Mastering Arguments with “They Say, I Say” by Gerald Graff and Cathy Birkenstein

I recently got my hands on They Say, I Say by Gerald Graff and Cathy Birkenstein, and I’m already impressed. 

This book highlights the power of structured argumentation using proven templates—patterns you often see in academic papers and persuasive writing. 

These templates make it easier to craft strong, clear arguments, and I believe they’re incredibly useful for anyone looking to improve their writing. 

In this post, I’ll be sharing the full templates from the book, along with key insights to help you incorporate them into your writing.

These templates are from They Say, I Say and are designed to help students improve their writing.

I’ll also be using them in my blogs to refine my own writing style.

Make sure to buy the book on Amazon to support the authors' work!

LISTEN BEFORE YOU LEAP

(pp. 10–11)

• While I understand the impulse to __________, my own view is __________.
• While I agree with X that __________, I cannot accept her overall conclusion that __________.
• While X argues __________, and I argue __________, in a way we’re both right.
• I agree with __________ that __________.

THE TEMPLATE OF TEMPLATES

(p. 11)

• In recent discussions of __________, a controversial issue has been whether __________.
  • On the one hand, some argue that __________. From this perspective, __________.
  • On the other hand, however, others argue that __________.
  • In the words of __________, one of this view’s main proponents, “__________.”
  • According to this view, __________.
  • In sum, then, the issue is whether __________ or __________.
• My own view is that __________.
  • Though I concede that __________, I still maintain that __________.
  • For example, __________.
  • Although some might object that __________, I would reply that __________.
  • The issue is important because __________.

INTRODUCING WHAT “THEY SAY”

(p. 23)

• A number of __________ have recently suggested that __________.
• It has become common today to dismiss __________.
• In their recent work, Y and Z have offered harsh critiques of __________ for __________.

INTRODUCING “STANDARD VIEWS”

(pp. 23–24)

• Americans have always believed that __________.
• Conventional wisdom has it that __________.
• Common sense seems to dictate that __________.
• The standard way of thinking about topic X has it that __________.
• It is often said that __________.
• My whole life I have heard it said that __________.
• You would think that __________.
• Many people assume that __________.

MAKING WHAT “THEY SAY” SOMETHING YOU SAY

(pp. 24–25)

• I’ve always believed that __________.
• When I was a child, I used to think that __________.
• Although I should know better by now, I cannot help thinking that ________.
• At the same time that I believe __________, I also believe __________.

INTRODUCING SOMETHING IMPLIED OR ASSUMED

(p. 25)

• Although none of them have ever said so directly, my teachers have often given me the impression that __________.
• One implication of X’s treatment of __________ is that __________.
• Although X does not say so directly, she apparently assumes that __________.
• While they rarely admit as much, __________ often take for granted that _______.

INTRODUCING AN ONGOING DEBATE

(pp. 25–28)

• In discussions of X, one controversial issue has been __________.
  • On the one hand, __________ argues__________.
  • On the other hand, __________ contends __________.
  • Others even maintain __________.
  • My own view is __________.
• When it comes to the topic of _______, most of us will readily agree that ___.
  • Where this agreement usually ends, however, is on the question of ______.
  • Whereas some are convinced that __________, others maintain that ___.
• In conclusion, then, as I suggested earlier, defenders of __________ can’t have it both ways. Their assertion that _________ is contradicted by their claim that __________.

TEMPLATES FOR WRITING SUMMARIES

(pp. 42)

• In her eassy X, she advocates a radical revision of the juvenile justice system.
• They celebrate the fact that ________.
• ______, he admits.
• X and Y, in their article ________, argue that ________. Their research which demostrates that _______, challanges the idea that ________. They use _____ to show ______. X and Y's arguments speak to _____ about the larger issue of _______.

VERBS FOR INTRODUCTIONS, SUMMARIES AND QUOTATIONS

(pp. 43)

VERBS FOR MAKING A CLAIM

• Aruge, insist, assert, observe, believe, remind us, claim, report, emphasize, suggest

VERBS FOR EXPRESSING AGREEMENT

• Acknowledge, do not deny, admire, endorse, admit, extol, agree, praise, celebrate, reaffirm, concede, support, corroborate, verify

VERBS FOR QUESTIONING OR DISAGREEING

• Complain, qualify, complicate, question, contend, refute, contradict, reject, deny, renounce, deplore the tendency to, repudiate

VERBS FOR RECOMMENDATIONS

• Advocate, implore, call for, plead, demand, recommend, encourage, urge, exhort, warn

CAPTURING AUTHORIAL ACTION

(pp. 41–44)

• X acknowledges that __________.
• X agrees that __________.
• X argues that __________.
• X believes that __________.
• X celebrates the fact that __________.
• X claims that __________.
• X complains that __________.
• X concedes that __________.
• X demonstrates that __________.
• X denies/does not deny that __________.
• X deplores the tendency to __________.
• X emphasizes that __________.
• X insists that __________.
• X observes that __________.
• X questions whether __________.
• X refutes the claim that __________.
• X reminds us that __________.
• X reports that __________.
• X suggests that __________.
• X urges us to __________.

INTRODUCING QUOTATIONS

(p. 51)

• X states, “__________.”
• As the prominent philosopher X puts it, “__________.”
• According to X, “__________.”
• X himself writes, “__________.”
• In her book, __________, X maintains that “__________.”
• Writing in the journal __________, X complains that “__________.”
• In X’s view, “__________.”
• X agrees when she writes, “__________.”
• X disagrees when he writes, “__________.”
• X complicates matters further when he writes, “__________.”

EXPLAINING QUOTATIONS

(p. 52)

• Basically, X is warning __________.
• In other words, X believes __________.
• In making this comment, X urges us to __________.
• X is corroborating the age-old adage that __________.
• X’s point is that __________.
• The essence of X’s argument is that __________.

ONLY THREE WAYS TO RESPOND?

1. "I agree"
2. "I disagree"
3. "I'm of two minds. I agree that ____, but I cannot agree that _____."

DISAGREEING, WITH REASONS

(p. 62)

• I think X is mistaken because she overlooks __________.
• X’s claim that ______ rests upon the questionable assumption that _______.
• I disagree with X’s view that ____ because, as recent research has shown, ___.
• X contradicts herself / can’t have it both ways.
  • On the one hand, she argues __________.
  • On the other hand, she also says __________.
• By focusing on ________, X overlooks the deeper problem of __________.

AGREEING

(pp. 64–66)

• I agree that __________ because my experience __________ confirms it.
• X surely is right about __________ because, as she may not be aware, recent studies have shown that __________.
• X’s theory of __________ is extremely useful because it sheds insight on the difficult problem of __________.
• Those unfamiliar with this school of thought may be interested to know that it basically boils down to __________.
• I agree that ____, a point that needs emphasizing since so many people believe ____.
• If group X is right that __________, as I think they are, then we need to reassess the popular assumption that __________.

AGREEING AND DISAGREEING SIMULTANEOUSLY

(pp. 68–69)

• Although I agree with X up to a point, I cannot accept his overall conclusion that __________.
• Although I disagree with much that X says, I fully endorse his final conclusion that __________.
• Though I concede that __________, I still insist that __________.
• X is right that __________, but she seems on more dubious ground when she claims that __________.
• While X is probably wrong when she claims that __________, she is right that __________.
• Whereas X provides ample evidence that __________, Y and Z’s research on __________ and __________ convinces me that __________ instead.
• I’m of two minds about X’s claim that __________. On the one hand, I agree that __________. On the other hand, I’m not sure if __________.
• My feelings on the issue are mixed. I do support X’s position that __________, but I find Y’s argument about __________ and Z’s research on __________ to be equally persuasive.

SIGNALING WHO IS SAYING WHAT

(pp. 75–76)

• X argues __________.
• According to both X and Y, __________.
• Politicians, X argues, should __________.
• Most athletes will tell you that __________.
• My own view, however, is that __________.
• I agree, as X may not realize, that __________.
• But _______ are real and, arguably, the most significant factor in _______.
• But X is wrong that __________.
• However, it is simply not true that __________.
• Indeed, it is highly likely that __________.
• X’s assertion that __________ does not fit the facts.
• X is right that __________.
• X is wrong that __________.
• X is both right and wrong that __________.
• Yet a sober analysis of the matter reveals __________.
• Nevertheless, new research shows __________.
• Anyone familiar with __________ should agree that __________.

EMBEDDING VOICE MARKERS

(p. 79)

• X overlooks what I consider an important point about __________.
• My own view is that what X insists is a ________ is in fact a __________.
• I wholeheartedly endorse what X calls __________.
• These conclusions, which X discusses in __________, add weight to the argument that __________.

ENTERTAINING OBJECTIONS

(p. 86)

• At this point I would like to raise some objections that have been inspired by the skeptic in me. She feels that I have been ignoring __________.
• Yet some readers may challenge the view that __________.
• Of course, many will probably disagree with this assertion that __________.

NAMING YOUR NAYSAYERS

(pp. 87–88)

• Here many __________ would probably object to that __________.
• But ______ would certainly take issue with the argument that __________.
• __________, of course, may want to question whether __________.
• Nevertheless, both followers and critics of ____ will probably argue that ____.
• Although not all __________ think alike, some of them will probably dispute my claim that __________.
• __________ are so diverse in their views that it’s hard to generalize about them, but some are likely to object on the grounds that __________.

INTRODUCING OBJECTIONS INFORMALLY

(pp. 88–89)

• But is my proposal realistic? What are the chances of its actually being adopted?
• Yet is it always true that _____? Is it always the case, as I have been suggesting, that _____?
• However, does the evidence I’ve cited prove conclusively that __________?
• “Impossible,” some will say. “You must be reading the research selectively.”

MAKING CONCESSIONS WHILE STILL STANDING YOUR GROUND

(p. 93)

• Although I grant that __________, I still maintain that __________.
• Proponents of X are right to argue that __________. But they exaggerate when they claim that __________.
• While it is true that ______, it does not necessarily follow that __________.
• On the one hand, I agree with X that __________. But on the other hand, I still insist that __________.

INDICATING WHO CARES

(pp. 99–100)

• __________ used to think __________. But recently [or within the past few decades] __________ suggests that __________.
• These findings challenge the work of earlier researchers, who tended to assume that __________.
• Recent studies like these shed new light on __________, which previous studies had not addressed.
• Researchers have long assumed that __________.
  • For instance, one eminent scholar of cell biology, __________, assumed in __________, her seminal work on cell structures and functions, that fat cells __________.
  • As __________ herself put it, “__________” (2012).
  • Another leading scientist, __________, argued that fat cells “__________” (2011).
  • Ultimately, when it came to the nature of fat, the basic assumption was that ________.
• But a new body of research shows that fat cells are far more complex and that __________.
• If sports enthusiasts stopped to think about it, many of them might simply assume that the most successful athletes __________. However, new research shows __________.
• These findings challenge neoliberals’ common assumptions that __________.
• At first glance, teenagers appear to ______. But on closer inspection ______.

ESTABLISHING WHY YOUR CLAIMS MATTER

(pp. 102–3)

• 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 __________.

COMMONLY USED TRANSITIONS

(pp. 111–12)

ADDITION

also

in fact

and

indeed

besides

moreover

furthermore

so too

in addition

ELABORATION

actually

to put it another way

by extension

to put it bluntly

in other words

to put it succinctly

in short

ultimately

that is

EXAMPLE

after all

for instance

as an illustration

specifically

consider

to take a case in point

for example

CAUSE AND EFFECT

accordingly

so

as a result

then

consequently

therefore

hence

thus

Since

COMPARISON

along the same lines

likewise

in the same way

similarly

CONTRAST

although

nevertheless

but

nonetheless

by contrast

on the contrary

conversely

on the other hand

despite

regardless

even though

whereas

however

while

in contrast

yet

CONCESSION

admittedly

of course

although it is true that

naturally

granted

to be sure

CONCLUSION

as a result

in sum

consequently

therefore

hence

thus

in conclusion

to sum up

in short

to summarize

TRANSLATION RECIPES

(pp. 126–27)

• Scholar X argues, “__________.” In other words, __________.
• Essentially, X argues __________.
• X’s point, succinctly put, is that __________.
• Plainly put, __________.

ADDING METACOMMENTARY

(pp. 140–46)

• In other words, __________.
• What __________ really means by this is __________.
• My point is not __________, but __________.
• Ultimately, my goal is to demonstrate that __________.
• To put it another way, __________.
• Chapter 2 explores __________, while Chapter 3 examines __________.
• Even more important, __________.
• Incidentally, __________.
• In sum, then, __________.
• My conclusion, then, is that, __________.
• In short, __________.
• Having just argued that ______, let us now turn our attention to ________.
• Although some readers may object that ______, I would answer that ______.

LINKING TO WHAT “THEY SAY”

(p. 182)

• As X mentions in this article, “ __________.”
• In making this comment, X warns that __________.
• Economists often assume ____; however, new research by X suggests _____.

DEVELOPING GOOD RESEARCH QUESTIONS

(p. 206)

• Why did X happen? Was it, as __________ argues, because of __________ or, as __________ contends, because of __________?
• What should we do about X?
  • Should we __________, as __________ urges,
  • or __________, as __________ argues?
• Is X as harmful as ______ insists, or does it have benefits, as ______ claims?
• Is it true, as some assert, that __________?
• What is the relationship between __________ and __________?
  • Is it X, as most assume, or could it be Y, as one source suggests?
• Throughout the many years that I have taken an interest in __________, I, probably like most people, have assumed that __________.
  • When I researched the topic for this essay, however, I was surprised to discover that __________.
• X argues __________. In my experience, however, __________.

LET ONE GOOD SOURCE LEAD TO ANOTHER

(p. 209)

• X is far too pessimistic in her prediction that __________.
• Authors X and Y focus on the wrong issue. The issue is not ____ but ___.
• I agree with X in her critique of the view that ________, but __________.

STARTING WITH WHAT OTHERS SAY ABOUT A LITERARY WORK

(pp. 234–36)

• Critic X complains that author Y’s story is compromised by his __________. While there’s some truth to this critique, I argue that critic X overlooks __________.
• According to critic A, novel X suggests _____.
  • I agree, but would add that _____.
• Several members of our class have suggested that the final message of play X is __________.
  • I agree up to a point, but I still think that __________.
• On first reading play Z, I thought it was an uncritical celebration of __________.
  • After rereading the play and discussing it in class, however, I see that it is more critical of __________ than I originally thought.
• It might be said that poem Y is chiefly about __________.
  • But the problem with this reading, in my view, is __________.
• Though religious readers might be tempted to analyze poem X as a parable about _____, a closer examination suggests that the poem is in fact about _______.
• Ultimately, as I read it, The Scarlet Letter seems to say __________. I have trouble accepting this proposition, however, on the grounds that __________.
• At the beginning of the poem, we encounter the generalization, seemingly introducing the poem’s message, that “__________.”
  • But this statement is then contradicted by the suggestion made later in the poem that “__________.”
  • This opens up a significant inconsistency in the text: is it suggesting __________ or, on the contrary, __________?
• At several places in novel X, author Y leads us to understand that the story’s central point is that __________. Yet elsewhere the text suggests __________, indicating that Y may be ambivalent on this issue.

RESPONDING TO OTHER INTERPRETATIONS OF A LITERARY WORK

(p. 239)

• It might be argued that in the clash between character X and Y in play Z, the author wants us to favor character Y, since she is presented as the play’s heroine. I contend, however, that __________.
• Several critics seem to assume that poem X endorses the values of __________ represented by the image of __________ over those of __________ represented by the image of __________. I agree, but with the following caveat: __________.

SHOWING EVIDENCE WHEN WRITING ABOUT A LITERARY WORK

(p. 244)

• Although some might read the metaphor of __________ in this poem as evidence, that for author X, __________, I see it as __________.
• Some might claim that evidence X suggests __________, but I argue that, on the contrary, it suggests __________.
• I agree with my classmate __________ that the image of __________ in novel Y is evidence of __________. Unlike __________, however, I think __________.

EXPLAIN WHAT THE DATA MEAN

(p. 258–59)

• Our data support / confirm / verify the work of X by showing that _______.
• By demonstrating __________, X’s work extends the findings of Y.
• The results of X contradict / refute Y’s conclusion that __________.
• X’s findings call into question the widely accepted theory that __________.
• Our data are consistent with X’s hypothesis that __________.

EXPLAINING AN EXPERIMENTAL RESULT

(p. 262)

• One explanation for X’s finding of __________ is that __________. An alternative explanation is __________.
• The difference between _______ and ______ is probably due to ________.

INTRODUCING GAPS IN THE EXISTING RESEARCH

(p. 277)

• Studies of X have indicated __________. It is not clear, however, that this conclusion applies to __________.
• __________ often take for granted that __________. Few have investigated this assumption, however.
• X’s work tells us a great deal about __________. Can this work be generalized to __________?
• Our understanding of __________ remains incomplete because previous work has not examined __________.