They Say, I Say Homework for Fall Break

In order to prepare and to write an effective opinion/argumentative paper, it's useful to understand the moves that professional writers make so that you can model your own writing in the same way.

They Say, I Say by Graff, Birkenstein, and Durst, attempts to introduce new college writers to these moves through the use of several "user-friendly" templates.

The foundational argument of the book is that, "the underlying  structure of effective academic writing--and of responsible public discourse--resides not just in stating our own ideas but in listening closely to others around us, summarizing their views in a way that they will recognize, and responding with our own ideas in kind"  (3).

The authors believe that "academic writing, is argumentative writing" and that to "argue well you need to do more than assert your own position" (3)

Effective writers know how to enter the conversation with others.  Accordingly, the "single most important template" that can be used is one of:

"they say_______________________; I say_____________________________"

This is a skill we will practice with the quotes you selected from the reading last week.

BEFORE Weds. Oct. 17 (after Fall break), you must read the included chapters from They Say, I Say.  (follow the page numbers) and ANSWER the questions below in a new blog.  Pay particular attention to the templates that are used to organize academic arguments.  Feel free to borrow from these templates to organize your own arguments.  You are responsible for reading, understanding, and responding to this information. We will discuss how to apply this information into your own writing in our next class.

ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS FROM THE READING IN YOUR BLOG:

Page numbers correspond with the numbers printed on the text itself, you'll need to scroll through the document to find the pages referenced.

1.  The Introduction is titled, "Entering the Conversation"--what does this title reveal about your role as a research/argumentative writer?

2.  Explain the "They Say, I Say" model (p. 3).  According to the authors, what is the "one underlying feature" that all good academic writing has?" (p. 3).

3.  Look at the templates under "Ways of Responding" (p. 8-9).  What is the purpose of these templates.  What do they show you as a writer?  Why should you consider using them?

4.  In Chapter One, "They Say," what important point does the story of Dr. X illustrate?  (p. 17-18).

5.  Review the templates for articulating what "They Say" in your papers.  (p. 20-25).  Write down 3-5 templates that you might like to try out in your QDW paper.

6.  In Chapter Four, "Yes, No, OK But," what do the authors write is the most common and recognizable ways of responding to a text/author/idea? (p. 51)

7.  According to the authors, what is a good tactic for beginning your response? (p. 52)

8. Finally, turn to the assignment sheet for the Pop Culture Criticism Paper.  At the very bottom, attempt to fill in the blank template there.  What will you be writing about?