research & Source-Based Writing, English 10: Choices, Conscience & Consequences, Grade 10
In use
The fix is a signal phrase, a short lead-in that names who is speaking and often why they are worth hearing: 'As nutrition researcher Amara Chen explains.
Synthesizing Evidence
The fix is a signal phrase: a short lead-in that names who is speaking and often why they are worth hearing, like 'As epidemiologist Dr.
Integrating Evidence & Citation
Questions using signal phrase
Problem 1
Answer and explanation
A signal phrase, like 'According to Dr. Ruiz,' introduces a quotation or paraphrase so it doesn't feel dropped into the paragraph out of nowhere; it also gives the reader context about who is being cited and why they're credible.
Problem 2
- Furthermore,
- (Roy 12)
- In conclusion,
- According to marine biologist Dr. Nadia Roy,
Answer and explanation
According to marine biologist Dr. Nadia Roy,
A signal phrase introduces a source by naming who is speaking, like 'According to marine biologist Dr. Nadia Roy'; it isn't a transition word or the parenthetical citation itself.
Problem 3
- There is no problem; a signal phrase makes the Works Cited entry unnecessary.
- The in-text citation is incomplete without a matching Works Cited entry, since a reader needs both to identify and find the source.
- The page number should have been left out of the citation.
- The quotation should have been paraphrased instead.
Answer and explanation
The in-text citation is incomplete without a matching Works Cited entry, since a reader needs both to identify and find the source.
In-text citations are short pointers that only work alongside a full Works Cited entry; without it, a reader can't trace (Okafor 30) to an actual, findable source.