12

English
Quarter 2 – Week 3:
Position Paper
 12

English for
Academic and
Professional
Purposes
Quarter 2 – Week 3:
Position Paper
 Republic of the Philippines
Department of Education
REGION VII -CENTRAL VISAYAS
DIVISION OF LAPU-LAPU CITY
BANKAL NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL
BANKAL, LAPU-LAPU CITY

DepEd Learning Activity

Name of Learner: ________________________________________________

Grade Level & Section: ________________________________________________
Subject: ________________________________________________
Date: ________________________________________________

Learning Competency: Writes various kinds of position papers

Code: CS_EN11/12A-EAPP-IIa-d-5

Position Paper

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Have you been in a situation in which you need to defend an opinion? Why do you
need to justify a stand?

In writing for academic purposes, it is inevitable for a writer to be faced with an

issue for which a stand must be made. This is especially true when making a position
paper. This lesson shall be centered on writing position papers.
 Position paper is a type of academic writing that presents one’s stand or
viewpoint on a particular issue.
The main objective is to take part in a larger debate by stating your arguments
and proposed course of actions.

In making a position paper, it is useful to know the different parts that compose it.

Parts of a Position Paper

Introduction
• Use an attention-getter or lead to grab the attention of readers.
• Define the issue and provide a thorough background.
• Provide a general statement of your position through a thesis statement.

Body

• State your main argument.

• Provide sufficient evidence such as statistics, interviews, testimonies, etc.
• Provide counterarguments against possible weaknesses of your arguments.

Conclusion

• Restate your position and main arguments.

• Suggest a course of action.
• Explain why your position is better that any other position.
• End with a powerful closing statement.
• Quotation, challenge or question

The topic or issue for a position paper is often provided. However, for instances
when the writer is given the liberty to choose, it would be wise to take note of the following
characteristics of an issue to explore.
 An issue must be:
• It should be debatable.
• Should be current and relevant.
• Should be written in a question form and answerable by yes or no.
• Should be specific and manageable.

As in any undertaking, there are also steps that a writer may follow in the making
of a position paper.

Guidelines in Writing a Position Paper

1. Begin the writing process with an in-depth research about the issue at hand.
2. Be aware of the various positions about the issue and explain and analyze
them objectively.
3. Reflect on your position and identify its weaknesses.
4. Establish your credibility by citing reliable sources.
5. Present a unique way of approaching the issue.
6. Limit your position paper to two pages.
7. Analyze your target readers and align your arguments to their beliefs, needs,
interests, and motivations.
8. Summarize the other side’s counterarguments and refute them with
evidence.
9. Define unfamiliar terms at first mention.
10. Use an active voice as much as possible to make your tone dynamic and firm.
11. Arrange your evidence logically using an inductive or deductive approach.
12. Check your paper for fallacies and revise accordingly.
13. Use ethical, logical and emotional appeals.
14. Ethical – relate to credibility and competence
15. Logical – rational approach on developing arguments
16. Emotional – pertains to feelings evoked during arguments.
Learning Competency: Writes various kinds of position papers.
Code: CS_EN11/12A-EAPP-IIa-d-5
Topic: Position Paper

General Direction: Read carefully the following instructions in every activity that follow.

Activity 1 – True or False?

Examine the following statements about position paper. Write TRUE if the statement is
correct and FALSE if the statement is incorrect.
1. A good position paper considers all possible views on the issue at hand.

2. An issue is a crucial component of a position paper.

3. An issue is debatable if it cannot be answered by yes or no.
4. Audience analysis will help you write a more persuasive position paper.
5. One way to establish your credibility as writer is to boast about your credentials.
6. Opinions are better than facts in supporting arguments.
7. Statistics can be used as evidence to support an argument.
8. The main goal of a position paper is to inform readers.
9. The strongest type of appeal in a position paper is logical appeals.
10. Your position should be restated in the concluding paragraphs.

Activity 2 – Reason Out

Read the following questions and supply the necessary answer.

1. Should a writer consider the weaknesses of the chosen position? Why or why
not?
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
2. Why should an issue be debatable?
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
3. Why should an issue be current and relevant?
 ________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
4. Why should an issue be specific and manageable?
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
5. Why should a writer be aware of the various positions about an issue?
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________

Activity 3 – Flex Your Arms!

Now that you have been acquainted with position paper and how it is made, you
are now ready to work on the activity that follows. Make sure to apply the features of
academic writing that you learned in the previous lessons. Also, consider the following
rubrics for rating.

Read the following topics and choose the one that is most appropriate for your
strand.
Issue no. 1: Should the minimum wage be the same for all regions in the
Philippines?
Issue no. 2: Should death penalty for heinous crimes be reinstated in the
Philippines?
Issue no. 3: Should humans invest in technology to explore and colonize other
planets?
Issue no. 4: Should the government allow both local and international tourists into
the country under the present circumstances?
Rubrics
Before finalizing your output, be sure to refer to the enhanced Standardized
Analytic Rubric based on Jacobs et. al. (1981) for rating your academic writing
performance.
Grading
Area Descriptors Criteria Rating
Scale
Ideas are very substantive; Knowledge of
subjects is very evident; Topic is very well
90-100 Outstanding
elaborated through useful details; All
points presented are very relevant.
Ideas are substantive; Knowledge of
Very subject is evident; Topic is adequately
85-89
Satisfactory elaborated; Most of the points presented
are relevant.
Content/Ideas

Ideas are mostly substantive; Some

knowledge of subject is evident; Topic is
80-84 Satisfactory
somehow elaborated; Some of the points
presented are relevant.
Ideas are of little substance; Limited
Fairly knowledge is evident; Topic is
75-79
Satisfactory inadequately developed; Few relevant
points presented.
Ideas are insubstantial, knowledge of
subject is not evident; Topic not
Below Did Not Meet
elaborated through useful details; Points
75 Expectation
presented are irrelevant; Not enough to
evaluate.
Connectives are sufficiently used for
fluent expression; Ideas are logically
sequenced and very easy to follow;
Organized paragraphing is evident;
90-100 Outstanding
Introduction is effective; Each body
paragraph has a topic sentence;
Organization

Conclusion wraps up arguments and

restates views.
Several connectives are used; Logical
Very
85-89 sequence of ideas is quite evident;
Satisfactory
Paragraphs are adequately structured.
Few connectives are used: Ideas are
80-84 Satisfactory loosely sequenced’ Organizational
structure is somewhat evident.
Limited use of connectives; lacks logical
Fairly
75-79 sequencing of ideas; Poor organizational
Satisfactory
structure.
 Does not communicate; Incoherent; No
Below Did Not Meet
organizational structure; Not enough to
75 Expectation
evaluate.
Sophisticated range of vocabulary; Very
90-100 Outstanding effective word choice; Appropriate use of
register.
Wide range of vocabulary employed;
Very
85-89 Effective word choice; Appropriate use of
Satisfactory
Vocabulary

most register.
Adequate range of vocabulary employed;
80-84 Satisfactory Occasional errors in word choice and use
of register.
Limited range of vocabulary; Frequent
Fairly
75-79 errors of word choice and poor use of
Satisfactory
register.
Below Did Not Meet Words are repetitive; Ineffective word
75 Expectation choice and wrong use of register.
Very effective and varied sentence
90-100 Outstanding structure; All sentences are grammatically
flawless.
Effective but less varied sentence
Very
85-89 structures are used; Most of the
Satisfactory
Language Use

sentences are grammatically correct.

Less effective construction with limited
80-84 Satisfactory complexity; Sentences have few and/or
minor grammatical errors.
Ineffective and mostly simple sentence
Fairly
75-79 construction; Sentences have frequent
Satisfactory
and/or major grammatical errors.
Virtually no mastery of sentence
Below Did Not Meet
construction; Sentences are dominated
75 Expectation
with grammatical errors.
Pronouns are consistently impersonal;
Consistent use of expanded word forms
and one-verb form is evident; Absolute
90-100 Outstanding
avoidance of rhetorical questions,
Formality/Objective

emotive language and idiomatic

expression.
Pronouns are mostly impersonal;
Very Occasional use of contractions, rhetorical
85-89
Satisfactory questions, emotive language, idiomatic
expressions and two-word verb form.
Frequent use of personal pronouns,
contraction, rhetorical questions, emotive
80-84 Satisfactory
language, idiomatic expressions and two-
word verb form.
 Extensive use of personal pronouns,
Fairly contraction, rhetorical questions, emotive
75-79
Satisfactory language, idiomatic expressions and two-
word verb form.
Does not conform with the prescription on
Below Did Not Meet
pronouns, verb forms, word forms,
75 Expectation
formality and impartiality of expressions.
90-100 Outstanding All citations are formatted correctly.
Very Most of the citations are formatted
85-89
Referencing

Satisfactory correctly.
80-84 Satisfactory Few citations with minor error in format.
Fairly
75-79 Few citations but incorrect format.
Satisfactory
Below Did Not Meet
No citation used at all.
75 Expectation
Average

REFLECTION:

In your own words, how do you find this Learning Activity Sheet?

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REFERENCES:
Bailey, Stephen. Academic Writing: A Handbook for International Students. Routledge
Second Edition, 2006.
Bailey, Stephen. Academic Writing: A Handbook for International Students. Routledge
Fourth Edition, 2011.
Fleming, Grace. 5 Steps to Writing a Position Paper. Thoughtco.com. 2019. Retrieved

from https://www.thoughtco.com/how-to-write-a-position-paper-1857251

Pablo, Jim Christzer I., Ronald Candy S Lasaten. Writing Difficulties and Quality of

Academic Essays of Senior High School Students. Holy Spirit Academy of Laoag,

2018.

Jacobs, Holly L., Stephen A. Zinkgraf, Deanna R. Wormuth, V. Faye Hartfiel, Jane B.

Hughey. Testing ESL Composition: a Practical Approach. January 1981.

www.researchgate.net/publication/247716030_Testing_ESL_Composition_a_Pra

ctical_Approach. Accessed 02 March 2019.

Prepared by:

CHERRY CLAIRE P. MEDALLE

Writer