ENGL 110 AMU Week 5 lesson Position Paper Making Writing Relevant American Military university
Organizing a Position Paper
It is important to have a well-organized essay so that your readers can easily follow your reasoning and understand the support that you use. You also want to be organized so that you are clear with each point and support it thoroughly with outside research (Purdue OWL Staff).
As you begin the writing process once more, remember it is important to outline and plan when you begin. This will lead your research. Once you have an outline, visit the university’s Library, professional organizations’ websites, and other trustworthy resources to research the topic.
Introduction
In your introduction, introduce the overall topic, establish your position, hook your reader, and set up the main points of your paper. Remember that writing in an academic setting means that you do not want to “announce” your main point by including phrases like “in this paper, I will” or “this paper will establish…” Instead, you will write a thesis statement.
Thesis Statements
A thesis statement establishes what your essay or presentation is about. It alerts your audience so he or she knows what to expect. This is an important concept for this course and for all writing and presentation assignments you will complete throughout your degree. They help your writing to be clear, organized, and specific. Thesis statements are typically the final sentence in the introduction.
The thesis statement should also be supported throughout your paragraph or essay. Each paragraph, each example, and the evidence that you include throughout your work should support your thesis statement (McIntyre, n.d.).
When crafting a thesis statement, it is also essential that you know what kind of paper you are writing to ensure that you are following the purpose. This is also an important time to recheck the assignment description so that you are including all the necessary components in your thesis statement.
Body Paragraphs
Start each paragraph with a topic sentence. Then provide evidence (along with appropriate citations) to support that topic sentence.
TOPIC SENTENCES AND SUPPORT
Just as the thesis statements establish the main point of your essay or presentation, the topic sentences do the same for each main point. Each body paragraph should have one main point with supporting evidence. Each of these paragraphs should begin with a topic sentence that establishes the point the paragraph is making and supporting.
Then, use research and evidence (that you cite) to support your point. You should have at least three body paragraphs and each paragraph should be a minimum of six sentences.