- “In our view, then, the best academic writing has one underlying feature: it is deeply engaged in some way with other people’s views” (Graff and Birkenstein 3). Identify at least two reasons engaging others’ views is important in academic writing. Quote Graff and Birkenstein as part of your response.
The first reason Graff and Birkenstein identify as to why a writer would want to engage other people’s views is that it helps to make the point of what you are either saying or writing clear to the person either listening or reading. They state “what you are saying may be clear to your audience, but why you are saying it won’t be” (Graff and Birkenstein 4). The second reason is that writing can become flat and lifeless without having any argument, or reason for controversy. They state that the writing “…may be a perfectly true statement, but precisely because nobody is likely to disagree with it, it goes without saying and thus would seem pointless if said” (Graff and Birkenstein 9). Also, Graff and Birkenstein make a point that the “they say / I say” argument can help you to partially agree with something someone had said, while disagreeing with the rest of it. Lastly, engaging in other people’s views can help you to become an active participant in the society. Graff and Birkenstein claim that “…a critical, intellectual thinker who, instead of sitting passively on the sidelines, can participate in the debates and conversations of your world in an active and empowered way” (Graff and Birkenstein 15). Overall, engaging in other’s views can give your writing more structure, meaning and a larger impact.
- In chapter 1, the authors recommend that a writer start with “what others” say. But we also know that academic writing should have an argument. This sets up a bit of a tension and “may seem to contradict the common advice that writers should lead with their own thesis or claim” (Graff and Birkenstein 21). Draw on your high school experience and the authors’ ideas to discuss at least one way to deal with this tension. If you have never attempted what the authors recommend, explain one way that your prior experience is different from their ideas. Quote Graff and Birkenstein in your response.
According to Graff and Birkenstein, you should try to introduce the “they say” aspect of your paper as soon as possible, but not get into their argument too deeply yet. They state that “…you state your own position and the one it’s responding to together” (Graff and Birkenstein 21). This will help you to unite the two arguments and dive into the details as you unroll your paper.
The way I was taught in high school differed entirely from Graff and Birkenstein’s views. I was taught to introduce my thesis at the end of my introductory paragraph. I would then talk about my argument for two paragraphs, and the third body paragraph would be my rebuttal. That was where I would state other’s arguments and then state why I believed my viewpoint was the correct one. From there, I would conclude my paper and that was the end of it!
- A key practice in chapter 3 involves avoiding quotation accidents, what Steve Benton calls “‘hit-and-run’ quotations” (qtd. in Graff and Birkenstein 45). Find a passage in chapter 3 that captures the authors’ recommendations for quoting, and relate it to something in your own high school writing experience. Be sure to set up the quote, use it, and explain it in a way that connects to your experience.
In high school, I often had a hard time selecting relevant passages to use for quotations in my writings. When given a new writing assignment, I would think of a whole laundry list of ideas that I wanted to write about, but then wait until the last minute to actually write the paper. This often led to me scrambling to write my essay, rather than planning it out as needed. Therefore, I would be making the paper up as I go. Just as Graff and Birkenstein stated on page 45, “given the evolving and messy nature of writing, you may sometimes think that you’ve found the perfect quotation to support your argument, only to discover later on, as your text develops, that your focus has changed and the quotation no longer works” (Graff and Birkenstein 45), I would pick quotations and as my ideas changed, they would no longer support my claim. Rather than going back to fix it however, I would leave it and hope for the best. I think I have improved in picking the quotations I use since high school, but I am sure there is more room for improvement.
