They Say I Say: An Analysis

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“They’ll turn us into writing robots”, a student contends against the use templates influencing the structure of their essays. (10) In the book “They Say/ I Say”: The Moves That Matter in Academic Writing, Gerald Graff and Cathy Birkenstein insist that the use of their relevant templates provide tools that will enhance the readers writing skills. These templates provide an exemplary format that one can use when writing an essay. Graff and Birkenstein suggests that, “Instead of focusing solely on abstract principles of writing, then, this book offers model templates that help you put those principles directly into practice.” (2) In other words, Graff and Birkenstein reason that these templates are designed to provide beneficial formulas that …show more content…

This grants more creative freedom for the writer, while also instilling the different template methods through practice. In spite of the logical advantages that the templates give the writer, some people are still skeptical of this type of method. Many believe that these templates are a juvenile form that inhabits creativity. One student even proclaims, “I’m in college now, this is third-grade-level stuff.” (10) Regardless of these students claims that templates are too simplistic and less imaginative, Graff and Birkensteins’ idea that one must learn through template forms in order to enhance their skills in the future should be endorsed. According to Graff and Birkenstein, “Even the most avant-garde, cutting-edge artist (like improvisational jazz musicians) need to master the basic forms that their work improvises on, departs from, and goes beyond, or else their work will come across as uneducated child’s play.” (11) Graff and Birkensteins’ point here is contradictory to the students’ assertion that templates are unoriginal and for the young children. In fact, this idea emphasizes the complete oppose. It exhorts that without first learning the template, the results of their work will be childish instead of advanced. Also, Graff and Birkenstein implies that without learning the basics, one will not have the skill set which permits further creative freedom and/or the ability of improvisation in the