“They Say / I Say”
The Moves That Matter in Academic Writing
Insights and Templates from the book by
Gerald Graff and Cathy Birkenstein
Practice and Basic Moves
Think about an activity that
you do particularly well
– Playing a sport
(basketball, football, field
hockey, tennis)
– Playing an instrument
(piano, guitar, flute)
– Artwork (drawing,
painting, ceramics)
– Everyday activities
(driving a car, brushing
teeth, tying shoes)
Practice and Basic Moves
Performing this activity depends on:
• Having learned a series of
complicated moves
• Practice and repetition
Same applies to writing:
Accomplished writers rely on established moves
for communicating sophisticated ideas.
Entering the Conversation
Best Academic Writing
• Deeply engages in some way with other people’s
views
• “write the voices of others into your text”
• You enter a conversation, using what others say (or
might say) as a launching pad or sounding board for
your own ideas.
Entering the Conversation
• In the real world we make arguments
because someone has said or done
something (or perhaps not said or done
something) and we need to respond
• Ex.
– “I can’t see why you like the Lakers so much.”
– “I agree: it was a great film.”
– “That argument is contradictory.”
Entering the Conversation
• Without other people’s opinions there would be no
reason to challenge, agree with, or otherwise
respond–there would be no reason to argue at all.
Entering the Conversation
• To make an impact as a writer you
make statements that are:
– Logical
– Well-supported
– Consistent
– *ALSO, you must find a way to enter a
conversation with others’ views–with
something “they say”
Entering the Conversation
• If your argument doesn’t identify the “they say” you
are responding to, then it probably won’t make sense:
• What you are saying may be clear to the audience,
but why you are saying it won’t be
– Example: “The characters in The Sopranos are very
complex.”
Entering the Conversation
• Your own argument–the “I say” moment of your text–
should always be a response to the arguments of
others.
• Ex.
– “Some say that The Sopranos presents caricatures of Italian
Americans. In fact, however, the characters in the series are
very complex.”
Entering the Conversation
• Templates for agreement:
– She argues______, and I agree
because_____.
– Her argument that ______ is supported by
new research showing that _______.
Entering the Conversation
• Template for disagreeing:
– While she argues ______, I disagree
because_______.
– The argument he proposes, while
persuasive, is inaccurate because______.
Entering the Conversation
• Template for conceding and rebutting:
– He claims that _______, and I have mixed
feelings about it. On the one hand, I agree
that ______. On the other hand, I still insist
that_______.
– Although I grant that ____, I still maintain
that _____.
To Paraphrase Or To Quote,
That Is The Question
• Paraphrase: “translates a short passage
from a source into the writer’s own
words” (372 Writing Arguments).
To Paraphrase Or To Quote,
That Is The Question
• When to paraphrase:
– When wanting to use specific information
from a brief passage in the source
– When you do not want to interfere with the
flow of your own writing by inserting a
quote
– *Be sure to avoid original writer’s
grammatical structure and syntax.
To Paraphrase Or To Quote,
That Is The Question
• What to remember when paraphrasing:
– Suspend your own beliefs for a time by putting
yourself in the position of the author whose
passage your are paraphrasing, so as not to
misrepresent their message
– Keep in mind your own argument so it fits into
your own agenda
– Use signal verbs that fit the action:
• “urge,” “emphasize,” “insist”
To Paraphrase Or To Quote,
That Is The Question
• When to Quote:
– When quoting will strengthen your own argument
– Comes from a respected authority
– When summarizing an opposing/alternative view
and want to use brief quotations to illustrate
accuracy
– To give readers a sense of the source’s voice
– To analyze the writer’s choice of words or
metaphors
To Paraphrase Or To Quote,
That Is The Question
• What to remember when quoting:
– Quote relevant passages
– Frame every quotation (insert it into a “quotation sandwich”)
• Statement introducing it as top slice of bread
• Explanation following it as the bottom slice of bread
To Paraphrase Or To Quote,
That Is The Question
• Templates for Introducing Quotations (top
slice of bread):
– X states, “______.”
– In X’s view, “_______.”
– According to X, _____.”
To Paraphrase Or To Quote,
That Is The Question
• Templates for Explaining
Quotations(bottom slice of bread):
– Basically, X is saying ______.
– In other words, X believes _______.
– In making this comment, X argues that
______.
Let’s Practice
• Movie:
• Genre:
• Criteria of a Good _______ film:
• My opinion:
– (this film is / is not a good _____ film.)
Let’s Practice
• Opposing view:
– Reasons they give
• Your response:
– “(Movie Reviewer’s Name) claims the movie_____
is/does _______. While this appears true, overall
the film _______.”
– “Although _____ suggests the film _____ is
______, when considering _____ it becomes
obvious that ________.”