Daniel Richardson
Professor Jesse Miller
ENG 110, H4
13 November 2017

“Planting a Naysayer in Your Text”, Gerald Graff and Kathy Birkenstein

Main Ideas:
Anticipate Objections
We can use criticisms of our work to our advantage. This “enhance[s] credibility, not undermine[s] it. Identifies problems before they happen, preemptively troubleshooting your paper. Also helps show respect for your reader as an individual thinker and prevents you from coming across as closed-minded.
Represent Objections Fairly
Writers bolster credibility when they do not quickly move past “naysayers. Presenting unbiased work is more factual. Most write with an “outsider’s eye”. Should dedicate several focused sentences or paragraphs to “naysayers”. If you mock a view that you oppose, you will alienate the readers who disagree with you.
Answer Objections:
To avoid having a reverse intended effect on readers, one must “make sure that the counterarguments you address are no more convincing than your own. Cannot merely dismiss counterarguments, do not be a “bully”. “Treating the counterview as an opportunity to revise and refine your position, serves to improve and refine your argument. Persuade the reader to support your claim in a respectful way.