HOW TO WRITE AN ESSAY- OR A POSITION

PAPER

ESSAY--
Introduction Paragraph

 An attention-grabbing "hook"
 A thesis statement
 A preview of the three subtopics you will discuss in the body paragraphs.

First Body Paragraph

 Topic sentence which states the first subtopic and opens with a transition
 Supporting details or examples
 An explanation of how this example proves your thesis

Second Body Paragraph

 Topic sentence which states the second subtopic and opens with a transition
 Supporting details or examples
 An explanation of how this example proves your thesis

Third Body Paragraph

 Topic sentence which states the third subtopic and opens with a transition
 Supporting details or examples
 An explanation of how this example proves your thesis

Concluding Paragraph

 Concluding Transition, Reverse "hook," and restatement of thesis.

 Rephrasing main topic and subtopics.
 Global statement or call to action.
The Five Paragraph Essay
Though more advanced academic papers are a category all their own, the basic high school or college essay
has the following standardized, five paragraph structure:

Paragraph 1: Introduction
Paragraph 2: Body 1
Paragraph 3: Body 2
Paragraph 4: Body 3
Paragraph 5: Conclusion

Though it may seem formulaic – and, well, it is - the idea behind this structure is to make it easier for the
reader to navigate the ideas put forth in an essay. You see, if your essay has the same structure as every
other one, any reader should be able to quickly and easily find the information most relevant to them.

The Introduction
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The principle purpose of the introduction is to present your position (this is also known as the "thesis" or
"argument") on the issue at hand but effective introductory paragraphs are so much more than that. Before you
even get to this thesis statement, for example, the essay should begin with a "hook" that grabs the reader’s
attention and makes them want to read on. Examples of effective hooks include relevant quotations ("no man
is an island") or surprising statistics ("three out of four doctors report that…").

Only then, with the reader’s attention "hooked," should you move on to the thesis. The thesis should be a clear,
one-sentence explanation of your position that leaves no doubt in the reader’s mind about which side you are
on from the beginning of your essay.

Following the thesis, you should provide a mini-outline which previews the examples you will use to support
your thesis in the rest of the essay. Not only does this tell the reader what to expect in the paragraphs to come
but it also gives them a clearer understanding of what the essay is about.

Finally, designing the last sentence in this way has the added benefit of seamlessly moving the reader to the
first paragraph of the body of the paper. In this way we can see that the basic introduction does not need to be
much more than three or four sentences in length. If yours is much longer you might want to consider editing it
down a bit!

Here, by way of example, is an introductory paragraph to an essay in response to the following question:

"Do we learn more from finding out that we have made mistakes or from our successful actions?"

"No man is an island" and, as such, he is constantly shaped and influenced by his
experiences. People learn by doing and, accordingly, learn considerably more from their
mistakes than their success. For proof of this, consider examples from both science and
everyday experience.
DO – Pay Attention to Your Introductory Paragraph
Because this is the first paragraph of your essay it is your opportunity to give the reader the best first
impression possible. The introductory paragraph not only gives the reader an idea of what you will talk about
but also shows them how you will talk about it. Put a disproportionate amount of effort into this – more than the
20% a simple calculation would suggest – and you will be rewarded accordingly.
DO NOT – Use Passive Voice or I/My
Active voice, wherein the subjects direct actions rather than let the actions "happen to" them – "he scored a
97%" instead of "he was given a 97%" – is a much more powerful and attention-grabbing way to write. At the
same time, unless it is a personal narrative, avoid personal pronouns like I, My, or Me. Try instead to be more
general and you will have your reader hooked.

The Body Paragraphs

The middle paragraphs of the essay are collectively known as the body paragraphs and, as alluded to above,
the main purpose of a body paragraph is to spell out in detail the examples that support your thesis.

For the first body paragraph you should use your strongest argument or most significant example unless some
other more obvious beginning point (as in the case of chronological explanations) is required. The first
sentence of this paragraph should be the topic sentence of the paragraph that directly relates to the examples
listed in the mini-outline of introductory paragraph.

A one sentence body paragraph that simply cites the example of "George Washington" or "LeBron James" is
not enough, however. No, following this an effective essay will follow up on this topic sentence by explaining to
the reader, in detail, who or what an example is and, more importantly, why that example is relevant.

Even the most famous examples need context. For example, George Washington’s life was extremely complex
– by using him as an example, do you intend to refer to his honesty, bravery, or maybe even his wooden
teeth? The reader needs to know this and it is your job as the writer to paint the appropriate picture for them.
To do this, it is a good idea to provide the reader with five or six relevant facts about the life (in general) or
event (in particular) you believe most clearly illustrates your point.

Having done that, you then need to explain exactly why this example proves your thesis. The importance of
this step cannot be understated (although it clearly can be underlined); this is, after all, the whole reason you
are providing the example in the first place. Seal the deal by directly stating why this example is relevant.

Here is an example of a body paragraph to continue the essay begun above:

Take, by way of example, Thomas Edison. The famed American inventor rose to
prominence in the late 19th century because of his successes, yes, but even he felt that
these successes were the result of his many failures. He did not succeed in his work on
one of his most famous inventions, the lightbulb, on his first try nor even on his hundred
and first try. In fact, it took him more than 1,000 attempts to make the first incandescent
bulb but, along the way, he learned quite a deal. As he himself said, "I did not fail a
thousand times but instead succeeded in finding a thousand ways it would not work." Thus
Edison demonstrated both in thought and action how instructive mistakes can be.
DO – Tie Things Together
The first sentence – the topic sentence - of your body paragraphs needs to have a lot individual pieces to be
truly effective. Not only should it open with a transition that signals the change from one idea to the next but
also it should (ideally) also have a common thread which ties all of the body paragraphs together. For example,
if you used "first" in the first body paragraph then you should used "secondly" in the second or "on the one
hand" and "on the other hand" accordingly.
DO NOT – Be Too General
Examples should be relevant to the thesis and so should the explanatory details you provide for them. It can be
hard to summarize the full richness of a given example in just a few lines so make them count. If you are trying
to explain why George Washington is a great example of a strong leader, for instance, his childhood adventure
with the cherry tree (though interesting in another essay) should probably be skipped over.
A Word on Transitions
You may have noticed that, though the above paragraph aligns pretty closely with the provided outline, there is
one large exception: the first few words. These words are example of a transitional phrase – others include
"furthermore," "moreover," but also "by contrast" and "on the other hand" – and are the hallmark of good
writing.

Transitional phrases are useful for showing the reader where one section ends and another begins. It may be
helpful to see them as the written equivalent of the kinds of spoken cues used in formal speeches that signal
the end of one set of ideas and the beginning of another. In essence, they lead the reader from one section of
the paragraph of another.

To further illustrate this, consider the second body paragraph of our example essay:

In a similar way, we are all like Edison in our own way. Whenever we learn a new skill - be
it riding a bike, driving a car, or cooking a cake - we learn from our mistakes. Few, if any,
are ready to go from training wheels to a marathon in a single day but these early
experiences (these so-called mistakes) can help us improve our performance over time.
You cannot make a cake without breaking a few eggs and, likewise, we learn by doing and
doing inevitably means making mistakes.
Hopefully this example not only provides another example of an effective body paragraph but also illustrates
how transitional phrases can be used to distinguish between them.

The Conclusion
Although the conclusion paragraph comes at the end of your essay it should not be seen as an afterthought.
As the final paragraph is represents your last chance to make your case and, as such, should follow an
extremely rigid format.

One way to think of the conclusion is, paradoxically, as a second introduction because it does in fact contain
many of the same features. While it does not need to be too long – four well-crafted sentence should be
enough – it can make or break and essay.

Effective conclusions open with a concluding transition ("in conclusion," "in the end," etc.) and an allusion to
the "hook" used in the introductory paragraph. After that you should immediately provide a restatement of your
thesis statement.

This should be the fourth or fifth time you have repeated your thesis so while you should use a variety of word
choice in the body paragraphs it is a acceptable idea to use some (but not all) of the original language you
used in the introduction. This echoing effect not only reinforces your argument but also ties it nicely to the
second key element of the conclusion: a brief (two or three words is enough) review of the three main points
from the body of the paper.
Having done all of that, the final element – and final sentence in your essay – should be a "global statement" or
"call to action" that gives the reader signals that the discussion has come to an end.

In the end, then, one thing is clear: mistakes do far more to help us learn and improve than
successes. As examples from both science and everyday experience can attest, if we treat
each mistake not as a misstep but as a learning experience the possibilities for self-
improvement are limitless.
DO – Be Powerful
The conclusion paragraph can be a difficult paragraph to write effectively but, as it is your last chance to
convince or otherwise impress the reader, it is worth investing some time in. Take this opportunity to restate
your thesis with confidence; if you present your argument as "obvious" then the reader might just do the same.
DO NOT – Copy the First Paragraph
Although you can reuse the same key words in the conclusion as you did in the introduction, try not to copy
whole phrases word for word. Instead, try to use this last paragraph to really show your skills as a writer by
being as artful in your rephrasing as possible.

10 Easy Writing Steps

1. Decide on a topic. The best topic will be one you have a strong interest in or opinion
about.Find some articles to read about your topic. It is best to read different positions. Try
to get a feel for the various views on the topic.
2. Write your position idea. Pick one particular aspect of the topic to discuss and write a
one-sentence opinion. Test to see if this is really an arguable opinion. Are there other
points of view? If everyone agrees on this topic, then you don't really have something you
can write a good persuasive essay about.
3. Gather your sources. You can use articles you read in preparing your thesis, but you
may want to get more evidence to support your view. Make sure you also have
information about opposing views.
 4. Decide what sort of claim you are writing (fact, definition, cause, value, policy). Read
your sources and decide on a claim statement. This claim statement will be the thesis of
your paper.
5. Do prewriting about your audience (see questions below).
6. Outline: Use the information you have gathered and your pre-writing about audience to
write an outline using the information "Writing your Outline."
7. Write your paper, including adding your author tags, evidence and citations in MLA style.
8. Do Peer Editing: Have someone read your paper and respond using the "Draft Editing
Questions."
9. Re-vise your draft using the information you got from your reader(s).
10. Final Proofread. Run a spelling and grammar check, proof-read and read aloud to catch
errors. Another tip I often suggest to students is printing out your paper and reading it
aloud or having someone read it to you. When you read aloud, you slow yourself down
and actually catch a lot of errors your eyes miss when you read the computer screen.

More tips to make your essay shine

Planning Pays
Although it may seem like a waste of time – especially during exams where time is tight – it is almost always
better to brainstorm a bit before beginning your essay. This should enable you to find the best supporting ideas
– rather than simply the first ones that come to mind – and position them in your essay accordingly.

Your best supporting idea – the one that most strongly makes your case and, simultaneously, about which you
have the most knowledge – should go first. Even the best-written essays can fail because of ineffectively
placed arguments.

Aim for Variety

Sentences and vocabulary of varying complexity are one of the hallmarks of effective writing. When you are
writing, try to avoid using the same words and phrases over and over again. You don’t have to be a walking
thesaurus but a little variance can make the same idea sparkle.

If you are asked about "money," you could try "wealth" or "riches." At the same time, avoid beginning
sentences the dull pattern of "subject + verb + direct object." Although examples of this are harder to give,
consider our writing throughout this article as one big example of sentence structure variety.

Practice! Practice! Practice!

In the end, though, remember that good writing does not happen by accident. Although we have endeavored to
explain everything that goes into effective essay writing in as clear and concise a way as possible, it is much
easier in theory than it is in practice.

As a result, we recommend that you practice writing sample essays on various topics. Even if they are not
masterpieces at first, a bit of regular practice will soon change that – and make you better prepared when it
comes to the real thing.
 1. Purpose and Thesis
2. Title
3. Introduction
4. Body of Information
5. Conclusion

We'll walk you through each part and give you tips on how to master the art
of the essay.

01
of 05
Purpose/Main Idea

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Before you can start writing, you need to have an idea to write about. If you
haven't been assigned an idea, it's easier than you might think to come up
with one of your own.

Your best essays will be about the things that light your fire. What do you feel
passionate about? What topics do you find yourself arguing for or against?
Choose the side of the topic you are "for" rather than "against," and your
essay will be stronger.

Do you love gardening? sports? photography? volunteering? Are you an

advocate for children? domestic peace? the hungry or homeless? These are
clues to your best essays.

Put your idea into a single sentence. This is your thesis statement, your main
idea.

We have some ideas to get you started: Writing Ideas

02
of 05
Title

STOCK4B-RF - Getty Images 78853181

Choose a title for your essay that expresses your main idea. The strongest
titles will include a verb. Take a look at any newspaper and you'll see that
every title has a verb.

You want your title to make someone want to read what you have to say.
Make it provocative.

Here are a few ideas:

 America Needs Better Health Care Now

 The Use of the Mentor Archetype in...
 Who Is the She-Conomy?
 Why DJ Is the Queen of Pedicures
 Melanoma: Is It or Isn't It?
  How to Achieve Natural Balance in Your Garden
 Expect to Be Changed by Reading...

Some people will tell you to wait until you have finished writing to choose a
title. I find a title helps me stay focused, but I always review mine when I'm
finished to ensure that it's the most effective it can be.

03
of 05
Introduction

Hero-Images---Getty-Images-168359760

Your introduction is one short paragraph, just a sentence or two, that states
your thesis (your main idea) and introduces your reader to your topic. After
your title, this is your next best chance to hook your reader. Here are some
examples:
  Women are the chief buyers in 80 percent of America's households. If
you're not marketing to them, you should be.
 Take another look at that spot on your arm. Is the shape irregular? Is it
multi-colored? You could have melanoma. Know the signs.
 Those tiny wasps flying around the blossoms in your garden can't sting
you. Their stingers have evolved into egg-laying devices. The wasps,
busying finding a very specific place to lay their eggs, are participating
in the balance of nature.

04
of 05
Body of Information

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pha202000005
The body of your essay is where you develop your story or argument. You
have finished your research and have pages of notes. Right? Go through your
notes with a highlighter and mark the most important ideas, the key points.

Choose the top three ideas and write each one at the top of a clean page. Now
go through again and pull out supporting ideas for each key point. You don't
need a lot, just two or three for each one.

Write a paragraph about each of these key points, using the information
you've pulled from your notes. Don't have enough? Maybe you need a
stronger key point. Do a little more research.

Help with writing:

 6 Tips for Improving Your Writing

 10 Resources for Improving Your Writing
 5 Quick English Grammar Tips

05
of 05
Conclusion

You're almost finished. The last paragraph of your essay is your conclusion.
It, too, can be short, and it must tie back to your introduction.

In your introduction, you stated the reason for your paper. In your
conclusion, you want to summarize how your key points support your thesis.

 By observing the balance of nature in her gardens, listening to

lectures, and reading everything she can get her hands on about
insects and native plants, Lucinda has grown passionate about natural
balance. "It's easy to get passionate if you just take time to look," she
says.

If you're still worried about your essay after trying on your own, consider
hiring an essay editing service. Reputable services will edit your work, not
rewrite it. Choose carefully. One service to consider is Essay
Edge. EssayEdge.com
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by Grace Fleming
Updated December 04, 2017

A five-paragraph essay is a prose composition that follows a prescribed format of

an introductory paragraph, three body paragraphs, and a concluding
paragraph, and is typically taught during primary English education and applied on
standardized testing throughout schooling.

Learning to write a high-quality five-paragraph essay is an essential skill for

students in early English classes as it allows them to express certain ideas, claims,
or concepts in an organized manner, complete with evidence that supports each of
these notions.

Later, though, students may decide to stray from the standard five-paragraph
format and venture into writing an exploratory essay instead.
Still, teaching students to organize essays into the five-paragraph format is an easy
way to introduce them to writing literary criticism, which will be tested time and
again throughout their primary, secondary, and further education.

STARTING OFF RIGHT: WRITING A GOOD INTRODUCTION

The introduction is the first paragraph in your essay, and it should accomplish a
few specific goals: capture the reader's interest, introduce the topic, and make a
claim or express an opinion in a thesis statement.

It's a good idea to start your essay with a really interesting statement in order to
pique the reader's interest, though this can also be accomplished by using
descriptive words, an anecdote, a striking question, or an interesting fact. Students
can practice with creative writing prompts to get some ideas for interesting ways to
start an essay.

The next few sentences should explain your first statement, and prepare the reader
for your thesis statement, which is typically the last sentence in the
introduction. Your thesis sentence should provide your specific assertion and
convey a clear point of view, which is typically divided into three distinct
arguments that support this assertation, which will each serve as central themes for
the body paragraphs.

EXPLAINING YOUR THESIS: WRITING BODY PARAGRAPHS

The body of the essay will include three paragraphs in a five-paragraph essay
format, each limited to one main idea that supports your thesis.

In order to properly write each of these three body paragraphs, you should state
your supporting idea, your topic sentence, then back it up with two or three
sentences of evidence or examples that validate this claim before concluding the
paragraph and using transition words to lead to the paragraph that follows —
meaning that all of your body paragraphs should follow the pattern of "statement,
supporting ideas, transition statement."

Words to use as you transition from one paragraph to another include moreover, in
fact, on the whole, furthermore, as a result, simply put, for this reason, similarly,
likewise, it follows that, naturally, by comparison, surely, and yet.

PULLING IT ALL TOGETHER: WRITING A CONCLUSION

The final paragraph will summarize your main points and re-assert your main
claim (from your thesis sentence). It should point out your main points, but should
not repeat specific examples, and should, as always, leave a lasting impression on
the reader.
The first sentence of the conclusion, therefore, should be used to restate the
supporting claims argued in the body paragraphs as they relate to the thesis
statement, then the next few sentences should be used to explain how the essay's
main points can lead outward, perhaps to further thought on the topic.

Ending the conclusion with a question, anecdote, or final pondering is a great way
to leave a lasting impact.

Once you complete the first draft of your essay, it's a good idea to re-visit the thesis
statement in your first paragraph. Read your essay to see if it flows well, and you
might find that the supporting paragraphs are strong, but they don't address the
exact focus of your thesis. Simply re-write your thesis sentence to fit your body and
summary more exactly, and adjust the conclusion to wrap it all up nicely.

PRACTICE WRITING A FIVE-PARAGRAPH ESSAY

Students can use the following steps to write a standard essay on any given topic.
First, choose a topic, or ask your students to choose their own topic, then allow
them to form a basic five-paragraph by following these steps:

1. Decide on your basic thesis, your idea of a topic to discuss.

1. Decide on three pieces of supporting evidence you will use to prove your thesis.
2. Write an introductory paragraph, including your thesis and evidence (in order of
strength).
3. Write your first body paragraph, starting with restating your thesis and focusing on
your first piece of supporting evidence.
4. End your first paragraph with a transitional sentence that leads to the next body
paragraph.
5. Write paragraph two of the body focussing on your second piece of evidence. Once
again make the connection between your thesis and this piece of evidence.
6. End your second paragraph with a transitional sentence that leads to paragraph
number three.
7. Repeat step 6 using your third piece of evidence.
8. Begin your concluding paragraph by restating your thesis. Include the three points
you've used to prove your thesis.
9. End with a punch, a question, an anecdote, or an entertaining thought that will stay
with the reader.

Once a student is able to master these 10 simple steps, writing a basic five-
paragraph essay will be a piece of cake, so long as the student does so correctly and
includes enough supporting information in each paragraph that all relate to the
same centralized main idea, the thesis of the essay. Check out these great examples
of five-paragraph essays:
Essay Structure
Writing an academic essay means fashioning a coherent set of ideas into an
argument. Because essays are essentially linear—they offer one idea at a time—
they must present their ideas in the order that makes most sense to a reader.
Successfully structuring an essay means attending to a reader's logic.

The focus of such an essay predicts its structure. It dictates the information
readers need to know and the order in which they need to receive it. Thus your
essay's structure is necessarily unique to the main claim you're making. Although
there are guidelines for constructing certain classic essay types (e.g.,
comparative analysis), there are no set formula.

Answering Questions: The Parts of an Essay

A typical essay contains many different kinds of information, often located in

specialized parts or sections. Even short essays perform several different
operations: introducing the argument, analyzing data, raising counterarguments,
concluding. Introductions and conclusions have fixed places, but other parts
don't. Counterargument, for example, may appear within a paragraph, as a free-
standing section, as part of the beginning, or before the ending. Background
material (historical context or biographical information, a summary of relevant
theory or criticism, the definition of a key term) often appears at the beginning
of the essay, between the introduction and the first analytical section, but might
also appear near the beginning of the specific section to which it's relevant.

It's helpful to think of the different essay sections as answering a series of

questions your reader might ask when encountering your thesis. (Readers should
have questions. If they don't, your thesis is most likely simply an observation of
fact, not an arguable claim.)

"What?" The first question to anticipate from a reader is "what": What evidence
shows that the phenomenon described by your thesis is true? To answer the
question you must examine your evidence, thus demonstrating the truth of your
claim. This "what" or "demonstration" section comes early in the essay, often
 directly after the introduction. Since you're essentially reporting what you've
observed, this is the part you might have most to say about when you first start
writing. But be forewarned: it shouldn't take up much more than a third (often
much less) of your finished essay. If it does, the essay will lack balance and may
read as mere summary or description.

"How?" A reader will also want to know whether the claims of the thesis are true
in all cases. The corresponding question is "how": How does the thesis stand up to
the challenge of a counterargument? How does the introduction of new
material—a new way of looking at the evidence, another set of sources—affect
the claims you're making? Typically, an essay will include at least one "how"
section. (Call it "complication" since you're responding to a reader's complicating
questions.) This section usually comes after the "what," but keep in mind that an
essay may complicate its argument several times depending on its length, and
that counterargument alone may appear just about anywhere in an essay.

"Why?" Your reader will also want to know what's at stake in your claim: Why
does your interpretation of a phenomenon matter to anyone beside you? This
question addresses the larger implications of your thesis. It allows your readers
to understand your essay within a larger context. In answering "why", your essay
explains its own significance. Although you might gesture at this question in your
introduction, the fullest answer to it properly belongs at your essay's end. If you
leave it out, your readers will experience your essay as unfinished—or, worse, as
pointless or insular.

Mapping an Essay

Structuring your essay according to a reader's logic means examining your thesis
and anticipating what a reader needs to know, and in what sequence, in order to
grasp and be convinced by your argument as it unfolds. The easiest way to do
this is to map the essay's ideas via a written narrative. Such an account will give
you a preliminary record of your ideas, and will allow you to remind yourself at
every turn of the reader's needs in understanding your idea.

Essay maps ask you to predict where your reader will expect background
information, counterargument, close analysis of a primary source, or a turn to
secondary source material. Essay maps are not concerned with paragraphs so
much as with sections of an essay. They anticipate the major argumentative
moves you expect your essay to make. Try making your map like this:

 State your thesis in a sentence or two, then write another sentence saying why it's
important to make that claim. Indicate, in other words, what a reader might learn by
exploring the claim with you. Here you're anticipating your answer to the "why" question
that you'll eventually flesh out in your conclusion.
 Begin your next sentence like this: "To be convinced by my claim, the first thing a
reader needs to know is . . ." Then say why that's the first thing a reader needs to know,
and name one or two items of evidence you think will make the case. This will start you
off on answering the "what" question. (Alternately, you may find that the first thing your
reader needs to know is some background information.)
 Begin each of the following sentences like this: "The next thing my reader needs to know
is . . ." Once again, say why, and name some evidence. Continue until you've mapped
out your essay.
Your map should naturally take you through some preliminary answers to the
basic questions of what, how, and why. It is not a contract, though—the order in
which the ideas appear is not a rigid one. Essay maps are flexible; they evolve
with your ideas.

Signs of Trouble

A common structural flaw in college essays is the "walk-through" (also labeled

"summary" or "description"). Walk-through essays follow the structure of their
sources rather than establishing their own. Such essays generally have a
descriptive thesis rather than an argumentative one. Be wary of paragraph
openers that lead off with "time" words ("first," "next," "after," "then") or "listing"
words ("also," "another," "in addition"). Although they don't always signal trouble,
these paragraph openers often indicate that an essay's thesis and structure need
work: they suggest that the essay simply reproduces the chronology of the source
text (in the case of time words: first this happens, then that, and afterwards
another thing . . . ) or simply lists example after example ("In addition, the use
of color indicates another way that the painting differentiates between good and
evil").

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Key Point
You want your reader to finish reading the essay and believe that your position is
better than other positions on the issue. Although you may mention other points of
view to refute them or to use in drawing consensus, the body of your paper will be
explaining your position and giving reasons and evidence that persuades the
reader to agree with you.

Choosing a Topic
Position papers can use any of the other essay forms like definition, description, and cause,
evaluation, argument or problem solution. However, you need to remember that the purpose of
the paper is not to explore the issue but to argue a particular position about the issue.
Example: "Do women make less money than men for the same job" is something you can
research and find a factual answer and so it isn't a good position topic. However, you can
argue any of the following:
1. Women should make the same as a man for the same job.
2. Women are better employees than men.
3. Men should make more money than women.
Do those statements sound like something that could generate a good argument? Perfect! You
want to choose a topic that is interesting and make a claim that other people would disagree
with. Because there is a contrary point of view, you have something you can write about.

Research
It is possible to write position essays without evidence from other sources. You can just use
logic and your own personal experiences. However, often a position essay is going to draw on
evidence like statistics, expert opinion or case studies. That way, the reader doesn't have to
rely only on your opinion.

By incorporating evidence from other sources, you strengthen your argument. There are three
ways to incorporate sources in your essay: quotation, paraphrase and summary. However, you
should be careful to use quotation sparingly and to be sure to cite all your sources using the
MLA or APA format.
 Finding Common Ground
In order to formulate an effective argument for position essays, you need to find common
ground with your audience.While there is some value in arguments which “preach to the choir”
and “rally the troups” to support something they already strongly believe, most arguments are
more effective if they seek to persuade an audience which is undecided or not strongly in favor
of your position. Here are some questions that can help you define your audience for your
position paper, and also find out what common ground you have with them:

1. Who is your audience? What do they believe about your issue?

2. What do you want them to believe/do after reading your paper?
3. What are the warrants (values or strong beliefs) your audience holds about this type of
subject?
4. How are your warrants (values or strong beliefs) different or the same as those of your
audience?
5. Where do you and your audience have common ground? What basic needs, values and
beliefs do you share? Examples of needs and values that motivate most audiences: basic
needs, health, financial well being, affection and friendship, respect and esteem of others,
self-esteem, new experience, self-actualization, convenience.
6. Which of these needs and values could be effective for you to appeal to in your position
essay?

Women should be encouraged to go into science. | Source

Basic Outline
I. Introduction: Describe the problem and make it vivid for the reader. Your introduction
should:

 Make the reader interested in this issue.

 Convince the reader that this is an important issue.
 Explain your point of view.
Introduction Ideas: unusual fact or statistic, intriguing statement, anecdote, example,
question, historical background, story, typical scenario, conversation, interesting quotation,
vivid description, a list, explaining a process, an analogy, frame story (part of story in the intro
and the rest of the story in the conclusion).

Claim Sentence: Generally, the introduction will end with your claim or thesis (sometimes this
will be the opening sentence, or you may put a question which is not fully answered until the
conclusion). You may phrase this as a question or a statement.
II. Body: The body will focus on one particular sort of claim: fact, definition, value, cause or
policy. Your claim is what you want your audience to believe and it should be stated in one
sentence. The claim can be placed in different points in the paper but is usually at the end of
the intro or the first sentence of the body.

1. Sub-claims: Your sub-claims should be three or more reasons why the reader should
believe your claim. They should be supported using your sources. Be sure to use author tags
and parenthetical citation in the correct format.
2. Warrants/Backing (evidence to support warrants): Warrants are why you believe this claim
to be true. Telling your warrants and backing them up is optional. The reason you would do so
is to draw your reader into common ground with you. It is especially useful to do if you are
appealing to a reader who holds a very different position from you on this issue, particularly on
policy claims. (Examples: on the issue of abortion, both sides agree that reducing the number
of abortions is desirable; on the issue of war, everyone agrees that the goal is to allow citizens
to raise their families in peace). A discussion of warrants can be put in the intro, before or after
the sub-claims or as part of the appeal in the conclusion.
3. Rebuttal: The rebuttal is a discussion of other positions on this issue and explaining why
your position is better. Again, you may use sources to support your position and you may also
use qualifiers (sometimes, if, most of the time) to narrow your claim and encourage the
audience to agree with you.

III. Conclusion: Conclusions can use some of the same techniques that you use in your
introduction. Be sure your conclusion is linked to your introduction. Do not just repeat the claim,
but draw a conclusion which urges the reader to believe it or do something about it. Ways to
conclude:
1. Make a final appeal to the reader and tell them what you want them to think or do.
2. Depending on your topic, you may want to make an appeal to logic, emotion or authority
3. Return to the intro and finish the frame story, or revise the story or description or
conversation to show how things would be better if your proposal/claim is adopted.
4. If you haven’t done so in the body, you can sometimes use a countering of other positions
in the conclusion. Explain why your position is better.
5. If you started with a question, you may save your final claim thesis for the end.

Peer Editing Questions

Have one or more classmates read your paper and answer these questions to help you to write
your final draft.
1. What do you think about the claim?
2. What do you want to know more about?
3. What other positions are there about this claim? What will the writer need to do to give a
rebuttal?
4. How are the values of the writer the same or different from the values of the
audience?How can the writer give warrants/backing to create a more persuasive claim?
5. Do you have information or evidence the writer can use to support their claim?
 How to Write a Position Paper
Four Parts:Choosing Your PositionBuilding Your ArgumentDrafting Your PaperRevising and Editing Your

PaperCommunity Q&A

Just like an argument paper, a position paper supports one side of an issue, similar
to in a debate. Your goal will be to provide convincing evidence to the reader that
your position is the correct stance to take on an issue. You can write a great
position paper by choosing your position carefully, developing your argument,
drafting your paper, and revising and editing your work.
Part 1
Choosing Your Position
1.
 1
Make sure your topic is arguable. If you are choosing your own topic, then you will want
to make sure that it has multiple sides. The topic should be controversial, with at least 2
clear sides. Sometimes a topic might seem to have 2 sides, but in actuality most people
would agree on 1 side.[1]

 For example, you wouldn’t want to write a paper arguing that children need proper care, as
no one would disagree with that stance.
 A better topic may be taking a stance on what should be done if children are not receiving
proper care.
2.
 2
Research your topic and the alternative sides. You need to fully understand your issue
in order to choose and defend a position. Consider the background information, recent
developments, and the reasons behind each side. Remember to examine at least 2 sides
of your issue.

 Visit your local library to find books, journals, and newspapers.

 Access online databases, credible websites, and news sources.
 To decide if a source is credible, look for peer-reviewed journals, check the credentials of
the author, locate the information in two separate sources, and check the date to make
sure the information is the most recent available. You should also avoid self-published
sources.
3.
 3
Make a pros and cons list for at least 2 positions on your topic. Based on your
research, write down the reasons for and against each position that you are considering
taking. This will help you choose a position that is easy to defend using the evidence that
you have collected.

 Looking at both sides not only helps you pick the best position, it will also help you choose
a good counterargument.[2]
 For example, if you are writing a paper about whether or not your community should invest
in new park equipment, your two sides would be either in favor of the new park equipment
 or against it. A pro of buying new equipment might be purchasing safer equipment, while a
con would be the expense of the purchase.
4.

4
Think about your views on the issue. You may have strong views on the topic, which
could help guide your choice. If you do have an opinion, make a list of the reasons behind
it to see if they can help you build an argument.[3]

 In some cases, it’s easier to argue a position if you don’t have strong opinions either way.
This is because you can focus on the evidence, not on your personal views.
5.
 5
Consider your audience's views on the topic. How your paper is received will depend
on the audience and their stance on the issue. If you are preparing your paper for a class,
it could be helpful to consider the views of your instructor. Similarly, a paper such as a
policy paper would benefit from localizing the issue, just as a paper for an international
journal would appeal to more readers if it includes a wider worldview.[4]

 While you don’t have to change your position to fit your audience, you may want to adjust
your reasons behind the position or the counter-argument you choose.
 Part 2
Building Your Argument
1.

1
Establish your claim. Your claim is your position on the topic, which is what you will
defend in your paper. You should base your claim on what you can prove with your
evidence.[5]
2.
 2
Identify your supporting reasons. Most position papers provide 2 or 3 supporting
reasons for your claim, but a longer paper may include more reasons. Your supporting
reasons will come directly from your evidence, so choose statements that you can prove.[6]

 If possible, look for supporting reasons that are shown through 2 or more different pieces
of evidence, as this will make your argument stronger.
 Use your assignment sheet or the parameters of your paper to determine how many
supporting reasons you should include. For many academic papers, you will use 2 to 3
reasons.
3.

3
Compile your supporting evidence. Identify which pieces of evidence you will use to
support your argument, and mark them in a way that is convenient for you. For example,
you could write your citations on index cards for use while you write the paper, or you
could type them directly into a document and then copy-and-paste them into your paper
when you reach the drafting phase.[7]

 Use an organizing strategy that works for you.

 Compiling your evidence now will help you more easily write your paper.
4.
 4
Identify a counter-argument that you can easily dismiss. Using a counter-argument
can help you strengthen your claim because it shows the audience that you have
considered other options. By introducing and then dismissing the counter-argument, you
are showing that your position is the correct one to take. A good counter-argument is easy
to dismiss, allowing you to refute it using your evidence.[8]

 For example, if you are writing a position paper arguing that your community should
purchase new playground equipment, your counter-argument could be that the purchase
will be too expensive. To strengthen your argument, you would cite this possible point
 against you but show why it's not a valid reason to dismiss your position. A good way to do
that would be to show that the equipment is worth the expense or that there is outside
funding to pay for it.
 You will also want a piece of evidence that supports your counter-argument. This
evidence, which should be easy to dismiss, will be included in your paper.
Part 3
Drafting Your Paper
1.

1
 Develop your thesis. Your thesis will control your paper, so you should write it first. For a
position paper, you can vary how you write your thesis. Since you are using a counter
argument, you may only have two supporting points, depending on the requirements of
your paper.

 One easy way to set up your argument in your thesis is to include both your counter-
argument and claim, preceded by the word “although.” For example, “Although installing
new playground equipment in the park will be expensive, new playground equipment
would provide a safe play area for children and offer options for special needs children.”
 If you’re an expert writer, you may not need to include supporting reasons in your thesis.
For example, “As parents learn the benefits and dangers of outside play, communities
across the nation are turning their eyes toward their parks, making safe, accessible
equipment a public necessity.”[9]
2.
 2
Write your introduction. Provide your audience with background information on your
topic, including the history and recent developments. You should include information that
is relevant for your stance, which will narrow what you tell the reader. For example, if you
are writing a paper about gay marriage in Maine, you would only include background
information relevant to that state.

 Start with a hook that introduces your topic. For example, you could provide a statistic of
how many children are injured on old playground equipment every year.
 Include a few sentences that provide more information on your topic, narrowing down
toward your stance.
 End your introduction with your thesis.[10]
3.

3
Include at least 2 body paragraphs. A short position paper may only contain 2 body
paragraphs - one for the counter-argument and one for the supportive points. However,
most position papers will have 3 or 4 body paragraphs, with 2 dedicated to supportive
evidence. Depending on the length of your paper, you may decide to include more.[11]
 Follow the requirements for your paper, which may state how many paragraphs you
should include.
4.

4
Use topic sentences that link back to your thesis. Each body paragraph should begin
with a topic sentence. The topic sentence is like a mini-thesis that controls your whole
paragraph. Your topic sentence should introduce what you will talk about in the paragraph,
whether it’s the counter-argument or one of your supporting reasons.[12]
 For example, you could write: “Installing new playground equipment would make the park
more inclusive for special needs children because updated designs are accessible to
those who are differently abled.”
5.

5
Provide evidence to support your position. Each of your reasons needs at least 1 piece
of evidence, though using more evidence will strengthen your argument. Pull your
evidence from your research, focusing on the following:[13]

 Facts
 Statistics
 Quotes
 Documented stories
6.

6
Provide commentary to explain your evidence. Commentary explains to the reader why
your evidence supports your reason and your position. In your own words, tell the reader
what you want them to take away from this piece of evidence, and why it proves that you
are correct. You should include 2 to 3 sentences of commentary for each piece of
evidence.[14]
 Without commentary, there is no link between your evidence and your position, leaving
your argument weak.
7.

7
Conclude your essay by reasserting your position. A strong conclusion restates your
position and the reasons why it’s the correct viewpoint. You will summarize your argument
and briefly dismiss your counter-argument. In a position paper, you’ll also want to end with
a call to action.[15]
 Restate your thesis. For example, "While new playground equipment is expensive, it's
worth the investment because it serves the best interests of the community by providing
children with a safe area to play and making the park more accessible for special needs
children."
 Sum up your argument.
 End on a high note with a call to action. For example, "Children need a safe, accessible
place to play, so the only choice is to install new park equipment in Quimby Park."
8.

8
 Cite your sources. Since your position paper will contain evidence, you need to include
where you sourced that information. Follow the preferred citation style of the recipient of
your paper, whether that’s an instructor, organization, journal, or other entity.[16]

 If you don’t cite your sources, then you will be guilty of plagiarism. You could lose credit or
face harsher penalties if you are caught stealing someone else’s words or ideas.
Part 4
Revising and Editing Your Paper
1.

1
 Use your spell check tool. The spell check tool is the easiest way to avoid misspellings,
and it’s available on most word processors. Remember that you will still need to proofread
your paper because the spell check tool will not catch words that are spelled correctly but
used incorrectly, such as “form” instead of “from.”

 Before you change a word, re-read the sentence to make sure that the new suggestion
fits. The spell checker may think that you mean one thing, while you really mean
something else.
2.

2
 Take a break from your paper. Go for a walk, eat a snack, take a nap, or participate in a
relaxing hobby. Your brain needs rest before you try to edit your paper. By stepping away,
you’ll have more insight into gaps in your argument and whether or not your sentences
make sense.

 Waiting at least a day is best. If you are short on time, wait at least 30 minutes before
reviewing what you’ve written.
3.

3
 Re-read your paper with fresh eyes. Read through your paper as a reader rather than
the writer. Identify your claim, counter-argument, and support. Look for areas that need
development or additional evidence. Mark sentences that need to be rewritten to
streamline or provide more clarity.[17]

 If possible, have a friend or mentor read your paper and suggest edits or revisions.
4.

4
Revise your paper. Start by making any additions, such as more evidence to support your
argument or additional commentary. Make sure that your argument is clear, supported by
 evidence, and restated in the conclusion. Then go back through your paper and rewrite
awkward sentences, as well as sentence fragments and run-ons.[18]

 Combine short, choppy sentences, and break up long sentences.

 Fix sentence fragments and run-ons.
5.

5
Proofread your paper to make final edits. Check your final draft for typos, misspellings
that the spell check tool missed, and any remaining grammar issues.[19]
 If possible, ask a friend or mentor to proofread your final draft. They may be able to spot
errors that you don’t see.
6.

6
Prepare your works cited page, bibliography, or references page. Since you will likely
be using evidence, you will need to include a page listing all of your sources. You should
prepare this page using the style manual prefered by your instructor.
7.
 7
Format your paper to fit your instructor’s requirements. Consult your assignment
sheet, syllabus, or the parameters of the paper for how you should format your paper.
Adjust the margins, font size, and spacing to match the format requirements. Then add
your heading and page numbers.

 If you are presenting or turning in a printed paper, check to see if you should place it in a
presentation folder.
 Community Q&A
 How do I write a viewpoint paper?
wikiHow Contributor

You can use the same steps for writing a position paper to write a viewpoint paper.

Not Helpful 1 Helpful 0

 Can I use the word I in a position paper?

wikiHow Contributor

You should avoid using the word "I" in any formal paper, including a position paper.

Not Helpful 1 Helpful 0

 How do I write a position paper on sampling in research?

wikiHow Contributor

Follow the steps listed above. Focus your research on sampling in research to determine
your position and counter-argument.

Not Helpful 1 Helpful 0

 Ways to read position paper?

wikiHow Contributor

First, try to identify the claim. Then, identify the counter-argument and the supporting
reasons. Next, look for the evidence that supports the counter-argument and supporting
reasons. Based on this evidence, determine if the paper provided sufficient evidence to
support the claim.

Not Helpful 1 Helpful 0

Ask a Question

Submit

Video

Tips
 Avoid using the words “I” and “you” in your thesis.

Warnings
 Give credit when you use someone else's opinion, statistics, facts or quotations. Avoid
plagiarism by referencing and citing your sources.

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How to
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 How to
Write an Academic Essay

Sources and Citations

1. ↑ https://www.sfu.ca/cmns/130d1/WritingaPositionPaper.htm
2. ↑ https://www.cs.rutgers.edu/~rmartin/teaching/fall15/Writing_a_Position_Paper.pdf
3. ↑ https://www.cs.rutgers.edu/~rmartin/teaching/fall15/Writing_a_Position_Paper.pdf
Show more... (16)

Position Paper Tips

 Keep it simple. To communicate strongly and effectively, avoid
flowery wording and stick to uncomplicated language and sentence
structure.
 Make it official. Try to use the seal of your country or create an
"official" letterhead for your position paper. The more realistic it looks,
the more others will want to read it.
 Get organized. Give each separate idea or proposal its own
paragraph. Make sure each paragraph starts with a topic sentence.
 Cite your sources. Use footnotes or endnotes to show where you
found your facts and statistics. If you are unfamiliar with bibliographic
form, look up the Modern Language Association (MLA) guidelines at
your school's library.
 Read and reread. Leave time to edit your position paper. Ask
yourself if the organization of the paper makes sense and double-check
your spelling and grammar.
 Speech! Speech! Do you plan to make an opening statement at your
conference? A good position paper makes a great introductory speech.
During debate, a good position paper will also help you to stick to your
country's policies.
 Let the bullets fly. Try not to let your proposals become lost in a sea
of information. For speechmaking, create a bulleted list of your
proposals along with your most important facts and statistics so that
you will not lose time looking for them during debate.

Transitions
In academic writing your goal is to convey information clearly and concisely, if
not to convert the reader to your way of thinking. Transitions help you to
achieve these goals by establishing logical connections between sentences,
paragraphs, and sections of your papers. In other words, transitions tell readers
what to do with the information you present them. Whether single words, quick
phrases or full sentences, they function as signs for readers that tell them how
to think about, organize, and react to old and new ideas as they read through
what you have written.
Transitions signal relationships between ideas. Basically, transitions provide the
reader with directions for how to piece together your ideas into a logically
coherent argument. They are words with particular meanings that tell the
reader to think and react in a particular way to your ideas. In providing the
reader with these important cues, transitions help readers understand the logic
of how your ideas fit together.

LOGICAL TRANSITIONAL EXPRESSION

RELATIONSHIP

Similarity also, in the same way, just as ... so too, likewise,

similarly

Exception/Contrast but, however, in spite of, on the one hand ... on the
other hand, nevertheless, nonetheless,
notwithstanding, in contrast, on the contrary, still, yet

Sequence/Order first, second, third, ... next, then, finally

Time after, afterward, at last, before, currently, during,

earlier, immediately, later, meanwhile, now, recently,
simultaneously, subsequently, then

Example for example, for instance, namely, specifically, to

illustrate

Emphasis even, indeed, in fact, of course, truly

Place/Position above, adjacent, below, beyond, here, in front, in back,

nearby, there

Cause and Effect accordingly, consequently, hence, so, therefore, thus

Additional Support or additionally, again, also, and, as well, besides, equally

Evidence important, further, furthermore, in addition, moreover,
then

Conclusion/Summary finally, in a word, in brief, in conclusion, in the end, in

the final analysis, on the whole, thus, to conclude, to
summarize, in sum, in summary