Worksheets > Essays > Topics > Proverbs & Idioms > 276+ Ways to Say "This Shows" in Academic Writing (The Ultimate Phrase Bank)

276+ Ways to Say "This Shows" in Academic Writing (The Ultimate Phrase Bank)

If you've ever stared at a paragraph and cringed at how many times you've written "this shows," you're not alone. It's one of the most overused phrases in essay writing - and it's also one of the easiest to fix.

Whether you're writing a literary analysis, a research paper, or a GCSE/A-Level essay, this ultimate phrase bank gives you over 276 alternatives, organized by function, so you can always pick the right phrase, not just a different one.

Teacher Tip:??Don't just swap words randomly. Each phrase carries a different strength and nuance. Use the??strength guide at the bottom??to choose wisely.

📋 Table of Contents

  1. Direct Verb Replacements

  2. "This is a'" Noun Phrase Patterns

  3. "It can be / It is'" Patterns

  4. "One can / We can'" Patterns

  5. "As / In light of'" Structural Patterns

  6. "This alludes to / This points to'" Patterns

  7. "This makes / This serves'" Patterns

  8. Conclusion & Transitional Phrases

  9. Paraphrasing & Reformulation Phrases

  10. Extended Full-Phrase Patterns

  11. Quick Guide: Phrases by Strength of Claim

1. Direct Verb Replacements with "This Shows"

These are the simplest swaps. Just replace "shows" with one of the verbs below: "This [verb] that'"

# Phrase Best Used When'
1 this demonstrates you want to show clear, strong proof
2 this illustrates the evidence provides a clear example
3 this indicates pointing to a trend or pattern
4 this suggests the evidence implies but doesn't fully prove
5 this implies drawing a logical inference
6 this proves the evidence is definitive (use cautiously)
7 this reveals uncovering something not immediately obvious
8 this confirms the evidence validates an existing belief
9 this displays making something visible or apparent
10 this portrays depicting or characterizing something
11 this describes giving a detailed account
12 this marks signalling or denoting a point
13 this specifies narrowing down precisely
14 this designates assigning or labelling something
15 this highlights drawing focused attention to a point
16 this underlines stressing the importance of something
17 this underscores emphasising significance
18 this emphasizes bringing special weight to a point
19 this reflects mirroring a broader truth or reality
20 this represents standing for or symbolising something
21 this signifies carrying deeper meaning
22 this conveys communicating a message or feeling
23 this presents putting something forward
24 this manifests making something evident or tangible
25 this exposes bringing something hidden into the open
26 this supports backing up a claim with evidence
27 this validates confirming correctness or truth
28 this exemplifies giving a perfect example of something
29 this explains making something understandable
30 this signals giving a sign or early warning
31 this establishes setting something as fact
32 this certifies formally confirming something
33 this corroborates independently confirming a fact
34 this substantiates providing substance or proof
35 this affirms declaring something positively
36 this authenticates verifying as genuine
37 this verifies checking something as true
38 this justifies giving a valid reason for a claim
39 this clarifies removing ambiguity
40 this elucidates explaining with great clarity
41 this depicts portraying visually or descriptively
42 this characterizes describing defining qualities or traits
43 this outlines giving a broad overview
44 this testifies bearing witness to something
45 this accentuates making a point more prominent
46 this foregrounds bringing something to the foreground of attention
47 this spotlights putting something directly in the spotlight
48 this showcases displaying something prominently
49 this reinforces strengthening a previously made point
50 this reaffirms confirming something for a second time
51 this reiterates repeating to confirm or stress
52 this elaborates providing more detailed explanation
53 this explicates unfolding and explaining systematically
54 this uncovers bringing to light what was hidden
55 this unveils revealing something for the first time
56 this discloses making something known
57 this unearths discovering something buried or overlooked
58 this brings out making something apparent
59 this interprets assigning meaning to something
60 this unfolds revealing step by step
61 this points out directing attention to a specific detail
62 this mentions noting something in passing
63 this assumes taking something for granted as a premise
64 this registers recording or making note of something
65 this attests bearing witness or providing testimony

2. "This is a'" Noun Phrase Patterns

These phrases add formality and variety by using a noun instead of a verb:

  • this is an indication

  • this is evidence

  • this is an illustration

  • this is an example

  • this is proof

  • this is a demonstration

  • this is a sign

  • this is a reflection

  • this is a representation

  • this is a manifestation

  • this is a confirmation

  • this is a testament to

  • this is an indicator

  • this is a revelation

  • this is a clear display of

3. "It can be / It is'" Patterns

Passive constructions that sound more formal and objective - great for academic essays:

  • it can be concluded

  • it can be inferred

  • it can be stated

  • it can be seen

  • it can be argued

  • it can be observed

  • it can be noted

  • it can be determined

  • it can be deduced

  • it can be gathered

  • it can be ascertained

  • it can be surmised

  • it could be concluded

  • it could be argued

  • it could be inferred

  • it is evident

  • it is apparent

  • it is clear

  • it is obvious

  • it is implied

  • it is suggested

  • it is demonstrated

  • it is shown

  • it is proved by

  • it is worth noting

  • it is revealing that

  • it seems

  • it seems to me that

  • it appears

  • it appears that

  • it follows that

  • it goes to show

  • it demonstrates

  • it proves

  • it looks

  • it looks as though

4. "One can / We can'" Patterns

These are especially useful for literary analysis and philosophy essays:

  • one can conclude

  • one can infer

  • one can see

  • one can observe

  • one can argue

  • one can deduce

  • one can note

  • one can surmise

  • one can gather

  • we can see that

  • we can conclude

  • we can infer

  • we can observe

  • we can determine

5. "As / In light of'" Structural Patterns

These are prepositional or clause-based starters that help you embed evidence more naturally into a sentence:

  • as indicated

  • as indicated by

  • as shown by

  • as demonstrated by

  • as evidenced by

  • as suggested by

  • as illustrated by

  • as confirmed by

  • as revealed by

  • as reflected in

  • as implied by

  • as noted by

  • as stated by

  • as mentioned by

  • as apparent from

  • as can be seen from

  • as can be inferred from

  • as outlined by

  • in light of this

  • in light of this evidence

  • in view of this

  • based on this

  • based on these findings

  • based on the above

  • given this evidence

  • given these findings

  • given the above

  • judging from

6. "This alludes to / This points to'" Patterns

These add sophistication - especially useful when the evidence doesn't directly state something but implies it:

  • this alludes to

  • this alludes to the fact that

  • this points to

  • this points toward

  • this points out

  • this hints at

  • this speaks to

  • this speaks to the fact that

  • this gestures toward

  • this nods to

  • this draws attention to

  • this brings to light

  • this brings attention to

  • this sheds light on

  • this lends support to

  • this provides insight into

  • this provides evidence that

  • this provides a basis for

  • this leads us to believe

  • this allows us to see

  • this allows to be seen that

  • this causes us to consider

  • this invites us to consider

  • this prompts us to conclude

7. "This makes / This serves'" Patterns

Useful for making an analytical point that follows from the evidence:

  • this makes it clear

  • this makes clear

  • this makes manifest

  • this makes evident

  • this makes apparent

  • this makes plain

  • this makes the case that

  • this makes it apparent that

  • this serves to show

  • this serves to illustrate

  • this serves as evidence

  • this serves as an example

  • this serves as proof

  • this serves to underline

  • this serves to demonstrate

8. Conclusion & Transitional Phrases

Use these after your evidence to signal your analysis or final point:

  • accordingly

  • consequently

  • therefore

  • thus

  • hence

  • for this reason

  • for that reason

  • on that account

  • as a result

  • as a result of this

  • thereby

  • in consequence

  • this being the case

  • which means that

  • this means that

  • this being so

  • in turn

  • this being said

9. Paraphrasing & Reformulation Phrases

When you want to restate or clarify a point in different words:

  • in other words

  • that is to say

  • it is to say that

  • to put it another way

  • to put it differently

  • to rephrase

  • to restate

  • to clarify

  • to elaborate

  • to be more specific

  • to be precise

  • namely

  • in essence

  • in brief

  • simply put

  • put simply

  • another way of saying this is

  • another way of putting it

  • in another words

10. Extended Full-Phrase Patterns

These longer expressions work beautifully when you want to make the evidence itself the subject of the sentence:

  • the data shows

  • the data suggests

  • the data indicates

  • the data confirms

  • the data reveals

  • the findings show

  • the findings suggest

  • the findings indicate

  • the findings confirm

  • the results show

  • the results demonstrate

  • the evidence shows

  • the evidence suggests

  • the evidence indicates

  • the evidence confirms

  • the evidence supports

  • the analysis reveals

  • the study shows

  • the research confirms

  • the passage indicates

  • the text shows

  • the author suggests

  • the author demonstrates

  • this passage illustrates

  • this example demonstrates

  • this fact serves to illustrate

  • this observation suggests

  • this outcome demonstrates

  • this result confirms

  • this finding reveals

  • this case illustrates

  • this instance points to

  • a clear example of this is

  • the significance of this lies in

  • the implication of this is

  • the inference drawn is

  • from this one can gather

  • from this it can be inferred

  • from this it is clear that

  • this is proved by

  • this appears to signify

  • this is apparent from

⚡ Quick Guide: Phrases by Strength of Claim

Choosing the wrong strength is one of the most common mistakes in essay writing. Use this table to match your phrase to your evidence:

Strength Level Best Phrases to Use
🔴 Strong / Definitive
(Use when evidence is conclusive)		 proves, confirms, establishes, validates, verifies, authenticates, certifies, substantiates, corroborates
🟡 Neutral / General
(Safe for most situations)		 shows, demonstrates, illustrates, indicates, presents, describes, displays, represents
🟢 Tentative / Cautious
(Use when evidence is partial or interpretive)		 suggests, implies, signals, hints at, points to, alludes to, appears to, seems to
🔵 Emphasis / Attention
(Use to stress importance)		 highlights, underscores, underlines, emphasizes, accentuates, foregrounds, spotlights
🟣 Revelation / Discovery
(Use when evidence uncovers something)		 reveals, uncovers, unveils, exposes, discloses, sheds light on, brings to light

Total: 276+ unique phrases and patterns across 10 categories.

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