Gerald Graff And Birkenstein They Say I Say

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In the Introduction to “They Say/I Say”: The Moves That Matter in Academic Writing, Gerald Graff and Cathy Birkenstein provide templates designed to help structure academic writing that considers the opponent’s argument. However, some writers have complained such templates “make them all sound the same,” and turns them into “‘writing robots’” (Graff and Birkenstein 10). In turn, Graff and Birkenstein argue that the types of writing templates they offer do not stifle creativity, but actually foster more complex, intelligent writing. As the authors themselves put it, “creativity and originality lie not in the avoidance of established forms, but in the imaginative use of them” (11). Although some people believe otherwise, Graff and Birkenstein insist that a writer’s use of their templates is analogous to musicians’ use of the verse-chorus-verse pattern of songs. Using a pre-established form does not necessarily produce any less original content, as given by the thousands of original songs in the world. In sum, then, their view is that their templates are tools to help a student make more effective arguments. …show more content…

In my view, the types of templates that the authors recommend are effective because they make me sound smarter and more logical. For instance, I am using their template to organize this piece of writing. As I read over the first paragraph, I sound intelligent and engaged with the reading. In addition, their templates simulate real-world debates in a format. An entertaining debate is one where both sides are thoughtfully listening and keeping in mind their opponent’s argument as they make their own. Such debates make the reason for even arguing obvious. Like the authors stated, their templates help writers integrate the “So what?” question into their writing. By answering this question first, authors avoid the reader asking it and keeps them

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