They Say I Say Book Summary

Introduction

Ever struggled to write a compelling academic essay? Feeling lost navigating the world of arguments and counterarguments? They Say / I Say: The Moves That Matter in Academic Writing by Gerald Graff and Cathy Birkenstein is your guide to mastering the art of academic writing. This book is a classic for a reason. It simplifies the complexities of argumentation, providing clear steps and practical examples that make it easy to understand.

In this summary, you’ll discover the core principles of argumentation outlined in They Say/I Say. Learn how to start your essay by responding to others’ ideas, how to structure your arguments, and how to effectively use quotations.

You’ll be better equipped to write clear, concise, and persuasive essays after you read this They Say/I Say book summary.

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Key Facts

1. Book Title: They Say / I Say: The Moves That Matter in Academic Writing

2. Author: Gerald Graff and Cathy Birkenstein

3. Year Published: 2013

4. Genres: Nonfiction, Textbooks, Rhetoric, Education, Writing

5. Number of Pages: 320

About the Author

Gerald Graff is a professor of English and Education at the University of Illinois at Chicago. He is the 2008 President of the Modern Language Association of America. Graff has a major impact on teachers through his books Professing Literature: An Institutional History, Beyond the Culture Wars: How Teaching the Conflicts Can Revitalize American Education, and most recently, Clueless in Academe: How Schooling Obscures the Life of the Mind.

Cathy Birkenstein is a lecturer at the University of Illinois at Chicago. She is also a founding adviser and consultant to Argument-Centered Education. Birkenstein has co-authored the best-selling textbook They Say/I Say with Graff. She has also published essays on writing in College English and, with Graff, in The Chronicle of Higher Education, Academe, and College, Composition, and Communication.

Main Points

Starting with What Others Are Saying

The book begins by discussing the importance of starting an academic essay by summarizing what others have said. Many writers fail to do this. They often start with their own views and expect readers to figure out on their own what larger conversation they are entering. The authors recommend that you summarize what others are saying as soon as you can in your text and then respond to those ideas.

Responding to Others

The authors discuss three main ways writers respond to others: agreeing, disagreeing, and a combination of both. Writers who only agree with others may appear like copycats, while those who only disagree can come across as antagonistic. The authors suggest that you should make it clear to your readers which position you are taking relative to others.

Connecting the Parts

The book also argues that you should connect the different parts of your writing together. The authors offer several suggestions for doing this, including using transitions, pointing words, and repeating key terms. They encourage you to avoid simply stating a string of facts or information.

Framing Every Quotation

The authors contend that when you quote others, it’s important to include a frame around the quotation that explains why you’re quoting it. Quotations without this kind of context are “hit-and-run” and often do not add value to your argument.

Adding Metacommentary

Finally, the authors argue that writers can benefit from adding metacommentary to their arguments, which helps them clarify and elaborate on what they’ve said. The authors suggest that you should think of metacommentary as a separate text alongside your main text that explains the meaning of the main text.

Quotes

1. “The best tribute to ‘They Say/I Say’ I’ve heard is this, from a student: ‘This is one book I’m not selling back to the bookstore.’” This quote exemplifies the book’s success in connecting with students. The authors demonstrate that their book has relevance to students beyond their coursework.

2. “The trouble is that many students will never learn on their own to make the key intellectual moves that our templates represent.” This quote speaks directly to the authors’ main argument: that academic writing depends on a set of essential moves that students may not be aware of. Their templates are designed to make those moves more accessible to students.

3. “In conclusion, then, as I suggested earlier, defenders of can’t have it both ways. Their assertion that is contradicted by their claim that .” The authors advocate using what they call “return sentences” to keep the reader’s focus on the main argument. This quote shows how a “return sentence” can be used to connect back to an earlier point and create a more compelling argument.

4. “You come late. When you arrive, others have long preceded you, and they are engaged in a heated discussion, a discussion too heated for them to pause and tell you exactly what it is about. . . . You listen for a while, until you decide that you have caught the tenor of the argument; then you put in your oar. Someone answers; you answer him; another comes to your defense; another aligns himself against you. . . . The hour grows late, you must depart. And you do depart, with the discussion still vigorously in progress.” This passage from Kenneth Burke underlines the book’s central message: academic writing is a form of conversation, and writers should engage with others’ ideas rather than solely focusing on their own.

5. “The only reading I cared to do or could do was sports magazines, on which I became hooked, becoming a regular reader of Sport magazine in the late forties, Sports Illustrated when it began publishing in 1954, and the annual magazine guides to professional baseball, football, and basketball. I also loved the sports novels for boys of John R. Tunis and Clair Bee and autobiographies of sports stars like Joe DiMaggio’s Lucky to Be a Yankee and Bob Feller’s Strikeout Story.” This quote from Gerald Graff highlights the idea that “street smarts” can be just as valuable as the intellectual rigor traditionally associated with academic subjects. He uses his own experience as a teenager who found his intellect in sports and not in traditional academic subjects.

They Say I Say Book Review

Strengths

They Say/I Say is a must-read for anyone who wants to improve their academic writing. This book is designed to help writers understand the core principles of argumentation. It demystifies academic writing by breaking down complex concepts into simple, clear steps. The authors do a great job of providing practical examples to help you understand each concept.

Weaknesses

The book is a bit repetitive. The authors repeat the same points in different ways throughout the text, and it can be a bit tedious to read. However, the repetition does drive home the key points and makes the book more accessible to students.

Best Format

The book is best enjoyed as a physical book. While the book is available in audiobook and ebook formats, you can quickly reference the templates provided in the text by flipping through the pages, which is much easier in a physical book.

Recommendation

This book is highly recommended for students of all levels and disciplines, as well as anyone who wants to improve their writing. The book is particularly helpful for students who are struggling to articulate their ideas clearly or who are unsure of how to structure their essays.

Conclusion

This summary provided a glimpse into the core principles of effective academic writing as outlined by Graff and Birkenstein in their book, They Say/I Say. You’ve learned how to craft a compelling argument by responding to others’ ideas, how to connect the different parts of your writing, and how to effectively use quotations and metacommentary. The key takeaway is that academic writing is not about simply presenting your ideas in isolation, but about joining a conversation, engaging with the work of others, and clarifying your own voice.

FAQs

1. Why Should I Read This Book?

This book is your guide to mastering the art of argumentation. It provides the basic moves you need to make when crafting any successful academic essay, whether you’re writing about literature, history, the sciences, or the social sciences.

2. Can I Actually Use These Templates in My Writing?

Absolutely! The authors encourage you to adapt the templates to fit your own style and argument. Think of them as a starting point. You can modify them to create a more complex and nuanced argument.

3. I’m Not a Fan of the First-Person. Will This Book Force Me to Use “I?”

You don’t have to use the first-person if you don’t want to. The authors are more focused on the concept of entering a conversation than on any particular style of writing.

4. Is This Book Only For Students?

While They Say/I Say is very useful for students, it is also great for anyone who writes or reads in an academic environment. The core ideas are applicable to professionals, researchers, and even those writing personal essays.

5. What Other Books Are Similar?

If you liked They Say/I Say, you’ll love Clueless in Academe: How Schooling Obscures the Life of the Mind, also by Gerald Graff. It’s a great read if you want to explore the history of academic culture and how it can be so mystifying for many.

Leon Blake

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