When writing any argument, much less a Rogerian one, it is very important to show the ideas we are responding to, as these help the reader understand the significance of the point we are trying to make. In conversation, we often do this intuitively--if we want to join a conversation at a party, for example, we don't usually walk up to a random group of people and blurt out whatever is on our minds. This would not only annoy people, but also confuse them, because they would not know why we had brought up this topic or what we imagined we were responding to.

Instead, we would listen to what other people were saying and try to find a moment where we could add to what is already being said. By adding to what has already been said, we both show that we have respectfully listened to the existing conversation, and help our listener understand the full impact of what we are trying to say by showing what it follows from. Showing the context we are speaking to is as important to helping a reader understand our argument as explaining warrants, or carefully providing evidence.

One way to think of this particular maneuver is presented in the book They Say/I Say by Gerald Graff and Cathy Birkenstein. In this book, Graff and Birkenstein discuss how showing the ideas you are responding to is a crucial part of helping your reader understand your argument. This is usually done by presenting another person's idea, or a commonly held belief, and explaining how and why disagree, or agree with a difference.They Say/I Say is a way of showing your reader that you have thought carefully about what other people have to say, and it also helps your reader understand what is meaningful and unique about your perspective.

Read the following Powerpoint, and make a responses to two of the commonly held beliefs found on the last slide. Start by introducing the idea you are responding to (ex: "It is often said that...") and stating the idea. Then frame your own idea as a response (Ex: "I agree, and would also add" or "I disagree, for the following reasons").

Note: I do not necessarily agree or disagree with these prompts--they are only examples of ideas that might come up, and that you might respond to, in ordinary conversation.

Say/I Say" or Writing As Conversation

Inspired by the work Theyof Gerald Graff

Imagine that you are at a party full of strangers

-you walk up to a random stranger and say whatever is on your mind?

-Do you look and listen to the other people in the room, find a conversation to which you can contribute, and then introduce yourself by building on what another person has said?

RESPONDING TO OTHERS ADDS WEIGHT TO YOUR ARGUMENT

It is very rare to make an argument in a total vacuum. If you can show the ideas you are responding to, you can add weight and meaningto your argument.

• If I walked into this room and began class by saying, "Pineapple is the only thing that belongs on pizza," most of you would be confused. What might I be responding to? How might I show that my ideas are relevant to this class?

You can frame

your response in terms of disagreement or agreement with a difference

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