They say I say Chapter 1

In chapter one of "They say I say" the moves that matter in academic writing, Gerald Graff and Kathy Birkenstein talk about the most important thing to include in your writing, which would be to give your writing a point, and to show the significance and relationship it has to your thesis. Specifically Graff and Birkenstein use the example of a speaker referencing Doctor X. The speaker says that Doctor X is important, but he does not connect Doctor X with the areas of discipline in which he spoke of. They go on to mention that the order in which things are presented is very important as it is needed to keep the attention of the audience. They advise us to start with" what others are saying" before we go into our own opinions on the matter. Summarizing what "they say" is important to develop one's writing. The templates given are there to help the writer connect what their own idea is to the larger picture and already held beliefs.

I agree that that it is important to state the other side in one's writing. In my view the templates that the authors recommend are very useful in helping you set up the proper approach to introducing the other side. For instance a standard view template, such as " many people assume that," is a good way to start the other side in addition to creating a broader sense of the topic being discussed. I would argue that in order to accurately describe your own ideas it is necessary to compare them to others' thoughts and feelings on the matter. Overall then that is why I believe getting the "They say" of the writing included is useful in complimenting your own ideas as well as developing a relationship with other people's opinions or thoughts.