4) One reason why engaging in others views is important is because if you want to make an impact as a writer you have to attract and connect to your audience. “You need to do more than make statements that are logical, well supported, and consistent” (Graff and Birkenstein 4). Secondly it is important because must summarize the views of others in order to make your own statement stand out. Graff and Birkenstein say “If you don’t identify the “they say” you’re responding to, your own argument probably won’t have a point.” You want to avoid the audience questioning “Why,” to avoid this you engage in others views.
5) In high school I have never heard of starting with a summary of other people’s views. I was always taught to use my own thesis and idea. “Start with what others are saying, as the title of this chapter recommends, and then introduce your own ideas as a response” (20-21). This is a way of writing that I have never heard of but I can see how it would have helped me with being able to engage with my audience.
6) Graff and Birkenstein tell us about how many different ways there are to mess up quotations. In high school I tended to insert quotations without much explanation. Graff and Birkenstein identify this as a “dangling quotation for the way they’re left dangling without any explanation” (45). This seems like something that you should not mess up too often but there were times in high school where I would have a quote and not know how to explain it.