| lent GERALD GRAFF CATHY. BIRKENSTEIN eX -S "4 SayWHAT THEY’RE SAYING ABOouT “THEY Say /1 Say” “A brilliant book. . . . Its like a membership card in the academic club.” —Hileen Seifert, DePaul University “This book demystifies rhetorical moves, tricks of the trade that many stu- dents are unsure about. [r’s reasonable, helpful, nicely written . .. and hey, it’s true, [ would have found it immensely helpful myself in high school and college.” —Mike Rose, University of California, Los Angeles “The argument of this book is important—that there are ‘moves’ to aca- demic writing . . . and that knowledge of them can be generative. The template format is a good way to teach and demystify the moves that mat- ter. | like this book a lot.” —Dayid Bartholomae, University of Pitsburgh “Students need to walk a fine line between their work and that of others, and this book helps them walk that line, providing specific methods and techniques for introducing, explaining, and integrating other voices with their own ideas.” —Libby Miles, University of Rhode Island “Llove the governing idea of this book. As a teacher and WPA, I'm con- stantly thinking about how I can teach my students—and how I can help instructors teach their students—to make specific rhetorical moves on the page. This book offers'a powerful way of teaching students to do just that.” —Joseph Bizup, Boston University “What effect has ‘They Say’ had on my students’ writing? They are finally entering the Burkian Parlor of the university. This book uncovers the thetorical conventions that transcend disciplinary boundaries, so thateven freshmen, newcomers to the academy, are immediately able to join in the conversation.” —Margaret Weaver, Missouri State Universiey “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.’ Nods all around the room. The students love this book.” —Christine Ross, Quinnipiac University “The ability to engage with the thoughts of others is one of the most important skills taught in any college-level writing course, and this book does as good a job teaching that skill as any text I have ever encountered,” —William Smith, Weatherford College A fabulous resource for my students (and for me), I like that it’s small, and not overwhelming, It's very practical, and really demystifies the new kind of writing students have to figure out as they transition to college.” —Sara Glennon, Landmark College“THEY Say ~ | Say” The Moves That Matter in Academic Writing Second Edition a“THEY Say.| Say” The Moves That Matter in Academic Writing Second Edition GERALD GRAFF CATHY BIRKENSTEIN both of the University of Illinois at Chicago Bet W.W-NorTON & ComPANY New Yor« LONDONFor Aaron David W. W. Norton & Company has been independent since its founding in 1923, when- William Warder Norton and Mary D. Herter Norton first published lectures delivered acthe People's Institute, the adult education division of New York City's Cooper Union. The Nortons soon expanded their program beyond the Institute, publishing books by celebrated academics from America and abroad. By mid-century, the two major pillars of Norton’s publishing program—trade books and college texts—were firmly estab- lished. In the 1950s, the Norton family transferred control of the company to its employ- 5, and today—with a staff of four hundred and a comparable number of trade, college, and professional titles published each year—W. W. Norton & Company stands as the largest and oldest publishing house owned wholly by its employees. Copyright © 2010, by W. W. Norton & Company, Inc. Alll rights reserved Printed in the United States of America Second Edition. Composition by Matrix Publishing Services, Inc, Book design by Maggie Wagner Production manager: Jane Searle Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Graff, Gerald. They say / I say : the moves that matter in academic writing / Gerald Graff, Cathy Birkenstein—2nd ed, pcm. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 978-0-393-93361-1 (phk.) 1. English language—Rheroric—Handhooks, manuals, ete, 2. Persuasion (Rhetoric)—Handbooks, manuals, ere, 3, Report writing—Handbooks, manuals, ete. |. Birkenstein, Cathy. Il. Tide. PEL431.G73 2010 808'.042—de22 2009047993 W. W, Norton & Company, Inc., 500 Fifth Avenue, New York, N-Y. 10110 wawsy.wwnorton.com W. W. Norton & Company LtJ., Castle House, 75/76 Wells London WIT 307 134567890Brief CONTENTS a PREFACE TO THE SECOND EDITION xiii Prerace: Demystifying Academic Conversation xvi INTRODUCTION: Entering the Conversation 1 Part 1. “THey Say” 1 “Trey Say": Starting with What Others Are Saying 19 2 “Her Point Is”: The Art of Summarizing 30 3 “As He Himsetr Puts It": The Art of Quoting 42 Part 2, “I Say” “Yes / No / Okay, But": Three Ways to Respond 55 “AND Yer": Distinguishing What You Say from What They Say 68 “Skeptics May Object”: Planting a Naysayer in Your Text 78 “So WHAT? WHO Cares?”: Saying Why It Matters 92 * Nau Part 3. Tyina It Att TOGETHER 8 “As A Resutt”: Connecting the Parts 105 9 “Ain't So / Is Not": Academic Writing Doesn't Always Mean Setting Aside Your Own Voice 121 10 “Bur Don’t Get Me Wronc”: The Art of Metacommentary 129 Part 4. IN Speciric ACADEMIC SETTINGS 11 “I Take Your Point”: Entering Class Discussions 141 12 “Wat's MotivatinG THis WRITeR?”: Reading for the Conversation 145 13 “THe Data Succest”: Writing in the Sciences 156 14 “ANALYZE THis": Writing in the Social Sciences 175 READINGS 193 INDEX OF TEMPLATES 221CONTENTS —a— PREFACE TO THE SECOND EDITION xiii PREFACE xvi Demystifying Academic Conversation INTRODUCTION 1 Entering the Conversation Part 1. “THEY Say” Wy “THEY Say” 19 Starting with What Others Are Saying “Her Point Is” 30 The Art of Summarizing “As He HIMSELF Puts It” 42 The Art of Quoting Part 2. “I Say” 53 “Yes | No / Oxay, But” 55 Three Ways to Respond rive SAND YET” = 68 Distinguishing What You Say from What They Saysix “Skeptics May Opject” 78 Planting a Naysayer in Your Text SEVEN “So WHAT? WHO Cares?” 92 Saying Why It Matters PART 3. TytnG It ALL TOGETHER 103 ercuy “As a ResuLt” 105 Connecting the Parts nine “Ain't So / Is Not” 121 Academic Writing Doesn't Always Mean Setting Aside Your Own Voice ren “But Don’t Get Me Wronc” 129 The Art of Metacommentary Part 4. IN SpPEcIFIC ACADEMIC SETTINGS 139 eLevyen “I Take Your Point” 141 Entering Class Discussions rweeve “Wuat’s MotivatinG THIs WRITER?” 145 Reading for the Conversation rHinreeN “THe Data SuGGesT” 156 Writing in the Sciences fourteen “ANALYZE THis” 75 Writing in the Social SciencesContents READINGS 193 Don’t Blame the Eater 195 Davin ZinczENKO Hidden Intellectualism 198 Geratp GraFr Nuclear Waste 206 Ricwarp A, Mutter Agonism in the Academy 214 Desoran TANNEN INDEX OF TEMPLATES = 22) ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 236PREFACE TO THE SECOND EDITION a= At THE CORE OF THIS 800k is the premise that good argu- mentative writing begins not with an act of assertion but an act of listening, of putting ourselves in the shoes of those who think differently from us. Asia result, we advise writers to begin not with what they themselves think about their subject (“I say”) but with what others think (“they say”). This practice, we think, adds urgency to writing, helping it become more authentically motivated. When writing responds to something that has been said or might be said, it thereby performs the meaningful task of supporting, correcting, or complicating that other view. As we have traveled the country to some of the thousand plus colleges and universities where “They Say / I Say” is being used, we have been inspired by the many instructors and stu- dents who have praised our work, challenged it, and taken our ideas in new and unexpected directions. We have tried hard to take our own advice and to listen closely to what those using this book have said and asked for—and to respond as best we can in this new edition. One thing that has been particularly heartening to see is the wide variety of disciplinary applications to which this book has been put. Though we originally intended it for use in first-year writing courses, we are delighted to find that ir is being taught in many other courses and disciplines across the curriculum: xiii