Includes bibliographical references and indexes.

Foreword: an invitation to the conversation -- Preface to the fourth edition -- Introduction: entering the conversation -- Part 1. "They say". "They say" : starting with what others are saying ; "Her point is" : the art of summarizing ; "As he himself puts it" : the art of quoting -- Part 2. "I say". "Yes / no / okay, but" : three ways to respond ; "And yet" : distinguishing what you say from what they say ; "Skeptics may object" : planting a naysayer in your text ; "So what? who cares?" : saying why it matters -- Part 3. Tying it all together. "As a result" : connecting the parts ; "You mean I can just say it that way?: academic writing doesn't always mean setting aside your own voice ; "But don't get me wrong" : the art of metacommentary ; "He says contends" : using the templates to revise -- Part 4. In specific academic contexts. "I take your point" : entering class discussions ; "Don't make them scroll up": entering online conversations ; "What's motivating this writer?" : reading for the conversation ; "On closer examination" : entering conversations about literature ; "The data suggest" : writing in the sciences ; "Analyze this" : writing in the social sciences.