Support not Substance

Quoting is a useful tool to be used in writing and both chapters from “They Say, I Say” and “Rewriting” give great points on how to quote successfully. In Harris’s “Rewriting” he gives great examples of how to support or disprove an idea with a quote. In “They Say, I Say” the authors give some step by step ways to strengthen your quote and fit it into your writing in the best way. Something that stood out in both chapters was that you need to keep a balance of quotes and your own opinion. It is important to add your own ideas after you insert a quote to inform the readers of what your opinion is. Harris says that quote and borrowed information should be “a springboard to get at something I couldn’t otherwise say”. I think this is a great way to explain how to use quotes because it is so easy to add a quote into your writing thinking it adds so much but without any of your own thinking or input, the quote loses its strength. In “They Say, I Say” the authors suggest that “you need to have a sense of what you want to do with them” this is so important because many times I feel like adding a quotation to a passage will immediately improve it but it is more important to have a plan. Use a quotation when it will best support your idea and you are able to give input on the quote. Another interesting idea that was present was that you should try to read into what the writer is saying and see a deeper idea to their simple words. The best ways to summarize according to Harris is to take keys words from the writer’s argument and echo their values in your own words. Another point that is stressed in both chapters is the set up, a good set up helps to keep your writing organized and flowing. A quote does not usually give enough background information for it to make sense therefore a proper set up will make your quote worth reading. The templates provided in “They Say, I Say” for setting up quotes is super useful for my future writing.