Gerald Graff - They Say / I Say

Like a Swiss army knife for academic writing, They Say / I Say has long served as a multipurpose tool for students learning how to make the moves that are second nature to more experienced writers. The fifth edition adds several useful implements to the knife, including new chapters with practical, how-to advice on revision and inquiry-driven research.

Steven Bailey, Central Michigan University

It is so invigorating to have a concise, smart chapter on research writing that thinks past the standard process we are all so used to reading and teaching.

Ana Cooke, Penn State University

The text isnt just about writing argumentsits about reading and evaluating arguments, understanding who is saying what and why. Thats the heart of research and inquiry.

Kay Halasek, The Ohio State University

The templates were beyond helpful. They give an excellent starting point from which to launch my writing and would oftentimes help me with the flow of my writing.

First Year Student, College of Southern Nevada

Many students say that it is the first book theyve found that actually helps them with writing in all disciplines.

Laura Sonderman,Marshall University

A beautifully lucid way to approach argumentdifferent from any rhetoric Ive ever seen.

Anne-Marie Thomas, Austin Community College, Riverside

This book demystifies rhetorical moves, tricks of the trade that many students are unsure about. Its reasonable, helpful, nicely written... and hey, its true. I would have found it immensely helpful myself in high school and college.

Mike Rose,University of California, Los Angeles

The argument of this book is importantthat there are moves to academic writing... and that knowledge of them can be generative. The template format is a good way to teach and demystify the moves that matter. I like this book a lot.

David Bartholomae,University of Pittsburgh

Students need to walk a fine line between their work and that of others, and this book helps them walk that line, providing specific methods and techniques for introducing, explaining, and integrating other voices with their own ideas.

Libby Miles,University of Vermont

A brilliant book.... Its like a membership card in the academic club.

Eileen Seifert,DePaul University

It offers students the formulas we, as academic writers, all carry in our heads.

Karen Gardiner, University of Alabama

The best tribute to They Say / I Say Ive heard is this, from a student: This is one book Im not selling back to the bookstore. Nods all around the room. The students love this book.

Christine Ross,Quinnipiac University

What effect has They Say had on my students writing? They are finally entering the Burkian Parlor of the university. This book uncovers the rhetorical conventions that transcend disciplinary boundaries, so that even freshmen, newcomers to the academy, are immediately able to join in the conversation.

Margaret Weaver,Missouri State University

Its the anti-composition text: Fun, creative, humorous, brilliant, effective.

Perry Cumbie, Durham Technical Community College

This book explains in clear detail what skilled writers take for granted.

John Hyman, American University

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Copyright 2021, 2018, 2017, 2014, 2010, 2009, 2006 by W. W. Norton & Company, Inc.

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Composition: Cenveo

Permission to use copyrighted material is included in the credits section of this book, which begins on .

The Library of Congress has catalogued the printed edition as follows:

Names: Graff, Gerald, author. | Birkenstein, Cathy, author.

Title: They say / I say : the moves that matter in academic writing / Gerald Graff, Cathy Birkenstein, both of the University of Illinois at Chicago.

Other titles: They say/I say

Description: Fifth Edition. | New York : W.W. Norton & Company, [2021] | Fourth edition: 2018. | Includes bibliographical references and index.

Identifiers: LCCN 2020045137 | ISBN 9780393427516 (Paperback) | ISBN 9780393538298 (ePub)

Subjects: LCSH: Writing. | Authorship. | English languageRhetoricHandbooks, manuals, etc. | Persuasion (Rhetoric)Handbooks, manuals, etc. | Report writingHandbooks, manuals, etc.

Classification: LCC PE1431 .G73 2021 | DDC 808.06/6378dc23

LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2020045137

ISBN: 978-0-393-42751-6 (pbk.)

ISBN: 978-0-393-53829-8 (ebook)

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For Aaron David