Sentence Templates
Our words are very important, especially when it comes to creating strong, thoughtful papers. Many times, the format is unfamiliar, and assistance is needed to take that next step with sentence structure. These suggestions are here to do just that: to suggest. Please note there are hundreds of other ways for writers to say what they want. Also, please make sure the sentence flows after using these. If it does not flow, tweak the sentence until it works.
Introducing What “They” Say
Negative
- A number of sociologists have recently suggested that X’s work has several fundamental problems.
- It has become common today to dismiss X’s contribution to the field of sociology.
- In their recent work, Y and Z have offered harsh critiques of X for ______.
Positive
- In many circles, X has been heralded by the leaders of this industry for his or her ideas on ______.
- Y and Z offer high praise in their most recent work for X’s thoughts on ______.
Introducing the “Standard View”
- 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/thought/believed that ______.
- Many people assumed that ______.
Introducing Something Implied or Assumed
- Although none of them have ever said so directly, teachers often give the impression that ______.
- One implication of X’s treatment of ______ is that ______.
- Although X does not say so directly, she apparently assumes that ______.
- While he rarely admits as much, Y often takes for granted that ______.
Introducing an Ongoing Debate
- In discussions of X, one controversial issue has been ______. On the one hand, ______ argues ______, while on the other hand, ______ presents that ______. Others even maintain ______.
- When it comes to the topic of ______, most would readily agree that ______. Where this agreement usually ends, however, is on the question of ______. Where some are convinced that ______, others maintain that ______.
- As suggested previously, defenders of ______ cannot have it both ways. Their assertion that ______ is contradicted by their claim that ______.
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 argues that ______.
- X is insisting that ______.
- X’s point is that ______.
- The essence of X’s argument is that ______.
Disagreeing (With Reasons)
- X is mistaken because she overlooks ______.
- X’s claim that ______ rests upon the questionable assumption that ______.
- X contradicts herself/cannot have it both ways. On the one hand, she argues ______. However, on the other hand, she also presents ______.
- By focusing on ______, X overlooks the deeper problem of ______.
- X claims ______, but this claim is unnecessary. Anyone familiar with ______ has long known that ______.
Agreeing (With a Difference)
- X is surely 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 ______.
- ______ is a point that needs emphasizing since so many people believe ______.
- Those unfamiliar with this school of thought may be interested to know that, in simplest terms, it is ______.
- If group X is right that ______, then the popular assumption of ______ needs to be reassessed.
Agreeing and Disagreeing Simultaneously
- Although X’s argument is agreeable to a point, his overall conclusion of ______ is unacceptable.
- While X says many things that can be disproved, his final conclusion of ______ can be supported.
- Though it can be conceded that ______, it must be insisted that ______.
- Whereas X provides ample evidence that ______, Y and Z’s research on ______ and ______ points to the conclusion 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 ______, her claim that ______ seems to be sound.
Signal Phrases
- X argues ______.
- According to both X and Y, ______.
- Most athletes will say that ______.
- But ______ is real and, arguably, the most significant factor in ______.
- X is wrong in that ______.
- However, it is simply not true that ______.
- Indeed, it is highly likely that ______.
- The view that ______ does not fit all the facts ______.
- X is right/wrong that ______.
- A sober analysis of the matter reveals ______.
- Nevertheless, new research shows ______.
- Anyone familiar with ______ should see that ______.
Embedding Voice Markers
- X overlooks what is considered an important point about ______.
- These conclusions, which X discusses in ______, add weight to the argument that ______.
Entertaining Objections
- Yet, some individuals may challenge the view that ______. After all, many believe ______. A sound argument for ______ must not ignore ______ and ______.
- Of course, many would probably disagree with this assertion on the grounds that ______.
Naming Your Naysayers
- Here, many feminists would probably object that ______.
- However, social Darwinists would certainly take issues with the argument that ______.
- Biologists, of course, may want to dispute the claim that ______.
- Nevertheless, both followers and critics of Malcolm X will probably argue that ______.
- Although not all Christians think alike, many would probably dispute the claim that ______.
- Non-native English speakers are so diverse in their views that it is hard to generalize about them, but some are likely to object on the grounds that ______.
Making Concessions While Still Standing Your Ground
- Proponents of X are right to argue that ______. However, they exaggerate when they claim that ______.
- While it is true that ______, it does not necessarily follow that ______.
Indicating Who Cares
- ______ used to think ______. Recently/within the past few decades, ______ suggests that ______.
- What this new research does, then, is correct the mistaken impression held by many researchers that ______.
- These findings challenge the work of earlier researchers, who assumed 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, ______, assumes in ______, her seminal work on cell structures and functions, that fat cells ______. As ______ herself puts it, “______” (citation). Another leading scientist, ______, argues that fat cells “______” (citation). Ultimately, in previous years, when it came down to the nature of fat, the basic assumption was that ______. Recently, 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 dieters’ common assumptions that ______.
- At first glance, teenagers appear to ______. On closer inspection, they ______.
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 scope of ______.
- The discussion of X is, in fact, addressing the larger issue of ______.
- Although X may seem to be a concern to only a small group of ______, it should concern anyone who cares about ______.
Adding Meta-Commentary
- In other words, ______.
- What really means by this is ______.
- To put it another way, ______.
- In short, ______.
- For example, ______.
- This is not to say ______, but rather ______.
- Incidentally, ______.
Source
Graff, Gerald, and Cathy Birkenstein. “They Say, I Say”: The Moves That Matter in Academic Writing. W.W. Norton, 2014.