signal phrase

signal +‎ phrase

signal phrase (plural signal phrases)

1. An indication that something is a paraphrase or direct quote.

   "Smith suggests that..." and "In Smith's words..." are both signal phrases.

   • 1993, Sheila Cooper, Rosemary Patton, Ergo: Thinking Critically and Writing Logically, page 220:

     Introduce the material being cited with a signal phrase, usually the authors name, and use a parenthetical citation stating the page number of the sentence.

2. A phrase that signals a particular meaning or stance.
   • 1996, Mary Ann Christensen, Interpreting Literature & the Arts, page 76:

     To identify an opinion, look for signal phrases such as “I think,” “I consider,” “I'm convinced,” “I guess,” “I believe,” or “I feel.”

• John Richard Stevens (2007) “Signal phrases”, in Writing Better Essays‎, archived from the original on August 14, 2007