I Say – The Second Step
First, Choose three points you want to address from Wallace’s speech. (I highly advise choosing the last point –
awareness and consciousness – but the other two or up to you.)
Second, Put them in order of importance (Most important should go last)
Third, Decide whether you agree, disagree, or both – This will be the focus of your argument.
Fourth, Choose three sources from our readings last week as EVIDENCE to supplement your argument. (Sedaris, Hazlitt,
Porter, Sontag, etc.) You should choose an academic argument here – hence a strong, respected essay.
Fifth, Compile a list of EXAMPLES you can use to make your argument stronger. Examples can be: Personal experience,
Observation, Readings (think about fiction from class), Current Events, Historical Events, Anecdotes, Parables, Etc… (This
is where you can be more personal and less academic with your example)
Step One: Choose ONE of three options
1.
2.
3.
1.
Disagree and Explain Why
a. If you choose this option use three sentences from number one
Agree – But With A Difference
a. If you choose this option use three sentences from number two
Agree and Disagree Simultaneously
a. If you choose this option choose two sentences (from number one or two. Not both).
b. Choose one sentence from number three
Disagree and Explain Why
a. You cannot simply assert that you disagree
b. Offer persuasive reasons WHY you disagree
Templates for disagreeing, with Reasons
 X is mistake because she overlooks ______________________________________.
 X’s claim that _______________ rests upon the questionable assumptions that ______________________________________.
 I disagree with X’s view that ______________________________________ because, as recent research has shown,
______________________________________.
 X contradicts herself/can’t have it both ways. On the one hand she argues ______________________________________. On
the other hand, she also says ______________________________________.
 By focusing on ______________________________________, X overlooks the deeper problem of
______________________________________.
2.
Agree but with a difference
a. Don’t just echo summaries you agree with
b. Bring something new and fresh
Templates for Agreeing
 I agree that ______________________ because my experience ____________________ confirms it.
 X is surely right about ______________________________________ because as she may not be aware, recent studies have
shown that ___________________________________.
 X’s theory of ______________________________________ is extremely useful because it sheds light on the difficult problem
of ______________________________________.
 Those unfamiliar with this school of thought may be interested to know that it basically boils down to
______________________________________.
 I agree that ______________________________________, a point that needs emphasizing since so many people believe
______________________________________.
 If group X is right that _____________________________________, as I think they are, then we need to reassess the popular
assumption _______________________________.
3. Agreeing and disagreeing simultaneously
a. Gives your argument depth
b. Gives your reader a clear, but sophisticated framework.

Although I agree with X up to a point, I cannot accept his overall conclusion that __________________________________.
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Although I disagree with much that X says, I fully endorse his final conclusion that __________________________________.
Though I concede that __________________________________, I still insist that __________________________________.
Whereas X provides ample evidence that __________________________________, Y and Z’s research on
__________________________________ and __________________________________ convinces me that _____________________________
instead.
X is right that __________________________________, but she seems on more dubious ground when she claims that
__________________________________.
While X is probably wrong when she claims that __________________________ she is right that
__________________________________.
I’m of two minds about X’s claim that _________________________________. On the one hand, I agree that
__________________________________. On the other hand, I’m not sure if __________________________________.
My feelings on the issue are mixed. I do support X’s position that __________________________________, but I find Y’s
argument about __________________________________ and Z’s research on __________________________________ to be equally
persuasive.
Step Two: Add secondary commentary.
a. After you have your main point (listed above), Introduce secondary commentary (one of the other
sources we read).
b. Give the author’s name and the title of the essay used.
1.
2.
Include a transition from Comparison and Contrast Transitions
Choose one of the following:
 In her essay, __________________________________, Y argues__________________.
 According to Y, in his book, __________________________________, __________________________________.
 Many authors including Y, in her essay, ___________________________, will tell you __________________________________.
Step Three: Summarize your source’s main point that backs your first claim (whether or not you disagree with
Wallace’s point).
1.
Use the verbs to introduce summaries (and quotations)
Verbs for expressing agreement
(If you agree with Wallace’s point – use this to introduce secondary essay_
Acknowledge
Corroborate
Admire
Do not deny
Agree
Endorse
Celebrate the fact that
Extol
Verbs for questioning or disagreeing
If you disagree with Wallace’s point – use this to introduce secondary essay
Complain
Deny
Complicate
Deplore the tendency to
Contend
Qualify
Contradict
Question
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Praise
Reaffirm
Support
Verify
Refute
Reject
Renounce
Repudiate
Y acknowledges that ______________________________________.
Y agrees that ______________________________________.
Y denies that ______________________________________.
Y questions that ______________________________________.
Y denies/does not deny that ______________________________________.
Step Four: The Art of Quoting – Add relevant quote to your essay from your new source
Templates for introducing quotations
 X states, “_______________________________________________.”
 As the prominent _____________________ puts it, ____________________________________.”
 According to X, “_______________________________________________.”
 In her book (essay, film, etc.) ____________________________, X maintains that
“_______________________________________________.”
 Writing in the ____________________, X complains that “____________________________.”
 In X’s view “_______________________________________________.”
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X agrees when she writes “_______________________________________________.”
X disagrees when she writes “_______________________________________________.”
X complicates matters further when she writes “__________________________.”
Templates for explaining quotations
 Basically X is warning ______________________________________.
 In other words, X believes ______________________________________.
 In making this comment, X urges us to ______________________________________.
 X is corroborating the old-age adage that ______________________________________.
 X’s point is that ______________________________________.
 The essence of X’s argument is that ______________________________________.
Verbs for making a claim
Argue
Assert
Believe
Claim
Emphasize
Insist
Observe
Remind us
Report
Suggest
Verbs for making recommendations
Advocate
Call for
Demand
Encourage
Exhort
Implore
Plead
Recommend
Urge
Warn
Step Five: Use your own example
Give a specific example of your point in practice. This is where you should incorporate your experiences.
1. CHOOSE OWN EXAMPLE
 For example, __________________________________.
 Consider, __________________________________.
 As an illustration, ______________________________.
 To put it another way, ______________________________.
 To take a case in point, __________________________________.
 For instance, __________________________________.
 Specifically, __________________________________.
 Accordingly, __________________________________.
 As a result, __________________________________.
 Consequently, __________________________________.
 Hence, __________________________________.
 Along the same lines, __________________________________.
 In the same way, __________________________________.
 Likewise, __________________________________.
 In short, __________________________________.
2.
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Explain how example connects
In other words, ______________________________.
My conclusion then, is that ______________________________.
What I mean by this ______________________________.
Ultimately, ______________________________.
Thus, ______________________________.
In other words, ______________________________.
After all, ______________________________.
Step Six: Conclude Paragraph
Write one final sentence that concludes your paragraph. Summing up why you agree or disagree with the point you
chose.
 As a result, __________________________________.
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Consequently, __________________________________.
Hence, __________________________________.
In conclusion, then __________________________________.
In short, __________________________________.
In sum, then __________________________________.
It follows, then __________________________________.
So, __________________________________.
The upshot of all this is that __________________________________.
Therefore, __________________________________.
Thus, __________________________________.
To sum up, __________________________________.
To summarize, __________________________________.
Step Seven: Move on to second paragraph. Choose an appropriate transition and begin again.
Transitions
Also
And
Besides
Addition
Furthermore
In addition
In fact
Indeed
Moreover
So too
Actually
By extension
In short
Elaboration
That is
In other words
To put it another way
To put it bluntly
To put it succinctly
Ultimately
After all
As an illustration
Consider
Example
For example
For instance
Specifically
Accordingly
As a result
Consequently
Cause and Effect
Hence
It follows, then
Since
Along the same lines
In the same way
Likewise
Similarly
Although
But
By contrast
Conversely
Despite
Even though
Contrast
However
In contrast
Nevertheless
Nonetheless
On the contrary
On the other hand
Admittedly
Although it is true that
Granted
Concession
I concede that
Of course
Naturally
As a result
Consequently
Hence
In conclusion, then
In short
In sum, then
It follows, then
So
To take a case in point
So then
Therefore
Thus
Comparison
Regardless
Whereas
While
Yet
To be sure
Conclusion
The upshot of all this is that
Therefore
Thus to sum up
To summarize