Now that you’ve heard our Writing Tips story, let’s take a look at a writing templates from They Say, I Say by Gerald Graff and Cathy Birkenstein. A template is a model or preset format for a document.
Here is one of the most basic templates to get your paper started.
In discussions of X, one of the controversial issues has been________________. On one hand, ___________________argues______________________. On the other hand,________________________argues________________________. Even others maintain__________________. My own view is ____________________________.
Here’s an example of the template filled out.
In discussions of the Charlie Hebdo attack one of the controversial issues has been the limits of free speech. On one hand, free speech advocates say that speech should never be regulated, even when it is offensive and blasphemous. On the other hand, some people believe that those who insult religion are asking for trouble and should be stopped. Even others maintain that Western countries are hypocritical about free speech. My own view is that we must find a middle ground between free speech and showing respect for religious faith…
Now it’s your turn. Try filling out the template above with another controversial issue that you’re interested in. Keep it simple. We’ll give feedback to those who stick to the template form. We look forward to hearing from you!
–Adam