They Say / I Say: The Moves That Matter in Academic Writing

The authors suggest treating writing academic and popular-science work not as exhausting labor, but as an engaging and pleasant activity. A wealth of simple templates and effective techniques recommended for use at different stages of creating a paper makes it possible to handle a concept of any complexity. At the same time, it’s not only the text’s author who benefits—readers do too. A work written according to the recommendations of Gerald Graff and Cathy Birkenstein will be not just serious and up-to-date—it will also be clear and entertaining! The authors also introduce the reader to the main rhetorical techniques that make it possible to convincingly defend your point of view before any audience. The tools for conducting debates described in the book are universal. They will help you feel confident during presentations, reading reports, and in even the most heated and difficult discussions. The book is an extremely practical methodological guide useful not only for scholars who write articles, reports, and dissertations, but also for students who very often face difficulties when writing essays, course papers, and диплом. Why is “They Say / I Say” (How to Write Persuasively) worth reading? You will learn to write academic and popular-science works of any level—enjoying not only the final result, but also the process itself; Simple, universal templates created by the authors will help you express your thoughts as fully, clearly, and engagingly as possible—so neither you nor those who read your work will fall asleep from boredom when diving into the topic; The authors’ method of working with sources will help you choose quotes correctly and use borrowing techniques without risking being accused of plagiarism. Who are the authors? Gerald Graff is a professor of English Language and Pedagogy at the University of Illinois Chicago, and president of the American Association of Modern Languages (2008). Through his books—“Professing Literature: An Institutional History,” “Beyond the Culture Wars: How Teaching the Conflicts Can Revitalize American Education,” and “Clueless in Academe: How Schooling Obscures the Life of the Mind”—he has had a huge impact on teachers. Cathy Birkenstein teaches English at the University of Chicago and co-chairs the “Writing Academic Texts” program. She is the author of articles published in College English, as well as (together with Gerald Graff) in Chronicle of Higher Education, Academe, and College Composition and Communication. Together with Gerald Graff, she gives talks and seminars at various colleges, and is currently working on research devoted to typical cases of misunderstanding in the academic environment. © Storyside