English for Academic and Professional Purposes

CORE SUBJECT 0F GRADE 11

Lesson 5 & 6
WRITING
A
POSITION
PAPER
 WHAT IS A POSITION PAPER?
A position paper presents the writer’s stand or viewpoint on a
particular issue. Writing a position paper entail outlining arguments
and proposing the course of action.
It presents an arguable opinion about an issue.

The goal of a position paper is to convince the audience that

your opinion is valid and worth listening to.

Take one side of the argument and persuade your audience that
you have well-founded knowledge of the topic being presented.

2
 WHAT IS A POSITION PAPER?
Support your argument with evidence to ensure the validity of your
claims, as well as to address that you are well informed about both
sides.
PARTS OF THE POSITION PAPER
(1) Introduction
• Introduce the issue, provide history or background of the issue on hand.
• Provide general statement of your stand through a thesis statement.
▸(2)
  Body
• State your arguments on your stand about the issue.
• Provide strong evidence (statistics, interviews with experts, testimonies).
• Provide counterarguments against possible weaknesses of your arguments.
(3) Conclusion
• Restate your claim or stand of an issue.
• Suggest a course of action.
3 • End with a powerful call for action (quotation, challenge or question).
4
 Guide questions in presenting a strong
argument
Is it a real issue, with genuine controversy and uncertainty?

Can you distinctly identify two positions?

Are you personally interested in advocating one of these positions?

Is the issue narrow enough to be manageable?

5
 Writing a Position Paper and Defending a Stance on
an Issue: The best way to defend your stand is to provide supporting
evidence which includes the following:
Factual Knowledge – information that is verifiable and agreed upon by
almost everyone

Statistical Inferences – interpretation and examples of an accumulation

of facts

Informed Opinion – opinion developed through research and/or expertise

of the claim

Personal Testimony – personal experience related by a knowledgeable

party.

6
 In considering the audience, ask yourself the following
questions:
Who is your audience?
What do they believe?
Where do they stand on the issue?
How are their interests involved?
What evidence is likely to be effective with them?

7
 In determining your viewpoint, ask yourself the
following:
Is you topic interesting?
Can you manage the material within the specifications set by the
instructor?
Does your topic assert something specific and propose a plan of
action?
Do you have enough material to support your opinion?

8
 Sample Outline for a Position Paper
I. Introduction
A. Introduce the topic
B. Provide background on the topic
C. Assert the thesis (your view of the issue)
II. Counter Argument
D. Summarize the counterclaims
E. Provide supporting information for counterclaims
F. Refute the counterclaims
G. Give evidence for argument
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 Sample Outline for a Position Paper
III. Your Argument
A. Assert point #1 of your claims
1. Give your opinion
2. Provide support
B. Assert point #2 of your claims
3. Give your opinion
4. Provide support
C. Assert point #3 of your claims
5. Give your opinion
10 6. Provide support
 Sample Outline for a Position Paper
IV. Conclusion
A. Restate your argument
B. Provide a plan of action

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 Few reminders before writing a position
paper!
✓ Choose an issue that is debatable, current and relevant.
✓ Conduct in-depth research on the issue.
✓ Explain the issue and analyze it objectively.
✓ Reflect on your position and identify its weaknesses.
✓ Cite valid and reliable source.
✓ Limit your position paper to 2 pages.
✓ Analyze your target audience and align your arguments to their
beliefs, needs, interest and motivation.
✓ Use active voice as much as possible to achieve a dynamic and
firm tone.
 
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 Hello!
I am Jayden Smith
I am here because I love
to give presentations.
You can find me at
@username

13
1 Transition Headline
Let’s start with the first set of slides
 Big concept
Bring the attention of your
audience over a key concept
using icons or illustrations

15
 “ Quotations are
commonly printed as a
means of inspiration
and to invoke
philosophical thoughts
from the reader.

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 This is a slide title
▸ Here you have a list of items
▸ And some text
▸ But remember not to overload your
slides with content
Your audience will listen to you or read the
content, but won’t do both.

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 You can also split your content
White Black
Is the color of milk and Is the color of ebony and
fresh snow, the color of outer space. It has
produced by the been the symbolic color
combination of all the of elegance, solemnity
colors of the visible and authority.
spectrum.

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 In two or three columns
Yellow Blue Red
Is the color of gold, Is the colour of the Is the color of
butter and ripe clear sky and the blood, and because
lemons. In the deep sea. It is of this it has
spectrum of visible located between historically been
light, yellow is violet and green on associated with
found between the optical sacrifice, danger
green and orange. spectrum. and courage.

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 A picture is worth a
thousand words
A complex idea can be
conveyed with just a single
still image, namely making
it possible to absorb large
amounts of data quickly.

20
 Want big impact?
Use big image.
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 Use diagrams to explain your ideas
1
Vestibulum congue tempus
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur
adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor. Donec
facilisis lacus eget mauris.

2
Vestibulum congue tempus
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur
adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor. Donec
facilisis lacus eget mauris.

3
Vestibulum congue tempus
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur
adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor. Donec
facilisis lacus eget mauris.

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 And tables to compare data
A B C

Yellow 10 20 7

Blue 30 15 10

Orange 5 24 16

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 Maps

our office

24 Find more maps at slidescarnival.com/extra-free-resources-icons-and-maps

 89,526,124
Whoa! That’s a big number, aren’t you proud?

25
 89,526,124$
That’s a lot of money

185,244 users
And a lot of users

100%
Total success!
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 Our process is easy
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet,
consectetur adipiscing. Lorem consectetur adipiscing. Lorem
ipsum dolor sit. ipsum dolor sit.

20XX 20XX

20XX 20XX

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet,
consectetur adipiscing. Lorem consectetur adipiscing. Lorem
ipsum dolor sit. ipsum dolor sit.

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 Let’s review some concepts
Yellow Blue Red
Is the color of gold, butter Is the colour of the clear sky Is the color of blood, and
and ripe lemons. In the and the deep sea. It is located because of this it has
spectrum of visible light, between violet and green on historically been associated
yellow is found between the optical spectrum. with sacrifice, danger and
green and orange. courage.

Yellow Blue Red

Is the color of gold, butter Is the colour of the clear sky Is the color of blood, and
and ripe lemons. In the and the deep sea. It is located because of this it has
spectrum of visible light, between violet and green on historically been associated
yellow is found between the optical spectrum. with sacrifice, danger and
green and orange. courage.

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 4000

3000

2000

1000

You can insert graphs from Excel or Google Sheets

29
 Mobile project
Show and explain your
web, app or software
projects using these gadget
templates.

30
 Tablet project
Show and explain your
web, app or software
projects using these gadget
templates.

31
 Desktop project
Show and explain your
web, app or software
projects using these gadget
templates.

32
 Thanks!
Any questions?
You can find me at:
@username
[email protected]

33
 Credits
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and released these awesome resources for
free:
▸ Presentation template by SlidesCarnival
▸ Photographs by Unsplash

34
 Presentation design
This presentation uses the following typographies:
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35
2 Extra Resources
For Business Plans, Marketing Plans, Project
Proposals, Lessons, etc
 Timeline

Blue is the colour of the Black is the color of Yellow is the color of Blue is the colour of the
clear sky and the deep Red is the colour of ebony and of outer gold, butter and ripe White is the color of clear sky and the deep
sea danger and courage space lemons milk and fresh snow sea

JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC

Yellow is the color of White is the color of Blue is the colour of the Red is the colour of Black is the color of Yellow is the color
gold, butter and ripe milk and fresh snow clear sky and the deep danger and courage ebony and of outer of gold, butter and
lemons sea space ripe lemons

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 Roadmap
Blue is the colour of the Red is the colour of danger Black is the color of ebony
clear sky and the deep sea and courage and of outer space

1 3 5

2 4 6

Yellow is the color of gold, White is the color of milk Blue is the colour of the
butter and ripe lemons and fresh snow clear sky and the deep sea

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 Gantt chart
Week 1 Week 2

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14

Task 1

Task 2 ◆

Task 3

Task 4 ◆

Task 5 ◆

Task 6

Task 7

Task 8

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 SWOT Analysis
STRENGTHS WEAKNESSES
Blue is the colour of Yellow is the color of
the clear sky and the gold, butter and ripe
deep sea lemons

Black is the color of

ebony and of outer White is the color of
space milk and fresh snow
OPPORTUNITIES THREATS

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 Business Model Canvas

Key Partners Key Activities Value Propositions Customer Relationships Customer Segments
Insert your content Insert your content Insert your content Insert your content Insert your content

Key Resources Channels

Insert your content Insert your content

Cost Structure Revenue Streams

Insert your content Insert your content

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 Funnel

AWARENESS Insert your content

DISCOVERY Insert your content

EVALUATION Insert your content

INTENT Insert your content

PURCHASE Insert your content

LOYALTY Insert your content

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 Team Presentation

Imani Jackson Marcos Galán Ixchel Valdía Nils Årud

JOB TITLE JOB TITLE JOB TITLE JOB TITLE
Blue is the colour of the Blue is the colour of the Blue is the colour of the Blue is the colour of the
clear sky and the deep sea clear sky and the deep sea clear sky and the deep sea clear sky and the deep sea

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 Competitor Matrix
HIGH VALUE 2

Competitor
Compet
itor
Our company

Competitor

HIGH VALUE 1
LOW VALUE 1

Competitor

Competitor Competitor

LOW VALUE 2
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 Weekly Planner
WEDNESDA
SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY
Y

09:00 - 09:45 Task Task Task Task Task Task Task

10:00 - 10:45 Task Task Task Task Task Task Task

11:00 - 11:45 Task Task Task Task Task Task Task

12:00 - 13:15
✔ Free ✔ Free ✔ Free ✔ Free ✔ Free ✔ Free ✔ Free
time time time time time time time

13:30 - 14:15 Task Task Task Task Task Task Task

14:30 - 15:15 Task Task Task Task Task Task Task

15:30 - 16:15 Task Task Task Task Task Task Task

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