Stance

How it is used

Writers take, adopt or make clear a stance, and tutors may comment that a student's stance is unclear or too neutral. Stance markers include hedges (may, perhaps), boosters (clearly, undoubtedly) and attitude words (surprisingly, unfortunately).

Example sentences

1. The author takes a critical stance toward standardized testing.

2. Make your stance clear in the introduction so the reader knows what you are arguing.

Common collocations

• take a stance
• critical stance
• clear stance
• adopt a stance
• authorial stance

Related terms

• argumentA position supported by reasons and evidence, or the line of reasoning that runs through an essay, article or thesis.
• hedgingUsing cautious language, such as may, might, appear to or suggest, so that a claim is only as strong as the evidence allows.
• claimA statement that something is true, which may or may not yet be supported by enough evidence.
• argueTo state a position and give reasons and evidence to show why it is right; in academic writing it also reports what an author claims.

More terms: Argument and Hedging

• evidence
• suggest
• to some extent
• counterargument
• it could be argued that
• acknowledge
• arguably
• tentative
• plausible
• tend to
• it is worth noting that
• assert