They-Say/I-Say templates — drilling the moves that matter

Read aloud Template 4: 'Although I agree with X up to a point, I cannot accept her overall conclusion that ___.' What does this template DO?

• Affirm: it lets the writer ACKNOWLEDGE before DISAGREEING — sophisticated
• Connect: this is academic civility — naming the position you're departing from

Today we drill 6 They-Say/I-Say templates. These are not crutches — they are the moves that academic writers ACTUALLY use. Graff and Birkenstein's book catalogs 50+; we'll work with 12. The 6 we focus on today: TEMPLATE 1 — introducing what they say ('X argues that ___'). TEMPLATE 2 — disagreeing with reasons ('I disagree with X because ___'). TEMPLATE 3 — agreeing with a difference ('I agree that ___ — a point that needs emphasizing because ___'). TEMPLATE 4 — agreeing AND disagreeing ('Although I agree with X, I cannot accept ___'). TEMPLATE 8 — synthesis across sources ('While X argues ___, Y maintains ___, suggesting that ___'). TEMPLATE 11 — meta-discourse ('In this essay, I will argue ___'). The big idea: ACADEMIC WRITING IS A CONVERSATION. Your job is to enter it. The templates name the moves that make conversation possible — naming the position you're responding to (they say) before stating your own (I say). Without 'they say,' your 'I say' has no context. Many students worry templates are 'cheating' — they're not. They're scaffolds, used until the moves are internalized, then customized.

• Reasons make the disagreement substantive. Without reasons, you're just contradicting.

  model 'I disagree with this view because research suggests that excessive homework correlates with student burnout rather than achievement (Pope 47).' Notice: 'they say' is acknowledged ('this view'), and 'I say' is offered with a REASON, not just a counterclaim.

  prompt Prompt: 'Some say homework is essential for academic growth.' Apply Template 2 (disagreeing with reasons).
• Synthesis emerges from disagreement. Two sources contradicting create the space for the writer's contribution.

  model 'While source A argues that fossil-fuel emissions are the primary driver, source B maintains that deforestation deserves equal consideration, suggesting that climate-mitigation policy must address multiple drivers simultaneously.' Notice: the writer doesn't just name the disagreement — she draws a SYNTHESIS implication from it.

  prompt Prompt: 'Sources A and B disagree about climate causation.' Apply Template 8 (synthesis across sources).

• Pair-share: which template do you find most useful so far and why?
• Cold Call: name the 'they say' and 'I say' in your favorite example.

M-8-F-RH-03-A Chart

MG-3 anchor with templates 1, 2, 3, 4, 8, 11 highlighted in gold. Print-ready 18x24.

MG-3 Chart

They-Say/I-Say templates anchor (Graff & Birkenstein): 12-template card with sentence frames. TEMPLATE 1 — Introducing what 'they say': 'X argues that ___.' / 'In recent discussions of ___, a controversial issue has been ___.' TEMPLATE 2 — Disagreeing with reasons: 'I disagree with X's view because ___.' / 'X is mistaken because she overlooks ___.' TEMPLATE 3 — Agreeing with a difference: 'I agree that ___ — a point that needs emphasizing because ___.' / 'X's theory is useful because it sheds light on ___.' TEMPLATE 4 — Agreeing AND disagreeing simultaneously: 'Although I agree with X up to a point, I cannot accept her overall conclusion that ___.' / 'My feelings on the issue are mixed. I do support X's position that ___, but I find Y's argument about ___ equally persuasive.' TEMPLATE 5 — Capturing authorial action: 'X argues' / 'X contends' / 'X claims' / 'X observes' / 'X documents' / 'X concedes' / 'X complicates matters further when she writes ___.' TEMPLATE 6 — Embedding a quotation: 'X states, "___" (12).' / 'As X puts it, "___" (12).' TEMPLATE 7 — Explaining a quotation: 'In other words, X believes ___.' / 'X's point is that ___.' TEMPLATE 8 — Synthesis across sources: 'X agrees with Y when she writes ___.' / 'While X argues ___, Y maintains ___, suggesting that ___.' TEMPLATE 9 — Anticipating objections: 'Of course, many will probably disagree on the grounds that ___. Yet ___.' TEMPLATE 10 — Saying why it matters ('so what'): 'X's findings have important implications for ___.' / 'These conclusions will have significant applications in ___ as well as ___.' TEMPLATE 11 — Meta-discourse / signposting: 'In this essay, I will argue ___.' / 'First, ___; second, ___; finally, ___.' / 'In what follows, I will ___.' TEMPLATE 12 — Concluding gracefully: 'In sum, then, ___.' / 'My point is not that we should ___, but rather that we should ___.' Bottom rule: 'Templates are scaffolds, not crutches. Use them until the moves are internalized; then customize.' Print-ready 18x24.

• Apply 4 different templates to 4 short prompts. Write 1 sentence per template.

  scaffold MG-3 templates at desk; prompt cards
• Rewrite this flat opinion paragraph using Template 3 (agreeing with a difference) AND Template 8 (synthesis): 'Schools should require uniforms because they prevent bullying.'

  scaffold Side-by-side template + revision space

• Apply Template 4 (agreeing AND disagreeing) to this prompt: 'Some argue that AI tutors will replace human teachers.'

• Restate: templates are scaffolds for the moves that matter in academic conversation
• Preview lesson 4: source-evaluation expanded

• Apply 3 different templates to 3 prompts of your choice (from a list of 8). Mark the template used in margin.