Response to They Say, I Say
I enjoyed this article much more than Orwell’s. The writing was more to the point and,
I thought, more openly helpful to writing an argument paper.
The opening story showed the need for clarity and in getting to the point so your readers don’t
lose interest or become fuddled as to the position you are taking on a subject. As is stated on
page 18, “…that to give writing the most important thing of all –namely, a point – a writer needs
to indicate clearly not only for his…thesis…but also what…that thesis is responding to.”
The suggestions throughout the article were excellent, especially the pointers on starting the
Article. “…you could start with an illustrative quotation, a revealing fact or statistic, or…a
relative anecdote.”
The chapter on Three Ways to Respond also shed light on the “…agreeing, disagreeing, or
some combination of both…” viewpoints. The ability to illustrate the differences between
positions of pro, con, or both, was clear and extremely informative. The instructions to give
reason to your agreement or disagreement instead of just agreeing or disagreeing illuminated
an obvious but much overlooked point, that your argument should always be backed up with
substance.
Chapter three also brings up the use of the “twist it” move and shows how studies and
information can be used by the writer in a number of ways to support their particular viewpoint.
This can be extremely important to keep in mind when researching your paper. You might be
inclined to disregard a source (article, interview and such) because it disagrees with your
position on a topic, but this chapter shows you how you might be able to use an opposing
argument in your favor. This is a tactic I have found very useful when stating a position
because it not only supports your view, but undermines your opponents view. Sort of like killing
two birds with one stone, you add members of the audience to your side while subtracting
members from their side.