Lesson 16: The Position Paper

Position paper - sometimes called a point of view paper, a composition that presents a strong claim of
your opinion with the aim of convincing the reader.

Evidence - key element to ensure the validity of your claims.

•A position paper should have both a premise and a thesis.

•Premise - what a writer bases his or her thesis on.

•Consider your audience, voice, and tone in the paper.

•Avoid using first and second person

•The tone should not become condescending, superior, or otherwise degrading to the reader or any
opposition group.

•Be sure that you convince and do not offend.

Format of a Position Paper

•Introduction

- Introduce your topic with background information.

- Build up your thesis sentence, which asserts your position.

•Body

a. The Counterclaim

b. Assert your Claim

- List possible objections to your position.

- Summarize the counterclaims.

- Provide supporting information for counterclaims.

- Refute the counterclaims

- Give evidence for argument

- Support and acknowledgement of the opposing points.

- Explain that your position is still the best one, despite the strength of counter arguments.

• Conclusion

-Summarize your argument and restate your position.

-Provide a plan of action but do not introduce new information.

Steps in Writing a Position Paper

1. Choose your topic.

2. Conduct preliminary research.

3. Challenge your own topic.

4. Continue to collect supporting evidence.

5. Create an outline.

(grammar)

Clauses

Restrictive Clauses - limit the possible meaning of a preceding subject.

Ex: The suspect in the lineup who has red hair committed the crime.

Nonrestrictive Clauses - tell you something about a preceding subject, but they do not limit, or restrict,
the meaning of that subject.

Ex: The suspect in the lineup, who owns a red car, committed the crime.

When choosing between "that" and "which," use "that" to introduce a restrictive clause and "which" to
introduce a nonrestrictive clause.

When writing a restrictive clause, do not place a comma before "that."

Ex: 1. The store honored the complaints that were less than 60 days old.

When writing a nonrestrictive clause, do place a comma before "which."

Ex: The store honored the complaints, which were less than 60 days old.