A review of Chapter 7 from They Say, I Say

1. Saying Why It Matters
Chapter 7

2. So what?! Who cares?!
 A major problem that occurs in academic writing
is when writers don’t address the crucial question
of why their arguments matter.
 In this class and in many of your other classes,
you will read a variety of essays and articles.
Sometimes, it is clear why these are articles are
written. Other times, you might find yourself
asking, “Why did I just read this?”

3. Read to write, write to read
 Just like when we read, we ask ourselves:
 What point is the author trying to make? Or,
 What is the author’s purpose?
 The same can be applied when we write: It is
important that you explicitly state the purpose of
your essay.
 Therefore, always remember to include the “who
cares?” and “so what?” factors in your essay.

4. Example from the text…
“Scientists used to think body fat and the cells it
was made of were pretty much inert, just an oily
storage compartment. But within the past decade
research has shown that fat cells act like
chemical factories and that body fat is potent
stuff: a highly active tissue…
In recent years, biologists have begun calling fat
an ‘endocrine organ,’ comparing it to glands like
the thyroid…
 In this example, the writer has identified who
might care about her argument.

5. “Who Cares?” Templates
 To address the “who cares?” factor, we can use
several different templates:
 This interpretation challenges the work of those
critics who have long assumed that __________.
 These findings challenge the work of earlier
researchers, who tended to assume that
___________.
 Recent studies like these shed new light on
___________, which previous studies have not
addressed.

6. Stop and Reflect: They Say
 Think back to the last essay you wrote for this
class.
 Can you think of any particular readers who might
care about your argument? Whom your argument
might affect?
 The answer isn’t “my professor”!
 Consider who is participating in that academic
conversation. Who is the “They Say”? Might they
care?

7. “Who Cares?” Continued…
 The text offers several more templates to
incorporate your “who cares?”
 In many cases, the templates allow for you to be
more specific in your people or groups you want
to address.
 By answering the “who cares?” you establish a
type of contrast between what others say and
what you say that is central.
 It helps you to create dramatic tension or clash of
views in your writing that readers will feel invested
in and want to see solved.

8. “So What?”
 In many cases, you won’t have a specific group to
address—so answering “who cares?” isn’t
enough.
 You therefore need to answer “so what?” as well.
 The best way to do this is by appealing to
something your readers already care about.

9. Checking in with your reader
 Who has been your primary reader up until this
point?
 If you say your professor, you are correct.
 How many papers do you think your professor
grades?
 If you say a lot, you are definitely correctly.
 Your professors read anywhere from 30-120
essays PER assignment…that’s A LOT. And trust
me, those papers can get pretty tiring pretty
fast…
 Therefore, you want to check in with us and make
sure we are invested in your essay.

10. “So What?” Templates
 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 implications for the
broader domain of ____________.

11. When does it become
redundant?
 At times, it might seem a little overbearing to address
the “so what/who cares?” factor in ALL your writing.
 We might ask: Is it necessary to state these factors
when in some cases our argument and its
consequences are quite obvious?
 The truth is yes—writers should never take for
granted the so “what/who cares?” factor in their
essays.
 Writers don’t need always to go on and on, but it’s
safest and necessary to answer these questions.
 When you step back from the text and explain why it
matters, you are urging your audience to keep
reading and to care.