SOURCE: They Say / I Say: The Moves that Matter in Academic Writing, 4th edition (affiliate link).
Disagreeing Without Being Disagreeable
- While I understand the impulse to , my own view is .
- While I agree with X that , I cannot accept her overall conclusion that .
- While X argues , and I argue , in a way we’re both right.
The Template Of Templates
In recent discussions of , a controversial issue has been whether . On the one hand, some argue that . From this perspective, . On the other hand, however, others argue that . In the words of , one of this view’s main proponents, “ .” According to this view, . In sum, then, the issue is whether or .
My own view is that . Though I concede that , I still maintain that . For example, . Although some might object that , I would reply that . The issue is important because .
Introducing What “They Say”
- A number of have recently suggested that .
- It has become common today to dismiss .
- In their recent work, Y and Z have offered harsh critiques of for .
Introducing “Standard Views”
- Americans today tend to believe that .
- Conventional wisdom has it that .
- Common sense seems to dictate that .
- The standard way of thinking about topic X has it that .
- It is often said that .
- My whole life I have heard it said that .
- You would think that .
- Many people assume that .
Making What “They Say” Something You Say
- I’ve always believed that .
- When I was a child, I used to think that .
- Although I should know better by now, I cannot help thinking that .
- At the same time that I believe , I also believe .
Introducing Something Implied Or Assumed
- Although none of them have ever said so directly, my teachers have often given me the impression that .
- One implication of X’s treatment of is that .
- Although X does not say so directly, she apparently assumes that .
- While they rarely admit as much, often take for granted that .
Introducing An Ongoing Debate
- In discussions of X, one controversial issue has been . On the one hand, argues . On the other hand, contends . Others even maintain . My own view is .
- When it comes to the topic of , most of us will readily agree that . Where this agreement usually ends, however, is on the question of . Whereas some are convinced that , others maintain that .
- In conclusion, then, as I suggested earlier, defenders of can’t have it both ways. Their assertion that is contradicted by their claim that .
Capturing Authorial Action
- X acknowledges that .
- X agrees that .
- X argues that .
- X believes that .
- X celebrates the fact that .
- X claims that .
- X complains that .
- X concedes that .
- X demonstrates that .
- X denies/does not deny that .
- X deplores the tendency to .
- X emphasizes that .
- X insists that .
- X observes that .
- X questions whether .
- X refutes the claim that .
- X reminds us that .
- X reports that .
- X suggests that .
- X urges us to .
Introducing Quotations
- X states, “ .”
- As the prominent philosopher X puts it, “ .”
- According to X, “ .”
- X himself writes, “ .”
- In her book, , X maintains that “ ”
- Writing in the journal , X complains that “ .”
- In X’s view, “ .”
- X agrees when she writes, “ .”
- X disagrees when he writes, “ .”
- X complicates matters further when he writes, “ .”
Explaining Quotations
- Basically, X is saying .
- In other words, X believes .
- In making this comment, X urges us to .
- X is corroborating the age-old adage that .
- X’s point is that .
- The essence of X’s argument is that .
Disagreeing, With Reasons
- I think X is mistaken because she overlooks .
- X’s claim that rests upon the questionable assumption 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 .
Agreeing—With A Difference
- I agree that because my experience confirms it.
- X surely is right about because, as she may not be aware, recent studies have shown that .
- X’s theory of is extremely useful because it sheds insight 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 that .
Agreeing And Disagreeing Simultaneously
- Although I agree with X up to a point, I cannot accept his overall conclusion that .
- 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.
Signaling Who Is Saying What
- X argues .
- According to both X and Y, .
- Politicians , X argues, should .
- Most athletes will tell you that .
- My own view, however, is that .
- I agree, as X may not realize, that .
- But are real and, arguably, the most significant factor in .
- But X is wrong that .
- However, it is simply not true that .
- Indeed, it is highly likely that .
- X’s assertion that does not fit the facts.
- X is right that .
- X is wrong that .
- X is both right and wrong that .
- Yet a sober analysis of the matter reveals .
- Nevertheless, new research shows .
- Anyone familiar with should agree that .
Embedding Voice Markers
- X overlooks what I consider an important point about .
- My own view is that what X insists is a is in fact a .
- I wholeheartedly endorse what X calls .
- These conclusions, which X discusses in , add weight to the argument that .
Entertaining Objections
- At this point I would like to raise some objections that have been inspired by the skeptic in me. She feels that I have been ignoring . “ ,” she says to me, “ .”
- Yet some readers may challenge the view that .
- Of course, many will probably disagree with this assertion that .
Naming Your Naysayers
- Here many would probably object that .
- But would certainly take issue with the argument that .
- , of course, may want to question whether .
- Nevertheless, both followers and critics of will probably argue that .
- Although not all think alike, some of them will probably dispute my claim that .
- are so diverse in their views that it’s hard to generalize about them, but some are likely to object on the grounds that .
Introducing Objections Informally
- But is my proposal realistic? What are the chances of its actually being adopted?
- Yet is it always true that ? Is it always the case, as I have been suggesting, that ?
- However, does the evidence I’ve cited prove conclusively that ?
- “Impossible,” some will say. “You must be reading the research selectively.”
Making Concessions While Still Standing Your Ground
- Although I grant that , I still maintain that .
- Proponents of X are right to argue that . But they exaggerate when they claim that .
- While it is true that , it does not necessarily follow that .
- On the one hand, I agree with X that . But on the other hand, I still insist that .
Indicating Who Cares
- used to think . But recently [or within the past few decades] suggests that .
- These findings challenge the work of earlier researchers, who tended to assume that .
- Recent studies like these shed new light on , which previous studies had not addressed.
- Researchers have long assumed that . For instance, one eminent scholar of cell biology, , assumed in , her seminal work on cell structures and functions, that fat cells . As herself put it, “ ” (2012). Another leading scientist, , argued that fat cells “ ” (2011). Ultimately, when it came to the nature of fat, the basic assumption was that .
- But a new body of research shows that fat cells are far more complex and that .
- If sports enthusiasts stopped to think about it, many of them might simply assume that the most successful athletes . However, new research shows .
- These findings challenge neoliberals’ common assumptions that .
- At first glance, teenagers appear to . But on closer inspection .
Establishing Why Your Claims Matter
- X matters / is important because .
- Although X may seem trivial, it is in fact crucial in terms of today’s concern over .
- Ultimately, what is at stake here is .
- These findings have important consequences for the broader domain of .
- My discussion of X is in fact addressing the larger matter of .
- These conclusions / This discovery will have significant applications in as well as in .
- Although X may seem of concern to only a small group of , it should in fact concern anyone who cares about .
Commonly Used Transitions
Addition
- also
- and
- besides
- furthermore
- in addition
- in fact
- indeed
- moreover
- so too
Elaboration
- actually
- by extension
- in other words
- in short
- that is
- to put it another way
- to put it bluntly
- to put it succinctly
- ultimately
Example
- after all
- as an illustration
- consider
- for example
- for instance
- specifically
- to take a case in point
Cause and Effect
- accordingly
- as a result
- consequently
- hence
- it follows, then
- since
- so
- then
- therefore
- thus
Comparison
- along the same lines
- in the same way
- likewise
- similarly
Contrast
- although
- but
- by contrast
- conversely
- despite
- even though
- however
- in contrast
- nevertheless
- nonetheless
- on the contrary
- on the other hand
- regardless
- whereas
- while
- yet
Concession
- admittedly
- although it is true that
- granted
- I concede that
- naturally
- of course
- to be sure
Conclusion
- as a result
- 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
Translation Recipes
- Scholar X argues, “ .” In other words, .
- Essentially, X argues .
- X’s point, succinctly put, is that .
- Plainly put, .
Adding Metacommentary
- In other words, .
- What really means by this is .
- Ultimately, my goal is to demonstrate that .
- My point is not , but .
- To put it another way, .
- In sum, then, .
- My conclusion, then, is that, .
- In short, .
- What is more important, .
- Incidentally, .
- By the way, .
- Chapter 2 explores , while Chapter 3 examines .
- Having just argued that , let us now turn our attention to .
- Although some readers may object that , I would answer that .
Linking To What “They Say”
- As X mentions in this article, “ .”
- In making this comment, X warns that .
- Economists often assume ; however, new research by X suggests .
Introducing Gaps In The Existing Research
- Studies of X have indicated . It is not clear, however, that this conclusion applies to .
- often take for granted that . Few have investigated this assumption, however.
- X’s work tells us a great deal about . Can this work be generalized to ?
- Our understanding of remains incomplete because previous work has not examined .