WEEKLY LEARNING ACTIVITY

SHEETS English for Academic and

Professional
Purposes, Quarter 2, Week 2
WRITING A POSITION PAPER
Name: ___________________________________________ Section: ____________________
Learning Objective:
1. Defends a stand on an issue by presenting reasonable arguments supported
by properly cited factual evidences CS_EN11/12A-EAPPIIa-d-4
2. Writes various kinds of position papers CS_EN11/12A-EAPPIIa-d-5
Key Concepts
Parts of a Position Paper
1. Introduction (This presents the issue/topic to be discussed and the
author’s position on the issue/topic.)
• Start with an introduction which presents the issue while grabbing
the attention of readers.
• Define the issue and discuss its background.
• Provide a general statement of your position via your thesis
statement.
2. Body (This focuses on the claims of the author and the supporting
evidence. Also, it mentions and disproves the counterclaims.)
• State your main arguments.
• provide sufficient evidence for each argument such as statistical
data, interviews with experts, and testimonies.
• provide counterarguments against the possible weaknesses of your
arguments.
3. Conclusion (This restates the author’s position on the issue and the
claims. In this part, the author emphasizes the relevance of the issue
and urges the reader to take his or her side of the issue.)
• Restate your position and main arguments.
• Suggest a course of action.
• State what makes your position superior and more acceptable. • End
with a powerful closing statement such as a quotation, a challenge,
or a question.

P
Author: Ferdinand F. Guillermo, Jr. Reviewers: 1. School/Station:
Agusan National High School - SHS 2. Division: Butuan City 3. email
address: [email protected] 4.
Stages of Writing
Prewriting
a) The author chooses a topic for his or her position paper. It should be a
debatable issue, which others have differing opinions on.
b) The author researches the topic. It is important for him or her to have
facts about the issue and its different sides or arguments.
c) The author chooses a position on the issue. He or she writes it as a
thesis statement.
d) The author makes an outline of his or her main claims and evidence to
support the position.
Writing
a) Introduction – The writer defines the issue using the information that
he or she gathered from research and states his or her main position. b)
Body – The writer presents the main claims using a logical pattern. He or
she uses either inductive or deductive reasoning to present the evidence
that supports each claim. Also, he presents and disproves counterclaims.
c) Conclusion – The writer restates his or her position and claims and
urges the readers to take his or her side.
Revising
Revision is important because it is necessary for the author to go over
his or her work and spot the mistakes and take the chance to improve his or
her paper. In this stage, the author develops his or her ideas further and
ensures the mistakes and fallacies have been attended to. Below are
considerations the author should look into during this stage:
a) Content – Is the author able to support the position fully? Should he or
she provide more information?
b) Language – Has the author used formal language? Is the language
biased? Does he or she use the right words?
c) Organization – Do the ideas flow smoothly from one sentence to another
or from one paragraph to another? Are there any transitional devices
used in order to make sure that the paragraphs are coherent and
cohesive?
d) Mechanics – Are there any grammar or spelling errors? Are there any
words that should be capitalized?
Exercises / Activities
Activity 1. Complete the table below by giving your stand and valid
arguments on the given topic/issue.
2

P
Author: Ferdinand F. Guillermo, Jr. Reviewers: 1. School/Station:
Agusan National High School - SHS 2. Division: Butuan City 3. email
address: [email protected] 4.
Activity 3. Write a position paper on the
Topic Does Facebook need a ‘Disliktopic “The best place to live in the
Philippines”. Write your position paper in
Your a separate sheet of paper.
stand on
the Rubric for Writing a Position Paper
issue

Argumen 1. CONTENT
ts to
defend it Paper clearly states the position of the writer
Opening statement captures the readers' interes
2. Issue is debatable, fresh, relevant, and
somehow original.
Arguments reflect higher level of thought.
Paper uses evidence from reputable sources.
There are sufficient pieces of evidence to
Activity 2. Enumerate at least three support the claim.
specific issues in your community or in
the country which you feel strongly about Paper considers all possible counterarguments.
and which you think can be effectively Paper refutes the opposing arguments logically.
addressed through a position paper.
1. Paper aligns the arguments to the target
readers' beliefs, attitude, values, and
__________________________________________ motivations.
___________________________ 2. Paper employs appropriate method in
presenting arguments.
__________________________________________
___________________________ 3. 3e

__________________________________________
a

___________________________

Author: Ferdinand F. Guillermo, Jr. Reviewers: 1. School/Station:

Agusan National High School - SHS 2. Division: Butuan City 3. email
address: [email protected] 4.
Paper is free from logical fallacies.
Paper appropriately applies logical, ethical,
and/or emotional appeals. Conclusion restates the position of the writer.
 Conclusion presents feasible course of actionBefore writing a position paper, you must
Closing statement is powerful. identify the issue to be discussed. Research
both positions and collate the arguments from
ORGANIZATION scholarly articles and in depth studies from
academic books and journals. Why do we
Paper uses organizational pattern and need to perform thorough study/research
structure appropriate for the genre. about the issue/topic before choosing your
position or side you want to support and
Cohesive devices are effectively used. writing your position paper?
Ideas are correctly placed which improves References for learners:
the paper's organization.
Barrot, Jessie, and Philippe John Sipacio.
Flow of ideas is smooth and easy to read. 2016. Communicate Today: English for
STYLE Academic and Professional Purposes for
Senior High School. C & E Publishing,
Paper showcases the writer's voice. Inc.
Quipper. Writing a Position Paper.
Paper uses a variety of sentence structures. Accessed October 28, 2020.
https://link.quipper.com/en/organization
Paper eliminates sexist language. s/547ffc20d2b76d0002002
8d5/curriculum#curriculum
Paper uses language appropriate to context.
Paper eliminates wordiness.
Answer Key
GRAMMAR AND MECHANICS
Grammar is accurate.
Spelling, capitalization, and punctuation
are correctly used.
Word choice is appropriate.
Sentences are well-structured.
DOCUMENTATION AND SOURCES
Paper uses correct citation and reference form
Sources used are reliable.
Sources used are relevant to the topic.
T

Legend: VGE - To a very great extent; GE - To

a great extent; SE - To some extent; LE – To a
little extent; N – Not at all
Reflection
 g

4e

Author: Ferdinand F. Guillermo, Jr. Reviewers: 1. School/Station:

Agusan National High School - SHS 2. Division: Butuan City 3. email
address: [email protected] 4.