E NGLISH for

ACADEMIC and PROFESSIONAL PURPOSES

RITING A
POSITION PAPER
O
English for Academic and
Professional Purposes
BJECTIVES WRITING A
POSITION PAPER

1D efine 2 identifies
situations in
what a 4D efends a stand which a position
position on an issue by
presenting
paper may be
paper is
reasonable effectively used in
3Gathers arguments our present
manifestoes and supported by society
analyses the properly cited
factual evidences
arguments used by Write various
the writer kinds of position
paper
D
English for Academic and
Professional Purposes
EFINE IT! WRITING A
POSITION PAPER

GROUPS
A: Cagayan
B: Isabela
C: Nueva Viscaya
D: Quirino
E: Batanes
 Hot or Cold
Tea or Coffee
Honey or Babe

Rough or Smooth

Making a
Stand
 HAT IS A
POSITION PAPER?
D
English for Academic and
Professional Purposes
EFINE IT! WRITING A
POSITION PAPER

GROUP Fast Talk

A: Cagayan Politics
B: Isabela Science
C: Nueva Viscaya Business
D: Quirino Environment
E: Batanes Technology
D
English for Academic and
Professional Purposes
EFINITION WRITING A
POSITION PAPER

It is a written output which contains

one’s stand about a certain issue. A
POSITION PAPER can be written in
several forms:
Letter to the Editor
Manifesto
Persuasive essay
D
English for Academic and
Professional Purposes
IFFERENT PARTS WRITING A
POSITION PAPER
!.INTRODUCTION

Introduce the topic

Provide background on the topic

Assert the thesis (your view of the issue)

D
English for Academic and
Professional Purposes
IFFERENT PARTS WRITING A
POSITION PAPER
2. Counter Arguments

Summarize the counterclaims

Provide supporting information or

counterclaims
D
English for Academic and
Professional Purposes
IFFERENT PARTS WRITING A
POSITION PAPER

Refute the counterclaims

Give evidences for argument

D
English for Academic and
Professional Purposes
IFFERENT PARTS WRITING A
POSITION PAPER
ARGUMENTS
Assert point number one of your claims
Give your opinion
Provide your support
Assert point number two of your claims
Give your opinion
Provide your support
Assert point number three of your claims
Give your opinion
Provide your support
D
English for Academic and
Professional Purposes
IFFERENT PARTS WRITING A
POSITION PAPER
3.CONCLUSION

Restate your argument

Provide a plan of action
 TEENAGE PREGNANCY
• 1 Teenage pregnancy has never been a dull issue
among my college students. They know a lot of
information about it. With the advent of advanced
technology such as the computer, they cannot be naive
about the topic. They know that it is caused by peer
pressure, early marriage, lack of communication with
parents (Agtarap, 2005), early premarital relationships,
unwanted sex, or lack of education on sex (Pagilagan,
2005). Asked if they favor it, the majority of them do
not. Thinking along the same line as these students, I do
not favor the idea of teenagers getting pregnant at a very
young age despite the claim of some parents that
teenage pregnancy has its merits. ( BI and TS)
 Argument I
• 2 Foremost of my reasons is financial
instability. A teenage mother is usually jobless
and if ever she is employed, she is given a job
commensurate to her low educational
qualifications. She may just be working part
time in fast-food chains or in business
companies. Her job is not stable; hence, she
can experience lay-offs after a short period of
employment. She may have to borrow money
while applying for another job. Lack of money
may mean poor health and malnutrition for
her and her child. ( A1)
 Counter Argument I
• 3 Some parents object to this argument on
financial instability claiming that money is not
a problem at all if the teenage mother is well
supported by her parents and in-laws.
Moreover, her husband may have a good job.
If he was able to finish a college education,
chances are he may be employed
permanently. Thus, there would be no cause
for both the baby and the mother to have
malnutrition. ( C1)
 Refutation
 4 Well, granting that the teenage mother receives a
monthly allowance from her parents and in-laws, I
believe that this does not last forever. Of course, parents
want to be relieved of their responsibilities in rearing
their children. If the husband has a good job, she is lucky.
However, most husbands nowadays are practical most
especially if they are college graduates. They want their
partners to have permanent jobs or at least be a degree
holder too. It is very rare for a man who has a college
degree and is permanently employed to get a teenage
wife. Thus, Pagilagan (2005) agrees that children should
marry when they are financially stable in supporting
their families. ( R1)
 Argument 2
• 5 Another reason why I do not favor teenage
pregnancy is that a teenage mother has a slim
chance to gain a good education. If she is pregnant
while in the high school , she is more likely to drop
out (Calhoun, 1995).She is tied up to the needs of
her children. As Johnson (1995) puts it, she has a
lost or limited opportunity for education. Her
husband may not be very supportive, most
especially if there is no available caregiver for their
child. The task of caring for a child and undergoing
the rigors of schoolwork for a college degree is not
that easy to manage. ( A2)
 Counter Argument 2
• 6 On the other hand, parents say that they can
help so their teenage daughter can go back to
school. When the baby is born, they can always hire
a caregiver. If their daughter is still motivated to
finish her education, she can easily do so with their
full support. (C2)
 Refutation
• 7 For parents to cooperate so the teenage
mother could finish her college degree is a
very rare situation. This is an added burden on
their part, most especially if they have other
children to support in school. Sending
someone to college and hiring a caregiver are
two heavy responsibilities which parents with
an average income would not easily
undertake. ( R2-a )
 Refutation
 8 Furthermore, even if their daughter is still
interested in continuing her studies, she has to
sacrifice a lot. She has to be absent and miss
lessons because she has to rest and care for her
newly-born child. Her health would be
endangered if she insists on going to school right
after delivering her baby. If the baby gets sick or
has to be brought to the doctor for checkup, she
has to miss her classes again. She has to work
hard to pass her subjects. If circumstances are
not favorable for her and she is still in her first
year in college, she may be advised by her
husband to quit school right away. ( R2-b )
 Argument 3
• 9 Finally, a teenage mother is still too
immature to handle the pressures
encountered in married life. She may have
difficulty adjusting to her husband’s traits or
with her in-laws because she may not know
much about how to take care of children (
Berck, 1997). Such pressures may affect her
relationship with her husband or in-laws and
may result in separation or divorce. ( A3 )
 Counter Argument 3
• 10 For this argument on immaturity, many
parents say that it is but normal to have
problems in life and that any married person
passes through an adjustment period. A young
mother can always cope with pressures by
consulting friends, older people, or marriage
counselors for advice. (C3 )
 Refutation
 11 While it is true that friends, older people, or
marriage counselors are ready to help, there
have been many cases of marriages on the rocks
which were not really solved by marriage
counselors. A teenage mother easily gives up
when she has problems with her husband or in-
laws. Most often, she has to run to her parents
for help. If her parents and in-laws interfere with
the affairs of the young couple, separation or
divorce would easily happen. This would not be
so if the couple is mature enough to handle their
own family affairs. ( R3 )
 Counter Argument to the Thesis
Statement
• 12 Back on the issue of teen-age
pregnancy, there are those who favor it. They
claim that teenage mothers do not worry a lot
when they grow old, even in their forties
because their children will already be able to
manage themselves by then. Their children
will already be twenty or above, ready to work
for themselves. (C T S )
 Refutation to the Counter Argument
• 13 I would say that adult mothers still have an
edge over teenage mothers. If they are in their
forties and their children are still five years
old, at least they are mature enough to handle
difficult situations. Besides, they have had
savings or properties that would support their
small kids. ( R C T S )
 Summary and Restatement of the
Thesis
• 14 Teen-age pregnancy, therefore, is more of
a problem with the mother experiencing
financial difficulties, having a low level of
education, and being immature in handling
the pressures of a married life. Some may
look at it optimistically, but I certainly would
not be happy seeing my teenage sister or
relative pregnant. ( S and Re T )
•
 SPECIFIC TASK
HAMBURGER BUN

• TOP BUN
• PATTY
• BOTTOM BUN
 Specific Task
Writing a Position Paper
• Cagayan : Should Death Penalty be
Implemented?
• Isabela : Do Violent Video Games Cause
People to Act Violently?
• Nueva Vizcaya: Fast Food: Feeding or Killing
• Quirino : Is Good Education a Right or a
Priveledge?
• Batanes: Technology : A friend or a Foe?
T hank
You!