Signal phrase verbs in Chicago (CMS) papers

To avoid monotony, try to vary the language and placement of your signal phrases.

In the words of historian James M. McPherson, “. . .”¹

As Dudley Taylor Cornish has argued, “. . .”²

In a letter to his wife, a Confederate soldier who witnessed the massacre wrote that “. . .”³

“. . . ,” claims Benjamin Quarles.⁴

“. . . ,” writes Albert Castel, “. . .”⁵

Shelby Foote offers an intriguing interpretation: “. . .”⁶

admits	compares	insists
rejects	agrees	confirms
notes	reports	argues
contends	observes	responds
asserts	declares	points out
suggests	believes	denies
reasons	thinks	claims
emphasizes	refutes	writes