They Say/I Say

Revision strategies

How do you represent what others say? What do you say? Naysayers? Metacommentary to clarify? Tied it all together? Why does your argument matter?

Summarizing

-any information from others that you present in your own words, including that which you paraphrase -requires balancing what the original author is saying with the writer's own focus -be true to what the original author says while emphasizing those aspects of what the author says that interest you

Three ways to respond to a "They Say"

-disagree and explain why: have to offer persuasive reasons why you disagree; to turn it into an argument need to give reasons to support what you say; something to contribute to move the conversation forward (duh, twist of logic) -agree but with a difference: need to do more than echoing the views you agree with; bring something fresh and new to the table (unnoticed evidence, personal experience) -agree and disagree simultaneously: agreeing and disagreeing places your argument on the map of positions while keeping it complex; can be tipped subtly toward agreement or disagreement

Maintaining your own voice

-draw upon kinds of expressions and turns of phrase that you use every day when conversing with family and friends -mix academic and colloquial styles: academic, professional language with popular expressions and sayings -think about audience and purpose

Using transitions

-help cross from one point to another in your text -at or near the start of sentences so they can signal to readers where your text is going

Entertain objections (planting a naysayer)

-nameless, faceless naysayer -when possible attribute to a specific ideology or school -add precision and impact by identifying what the labels of naysayers are

Connecting the parts

-need to gesture back to what you have just said or forward to what you plan to say -establishes a sense of momentum and direction by making explicit connections among their different parts -sets up what is to come and is clearly informed by what has already been said

Use pointing words

-point or refer backward to some concept in the previous sentence -this, these, that, those, their, and such; his, he, her, she, it, their -be careful of being ambiguous -make sure there is one and only one possible thing that pointer could be referring to

Quoting

-quoting gives credibility to your summary and helps ensure that it is fair and accurate -quotes have been taken from context and need to be integrated into their new textual surroundings -make sure they support your argument -frame them in a way that makes their relevance and meaning clear

Repeat key terms and phrases

-repeat throughout the text -synonyms and antonyms to prevent repetition -binds the passage together into a unified whole

Repeat yourself but with a difference

-saying the same thing you've just said but in a slightly different way that avoids sounding monotonous -build bridges between ideas by echoing and then moving text into new territory

Writing as a conversation

-state your own ideas as a response to others -entering a conversation with others' views -it is what others are saying and thinking that motivates our writing and gives it a reason for being

Voice markers

-subtle markers that indicate whose voice the writer is speaking in -lets the reader know when a particular view should be attributed to the writer or to someone else 7

Anticipate objections (planting a naysayer)

-tell readers what others might say against you to enhance credibility -more voice you give to critics' objections, more you tend to disarm those critics -make a preemptive strike -show respect for readers by seeing them as independent, critical thinkers

Developing a "They Say" and "I Say"

-to give writing a point writer also needs to indicate what the larger conversation conversation thesis is responding to is -needs to explain what he or she is responding to either before offering response or early in the discussion -start with what others are saying and then introduce your own ideas a response

Distinguishing what you say from what they say

-use voice markers -tone, phrasing both help -make sure readers can tell who is saying what -can use "I"

Metacommentary

-way of commenting on your claims and telling others how (and how not) to think about them -like the chorus in a Greek play -to clarify and elaborate -"in other words", "my point is not"

Signal verbs

-when summarizing or introducing a quotation use vivid and precise signal verbs -text will be more accurate and lively if you tailor your verbs to suit the precise actions you're describing -people tend to use tamer verbs when writing than when speaking

Saying why it matters

-who cares?-who has a stake, is it part of a larger conversation -so what?-linking argument to some larger matter that readers already deem important