“YES/NO/OKAY,BUT”: THREE WAYS TO RESPOND

Chapter 4

“Will a template stifle my creativity?”

Arguments are complex and can be difficult to write in a couple of sentences.

The more complex an argument, chances are, the more complex the communication.

However, using a template to agree, disagree, or both is one way of solving these problems.

Agreeing, disagreeing, or both

1. Why is it better to use a direct, no-nonsense formula such as “I agree” when responding to a “they say”?

Answer:

By using a direct, no-nonsense formula, your readers can get a strong grasp of your position and then be able to appreciate how your argument unfolds.

Having a baseline for your argument will help your readers follow you better.

Disagreeing

2. Though disagreeing with an argument has been considered easier to do, what are some of its inherent difficulties?

Answer:

It’s easy to state you disagree with something, but the true problems arise if you don’t state why you disagree.

A strong argument that disagrees provides reasons to support this stance.

Think “because” to complete your statement.

Example: I disagree that ______ because ______...

Templates for Disagreeing

Ex: I disagree with Geier’s view that people can drive and talk on their cell phones simultaneously because as research shows, the human brain cannot consciously process doing two activities at once.

Ex: By focusing solely on education budget cuts in the Fine Arts department, Bradfield overlooks the deeper problem of a school’s fiscal responsibilities.

Agreeing

3. Why is simply agreeing a difficult move to make?

Answer:

Agreeing can be difficult because it’s important to bring something new and fresh to the table.

When you agree, this can be hard to do.

You want to add something that makes you a valuable participant in the conversation.

Agreeing and disagreeing at the same time

“Yes and no,” or “Yes, but” Agreeing and disagreeing at the

same time allows writers to tailor their argument to make it more complicated and nuanced.

A writer can agree with one part of an argument while disagreeing with another.

Moreover, with this option a writer can subtly tip her argument by placing stress on one part and not the other.

Templates to agree and disagree simultaneously

Although I agree with X up to a point, I cannot accept his overriding assumption that ____________________.

Though I concede that ________, I still insist that_______.

X is right that _________, but she seems on more dubious ground when she claims that________________.

Other favorites

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 this 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.

A little of each=superstar Naturally, writers lean towards one

side or the other on an issue and will decide to whole-heartedly agree or disagree.

But if writers can find a way to agree and disagree with an author’s argument, they are much more likely to develop a unique, nuanced argument that really separates theirs from the rest.