They Say I Say Moves That Matter In Academic Writing

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Top reviews from the United States

Reviewed in the United States on April 4, 2015

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I was given this book as a gift from my mentor during my first year of teaching high school, and haven't stopped using it since. I teach 8th grade at the moment, and this can easily be modified and used in middle and high school as well as college. It is the definitive text for argumentative writing. It has a collection of sentence stems/starters'templates for every circumstance (e.g. agreeing with a rebuttal) as well as a section devoted to transitions, verbs for making a claim, etc. It takes much of the guesswork out of writing an argumentative essay. We know that writing at the college level is expository or argumentative. This is the one book you need to get in order to write well. That's what I SAY. And that's what THEY SAY.

Reviewed in the United States on March 11, 2018

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The book They Say, I Say is the book I wish I had had at the beginning of my own graduate studies. It is a practical book that demystifies academic writing through the provision of basic templates that help first-year college students grasp the structure of good academic argument. I see it not as a cheat-sheet or prescriptive form of instruction, but as a useful tool that uncovers the patterns that already exist in writing and turns them into techniques students can adopt. Within the templates there is still plenty of room for students to add in their own perspectives and apply critical thinking. Intuitive readers pick these moves up through reading, but even the best of us can use the kind of explicit help that Graff and Birkenstein's templates provide.The templates and lessons in this book unlock the secrets of good writing and argument for anyone interested in improving their written arguments.

Reviewed in the United States on July 2, 2016

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I would definitely recommend this book to anybody who is trying to write more effectively. My professor required us to purchase this book since it was used heavily throughout the semester, which i'm glad she did, because "They Say/ I Say" provides very helpful details/examples to help strengthen your writing. The title pretty much how the whole book is formatted. It begins with telling you the rights and wrongs then proceeds to explain how what "they say" can be worded. After reading the "they say" section of the text it'll move on to I say which is of course your reason of support or contradiction.

Although this was used in a college course, most of the reading was structured to easily be able to understand. As this book included many 'how not to' examples I found myself relating to much of that category. Overall, I found this book very helpful and would recommend this book if you want to make your writing more effective especially in the argumentative side.

Reviewed in the United States on September 24, 2020

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This book is a gem. I found that it makes my papers that I have to write more interesting by showing you a way to present a counter-point as a means of bolstering your point.

Reviewed in the United States on March 25, 2015

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I have always thought of writing as a form of unilateral communication lacking any sort of feedback mechanism. Looking at writing as some form of conversation, as Graff and Birkenstein point out in "They Say, I Say", was therefore different yet refreshing in many respects.

For some, academic writing can be no different than a "foreign language" and in that regard, the structure and templates provided in the book serve to significantly reduce the learning curve associated with academic writing. As for the criticism on whether templates serve to stifle creativity, I would argue that some forms of writing require more structure compared to others, which is why templates tend to serve well for such forms.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading through the book and can definitely foresee the need of referring back to it over and over again.

Reviewed in the United States on February 9, 2019

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My book has blank pages. I bought this as required reading for a class. Chapter 8 is missing 7 out of 17 pages alone! I have no issues with the content (at least what I'm able to read), but the print quality is sub-par, to say the least. And I don't see where I can contact the seller for a replacement. Awesome :( Guess this week's homework will be completed on a wing and a prayer.

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Reviewed in the United States on October 22, 2016

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This book rocked my world last quarter. Because of it, I feel I am a better writer.

According to my professor, when I entered class I was one of the best students they had encountered (after teaching for nearly a decade). I write creatively as a hobby, and had several years competitive forensics under my belt so civil discourse has become second nature. This book has short and tolerable chapters that helped even an "advanced" student like myself improve their work. I couldn't imagine someone reading 5 chapters of this book and walking away at the same level of skill. It's impossible. This book explores more than just technique, they elaborate on reasoning. These days, with current trends in social media, folks often forget we are writing our comments, essays, and reviews for a PURPOSE. "They Say / I Say" brings the author back to that purpose and teaches the writer empathy in addition to giving guidance on how to transition, how to support your claims, and so much more. It's a treasure I purchased to keep with me for life - so I can look back on it every now and then.

Get it. Stop thinking about it, and you could find yourself as grateful as I am today.

Reviewed in the United States on November 18, 2015

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I adopted this for my English Comp class, but it could be usefully assigned for students at any stage of higher education, through graduate school. The authors offer a clear and useful template approach to constructing academic arguments in several disciplines, on the premise that all good academic writing forms part of the stream of intellectual discourse (the "they say" to which a writer adds her or his "I say").

These authors know what they are talking about. Buy this book.

Top reviews from other countries

5.0 out of 5 stars Used this book to help a friend studying economics and it was useful but not as much as it was for me

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 2, 2018

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4 years of studying at undergrad and MA level and this book is the only one (out of manyyyyyy) that I used and used and scrawled all over! Would definitely say it helps for essay writing - especially in social sciences/argumentative essays. Used this book to help a friend studying economics and it was useful but not as much as it was for me.

5.0 out of 5 stars Good Read for study

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 2, 2018

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4.0 out of 5 stars Cool beans

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 3, 2015

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Book arrived a little late but in perfect condition. Great book by the way, really helpful for writing essays.

4.0 out of 5 stars Four Stars

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 8, 2015

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Delivered in good time and the book is a good read and helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Great writer's tool, poor publishing quality.

Reviewed in Canada on July 12, 2016

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Great book for all levels. Numerous "common sense" insights throughout, but many that we often forget to pay close attention to in our writing.

Only complaint, which I find major, is actually the publishing quality. The words wrap too close to the spine and make it difficult to read without prying the book open to its limits. Quite irritating for reading quickly in one sitting.