METRO MANILA COLLEGE

U-Site, Brgy. Kaligayahan, Novaliches, Quezon City

BASIC EDUCATION DEPARTMENT

Grade 11 Learning Module 7

Prepared by: Ms. Jomarie Y. Tuzon, LPT

 WRITING THE POSITION PAPER

LEARNING COMPETENCIES:
The learner should be able to:
define position paper;
defend a stand on an issue with the proper use of cited
evidences; and
write a position paper about a recent issue.

INTRODUCTION:
A position paper is a work in which the writer will take a stand on a certain issue, and
the stand that the writer will take should be supported with the evidence/s that are
factual. Factual evidences such as, supports in the form of facts, statistics, and other
evidences to convince his reader to take his stand.
 LESSON # 7.1 WRITING A POSITION PAPER

The following are steps undertaken by the writer of a

position paper.
1. Selecting a topic- Choose a topic of your interest
and your position paper must be focused on your
title with the supported evidences.
2. Conducting Preliminary Research- this is
done by the writer to know if there are much
evidences to make his stand more convincing. If
there are limited researches, it is better to change
your topic.
3. Challenging your own topic- Try thinking about
the topic opposed to your view. Challenge your
topic. Chances are you will know whether to take a stand on that certain issue or
not, and that will make your reader favor your position.
4. Collecting additional supporting evidence- It is important to gather more
evidence to make your stand more convincing to the reader, but always
remember that you should only get factual evidence such as those coming from
the experts or authorities in the field. You can also include your own experiences
to make your stand emotionally appealing.
5. Creating an outline- the writer of a position paper must know how to outline
their work.
Format of the position paper below.
5.1. Introduction- it contains the thesis statement and a background of the
topic.
a. Long time ago the FDA has required to put warning labels to the
products that pose a threat to public health.
b. Fast food restaurants are bad for our health.
c. Fast food packages should have warning labels.
5.2. Possible objections to your position
a. Warning labels can affect the profit of corporation.
b. People can see this as government control.
c. It can be costly.
5.3. Support and acknowledgement of the opposing points
a. It would be hard and costly for any individual to know which
restaurants should follow the policy.
b. No one wants to see that government is over-stepping its limit.
c. Funding would fall to the taxpayers.
 5.4. Explanation citing that your position is still the best one despite
the strength of opposing arguments.
a. Fast food restaurants might improve their food product if warning labels
were put into place.
b. One role of the government is to keep citizens safe.
c. Warning labels was already done with the drugs and cigarettes.
5.5. Summary of your argument and restatement of your stand.
a. Position paper must be written with confidence, authority, and strong
evidence. You must point out clearly your stand about the topic and must
contain supporting evidence.

Uses of Position Paper

It is done to achieve a number of purposes, which includes the following:
1. Political- Adherence or not to a political party, government program, etc.
2. Artistic- Design or elimination of an artistic movement.
3. Scientific- Acceptance or not of a scientific theory.
4. Educational- Conformity or not with educational reforms
5. Religious- Conversion or departure from religious sects.
6. Professional- Commitment or not to professional organizations.
7. Technology- Application or not of a technological development.
8. Business- Support or reject of business products and establishments.

THINGS TO REMEMBER:
Position paper is classified according to its purpose. Here are some things to
remember when doing a position paper.
1. The format of position should be consistent with the steps determined by the
sponsoring organization or committee.
2. You should always include the topic, date, purpose, etc. and should immediately
identify you as the author.
3. If the paper you will present is for group, organization, committee, do not write it
in the first person (not I, my, etc. but rather we, our, etc.).
4. Always limit your paper with two pages following the format established.
 Research Guidelines:
1. Improve supporting evidence for both sides including factual knowledge,
statistics, or authoritative testimony.
2. Find the topics and biases keeping in mind your audience.
3. Accept familiarity with the basic ideas, but define unfamiliar terms or ideas that
support your position.
4. Consult your paper with the ones who agree on you to help you develop your
argument.
5. Know those who disagree on you and prepare your defense. Gather their
argument and ideas, then refuse.

Activity 7.1: Let’s do this!

Directions: Make a semantic map.
Choose a topic of your interest then make a semantic map about it. Put
more supporting ideas as much as you can. You can also draw or explain
the ideas you want to include in your semantic map.
Activity 7.2: True or False
Directions: Read the question carefully and write T if the statement is True and
F if False.
1. The most important thing in writing your position paper is to know if there are
many sources that will support your argument.
2. It is good to add unrelated ideas to your position paper for it can also count as
supporting idea.
3. A position paper doesn’t need to expect counterclaims as this is considered
unrelated to the argument.
4. A position paper must answer specific questions needed in presenting your
argument.
5. Possible problems count as weaknesses or errors in your position paper.

LESSON # 7.2 Manifestos and Argumentative

Essays

Manifestos and Argumentative Essays

A manifesto is issued through verbal speech of
intentions, motives, or views by an individual, group,
political party, or government. It usually accepts a
previously issued opinions or agreement and/or
promotes a new ideas with viewpoint concepts for
carrying out changes the writer believes should be
made. A manifesto which relates to a religious belief talks about to as a principle.

Persuasive or Argumentative Essays

These are essays that make the reader agree on the writers viewpoint and
motivate the readers to take an action. A persuasive essay has the following
parts:
1. Introduction- This includes the thesis of the essay.
2. Body- This part takes the actual discussion about the pros (views agree on)
and cons (views against) the thesis statement; for example, the starting
paragraph of the body may be address to the benefits of your position, the
middle part of the body should address the boundaries of a counterargument,
and the last part of your paragraph should compromise your position or
counterargument; and
3. Conclusion- this part is the summarization of your argument and/or restate
the thesis.

Writing Guidelines

Introduction
In writing position paper or argumentative essays, you should always prioritize
your audience. Then start with a topic sentence that catches their attention and
summarize the issue. Inform the audience your point of view.

Body
You should focus your body with the three main points to develop. Each topic
should develop with:
1. The general statement of the position
2. An explanation that references papers and source data
3. Past experiences and authoritative testimony
4. Conclusion that relates to the position

Establish flow from paragraph to paragraph

1. Keep an active voice
2. Cite sources to establish authority
3. Stay connected on your view point throughout the essay
4. Focus on logical arguments
5. Don’t go over the summary in the process- wait for the conclusion part

Conclusion
1. Summarize and conclude your argument
2. Go back to the starting paragraph or opening statement as well as the main
points:
a. Does it restate the main points?
b. Reflect the progression and importance of the arguments
c. Logically conclude their development?
3. Share your draft with others to seek help for better development and ensure
that your paper has a clear argument.
4. Revise, check the spelling, and succeed in building your case.
Activity 7.3: Activate reading skills
Directions: Read the paragraph below and make your own argumentative essay about
it following the format or guidelines abovementioned.

What Are the Disadvantages of Online Dating Apps Such As Tinder?

With the fast technology that we have, relationships between people have now gets
into new level; the level of online interaction. In this time every activity is now done
online. People buy goods, communicate and even find relationship. Due to so much
independency in online life, a large number of dating apps have been created in order
to find for a convenient sweetheart. Nevertheless, it seems easy, but, the real truth is
that it has many disadvantages; such as partial vision of reality, an unnecessary choice
and a possibility to treat people in commodities.
To start with this, know that the information presented online doesn’t always fit the
expectations of a person. To be exact, people tend to overexpress their positive
qualities and lessen their negative traits. Such wrongful information can lead to bad
broken expectation in reality. Dating apps such as Tinder, Omegle, etc. provide users a
wide range of opportunities to influence other people and produce personal information.
In reality, those characteristics you put in dating apps might not last to the other
person.
Another significant disadvantage of dating apps lies in a large number of choices. In
fact, it is an illusion of choice, because sometimes it’s hard to find a person with your
same choice. Such that the opportunity is that people are being picky and it becomes
difficult to find a true one. According to the result of the study, “online daters were less
willing to settle down and commit to a single partner while they had boundless options
literally at their fingertips” (Adams). A large competition can even push people to act
without humility, for appearance-oriented, while the value of spiritual values is
neglected.
The third critical disadvantage of the dating apps such as abovementioned is a
possibility to look on people as commodities. In other words, people on dating apps are
just like the products and goods in supermarket. In the case if one person doesn’t like
the traits of the other person, he will find another one. In such a way, the moral status
of a person is lessened, as he or she is treated not as a person but as a commodity.

To conclude, dating apps such as, Tinder, Omegle, etc. seem to provide people with
good opportunities for finding a partner, but in reality, they have more disadvantage
than advantages. It is more acceptable to say that online dating apps are giving people
a setting that is imaginative and creativity rather than reality. Another thing is that
people are living in unrealistic world. From the fact that dating apps has many
disadvantages and making the people only think unrealistically it is best to live in the
reality. Like find a partner in person or face to face and date in reality, as it allows you
to see the persons as what they really are, and without filters.

Activity 7.4: 5 minute non-stop writing,

Directions: Write your answers in the space provided.
Go back to the paragraph in Activity 8.3 or the “What Are the
disadvantages of Online Dating Apps Such as Tinder?” and answer the
following question.

1. What is the issue taken up in the Argumentative Essay?

_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________

2. What is the writer’s claim about the issue?

_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________

3. What reasons are given to support his claim?

_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________

4. What kind of support are given for the reasons?

_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________

5. What counterarguments are presented? How are these contradicted?

_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
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6. Do you find it convincing? Why or why not?
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________

7. If you were given a chance to develop the paper what will you add to it and why?
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________

REFERENCES:

Menoy J.Z. (2016) English for Academic and Professional Purposes: A Multidisciplinary
Approah. Books atbp. Publishing Corp.: Mandaluyong City

Miciano, M.Z. et.al. (2016). Enhanced English Engagement English for Academic
Professional Purposes. Don Bosco Press Inc.: Makati City
PICTURES FOR LESSON 7:
David (2020). English for academic and professional purposes [Digital Image].
Retrieved 30 Jul 2020 from https://www.slideshare.net/David1/outlining-eapp
The Learning Lab TPT Teacher (2012) Semantic Map [Digital Image]. Retrieved 01 Aug
2020 from https://www.pinterest.ph/pin/240661173811194305/
Penlighten corp. Writing a Position Paper [Digital Image]. Retrieved 01 Aug 2020 from
https://penlighten.com/steps-to-write-position-paper
Tomas Martin (2017) Argumentative Essays [Digital Image]. Retrieved 02 Aug 2020
from https://handmadewriting.com/blog/guides/what-is-an-essay/
YAWD (n.d.). smiley emoticon . [Digital Image]. Retrieved 06 Aug 2020 from https://ya-
webdesign.com/explore/thinking/
YAWD (n.d.). girl thinking overhead . [Digital Image]. Retrieved 06 Aug 2020 from
https://ya-webdesign.com/explore/thinking/
YAWD (n.d.). machine pen . [Digital Image]. Retrieved 06 Aug 2020 from https://ya-
webdesign.com/explore/thinking/