INDEX OF TEMPLATES

Birkenstein, Cathy, and Gerald Graff. They Say/ I Say: The Moves That Matter In Academic Writing. 2nd ed. New York: W.W. Norton & Co Inc, 2010.

Introducing an Ongoing Debate

Introducing What “They Say”  In discussions of X, one controversial issue has
 A number of __________ have recently suggested been __________. On the one hand, __________ argues
that __________. __________. On the other hand, __________ contends
 It has become common today to dismiss __________. __________.
 In their recent work, Y and Z have offered harsh  When it comes to the topic of __________, most of us
critiques of __________ for __________. will readily agree that __________. Where this
agreement usually ends, however, is on the
Introducing “Standard Views” question of __________. Whereas some are
 Americans today tend to believe that __________. convinced that __________, others maintain that
 Conventional wisdom has it that __________. __________.
 Common sense seems to dictate that __________.  In conclusion, then, defenders of __________ can’t
 The standard way of thinking about topic X has it have it both ways. Their assertion that __________ is
that __________. contradicted by their claim that __________.
 It is often said that __________.
 You would think that __________. Capturing Authorial Action
 Many people assume that __________.  X acknowledges that __________.
 X agrees that __________.
Making What “They Say” Something You Say  X argues that __________.
 I’ve always believed that __________.  X believes that __________.
 When I was a child, I used to think that __________.  X denies/does not deny that __________.
 Although I should know better by now, I cannot  X claims that __________.
help thinking that __________.  X complains that __________.
 At the same time that I believe __________, I also  X concedes that __________.
believe __________.  X demonstrates that __________.
 X deplores the tendency to __________.
Introducing Something Implied or Assumed  X celebrates the fact that __________.
 Although none of them have ever said so directly,  X emphasizes that __________.
my teachers have often given me the impression  X insists that __________.
that __________.  X observes that __________.
 One implication of X’s treatment of __________ is  X questions whether __________.
that __________.  X refutes the claim that __________.
 Although X does not say so directly, she  X reminds us that __________.
apparently assumes that __________.  X reports that __________.
 While they rarely admit as much, __________ often  X suggests that __________.
take for granted that __________.  X urges us to __________.
Introducing Quotations  Indeed, it is highly likely that __________.
 X states, “__________.”  X’s assertion that __________ does not fit the facts.
 As the prominent philosopher X puts it,  X is right that __________.
“__________.”  X is wrong that __________.
 According to X, “__________.”  X is both right and wrong that __________.
 X himself writes, “__________.”  Yet a sober analysis of matter reveals __________.
 In her book, __________, X maintains that “__________.”  Nevertheless, new research shows __________.
 Writing in the journal Commentary, X complains  Anyone familiar with __________ should agree that
that “__________.” __________.
 In X’s view, “__________.”
 X agrees when she writes, “__________.” Embedding Voice Markers
 X disagrees when he writes, “_________.”  X overlooks an important point about __________.
 X complicates matters further when he writes,  These conclusions, which X discusses in __________,
“__________.” add weight to the argument that __________.

Explaining Quotations Entertaining Objections

 Basically, X is saying __________.  Yet some reserchers/politicians/businessmen
 In other words, X believes __________. may challenge the view that __________.
 In making this comment, X urges us to __________.  Of course, many will probably disagree with this
 X is corroborating the age-old adage that __________. assertion that __________.
 X’s point is that __________. Naming Your Naysayers
 The essence of X’s argument is that __________.  Here many feminists would probably object that
__________.
Agreeing And Disagreeing Simultaneously  But social Darwinists would certainly take issue
 Whereas X provides ample evidence that __________, with the argument that __________.
Y and Z’s research on __________ and __________  Biologists, of course, may want to question
convinces me that __________ instead. whether __________.
 X is right that __________, but she seems on more  Nevertheless, both followers and critics of Malcolm
dubious ground when she claims that __________. X will probably argue that __________.
 While X is probably wrong when she claims that  Although not all Christians think alike, some of
__________, she is right that __________. them probably dispute my claim that __________.

Signaling Who is Saying What Indicating Who Cares

 X argues __________.  __________ used to think __________. But recently [or
 According to both X and Y, __________. within the past few decades] __________ suggests
 Politicians __________, X argues, should __________. that __________.
 Most athletes will tell you that __________.  These findings challenge the work of earlier
 My own view, however, is that __________. researchers, who tended to assume that __________.
 But __________ are real and, arguably, the most  Recent studies like these shed new light on
significant factory in __________. __________, which previous studies had not
 But X is wrong that __________. addressed.
 However, it is simply not true that __________.
 If sports enthusiasts stopped to think about it,  In sum, then, __________.
many of them might simply assume that the most  My conclusion, then, is that, __________.
successful athletes __________. However, new  In short, __________.
research shows __________.  What is more important, __________.
 These findings challenge neoliberals’ common  Incidentally, __________.
assumptions that __________.  By the way, __________.
 At first glance, teenagers appear to __________. But  Chapter 2 explores __________, while Chapter 3
on closer inspection __________. examines __________.
 Having just argued that __________, let us now turn
Comparing Two or More Studies’ Findings our attention to __________.
 Data support/confirm/verify the work of X by
showing that __________. Introducing Gaps in the Existing Research
 By demonstrating __________, X’s work extends the  Studies of X have indicated __________. It is not
findings of Y. clear, however, that this conclusion applies to
 The results of X contradict/refuse Y’s conclusion __________.
that __________.  __________ often take for granted that __________. Few
 X’s findings call into question the widely accepted have investigated this assumption, however.
theory that __________.

Establishing Why Your Claims Matter

 X matters/is important because __________.
 Although X may seem trivial, it is in fact crucial in
terms of today’s concern over __________.
 Ultimately, what is at stake here is __________.
 These findings have important consequences for
the broader domain of __________.
 My discussion of X is in fact addressing the larger
matter of __________.
 These conclusions/This discovery will have
significant applications in __________ as well as in
__________.
 Although X may seem of concern to only a small
group of __________, it should in fact concern anyone
who cares about __________.

Adding Metacommentary
 In other words __________.
 What __________ really means by this is __________.
 Ultimately, my goal is to demonstrate that
__________.
 My point is not __________, but __________.
 To put it another way, __________.