Which sentence would qualify as a “position”? The wolf was eliminated from the northeastern U.S. by the end of the 19th century. Wolves are shy animals that try to avoid human contact. A group called Defenders of Wildlife has been leading wolf recovery efforts in the Northeast since 1995. Wolves are an important part of a balanced ecosystem.

Question

Which sentence would qualify as a “position”?  The wolf was eliminated from the northeastern U.S. by the end of the 19th century.  Wolves are shy animals that try to avoid human contact.  A group called Defenders of Wildlife has been leading wolf recovery efforts in the Northeast since 1995.  Wolves are an important part of a balanced ecosystem.

jagatuba · Answer

A position is a stance on something. A position states an opinion that can be argued. For example, I might say, "The lumber industry destroys the environment." This is a position. I can give my supporting reasons why I think this is true and likewise, someone with a different position can give reasons why my position is false.

A facts are statements that support a position. A fact is something that is either known to be true or can be looked up and found to be true. For example, To support my position on the lumber industry I might say, "Clear cutting destroys the habit of animals that dwell on and within the trees and contributes to soil erosion." This is a fact supporting my position.

If you are familiar at all with writing thesis papers, then you will be familiar with the thesis statement. A thesis statement is your position on your thesis. That is to say, it is the argument that you are postulating in the paper.

With this knowledge, reread the paragraph and you should be able to easily see which statement is the position.