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They Say/I Say

They Say/I Say. Situating Your Argument in an Ongoing Conversation. Which of these statements sounds more intelligent and why?. The film is about the problems of romantic relationships.

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They Say/I Say

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  1. They Say/I Say Situating Your Argument in an Ongoing Conversation

  2. Which of these statements sounds more intelligent and why? The film is about the problems of romantic relationships. Most viewers see the movie as a straightforward action picture, but the film is about the problems of romantic relationships. A. B.

  3. Chapter One THEY SAY: “Starting with What Others Are Saying” • Always start by making plain what earlier research you’re responding to. • Provides motivation (Who Cares? So what?) • Adds dramatic interest • Summarize (fairly) what the previous points of view you’re responding to are before you argue your own position. • Frames the issue, provides background • Builds credibility

  4. Templates for Introducing an Ongoing Debate (pp. 25-26) • In discussions of X, one controversial issue has been ________. On the one hand, _______________ argues ______________. On the other hand, ______________ contends __________. Some even maintain ___________. My own point of view is __________________________. • Theories of how the mind/brain works have been dominated for centuries by two opposing views. One, rationalism, sees the human mind as coming into this world more or less fully formed---preprogrammed, in modern terms. The other, empiricism, sees the mind of the newborn as largely unstructured, a blank slate. Mark Aronoff, “Washington Sleeped Here”

  5. Keep What “They Say” in View • Continue to keep “They Say” in view! • Prevents readers from forgetting the paper’s motivation • Provides an organizing thread that gives paper coherence • Lends sense of mission and urgency from start to finish • Accomplish this by using “return sentences” • In conclusion, then, as I suggested earlier, defenders of ____________ can’t have it both ways. Their assertion that _____________ is contradicted by their claim that ______________.

  6. Chapter 2 “HER POINT IS”: The Art of Summarizing • To craft an effective summary, put yourself in THEIR shoes. • Summarize in a way that that emphasizes its connection to your point of view without distorting the original argument. • “A good summary, in other words, has a focus or spin that allows the summary to it with your own agenda, while still being true to the text you are summarizing” (34). • Summarize selectively, but don’t caricature or reduce to cliché. • But above all, avoid the pitfalls of LISTING!

  7. Demystifying the Thesis Statement • Marks the moment when you move from “they say” to “I say.” • States the main point of the paper • Presents the position you’ll be arguing and defending • Sets out your contribution to the ongoing conversation • IMPORTANT NOTE: The thesis of your research paper must take a stand; you cannot just state that the topic is controversial!

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