Notes on Introducing What They Say: They Say Framework for Academic Writing

Core Idea: Start with What Others Are Saying and Place Your Ideas in a Larger Conversation

Writers should not just present their thesis in isolation but show the ongoing conversation they are entering. The goal is to reveal what larger discourse their claim responds to, clarifying why their point matters.
The example at the conference: a speaker argued that Dr. X’s work was very important but gave no sense of what others had said or how his claim fit into debates about X’s work. This left the audience puzzled.
The lesson: to give writing its most important thing—a point—you must indicate not only what your thesis is but also what larger conversation your thesis is responding to. If you skip this, even knowledgeable readers may miss the point.
The audience’s understanding improves when they see what yey say (the larger conversation) and how your claim responds to it.
The ordering matters: introduce the conversation early, or at least very early in the discussion. Delaying this explanation too long reverses the natural process by which readers process material and writers think.
The basic structure to adopt: start with what others are saying, then introduce your own ideas as a response, treating the two as a single unit.

The Two-Part Unit: Your Position and the Position You’re Responding To

As soon as possible in your text, state your own position together with the position you’re responding to.
Briefly summarize the ideas you’re responding to at the start; then elaborate on them later.
The goal is to give readers a quick preview of what motivates your argument, not drown them in details at once.
If you summarize others’ views, you let those views help frame and clarify the issue you’re writing about.
This approach prevents the frustrating impression that you’re arbitrarily defending one side without acknowledging opposing or alternative perspectives.

Why Lead with They Say? The Practical Rationale

Leading with a thorough list of everyone who has written on the subject is not required; the aim is to show the key conversation and where your point fits.
Some texts might begin with a direct statement of your own thesis, but the authors advocate for presenting your claim as part of a larger conversation that you are shaping or challenging.
The approach helps frame and clarify the issue for readers, and it invites them to participate in the discussion you are entering.
By addressing the conversation early, you can use readers’ prior knowledge to your advantage and avoid misinterpretation.

Opening Formats: How to Introduce What "They Say"

Writers can open by summarizing common views or widely accepted beliefs (the “standard view”).
They can open with an illustrative anecdote, a revealing fact or statistic, or a relevant narrative that leads to their own claim.
The order often used in opening examples: anecdote or illustration -> statement of misconception or debate -> your claim.
Example openings shown in the chapter include: George Orwell’s Politics and the English Language opening, Christina Nehring’s Books Make You a Boring Person, and conference anecdotes.
The goal is to move quickly from what others say to what you say, while ensuring the opening still signals the broader conversation.

They Say: Standard Templates for Introducing Conventional Views

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 __.
These templates help you place widely accepted beliefs on the table for analysis and critique.

They Say: Making What They Say Your Own (Responding to They Say)

You can present the "they say" as something you once believed, something you are ambivalent about, or a view you are actively contesting.
Templates for introducing something implied or assumed:
- 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 __.

They Say: Summarizing What Is Implied or Assumed

Sometimes the strongest moves summarize a point not directly stated but implied or assumed by the others.
These templates encourage you to analyze unstated assumptions and the implications of the others’ views.

They Say: Introducing an Ongoing Debate

Opening with a debate signals that there are two or more conflicting views, showing subject mastery and guiding readers through the issue.
Sample openings illustrate how to frame a debate while signaling your own stance within it.
Example prompts include: education and doors opened by education; the assumption that X implies Y; or that opponents may assume something without saying it directly.

They Say: A Basic Template for Opening with a Debate

Theories of how the mind/brain works have been dominated for centuries by two opposing views. One, rationalism, sees the mind as preprogrammed; the other, empiricism, sees the mind as a blank slate.
Mark Aronoff, “Washington Sleeped Here”
Uses this template to present two sides and then carve out the author’s own stance within the ongoing debate.

They Say: Openings in Practice (Student Examples)

Michaela Cullington uses a debate template to discuss online writing abbreviations like LOL and their impact on writing:
- Example: 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 __.
Thomas Frank uses a proposition-at-issue opening: a ubiquitous lament about a divided nation, followed by the recognition that the exact source of that division is contested.
The core idea remains: lead with they say, then present your own view, and show how your view relates to the ongoing debate.

Keeping They Say in View: Return Sentences and Ongoing Orientation

Return sentences remind readers of the motivating ideas you are responding to throughout your piece.
They help maintain a sense of mission and urgency, framing your argument as a genuine response rather than a series of observations.
Example return: “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 practice ensures readers continually see the original concerns and the conversation that shapes the response.

Practical Drafting Guidance

Start with your position and the position you’re responding to together, as a unit.
Summarize the ideas you’re responding to briefly at the start; delay detailed elaboration until later.
Use a quick preview of the motivating conversation, not a deluge of details.
Throughout the piece, remind readers of the claims you are responding to with return sentences.
If your text becomes long or complex, these reminders help readers follow the argument and its developments.
Keep returning to the motivating "they say" throughout the text as you present complications, amendments, or qualifications.

They Say in Practice: Exercises from the Chapter

Exercise 1: Create a they-say argument for topics like self-driving vehicles, free college tuition, social media usage among teens, value of studying humanities, etc.; use any templates.
Exercise 2: Analyze Kenneth Goldsmith’s LA Times op-ed, “Go Ahead: Waste Time on the Internet,” focusing on how he introduces what others are saying about the internet and screens; examine the variety of openings he uses to present
they say.
Exercise 3: Review your own writing and identify where you introduce what others are saying; highlight they-say segments; revise to introduce these views earlier if necessary.
Exercise 4: Read aloud with a partner to compare effectiveness of different templates; discuss which moves were most challenging and why.

Case Study: Kenneth Goldsmith’s Op-Ed (Go Ahead: Waste Time on the Internet)

Goldsmith challenges the conventional claim that the Internet is uniformly bad for our attention and time.
He argues that the Internet is not a monolith; it is a mix of stupid and sublime, with both frivolous and productive uses.
He contrasts this with the traditional fear that screens destroy concentration, noting observable sustained attention in some people on devices.
They-say approach here:
- Opening asks where in the passage Goldsmith shows he is incorporating what others say about the Internet.
- He demonstrates multiple openings that introduce the conversation before presenting his position.
This example illustrates flexibility in opening with they say while ultimately presenting a nuanced stance.

Orwell and Nehring: Early Examples of They Say Openings

Orwell (Politics and the English Language): starts with a common belief about the language’s decline and then counters it with a reversible-process argument.
Nehring (Books Make You a Boring Person): opens with an anecdote about book lovers and then presents her argument that book lovers display a self-congratulatory culture, illustrating a they-say frame leading to her claim.
These examples show how starting with what others are saying can quickly pivot to your own stance while leveraging the audience’s familiarity with the discourse.

Why This Matters Across Disciplines

A strong they-say frame helps readers understand the context, stakes, and relevance of your argument.
A well-constructed they-say opening facilitates engagement, reduces misinterpretation, and strengthens the credibility of your claims by showing awareness of competing or complementary viewpoints.
This approach supports ethical scholarship by giving due consideration to other voices and avoiding strawman representations.

Summary Takeaways

Always consider the larger conversation when presenting a thesis.
Introduce what others are saying early, then present your response as a united argument with theirs.
Use a mix of templates to open or orient your text, including standard views, implied assumptions, and ongoing debates.
Keep the they-say framework in view throughout the piece with return sentences to maintain coherence and purpose.
Practice with exercises to develop fluency in using they say in your writing and revision process.