DEFENDING A

STAND
More often than not, daily conversation includes the challenge of
presenting personal opinion and supporting your claim to establish
a sensible exchange of information and persuade listeners that you
are an effective speaker. The same is true with writing. The need to
present your ideas in a manner that is convincing requires
enough knowledge and effort of reading and researching just so you
could present a sensible paper.
Sharing opinion on an issue does not end on stating it but
making sure that you take a stand and confidently defend
them to convince others of the soundness of your position.
This is where you strive to convince readers to accept your opinions as
valid and reasonable. To achieve this, you need to balance the use
of emotional appeal and intellectual appeal to sway your readers.
We have learned that writing a position paper starts
with presenting an arguable opinion about an issue,
then carefully presenting arguments to further talk about
your stand. Thus, you establish sense in your paper. While
doing this, we need to keep in mind the importance of
addressing all sides of the issue and presenting them in a
manner that is easy to understand. This way, your readers
could appreciate your considerations in taking a side of an
issue and eventually convince them that your argument is
more reasonable.
Do Anti- Smoking Ads campaigns really help? We all have
seen those scary ads that warn people about the horrible
consequences smoking can bring. However, according to
the Center of Disease Control and Prevention, more than
fifteen of every one hundred people in the United States
aged 18 and older smoke today. They, too, see those ads.
But they simply do not stop them from this dreadful habit.
Or do they?

What is the issue?

What is the possible position of the writer?
What is your position?
Analyzing an Issue and Defending an
Argument
Make sure that the issue is of genuine controversy and
uncertainty. Then start conceptualizing at least two distinct
positions. Decide which side are you personally interested in.
Lastly, see to it that the scope of the issue is narrow enough to
be manageable.
Once you have finally established your stance on an issue, the challenge
of presenting a strong argument is just beginning to heat up. This time
you need to tap on your innate ability to reason out and defend
your side. You can do this with the help of comprehensible
researches and factual evidences that would strengthen your claim.
Ensure that your position is well supported. Listing the pro and
con sides of the topic will help you examine your ability to support your
counterclaims along with the list of supporting evidences for both sides.
Generally, supporting evidence 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
experiences of the claim
Personal Testimony – personal experience related by a
knowledgeable party
 Knowing your Reader
Considering your readers in presenting your view
point also plays a vital role in convincing them that your
argument is valid and defensible. This simply means that
you have to know their way of thinking. Understand their
background including their beliefs and interests. With this,
you can make specific decisions on presenting your
arguments. As a result, you could employ appropriate
word choice and explain terms accordingly. This will also
help you identify effective supporting details you need
to convince your readers.
In doing so, these guide questions will help you
discover information that you can use to build
common ground between you and your readers.
Moreover, it would be easier for you to narrow your
arguments on points of their interest and will surely
convince them to be on your side.
1. Who is your audience?
2. What do they believe?
3. Where do they possibly stand on the
issue?
4. How are their interest involved?
5. What evidences is likely to be effective
with them?
 Writing an Argument
Arguments should always be carefully defended with good
reasoning and supported by plenty of research. Part of learning
to write an argument is finding reliable sources or other documents
that lend credibility to your position. However, you also need to
remind yourself that you will not always win. The goal of an
argument is not to win a debate but to make a claim and
support it with credible reasoning and evidences. Make sure
you will not compromise readers’ understanding along the process.
The diagram below will guide you in effectively presenting your
arguments. Study and follow the guide to come up with your own
comprehensible argument.
in writing, you always need to consider your readers and how
they would analyze and interact with your work. Similar to a
debate, writing a position paper means presenting your side of
an arguable opinion about an issue. The goal is to convince your
readers that your opinion is valid and defensible.
Once you have decided your position on an issue, relying solely on your
opinion is not enough to support your claim. You need to read reliable
sources and thoroughly research on the possible arguments you
will present. This way, your position appears valid. Moreover, you don’t
need to present all arguments you can think of. Decide which among
your arguments are the strongest and most logical. Then, look for
credible sources to support your argument. Be sure to present
arguments on both sides of the issue fairly and objectively. Show that
you have seriously considered the many sides of the issue and
that you are not simply attacking an opponent.
Skeptical readers will have their own beliefs and points of view and you
need to be prepared to counter those ideas. Make sure to review the
opposing side of the argument in conducting your research. Remember that for
opposing readers to give up their position, they must see how your position is
more reasonable than their own. Addressing the opposing point of view and
demonstrating how your own claim is stronger will neutralize their argument.
While failing to address a non-coinciding view weakens the persuasive power of
your paper and leaves a reason for your readers to disagree with you.
Organize your arguments and arrange your evidences logically. You may
present your arguments starting from the specific information then create a
general conclusion. Otherwise, present a general position and branch out to
specific information that would further your claim. Study your arguments and
check for fallacies or errors. Eliminate them for these will weaken your argument.
◦Avoid using fancy words and extravagant images
thinking that your paper would sound more intelligent. In
fact, this could create confusion to your readers. It is
advisable that you use choose clear words and be
precise in the expression of your ideas as possible.
Establish logical connections between arguments. The use
of transitional devices helps convey information
clearly and concisely. The following are some of the
many transitional devices to help you organize your
arguments: