They Say, I Say

1. They Say, I Say Chapter 4: Yes/No/Okay, But

2. Three Ways to Respond • The three most common and recognizable ways to respond are to: • Disagree • Agree with a difference • Agree and disagree simultaneously • Doing so will allow your reader to place your response on a mental map of familiar choices.

3. Disagree–and explain why • It is not enough to simply claim that you disagree; you need to provide persuasive reasons as to why you disagree. • Providing a “why” allows you to prove you have something to contribute to the conversation.

4. Ways to Disagree • The “alternative” response: disagreeing with the claims and showing how they are wrong. • The “twist it” response: agreeing with the evidence provided, but showing how it actually supports your own opinion.

5. Templates for Disagreeing • I disagree that (author’s idea) because (reasons). • I disagree with (author) about (author’s idea) because (reasons). • By saying (author’s idea), (author) overlooks/doesn’t consider (exception/issue with idea).

6. Agree-but with a difference • It is not enough to simply agree with others; you need to also add something new to the conversation. • It is important to open up some difference between your position and the one your agreeing with (don’t parrot the ideas of others). • Some options: • You can apply what the author says to another context (time, location, etc.). • You can discuss reasons, important evidence, or implications that the author didn’t bring up.

7. Templates for Agreeing with a Difference • I agree that (author’s idea) because (reasons/observations). • (Author)’s idea that (X) is useful because (reasons). • (Reasons/observations) suggest that (Author)’s idea about (idea) is accurate.

8. Agree and Disagree Simultaneously • Agreeing and disagreeing simultaneously allows you to provide a complex argument. • It allows your reader to easily place your opinion on the mental map of positions, while still allowing a thoughtful response.

9. Ways to Agree and Disagree • The “stress” response: including agreement and disagreement, but stressing the importance of one over the other. • The “mixed feelings” response: showing the “pros” and “cons” of a position without decisively being for or against.

10. Templates for Agreeing and Disagreeing • Although I agree with (Author) about (idea), I disagree that (idea). • Although I disagree that (author’s idea), I agree that (idea). • (Author)’s claim about (idea) seems (reasonable, logical, etc.). However, his/her assertion that (idea) is (problematic, etc.). • Although (Author)’s claims about (idea) may be true (for certain people, in certain situations), they may not be true (for all people, in all cases or instances).