They Say, I Say: Part 2

Chapter 4: “Yes/ No / Okay, But”

In chapter four, Graff and Birkenstein concentrate on the three most common ways to respond to other’s ideas. They advise you to respond with a yes, no, or okay, but. They write that it’s a strong tactic to directly state whether you agree, disagree, or agree to disagree. It allows the receiver to fully understand your viewpoint. They also promote the act of disagreeing, since it calls for critical thinking and problem solving. After that, they provide some templates to aid in writing out your “disagreement”. Contrarily, they also promote agreeing, but with a difference. They say that even if you agree, you need to bring new ideas and perspectives into the conversation. And they also provide some templates to help create a supportive argument while also adding new ideas. Finally, they analyze the fact that it is okay to be unsure of where you stand on a topic. They explain that some people might think they seem evasive or might upset their audiences since they aren’t giving clear-cut answers. But, in the end, how the readers judge you isn’t important and they only important thing is the quality of what you write about.

What I learned: Before reading this chapter, I had no idea that there were specific types of ways to respond to people’s ideas. I thought they were just opinionated responses that did not follow any sort of format.  

Chapter 5: “And Yet”

In chapter 5, Graff and Birkenstein explain the importance of being able to differentiate between the views of the readers and your own. The authors highlight the use “voice markers” in order to do this. For example, “yet” is an example of a voice marker. After that, they give some templates to help format the ways to identify who is saying what in your writing. They also talk about avoiding first person writing since it can be boring to read boring to read “I” over and over again.  

What I learned: Before reading this chapter, I had not realized some negative effects of writing in first person. It will make me rethink the point of view I write in.

Chapter 6: “Skeptics May Object”

In chapter 6, Graff and Birkenstein describe the importance of criticisms and what they teach. They advise you to listen to these critiques and they will help you improve your writing. They also highlight anticipating objections and not allowing the objections to undermine your credibility and argument. You should always entertain the counter argument and have a rebuttal. If you do not, you could be seen as close minded and it could leave the readers with questions. Then, the authors provide templates for acknowledging the objections and identifying those who question or object your viewpoint, also known as “naysayers”. They then explain how to introduce objections fairly, answer the objections, and give some templates in order to accomplish them accurately.

What I learned: Before reading this chapter, I was more closed off to accepting critiques of my writing. But now, I am fully aware of the benefits and will try harder to listen to the critiques.

Chapter 7: “So What?”

In chapter 7, Graff and Birkenstein underline one of the major problems in writing, which is when the authors do not address why their arguments even matter. Answering these questions are crucial in your writing. It makes sure that the readers are not left with any questions and it ties up all the loose ends. You want to be as clear and straightforward as possible, while also explaining your arguments and reasons in grave detail. Then, the authors provide templates to state who “cares” and help writers explain why readers should care about what they are writing about. After that, writers need to answer the “so what” question. Why is this important? This further allows the authors to explain the importance of what they are writing about. Finally, the authors give more templates on establishing why your claims matter. And they explain what to do when the readers already know that the author’s topic matters.

What I learned: Before reading this chapter, I was not aware of the major problem of forgetting to explain why your argument matters. For me, I thought it was common sense to explain your viewpoint and why it is important in argumentative pieces.