101 Distinguishing “They Say” and “I Say” Professor Ramos Blog

101 Distinguishing â€Å"They Say† and â€Å"I Say† Chp 5, â€Å"And Yet† Quick Write Chp 5, â€Å"And Yet† Distinguishing What  You  Say from What  They  Say Chapter 5 (p. 68) introduces you to the term  voice markers  in order to help you distinguish the â€Å"I say† from the â€Å"They say.† This is a very important move since we are now including the â€Å"They say† in your writing. If you do not do this clearly, the reader will be confused as to your position and you may seem to contradict yourself. The templates help you with specific ways of signaling who is saying what, and to embed the voice markers. Being able to distinguish your own view from the common view is a â€Å"sophisticated rhetorical move.† Using â€Å"I† or â€Å"We† The chapter also covers using the first person in academic writing, â€Å"I† or â€Å"we.† You have likely been told to not or never use the I in college writing. The book argues that well-supported arguments are grounded in persuasive reasons and evidence, not in the use of nonuse of pronouns. The Politics of Food RADLEY BALKO, â€Å"What You Eat Is Your Business†Ã‚  [p. 651]  JOURNAL 8 DAVID H. FREEDMAN, â€Å"How Junk Food Can End Obesity†Ã‚  [p. 681] Specific Research Questions The topic or issue will help narrow down what you can research for your report. A specific research question will help focus your research to a specific area. A broad question like â€Å"What is global warming?† is way to big to write about and try to research in our time allotted. Plus, that one has already been answered. A better, more narrow question on this topic would be, â€Å"How does global warming affect the California shorelines?† This research question narrows down a broad topic and connects it to you. If you are a Business major, you might want to ask, â€Å"What are carbon credits, and how might they affect the California economy?† This question connects your interest or topic to your major. Report Purpose and Topic Answer questions. Review what is already known about a subject. Report new knowledge. Free Write What topic are you considering? From the three choices above, which one do you think best serves your topic? Write everything you know about the topic. Write for 5 minutes without stopping. Write sentences, bullet points, words, examples, etc.; anything that comes to mind regarding your topic.