They Say, I Say Journal

Summarizing and Responding

They Say
Providing a Context

Starting with What Others Are Saying They Say

It is often important to start with what others are saying in order to explain what you are responding to.

Doing this provides a context or frame into which your ideas or arguments can provide a new voice.
When you summarize you are putting information from another source in your own words with a focus on the main ideas rather than every detail. Imagine your classmate has asked you: What was that chapter about? Summarizing allows you to put what you read into your own words.

How to Summarize
Take notes both in the book and on a separate sheet of paper as you read. Focus on the main ideas and main events. When writing a summary, it is often useful to paraphrase and include quotes from the work you are summarizing to highlight a particular point the author is making.
Paraphrasing means putting the author's ideas in your own words. This is a good way of presenting a long passage in a brief way. You can use short quotes, a few words, a sentence or even a couple of sentences, when you feel the author's words provide the best way of conveying the message.

I Say
Entering the Conversation

State Your Ideas as a Response to Others

Academic writing is argumentative writing.
To argue effectively, you need to use the ideas of others as the basis of your own ideas. In order to make an impact as a writer, we need to identify how our ideas are responding to what they say. Using the they say, I say format can help you to disagree with others, to challenge standard ways of thinking, and thus to stir up controversy.

Ways of Responding
There can be a variety of ways to respond to what others say. For example, you may:
Disagree with what they say Agree with what they say Both agree and disagree with what they say Be emotionally moved (angry, sad, amused, inspired) by what they say

Putting in Your Oar

The purpose of looking at writing from this view is to become a critical thinker who: Is not passively recounting ideas Can participate in conversations and debates Can build informed ideas Can become an engaged member of society.

Heres An Example!
They Say/I Say for the Movie Titanic They Say: This movie is about two main characters: Rose and Jack. Rose is a woman who is engaged to a very wealthy man, Cal, who doesnt treat her well. She is traveling on the boat Titanic with her fianc and her mom. Jack is a poor artist who won his ticket on the Titanic in a card game. At one point Rose decides she cant endure her moms expectations and marrying Cal, so she stands on the front of Titanic, ready to jump and end her life. Jack saves her, and they develop a friendship and fall in love. They have to run from Cal, who doesnt want them to be together. Soon, the Titanic hits an iceberg and they are both left floating in the water. Jack dies, but Rose survives. We see her as an old woman who throws the necklace Cal gave her on the Titanic in the water.

Heres An Example!
I Say: I was really moved by parts of this movie. I cant imagine what it was like to be a woman in the early 1900s. I take for granted that I dont have to marry anyone I dont want to and that I have the freedom to make my own decisions. Rose didnt feel like she had many choices in her life, which is why she almost committed suicide. I did think it was a little unrealistic that Rose and Jack would fall in love so fast, though. It seems like they really didnt even know each other. And it really bothered me when Rose said she would never let go, but then actually lets go of Jacks hand when he is in the water. My least favorite parts of the movie were the scenes set in present day. I just wanted them to get back to Rose and Jack and didnt really care that much about the crew looking for the Titanic.