They Say / I Say: The Moves That Matter in Academic Writing

They Say/I Say: The Moves that Matter in Academic Writing is a reference text designed for student writers. It explains the basic rhetorical strategies one can (and should) use when writing academic papers. Although the writing advice in this book is built around classwork and term papers, it is designed to transfer easily to other contexts.

Authors Gerald Graff and Cathy Birkenstein are both tenured professors of English. In this book, they draw from their classroom experiences to identify stumbling blocks that new writers often face.

Rather than focus on teaching formal rhetoric, Graff and Birkenstein focus on identifying and explaining writing strategies in ways that make it easy for new writers to digest and retain. The 14 chapters of They Say/I Say are organized into four sections and include helpful writing templates and exercises.

They Say/I Say is often used as a textbook in composition courses designed for first-year students. Its publisher, W. W. Norton, also carries interactive resources designed to accompany coursework, such as quizzes and organizational tools for teachers.

This study guide corresponds to the second edition of this text, which was issued in 2010. They Say/I Say was originally published in 2006. At the time of writing, this text has been updated a total of four times since its original publication date.