W130 & 131 Academic Conversation Templates:

How to Discuss Sources and Declare Your Position

These templates help writers summarize and synthesize the arguments and ideas of their sources, and help writers
agree, disagree, or both agree and disagree with sources to declare their position relative to the views they’ve
summarized or quoted. Thus, this handout contains (1) They Say, which addresses how to discuss what your sources are
saying, and (2) I Say, which addresses how to declare your position in relation to the sources.

THEY SAY: Discussing what the sources are saying

Academic writing, broadly speaking, is argumentative writing. To argue well, writers need to know the conversation
that has taken place on their topic. For example, if a politician is to propose a new law, the politician needs to know
whether his idea has ever been suggested before and whether people would support or oppose the new law and why
they support or oppose the new law. In writing, writers do the same thing. They give background on their topic to
show their knowledge of the ongoing conversation and use the conversation to argue their points.

VERB TENSE & SOURCES

 MLA: Generally, in MLA, when you discuss cited sources, use PRESENT TENSE (e.g. Smith claims).

Verbs for Introducing Summaries and Quotations

Verbs for Making a Claim Verbs for Expressing Agreement
Argues Insists Acknowledges Endorses
Asserts Observes Admires Extol
Believes Reminds us Agrees Praises
Claims Reports Celebrates the fact that Reaffirms
Emphasizes Suggests Corroborates Supports
Does not deny Verifies

Verbs for Questioning or Disagreeing Verbs for Making Recommendations

Complains Questions Advocates Implores
Complicates Refute Calls for Pleads
Contends Rejects Demands Recommends
Contradicts Renounces Encourages Urges
Denies Repudiates Exhorts Warns

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 W130 & 131 Academic Conversation Templates:
How to Discuss Sources and Declare Your Position

These templates help writers summarize and synthesize the arguments and ideas of their sources, and help writers
agree, disagree, or both agree and disagree with sources to declare their position relative to the views they’ve
summarized or quoted. Thus, this handout contains (1) They Say, which addresses how to discuss what your sources are
saying, and (2) I Say, which addresses how to declare your position in relation to the sources.

Frame Every Quote

Since quotations do not speak for themselves, you need to build a frame around them. You need to make a ‘quotation
sandwich’ [Introduction-quotation-explanation]. Introduce the quotation adequately by explaining who is speaking and
setting up what the quotation says. Then follow up with explaining why you consider the quotation important and your
explanation/interpretation of the quotation.

For introducing quotations

Capturing Authorial Action (in other words, reporting what authors write) *Use these templates for the body sentences
in your summary.

X claims that… X emphasizes that…

X states that… X observes that…
X demonstrates that… X questions whether…
X argues that… X refutes the claim that…
X shows that… X hypothesizes that…
X reports that… X asserts that…
X reports on… X suggests that…
X acknowledges that… X posits that…
X concedes that…

DO NOT introduce quotations by saying something like “X asserts an idea that” or “A quote by X says.” Introductory
phrases like these are both redundant and misleading.

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 W130 & 131 Academic Conversation Templates:
How to Discuss Sources and Declare Your Position

These templates help writers summarize and synthesize the arguments and ideas of their sources, and help writers
agree, disagree, or both agree and disagree with sources to declare their position relative to the views they’ve
summarized or quoted. Thus, this handout contains (1) They Say, which addresses how to discuss what your sources are
saying, and (2) I Say, which addresses how to declare your position in relation to the sources.

I SAY: declaring your position in relation to the sources

Experienced writers know how to express their thoughts. Since academic writing, broadly speaking is argumentative,
college writers need to argue well. Thus, writers need to be able to assert their own ideas as well as enter the on-
going conversation (they say) of a topic and use the ideas of others as a launching pad for furthering their ideas.
Many times the use of “I” is appropriate. Check with your instructor if unsure of using “I” in your paper.

Disagree and Explain Why You Disagree

*Use these templates for your topic sentence in your response paragraphs.

1. X is mistaken because she overlooks that…

2. X’s claim that [insert claim here] rests upon the questionable assumption that…
3. Recent research has shown X’s claim to be false because… (don’t use unless you have looked at
recent research)
4. By focusing on _________________, X overlooks / de-emphasizes / ignores the deeper problem of /
the fact that ____________________ .
5. In his suggestion that ___________, X has failed to take into consideration that….

For example:
In her suggestion that child labor should be eliminated, Preston has failed to take into consideration that
many families in third world countries depend on the economic contributions of children for vital support.

Agree But Add Your Own Voice (You agree with the author, but you also bring something new to the discussion.)

*Use these templates for your topic sentence in your response paragraphs.

1. X is surely right about ____________ because research has shown that…

For example:
Preston is surely right about the elimination of child labor because research has shown that a significant number of
children worldwide are exploited for monetary gain.

2. X’s theory of ___________ is useful because it sheds light on the problem of _____________ .
3. X’s point about _____________ is helpful / accurate / well taken because it sheds light on the
problem of ________________ .
4. If X is right about _____________ , then one needs to reassess the popular assumption that….
5. Those unfamiliar with this idea / concept / law / theory / point / school of thought may be interested to
know that it basically boils down to…….

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 W130 & 131 Academic Conversation Templates:
How to Discuss Sources and Declare Your Position

These templates help writers summarize and synthesize the arguments and ideas of their sources, and help writers
agree, disagree, or both agree and disagree with sources to declare their position relative to the views they’ve
summarized or quoted. Thus, this handout contains (1) They Say, which addresses how to discuss what your sources are
saying, and (2) I Say, which addresses how to declare your position in relation to the sources.

Agreeing and Disagreeing Simultaneously *Use these templates for your topic sentence in your response
paragraphs.

1. Although X is right up to a point, it is difficult to accept his overall conclusion that…

2. Although X has a point, his solution / conclusion may not be the only answer.
3. Although one might concede that _________________ , research shows that / common sense dictates that / the law
states that / morality dictates that / many still insist that…
For example:
Although one might concede that child labor has economic benefits, the law states that it is prohibited.

4. While X provides evidence that ________, Y’s research on ______________ leads one to believe that / presents
(strong) counterevidence that…
5. Y’s argument about _______________ and X’s claim that _________________ are equally persuasive.
6. While X is probably wrong when she claims that ________________, she is right when she states that…
7. It is right that _______________, but X seems to be on more dubious ground when she claims that……
8. Although X has a point about __________, it is difficult to agree with his claim that…..
9. Proponents of X are right to argue that _______________, but they exaggerate when they claim that…
10. While it is true that __________________, it does not necessarily follow that….
For example:
While it is true that child labor may result in economic advantages, it does not necessarily follow that governments
should promote it.
OR
While it is true that child labor is dangerous and exploitative, it does not necessarily follow that it should be legally
prohibited.

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 W130 & 131 Academic Conversation Templates:
How to Discuss Sources and Declare Your Position

These templates help writers summarize and synthesize the arguments and ideas of their sources, and help writers
agree, disagree, or both agree and disagree with sources to declare their position relative to the views they’ve
summarized or quoted. Thus, this handout contains (1) They Say, which addresses how to discuss what your sources are
saying, and (2) I Say, which addresses how to declare your position in relation to the sources.

Introducing What They Say *Use these templates for introducing supporting ideas, details or examples in your
response paragraphs.

1. A number of sociologists have recently suggested that X’s work has several fundamental problems.

Introducing “Standard Views *Use these templates for introducing supporting ideas, details or examples in your
response paragraphs.

1. Americans / Chinese / Koreans / Russians today tend to believe that…

2. Many people assume that…
3. It is often said that…

Introducing Something Implied or Assumed *Use these templates for introducing supporting ideas, details or
examples in your response paragraphs.

1. One implication of X’s treatment of _______________ is that _____________ .

2. X appears to imply that…
3. X apparently assumes that…

Explaining Quotations *Use these templates to explain supporting details or examples in your response paragraphs.

1. In other words, X believes / maintains / argues that / asserts….

2. In making this comment, X argues that…..
3. 3. X’s point is that…
4. 4. The essence of X’s argument is that…

So What and Who Cares

1. Although X may concern only a small group of ______, it should in fact concern anyone who cares about
_______.

Additional Resources

Graff, Gerald and Cathy Birkenstein. They Say, I Say: The Moves That Matter in Academic Writing.
New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 2006. Print.
Modern Language Association of America, The. MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers. 7th ed.
New York: The Modern Language Association of America, 2009. Print.

Adapted Index of Templates based on They Say, I Say by Graff & Birkenstein