Starting with What Others Are Saying: The "They Say" Method
The Importance of "They Say" Before "I Say"
Illustrative Anecdote (Dr. X's Talk):
A speaker at an academic conference presented Dr. X's work, detailing his books and articles and quoting extensively, asserting its importance.
The audience immediately questioned the presentation's purpose, as the speaker did not initially clarify if the importance of Dr. X's work was disputed, or if his interpretation was novel.
Only during the Q&A did the speaker reveal that critics had vigorously questioned Dr. X's ideas, convincing many sociologists that the work was unsound.
Key Lesson: For writing to have a "point," writers must clearly state their thesis and the broader conversation their thesis responds to. Omitting "what others had said" leaves the audience unsure of the argument's motivation.
The Problem of Missing Context:
Without external context, an audience struggles to understand why a particular thesis is being advanced.
Even an audience familiar with the subject benefits from a clear outline of the ongoing conversation, reminding them of "what they say."
Ordering Your Argument Effectively
Engagement and Clarity: To maintain audience engagement, writers must explain what they are responding to before offering their response, or at least very early in the discussion.
Avoiding Delay: Delaying this crucial explanation for more than one or two paragraphs in short pieces, three or four pages in longer works, or ten or so pages in a book, reverses the natural order of reader processing and idea development.
Natural Progression: Writers typically encounter existing criticisms or perspectives first and are then compelled to respond or "set the record straight." This natural order should be mimicked in writing.
Core Advice: In constructing arguments (oral or written), start with "what others are saying" and then introduce your own ideas as a response.
Summarize "what they say" as soon as possible and strategically remind readers of it as your text progresses.
It is crucial to master this practice before deviating from it.
Balancing Context and Your Own Claims
Avoiding Extremes: Avoid two extremes:
Presenting an argument with no context (the Dr. X example).
Spending too much time summarizing critics without hinting at your own position (which also confuses readers).
Optimal Approach: State your own position and the one it's responding to together, conceptualizing them as a single unit.
Strategic Summarization: Briefly summarize the ideas you are responding to at the beginning of your text, and defer detailed elaboration until later.
This provides readers with a quick preview of your argument's motivation without immediately overwhelming them.
Integrating with Your Thesis: This approach does not contradict the advice to lead with your thesis; rather, it presents your argument as an integral part of a larger conversation.
It clarifies whether you are supporting, opposing, amending, complicating, or qualifying others' arguments.
Benefit of Early Summary: Summarizing others' views early allows those views to help "frame and clarify the issue" you are writing about.
Examples of Effective Openings
George Orwell's "Politics and the English Language":
Orwell effectively starts by summarizing a common perspective: most people concur the English language is in decline but believe conscious action cannot reverse it, seeing it as an inevitable part of civilizational collapse.
He then immediately introduces his counter-argument: "[But] the process is reversible. Modern English . . . is full of bad habits . . . which can be avoided if one is willing to take the necessary trouble."
Structure: Essentially, "Most people assume X, but I say Y."
Alternative Opening Methods:
While starting with "they say" is potent, writers can also begin with:
An illustrative quotation.
A revealing fact or statistic.
A relevant anecdote (as the authors do in this chapter).
Crucial Condition: If using an alternative, ensure it clearly illustrates the view being addressed or leads directly to it with minimal transitional steps.
Christina Nehring's "Books Make You a Boring Person":
Nehring opens with an anecdote about encountering someone proudly displaying a "I'm a reader!" button, which she dislikes.
This anecdote serves as a subtle "they say," representing the "new piety" and "self-congratulation of book lovers" that her essay critiques.
Templates for Introducing "They Say"
Templates for Introducing "Standard Views": Used for widely accepted or conventional beliefs.
"A number of sociologists have recently suggested that X’s work has several fundamental problems."
"It has become common today to dismiss __."
"In their recent work, Y and Z have offered harsh critiques of for ."
"Americans have always believed that individual effort can triumph over circumstances."
"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 __."
Purpose: To efficiently challenge widely accepted beliefs, placing them under scrutiny to analyze their strengths and weaknesses.
Templates for Making What "They Say" Something You Say: Used to present a view that you yourself once held or about which you are ambivalent.
"My whole life I have heard it said that __."
"You would think that __."
"Many people assume that __."
"I’ve always believed that museums are boring."
"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 ."
Templates for Introducing Something Implied or Assumed: Used to summarize points not explicitly stated but implied or taken for granted by others.
"Although none of them have ever said so directly, my teachers have often given me the impression that education will open doors."
"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 ."
Purpose: To foster analytical thinking by prompting writers to look beyond explicit statements and consider unstated assumptions and implications.
Templates for Introducing an Ongoing Debate: Used to summarize conflicting views on a subject, demonstrating a writer's understanding of the contentious nature of the topic.
Basic Template: "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 __ ."
Example (Mark Aronoff): Explores the long-standing debate between rationalism (mind as preprogrammed) and empiricism (mind as a blank slate) regarding the human mind/brain.
Example (Michaela Cullington): Frames the debate about whether online writing abbreviations like "LOL" positively or negatively affect student writing skills.
Variation (Starting with Agreement, Ending with Disagreement): "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 __."
Example (Thomas Frank): Acknowledges the widespread lament of a divided nation during an election year, but then highlights the controversy over the exact property that divides people.
Purpose: To demonstrate awareness of opposing viewpoints, establish credibility as a knowledgeable guide, and allow the writer to explore the issue and discover their own position before committing.
Keeping "They Say" in View Throughout Your Text
Continuous Reference: It is critically important to keep the summarized "they say" ideas in view throughout your text, not just at the outset.
Reader Guidance: Readers cannot effectively follow your unfolding response or any complexities you introduce unless continually reminded of the claims you are responding to.
"Return Sentences": Strategically include these sentences at various points to bring the motivating "they say" back into focus.
Example: "In conclusion, then, as I suggested earlier, defenders of can’t have it both ways. Their assertion that is contradicted by their claim that __."
The authors of this text use return sentences to remind readers of the view of writing they are questioning throughout the book.
Maintaining Mission and Urgency: Return sentences ensure the text sustains a sense of mission and urgency, framing your argument as a genuine response to others' views rather than a mere series of observations.
Core Principle: To truly engage in a conversation and be responsive to others, you must both start with "what others are saying" and consistently keep it in your readers' view.
Exercises (Purpose)
The provided exercises are practical applications designed to help students:
Practice composing "they say" arguments for various topics using the chapter's templates.
Analyze how professional writers introduce and respond to "they say" arguments in their own works.
Review and revise their own academic writing to ensure that "they say" statements are introduced early and effectively, providing necessary context for their arguments.