refer evidence

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "refer evidence" is not correct in standard written English.
It may be intended to suggest directing someone to evidence, but it lacks clarity and proper grammatical structure. Example: "In your report, please refer to the evidence provided in the appendix to support your claims."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

3 human-written examples

The board does routinely refer evidence of possible illegal activity, like contributions (whether or not made through bundlers) that may be fraudulent (for example, made under false names).

The New York Times

The president's executive order directs the Food and Drug Administration to require drug manufacturers to provide adequate advance notice when they plan to stop making a vital drug, expedite its reviews of manufacturers' applications to make any critical drugs in short supply and refer evidence of any selling of the scarce drugs at exorbitant markups for possible prosecution.

The New York Times

She also renewed her recommendation that the Security Council refer evidence of atrocities committed by government forces in Syria to the International Criminal Court, citing what she called "independent, credible and corroborated accounts" that suggest that such atrocities have taken place.

The New York Times

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

56 human-written examples

The Italian central bank referred evidence of criminal activity to prosecutors, he said.

The New York Times

His football career is now in tatters after Fifa's ethics committee imposed a "temporary exclusion" from his football posts while it refers evidence to "forensic investigators".

The Guardian - Sport

The audit soon turned into a report, which was published on December 4. Levine was pretty hot under the collar about the investigation and critical that the commission had referred evidence it had collected to the DPP, to see whether there was a case against Cunneen, her son and Sophia Tilley for perverting the course of justice and giving false and misleading information.

The Guardian - Opinion

ReAndpart one of our investigation of the derailment of the SEC here. .

Vice

In the ADA standards of care, a scale of evidence grade is used (A E) (Table 1), where grade "A" evidence refers to evidence from a meta-analysis that incorporated quality ratings in the analysis.

Diabetes Care

She added that the agency "will continue to work closely" with local, state and federal law enforcement officials to refer "potential evidence of criminal wrongdoing".

The New York Times

The patient-centered measures refer to evidence that patients' values and preferences are respected.

BMC Health Services Research

Minor comments: 1) Both the Abstract and Introduction refer to evidence for more than two dozen retinotopic areas in human visual cortex.

eLife

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When you intend to show or mention the evidence to back up your argument or claims, use verbs like "cite", "present", or "offer" for better clarity and grammatical correctness.

Common error

The phrase "refer evidence" is not grammatically correct. Instead of saying "refer evidence", use a more precise verb that clearly indicates your intention, such as "cite evidence" or "present evidence". Using "refer" alone can be vague and doesn't clearly convey the action you are taking with the evidence.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "refer evidence" is intended to function as a verb phrase, suggesting the action of mentioning or pointing to evidence. However, as Ludwig AI points out, the phrase is not grammatically correct in standard English. Correct alternatives include using a transitive verb like "cite" or "present" with "evidence" as the object.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

33%

Science

67%

Formal & Business

0%

Less common in

Academia

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "refer evidence" is generally considered grammatically incorrect in standard English. As Ludwig AI confirms, more appropriate alternatives such as "cite evidence", "present evidence", or "point to evidence" should be used instead to clearly convey the intended meaning. While examples exist in news and scientific contexts, their limited number reinforces the need to opt for grammatically sound alternatives to ensure effective communication and credibility. Therefore, avoiding the phrase "refer evidence" is a best practice in writing.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

cite evidence

This alternative replaces the verb "refer" with "cite", indicating a more formal and precise way of mentioning evidence to support a claim.

point to evidence

Using "point to" suggests directing someone's attention to specific evidence, which is a slightly less formal way of referencing it.

present evidence

This phrase emphasizes the act of showing or displaying evidence, rather than just mentioning it.

submit evidence

Suitable when evidence is formally handed over, such as in a legal or investigative context.

offer evidence

Implies providing evidence for consideration, often in support of an argument or defense.

adduce evidence

This is a more formal and less common way of saying "present evidence", often used in legal contexts.

draw attention to evidence

This alternative is more verbose but highlights the act of making evidence noticeable.

call attention to evidence

Similar to "draw attention to evidence", it focuses on highlighting the importance of the evidence.

direct attention to evidence

This is very similar to "point to evidence" but slightly more formal.

bring forth evidence

Suggests a more deliberate and perhaps forceful presentation of evidence.

FAQs

What can I say instead of "refer evidence"?

You can use alternatives like "cite evidence", "present evidence", or "point to evidence" depending on the context.

Is it correct to say "refer evidence"?

No, the phrase "refer evidence" is not considered grammatically correct in standard English. It's better to use phrases like "cite evidence" or "present evidence".

How to use "cite evidence" in a sentence?

You can use "cite evidence" in a sentence like this: "The lawyer will cite evidence from the witness testimony to support the case."

What's the difference between "refer to evidence" and "refer evidence"?

"Refer to evidence" is grammatically correct and means to mention or allude to the evidence. "Refer evidence", on the other hand, is not standard English. Using "refer to evidence" correctly implies directing attention or making mention of the evidence, whereas the latter is an incorrect construction.