they say, i say - fcusd.org€¦ · they say, i say by gerald graff and cathy birkenstein “…...

They Say, I Say by Gerald Graff and Cathy Birkenstein

“… writing well means entering into a

conversation with others. Academic writing in

particular calls upon writers not simply to

express their own ideas, but to do so as a

response to what others have said” (IX).

Your voice + their voices=

A conversation of ideas and meaning

Their voices – your voice=

Regurgitation (blah!)Used with permission from Janice Johnson

Creating Effective

Body Paragraphs

So your reader is

sitting on the couch

eating bon-bons …

TBEAR

Body paragraphs are integrated.

This means they weave together the writer’s voice and the voices of the authors or sources the writer wants to include to prove his/her points. (I have something to say, and here’s why you should trust me.)

How does this journalist integrate her sources into her news story? Should it be allresearch?

Does the Tryptophan in Turkey Really Make You Tired?

Topic Sentence with Transition

Questions to Ask:

What is the general statement that organizes

this paragraph?

How is it connected to my previous

paragraph/idea?

Don’t forget the importance of transitions within the paragraph. The reader shouldn’t have to make the leap

from one idea to the next.

Background/

Introductions of EvidenceQuestions to Ask:

What specific information is leading up to my

evidence or examples?

What is needed for the reader to understand

my point before I make it?

Where did I get this evidence from?

Or, what gives my evidence credibility?

Ways to Introduce Quotations

(Capturing the claim)

In his article, “___,” X states, “____”(##).

As the prominent researcher X puts it, “______”(##).

According to X, “____”(##).

X argues that “____”(##).

In her book, _________, X maintains that “___”(##).

In X’s view, “_____”(##).

X agrees when she writes, “_____”(##).

X disagrees when he writes, “_______”(##).

Writing in the magazine Newsweek, X complains that “______”(##).

In her book, ______,X acknowledges that “_______”(##).

X emphasizes this when he argues, “______” (##).

Effective Verbs for Introducing

Summaries and quotations:

Argues

Asserts

Believes

Claims

Emphasizes

Insists

Observes

Reminds us

Reports

Suggests

Making a

claim:

Questioning or

disagreeing:

Complains

Contends

Contradicts

Denies

Questions

Refutes

Rejects

Renounces

Expressing

agreement:

Acknowledges

Admires

Agrees

Does not deny

Endorses

Praises

Reaffirms

Supports

Verifies

Making

recommendations:

Advocates

Calls for

Demands

Encourages

Implores

Pleads

Recommends

Urges

Warns

Use stronger verbs than just said, states, or

writes!

Evidence/Examples:

Questions to Ask:

What pieces of evidence or

examples should I include to prove

my point?

Analysis of Examples:

Questions to Ask:

What does the evidence mean? For

instance if it includes statistics, what do

the statistics show? What do my quotes

show/prove?

It’s your job to do the work for the reader!

Important note about analysis!

Analysis is not a simple restatement of the

evidence put into different words. Effective

analysis talks about the evidence, giving it

meaning to the reader.

Remember-

It’s your job to create meaning for the reader!

This is what analysis is for!

Some Examples for Explaining

Evidence: (Not a simplistic re-wording of the quote!)

Basically, X is saying _____________.

In other words, X believes ______________.

In making this comment, X argues ________________.

X’s point is that ___________.

The essence of X’s argument is that ________________.

These statistics demonstrate the need for ____________.

These events illustrate _____________.

Responding to the Thesis

(Concluding Sentence)

Questions to Ask:

How did this whole paragraph prove my overall point of the paper?

Do not simply restate the thesis!

Respond to the so what question that your thesis generates. This is where you make

the connection of this paragraph (the subtopic) to the big picture of your whole

paper (the main topic).

Example Integrated Paragraph

Large circus animals are a danger to the public and to entertainers. In some circuses, elephants have gone on rampages and attacked or even killed others. According to a government House Committee website,“In Palm Bay, Florida in 1992, an elephant named Janet went on a rampage while carrying children on her back” (“Captive”). Furthermore, in 2003, there was a well publicized tiger attack on Ray Horn, a trainer for Siegfried and Roy. In both these examples, the animals acted in ways that put trainers and children in danger. This is one of the major reasons we need to stop using large animals as performing pets.

T

B

B

E

E

A

R

Label this example paragraph.As landfills are filled with refuse or closed because of

environmental threats, the number of available waste dumping facilities in America dwindles. According to Newsweek magazine, “more than two-thirds of America’s landfills have closed since the late 1970s, and one-third of remaining landfills will be full by 1994” (Anderson 11). By calculating these figures, this will leave a total of two-ninths of original waste dumping facilities open after 1994. Communities will have problems with where to ship their trash. Many will have to ship it out-of-state, raising the dumping prices. However, this doesn’t always work out, as one example shows: “In the late 1980s, the Mobro garbage barge from Islip, New York was turned away from 11 states and 5 countries” (California Department of Conservation 81). Because America cannot deal with these problems for long, we need to vastly increase our recycling facilities.

B

Create your own paragraph.Thesis: While adults claim teenagers are apathetic about what

goes in the world and life in general, teenagers actually do care but feel that they are not heard.

Evidence: Katelyn Burstead decided not to participate in local city council hearings about a new skate park. “It’s pointless. They’re not going to listen to us anyway” (Haley).

Evidence: Justin Butcher’s grades dropped dramatically while attending Northgate High School, going from all A’s to a 1.6 average in a year. “I don’t have a say in my teachers, classes, electives are being taken away, and no one ever listens to my complaints about the way we are overlooked when decisions are being made about us” (Besthoff).

Evidence: Merissa Mastero, writer for the New York Times states, “It’s not that teens don’t get involved; it’s that when they do, nothing gets done” (B8).

.