how to start a debate speech first speaker example

Debate 101: 1st Speaker

First speakers should focus on the delivery of the main case, setting the foundation for your side to win the debate.

Post author By Rachelle Amadea
Post date June 24, 2021
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how to start a debate speech first speaker example

First speakers should focus on the delivery of the main case, setting the foundation for your side to win the debate. What should you do as a first speaker? Firstly, take a breath and stay calm.

The first minute of your speech is called the Golden Minute. That’s because you have to make your speech appealing in just under 1-2 minutes. The way to do that is to make your setup concise, catchy, and understandable. So what is a setup?

The setup is sort of the ‘background’ section of your speech. What is the motion really about? Why is it worthwhile to implement this policy? A basic setup should ideally consist of these things:

The problem in the SQ (i.e. status quo or current state)
Stance and mechanism

Here are some things to remember:

The problem in the status quo

This part is important because there’s almost always an issue in the real-world that can be solved through your motion.

Ask these questions: (a) does the problem not have successful solutions in SQ? (b) can the problem only be solved through this motion? (c) does the problem have an immediate impact to the actors?

At this point, it’s good to simply have an overview of the problem. Your arguments should detail the specific ways you solve it.

This part details the specific actions in your policy that are important for the debate to continue. For example, a motion may read “This House would only grant scholarships on the basis of financial necessity.” You’d probably have to talk a bit about how “financial necessity” is determined.

Stances are much broader because it details what your team agrees or disagrees with. Make sure it is not a half-stance! In the motion “This House would legalise abortion”, it’s a half-stance to say that you would only legalise it in cases where the mother may have health risks if not carried out. This is because the full extent of the motion is not defended.

Certain words or phrases might take on a different meaning based on the context of the debate. Think about what the motion asks you to defend, not what the dictionary says.

Arguments are really the core of debating. These are fleshed out reasons as to why you should support or not support a motion, depending on your side. An ideal first speaker should have two arguments.

In the broadest sense, arguments can be principled or practical. Here are refreshers on principle and practical arguments.

Note : If you’re the first speaker of the Opposition team, you’ll also have to deliver some rebuttals to the first Government speaker. Read more about effective rebuttals here.

What do I do during casebuild?

Flesh out as much of your arguments as you can. Strive for as much detail to insulate your arguments against rebuttals and attacks.
If you’re stuck, ask your teammates to help you. The first speaker’s speech should be prioritised in this case.

That’s it for first speakers! Does this seem like something you’d want to do? If you to find out more, there’s a more detailed guide here.

How to Write a Winning Debate Speech

What is a Debate?

A classroom debate involves students delivering persuasive speeches to present and support their opinions on a given subject. This activity helps develop critical thinking and communication skills, enabling students to gain a more comprehensive grasp of various topics.

Debate speeches are written according to a set of rules so a moderator can assess their effectiveness and allow others to question or challenge their statements within a formal debate.

A classroom debate is not an unruly fight or pointless argument but a structured formal conversation on a chosen topic in which two teams argue for or against it to convince the neutral moderator that they hold the stronger position.

Debating is a form of persuasive communication, and while we will be sticking to the fundamentals of how to write a debating speech, we also have a great guide to persuasive essay writing that elaborates on specific persuasive techniques.

Complete Teaching Unit on Class Debating

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This unit will guide your students to write excellent DEBATE SPEECHES and craft well-researched, constructed ARGU MENTS ready for critique from their classmates.

Furthermore, this EDITABLE UNIT will provide the TOOLS and STRATEGIES for running highly engaging CLASSROOM DEBATES.

How To Run A Classroom Debate

Before jumping in headfirst to write your debating speech, ensure you understand how a debate is run to maximise your strategy and impact when it counts.

Debates occur in many different contexts, such as public meetings, election campaigns, legislative assemblies, and as entertainment on television shows. These contexts determine the specific structure the debate will follow.

This guide provides a basic step-by-step debate structure we can comfortably run with students in a classroom. By familiarizing students with this structure, they will effortlessly transition to other debate frameworks.

Running a classroom debate can be an engaging and educational activity that helps students develop critical thinking, communication, and research skills. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to organize and facilitate a successful classroom debate:

1. Choose a Topic For Your Debate.

Also called a resolution or a motion , the topic is sometimes chosen to debate. This is usually the case in a school activity to practice debating skills.

The resolution or motion is usually centered around a true or false statement or a proposal to change the current situation. Often, the motion starts, ”This House believes that….”

Select a topic relevant to your curriculum and the students’ interests. Ensure that it is debatable and has multiple perspectives. Further down this article, you can find a list of popular classroom debating topics.

2. Form Two Debating Teams

Two teams of three speakers each are formed. These are referred to as ‘ The House for the Motion ’ or the ‘ Affirmative ’ team and ‘The House Against the Motion ’ or the ‘ Negative ’ team.

Preparation is an essential aspect of debating. The speech and debate team members will need time to research their arguments, collaborate, and organize themselves and their respective roles in the upcoming debate.

They’ll also need time to write and rehearse their speeches. The better prepared and coordinated they are as a team, the greater their chances of success in the debate.

3. Assign Roles to Students.

Each team member should have a specific role, such as speaker, researcher , or rebuttal specialist . This encourages teamwork and ensures that each student is actively involved.

4. Research and Preparation:

Allocate time for teams to research and prepare their arguments. Encourage students to use multiple sources, including books, articles, and reputable websites. Make sure you read our complete guide to powerful student research strategies.

5. Set Debate Format:

Define the debate format, including the structure of each round. Common formats include opening statements, cross-examination, rebuttals, and closing statements.

6. Establish Rules:

Set ground rules for the debate, such as time limits for each speaker, etiquette, guidelines for respectful communication, and consequences for rule violations.

7. Conduct a Practice Debate:

Before the actual debate, conduct a practice round. This helps students become familiar with the format and allows you to provide feedback on their arguments and presentation skills.
On the day of the debate, set up the classroom to accommodate the format. Ensure that each round has a clear structure, and designate a timekeeper to keep the debate on schedule.

9. Facilitate Q&A Sessions:

After each team presents their arguments, allow time for questions and cross-examination. This encourages critical thinking and engagement among the students.

10. Evaluate and Debrief:

After the debate, provide constructive feedback to each team. Discuss the strengths and weaknesses of their arguments, presentation skills, and teamwork. Also, please encourage students to reflect on what they learned from the experience.
Have a class discussion about the debate, exploring different perspectives and opinions. This can deepen students’ understanding of the topic and enhance their critical thinking skills.

Consider integrating the debate topic into future lessons or assignments. This reinforces the learning experience and allows students to delve deeper into the subject matter.

Remember to create a supportive and respectful environment throughout the debate, emphasizing the importance of listening to opposing views and engaging in constructive dialogue.

Each speaker takes a turn making their speech, alternating between the House for the Motion, who goes first, and the House Against the Motion. Each speaker speaks for a pre-agreed amount of time.

Ensure your debate is held in front of an audience (in this case, the class), and occasionally, the audience is given time to ask questions after all the speeches have been made.

Finally, the debate is judged either by moderators or by an audience vote.

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Download our Debate Organizer

Stay fousssed with this handy template to keep all your ideas organized.

How To Write A Debate

How to start a debate speech.

In highly competitive speech and debate tournaments, students are only provided the topic on the day, and limited time is allowed for preparation, but this is not recommended for beginners.

Regardless of the stakes of your classroom debate, the speechwriting process always begins with research. Thorough research will provide students with both the arguments and the supporting evidence for their position on a topic and generate forward-thinking about what their opponents might use against them.

Writing Your Introduction

The purpose of the introduction in a debate speech is to achieve several things:

Grab the attention of the audience,
Introduce the topic
Provide a thesis statement
Preview some of the main arguments.

Grab The Attention Of Your Audience With Strong Hooks

Securing the audience’s attention is crucial, and failure to do this will have a strong, negative impact on how the team’s efforts will be scored as a whole. Let’s explore three proven strategies to hook your audience and align their thinking to yours.

Introduce Your Topic With Efficiency and Effectiveness

Once the audience’s attention has been firmly grasped, it’s time to introduce the topic or the motion. This should be done straightforwardly and transparently to ensure the audience understands the topic of the debate and the position you are approaching it from.

For example, if the topic of the debate was school uniforms, the topic may be introduced with:

Provide Your Thesis Statement

A thesis statement is a concise declaration summarizing the points and arguments of your debating speech.

It presents a clear stance on a topic and guides the reader on what to expect in the content.
A good thesis statement is debatable and allows for opposing viewpoints and discussion.
It serves as a roadmap for the writer, ensuring coherence and focus in the piece.
It helps the audience understand the purpose and direction of the work from the beginning.

The thesis statement should express the student’s or the team’s position on the motion. Clearly explaining the speaker’s side of the debate. An example can be seen here.

Provide A Preview Of Your Arguments

The final part of the introduction section of a debate speech involves previewing the main points of the speech for the audience.

There is no need to go into detail with each argument here; that’s what the body of the speech is for. It is enough to provide a general thesis statement for each argument or ‘claims’ – (more on this to follow).

Previewing the arguments in a speech is especially important as the audience and judges only get one listen to a speech – unlike a text, which can be reread as frequently as the reader likes.

debate introduction examples for students

Attention grabbers task.

After explaining the different types of attention grabbers and the format for the rest of the introduction to your students, challenge them to write an example of each type of opening for a specific debate topic.

When they’ve finished writing these speech openings, discuss with the students which one best fits their chosen topic. Then, they can continue by completing the rest of the introduction for their speech using the format described above.

You might like to try a simple topic like “Homework should be banned.” you can choose from our collection further in this article.

Writing T he Body of the Speech

The body paragraphs are the real meat of the speech. They contain the in-depth arguments that make up the substance of the debate, and How well these arguments are made will determine how the judges will assess each speaker’s performance, so it’s essential to get the structure of these arguments just right.

Let’s take a look at how to do that.

How to structure an Argument

With the introduction out of the way, it’s time for the student to get down to the nitty-gritty of the debate – that is, making compelling arguments to support their case.

There are three main aspects to an argument in a debate speech. They are:

The Warrant

Following this structure carefully enables our students to build coherent and robust arguments. Ttake a look at these elements in action in the example below.

Brainstorming Arguments

Present your students with a topic and, as a class, brainstorm some arguments for and against the motion.

Then, ask students to choose one argument and, using the Claim-Warrant-Impact format, take a few moments to write down a well-structured argument that’s up to debate standard.

Students can then present their arguments to the class.

Or, you could also divide the class along pro/con lines and host a mini-debate!

Concluding a Debate Speech

The conclusion of a speech or a debate is the final chance for the speaker to convey their message to the audience. In a formal debate that has a set time limit, the conclusion is crucial as it demonstrates the speaker’s ability to cover all their material within the given time frame.

Avoid introducing new information and focus on reinforcing the strength of your position for a compelling and memorable conclusion.

A good conclusion should refer back to the introduction and restate the main position of the speaker, followed by a summary of the key arguments presented. Finally, the speaker should end the speech with a powerful image that will leave a lasting impression on the audience and judges.

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Examples of strong debate Conclusions

The Burden of the Rejoinder

In formal debates, the burden of the rejoinder means that any time an opponent makes a point for their side, it’s incumbent upon the student/team to address that point directly.

Failing to do so will automatically be seen as accepting the truth of the point made by the opponent.

For example, if the opposing side argues that all grass is pink, despite how ridiculous that statement is, failing to refute that point directly means that, for the debate, all grass is pink.

Our students must understand the burden of the rejoinder and ensure that any points the opposing team makes are fully addressed during the debate.

The Devils Advocate

When preparing to write their speech, students should spend a significant proportion of their team collaborating as a team.

One good way to practice the burden of the rejoinder concept is to use the concept of Devil’s Advocate, whereby one team member acts as a member of the opposing team, posing arguments from the other side for the speaker to counter, sharpening up their refutation skills in the process.

20 Great Debating Topics for Students

Should cell phones be allowed in schools?
Is climate change primarily caused by human activities?
Should the voting age be lowered to 16?
Is social media more harmful than beneficial to society?
Should genetically modified organisms (GMOs) be embraced or rejected?
Is the death penalty an effective crime deterrent?
Should schools implement mandatory drug testing for students?
Is animal testing necessary for scientific and medical advancements?
Should school uniforms be mandatory?
Is censorship justified in certain circumstances?
Should the use of performance-enhancing drugs be allowed in sports?
Is homeschooling more beneficial than traditional schooling?
Should the use of plastic bags be banned?
Is nuclear energy a viable solution to the world’s energy needs?
Should the government regulate the fast food industry?
Is social inequality a result of systemic factors or individual choices?
Should the consumption of meat be reduced for environmental reasons?
Is online learning more effective than traditional classroom learning?
Should the use of drones in warfare be banned?
Is the legalization of marijuana beneficial for society?

These topics cover a range of subjects and offer students the opportunity to engage in thought-provoking debates on relevant and impactful issues.

The Ultimate Guide to Opinion Writing for Students and Teachers

Top 5 Persuasive Writing Techniques for Students

5 Top Persuasive Writing Lesson Plans for Students and Teachers

23 Persuasive writing Topics for High School students

How to Write Perfect Persuasive Essays in 5 Simple Steps

Debating strategies for students.

Research and preparation are essential to ensure good performance in a debate. Students should spend as much time as possible drafting and redrafting their speeches to maximize their chances of winning. However, a debate is a dynamic activity, and victory cannot be assured by pre-writing alone.

Students must understand that the key to securing victory lies in also being able to think, write (often in the form of notes), and respond instantly amid the turmoil of the verbal battle. To do this, students must understand the following keys to victory.

When we think of winning a debate, we often think of blinding the enemy with the brilliance of our verbal eloquence. We think of impressing the audience and the judges alike with our outstanding oratory.

What we don’t often picture when we imagine what a debate winner looks like is a quiet figure sitting and listening intently. But being a good listener is one of our students’ most critical debating skills.

If students don’t listen to the other side, whether by researching opposing arguments or during the thrust of the actual debate, they won’t know the arguments the other side is making. Without this knowledge, they cannot effectively refute the opposition’s claims.

Read the Audience

In terms of the writing that happens before the debate takes place, this means knowing your audience.

Students should learn that how they present their arguments may change according to the demographics of the audience and/or judges to whom they will be making their speech.

An audience of retired school teachers and an audience of teen students may have very different responses to the same arguments.

This applies during the actual debate itself too. If the student making their speech reads resistance in the faces of the listeners, they should be prepared to adapt their approach accordingly in mid-speech.

Practice, Practice, Practice

The student must practice their speech before the debate. There’s no need to learn it entirely by heart. There isn’t usually an expectation to memorize a speech entirely, and doing so can lead to the speaker losing some of their spontaneity and power in their delivery. At the same time, students shouldn’t spend the whole speech bent over a sheet of paper reading word by word.

Ideally, students should familiarize themselves with the content and be prepared to deliver their speech using flashcards as prompts when necessary.

Another important element for students to focus on when practising their speech is making their body language, facial expressions, and hand gestures coherent with the verbal content of their speech. One excellent way to achieve this is for the student to practice delivering their speech in a mirror.

And Finally…

Debating is a lot of fun to teach and partake in, but it also offers students a valuable opportunity to pick up some powerful life skills.

It helps students develop a knack for distinguishing fact from opinion and an ability to assess whether a source is credible or not. It also helps to encourage them to think about the other side of the argument.

Debating helps our students understand others, even when disagreeing with them. An important skill in these challenging times, without a doubt.

Debating Teaching Strategies

Clearly Define Debate Roles and Structure when running speech and debate events: Clearly define the roles of speakers, timekeepers, moderators, and audience members. Establish a structured format with specific time limits for speeches, rebuttals, and audience participation. This ensures a well-organized and engaging debate.

Provide Topic Selection and Preparation Time: Offer students a range of debate topics, allowing them to select a subject they are passionate about. Allocate ample time for research and preparation, encouraging students to gather evidence, develop strong arguments, and anticipate counterarguments.
Incorporate Scaffolded Debating Skills Practice: Before the actual debate, engage students in scaffolded activities that build their debating skills. This can include small group discussions, mock debates, or persuasive writing exercises. Provide feedback and guidance to help students refine their arguments and delivery.
Encourage Active Listening and Note-taking during speech and debate competitions: Emphasize the importance of active listening during the debate. Encourage students to take notes on key points, supporting evidence, and persuasive techniques used by speakers. This cultivates critical thinking skills and prepares them for thoughtful responses during rebuttals.
Facilitate Post-Debate Reflection and Discussion: After the debate, facilitate a reflection session where students can share their thoughts, lessons learned, and insights gained. Encourage them to analyze the strengths and weaknesses of their arguments and engage in constructive dialogue. This promotes metacognitive skills and encourages continuous improvement.

By following these tips, teachers can create a vibrant and educational debate experience for their students. Through structured preparation, active engagement, and reflective discussions, students develop valuable literacy and critical thinking skills that extend beyond the boundaries of the debate itself.

A COMPLETE UNIT FOR TEACHING OPINION WRITING

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Debate Writing

Debate Speech

Debate Speech - Ultimate Writing Guide for Students

What Is A Debate Speech?

A debate speech is a formal presentation where you argue for or against a specific topic.

It involves structured arguments presented in different sections, aiming to persuade the audience with facts and convincing points. It's a way of discussing and trying to show why your side is the right one on a particular subject.

Key Elements of A Debate Speech

A debate typically includes several essential elements to effectively communicate your position and persuade the audience. These elements form the building blocks of a strong debate speech:

Opening Statements: These kick off the debate, presenting the main arguments for your side or against the motion. It sets the tone for the discussion.
Rebuttals: In this stage, you respond to the arguments made by the opposing side, highlighting weaknesses or presenting counterpoints.
Summary: Towards the end of the debate, a summary is provided to reinforce your main arguments and explain why your perspective is stronger. This section aims to leave a lasting impression on the audience.
Use of Evidence: Supporting your arguments with evidence, facts, and examples strengthens your position and makes your speech more convincing.
Logical Reasoning: Presenting arguments in a clear, logical sequence enhances the coherence and persuasiveness of your speech.
Rhetorical Appeal: Adding appeals like ethos, pathos and logos to your speech can engage the audience, making your points more relatable and impactful.

How To Prepare For Debate Speech?

Creating a compelling debate speech requires a methodical approach that ensures a clear, convincing, and organized presentation. Let's delve into the detailed steps for an effective preparation:

Choosing a Position

Start by selecting a clear stance or position regarding the debate topic. Decide whether you are arguing for or against the motion. Understanding and committing to your position forms the foundation of your speech.

Conducting Thorough Research

Gathering information for your debate speech is really important. Look at different sources like books, reliable websites, and experts' ideas.

Find facts, numbers, and real stories that support what you want to say. It's key to use strong and trusted information that backs up your side of the argument.

When you collect different types of information, it makes your speech stronger and more convincing. This way, you'll be well-prepared to explain your ideas during the debate.

Structure The Key Points

After research and collecting points, organize your main arguments in a clear and logical manner to effectively convey your position in the debate. Set sufficient time to each key point to ensure they're adequately developed and presented.

You can do this by following a debate format. Here is a standard debate speech format for a 20-15 minutes long debate:

How to Start a Debate Speech

Crafting a compelling opening for your speech involves capturing the audience's attention while introducing key points of discussion.

You can achieve this by using attention-grabbing techniques such as sharing an eye-opening fact, a powerful quote, or a personal anecdote related to the topic.

Additionally, it's beneficial to briefly outline the key areas of discussion that you'll cover in your speech. By providing a sneak peek of the main points, you offer the audience a roadmap of what's to come.

This not only piques the audience's interest but also helps them anticipate and follow the structure of your speech.

Structure Your Arguments

Structuring arguments in the debate speech means organizing your ideas in a way that makes sense to others.

A well-structured argument often uses the P-E-E format, which stands for Point, Evidence, Explanation (P-E-E):

Point or Reason: Begin by stating your main argument or reason. This is the central idea you want to convey in support of your position.
Evidence: Provide evidence, facts, or examples that support your point. This evidence should be reliable and back up what you're saying.
Explanation: Explain how your evidence supports your point. Make it clear to your audience why this evidence is important and how it links to your argument.

This structure helps make your arguments more persuasive and clear. It enables you to present your points effectively, support them with evidence, and explain why that evidence matters in the context of your argument.

Address Counterarguments (Rebuttals)

Addressing counterarguments involves anticipating the opposing viewpoints and crafting responses, known as rebuttals , within your speech. A rebuttal is a persuasive counter-argument that challenges or opposes the points raised by the other side.

By thinking ahead and having strong responses, you showcase a comprehensive understanding of the subject matter.

This approach makes your argument stronger and shows your skill in defending your position, boosting your speech's credibility.

How to End a Debate Speech

Concluding your debate speech effectively is as important as starting it strong. Here are two impactful ways to conclude your speech:

Summarize Key Points with a Call to Action Example: "In conclusion, the evidence overwhelmingly supports the idea that [your stance on the topic]. As we leave here today, let's not merely acknowledge the importance of [debate topic] but commit to [call to action], ensuring a brighter future for all."
End with a Powerful Quote or Statement Example: "As [relevant figure] once wisely said, '[insert impactful quote].' Let these words guide us in our understanding of [debate topic]. Together, we can [highlight the desired outcome or change]."

Review And Practice

The last step is to review and practice a lot. Read through your speech to make sure it all makes sense and fits the time limit.

Practice how you talk, how fast or slow, and how you use your body while speaking. Also, be ready to answer questions or handle different arguments.

Do a few final practice rounds to feel more confident and comfortable. This way, you'll be well-prepared and ready to deliver a strong debate speech.

Debate Speech Examples for Students

For students, understanding how to structure and present a debate speech is crucial. Here are some debate speech samples to help you grasp the basics of debating:

First Speaker Debate Speech Example

2nd Speaker Debate Speech Example

3rd Speaker Debate Speech Example

Short Example Of Debate Speech

Debate Speech Structure

Examples can serve as a great starting point. Check out more expertly crafted debate examples for inspiration!

Tips for an Effective Debate Speech

Crafting a persuasive and impactful debate speech requires careful consideration and strategic planning. Here are key tips to enhance the effectiveness of your presentation:

Tailor language to match the audience's demographics and interests.
Strengthen arguments with credible sources and diverse perspectives.
Organize with a clear introduction, well-developed body, and strong conclusion for a logical flow.
Capture attention with a compelling quote, question, or anecdote.
Support arguments with relevant statistics, examples, and real-world scenarios.
Anticipate opposing viewpoints and incorporate strong rebuttals.
Clearly articulate and repeat key ideas to reinforce your stance.
Maintain a dynamic and engaging delivery by varying tone and pace.
Pay attention to body language, eye contact, and gestures.
Allocate time wisely for each speech segment to ensure a well-paced presentation.
Be prepared to adapt to unexpected changes during the debate.
Practice multiple times to enhance clarity, emphasis, and pacing, boosting confidence.

Need to polish your debate? Have a look at this in-depth blog on debate techniques and get effective tips!

Debate Speech Topics

Here are some unique topic ideas for you to write a debate on.

Credit cards are more harmful than debit cards.
We are becoming too dependent on technology.
Marriage is an outdated concept.
Homework is necessary with regard to the learning process.
Being a college graduate in the United States is necessary for a successful career.
It is a good idea to have laptops in classrooms.
Facebook is a better social platform than Twitter.
Cell phones can be used as educational tools.
Junk food must be banned in high schools and colleges.
The Prime Minister of any state enjoys more power than the president.

Can’t pick a topic? Check out this extensive blog with multiple debate topics and get unique ideas!

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Debate Writing

Debate Speech

A Comprehensive Guide to Preparing and Delivering A Debate Speech

Published on: Mar 9, 2022

Last updated on: Jan 31, 2024

What is a Debate Speech?

A debate speech is a structured argument on a specific topic that is presented in a formal setting.

The main purpose of debate speech is to:

Express your point of view persuasively and effectively
Convince the opposition that you are right.
Change the peopleâs point of view on a particular topic.

In a debate speech, the speaker presents their argument in a clear, concise, and convincing manner. Debate speeches have a set time limit, and the speaker must use their time effectively to make their case and address counterarguments.

Preparing for a Debate Speech

You can only win your debate if you have spent time preparing it well. Follow the steps below to be prepared for your next debate speech.

Understanding the Debate Format

It's essential to understand the format of the debate in which you want to participate. Different debate formats have specific rules and guidelines that you need to follow to succeed.

Some popular types of debates include parliamentary, Lincoln-Douglas, and policy debates.

Parliamentary debate is a format where two teams of two or three members argue for or against a motion. It is presided over by a moderator. In this format, debaters have limited preparation time to gather information and construct their arguments.
Lincoln-Douglas debate is a one-on-one debate where debaters argue for their positions on a specific topic. This format usually involves a value system and a criterion that the debaters must uphold and defend.
Policy debate is a format where two teams of two members argue for or against a specific policy proposal. This format requires in-depth research and analysis of the policy and its potential implications.

Selecting a Position

Choose a topic that you are passionate about and that you feel strongly about. Once you have chosen a topic, narrow it down to a specific aspect that you can argue for or against.

The clearer your position, the easier it will be to research and prepare your arguments.

Need some good debate topic ideas to get started? Check out our list of interesting and engaging debate topics to help you out!

Researching and Gathering Information

Once you have selected your topic, research it thoroughly. Gather as much information as you can from credible sources such as academic journals, news articles, and government reports.

Take detailed notes, and make sure to record the sources you use so that you can reference them later.

Understanding Both Sides of the Argument

To write a persuasive debate speech, it is important to understand both sides of the argument.

Consider the arguments that your opponents might make and anticipate counterarguments. This will help you to strengthen your own arguments and address potential weaknesses in your position.

Organizing Your Arguments

Once you have gathered all of the information you need, organize your arguments in a clear and logical way.

Start by outlining the main points you want to make and then add supporting evidence to each point. Make sure that your arguments flow logically and build on each other.

Practicing Your Delivery

Finally, practice your delivery. Read your speech out loud several times to get a feel for how it flows.

Time yourself to make sure that you can fit all of your arguments into the allotted time. Consider practicing in front of a friend or family member to get feedback on your delivery.

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How to Present a Debate Speech?

This type of speech requires some essential components. Here are the major components you need to present an effective debate speech.

1. Catchy Introduction

The first important step is starting the debate with a compelling introduction. You can begin with a question, a quote, or a statistic related to the topic.

Moreover, your introduction should state your stance on the topic and provides a preview of your arguments.

2. State the Problem & Define Key Terms

Define key terms in your speech that are important to your argument. This helps to ensure that your audience understands the meaning of the words you use.

3. Present Your Arguments

Present your arguments in a clear and logical order. Start with your strongest argument and provide evidence to support it. Then, move on to the weaker arguments and provide evidence for each one.

A good argument often follows the PEE structure, which means âPoint, Evidence, Explanation (PEE)â.

Point or Reason: This is where you state your main idea or argument, providing a concise and clear statement of your position. The point should be specific, focused, and relevant to the topic at hand. It serves as the foundation for your argument
Evidence: Here, you provide supporting evidence to bolster your argument. This can take the form of examples, statistics, or any other relevant information that helps illustrate your point.
Explanation: In this part, you elaborate on how the evidence you provided supports your point. This is where you explain the relationship between your point and the evidence, highlighting its significance

4. Rebuttals

Address counterarguments by acknowledging the opposing viewpoints and refuting them with evidence. This is called a rebuttal.

It shows that you have considered both sides of the argument and strengthens your own position. Addressing counterarguments through rebuttals is a vital aspect of constructing a well-rounded and persuasive argument.

Rebuttals involve presenting evidence that challenges the opposing counter-arguments and weakens their validity. Additionally, it is crucial to explain the flaws or fallacies in the opposing arguments during the process of rebuttal.

5. Conclusion

End your speech with a strong conclusion that summarizes your arguments and restates your stance on the topic. You can also end with a call to action, encouraging your audience to take action based on your argument.

Tips for Presenting a Debate Speech Effectively

The above steps will help you prepare and present an acceptable speech, but you can improve it even more with the tips below.

Use Clear and Concise Language

Speak clearly and use language that is easy to understand. Avoid using jargon or complex words that might confuse your audience.

Emphasize Key Points

Highlight the key points of your argument by using vocal inflection and tone. Emphasize important words or phrases to help your audience remember your key arguments.

Use Body Language and Gestures

Body language and gestures can help to reinforce your arguments and make your speech more engaging. Use hand gestures to emphasize key points, and vary your posture and movement to keep your audience interested.

Maintain Eye Contact

Maintain eye contact with your audience throughout your speech. This will help to establish a connection with them and make them feel more engaged with your argument.

Use Vocal Variety and Tone

Vary your vocal tone and pace to add interest and emphasis to your speech. Use pauses and changes in pace to emphasize important points, and vary your volume to make your arguments more impactful.

Use the Debate Speech Checklist

Here is a checklist that can help you evaluate your debate.

Does your speech cover your opinion about the topic?
Does your speech start with a catchy hook?
Does your speech cover all the main points?
Does your speech provide sufficient counterarguments?
Does your speech contain enough evidence?
Does your speech provide a call to action to the conclusion?

Debate Speech Examples

Here are some examples to help you prepare and present your debate speech better.

Debate Speech Structure

Debate Speech Template

Debate Speech Sample

Writing and delivering a successful debate speech requires careful planning, research, and effective communication skills.

By following the steps and tips provided above, you can persuade your audience effectively and make a lasting impact. Remember to practice, rehearse, and be confident in your abilities.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What are the 4 types of debate.

The four main types of debate are:

Parliamentary Debate
Lincoln-Douglas Debate
Cross-Examination Debate
Academic Debate

What are the 2 sides of a debate called?

The opposition and proposition are the two sides of a debate.

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Complete Guide to Debating: How to Improve your Debating Skills

August 1, 2018 - Gini Beqiri

Debating can look intimidating from the sidelines, with speakers appearing confident, passionate and unwavering, but it consists of skills that anybody can learn. Debating may not be something that you encounter in your everyday work but these skills can be incredibly valuable. In this article we provide a guide to the basics of debating.

What is debating?

A debate is a structured contest over an issue or policy. There are two sides – one supporting, one opposing.

Benefits of debating include:

Allowing you to think about aspects and perspectives you may not have considered.
Encourages you to speak strategically.
Improving public speaking skills .
Learning how to create a persuasive argument.
When you have to argue against your personal view you realise that there are two sides to the argument.

Debating examples

The U.K. Prime Minister, Theresa May, answers questions:

This example video shows Theresa May answering questions from MPs in the House of Commons. Notice her strong debating skills and how she answers difficult questions under pressure.

Watch the full video here: Prime Minister’s Questions: 16 May 2018

Debate structure

There are multiple formats a debate can follow, this is a basic debate structure:

A topic is chosen for each debate – this is called a resolution or motion. It can be a statement, policy or idea. The motion is usually a policy which changes the current state of affairs or a statement which is either truth or false. The motion typically starts with “This House…”
The Affirmative team support the statement
The Negative team oppose the statement
Sometimes you will be asked to take a position in the debate but in other debates you will be allocated your position.
Teams are provided with time to prepare – usually one hour
Each speaker presents for a set amount of time
Speakers alternate between the teams, usually a speaker in the Affirmative team starts, followed by a Negative speaker, then the second Affirmative speaker presents, followed by the second Negative speaker etc.
The debate is then judged.
There may be an audience present but they are not involved in the debate

Once you have learned how to debate in one format you can easily switch to another.

Roles of the speakers

Each speaker must typically do the following:

First Affirmative

Contextualise the debate – clearly set out your team’s interpretation of the topic and the significant issues they disagree with.
Provide definitions if necessary.
Outline the team line and the team split – this is where you outline your team’s case and summarise the way your arguments have been divided between your speakers.
Provide 2-3 arguments supporting the motion.

First Negative

Clearly state your definition
Provide your arguments as to why this is the superior definition
Rebut the Affirmative’s arguments supporting their definition
Outline a team line and team split.
Rebut the arguments made by the First Affirmative.
Deliver 2-3 arguments against the motion.

Second Affirmative

If needed, resolve any definitional issues.
Rebut the First Negative’s arguments.
Deliver 2-3 arguments supporting the motion.

Second Negative

Rebut the arguments made by the Affirmative team up to this point, with a focus on the Second Affirmative’s arguments.

Third Affirmative

Rebut specific issues raised by Second Negative and defend any other important attacks on your team’s case.
Conclude your speech with a brief summary (1-2 minutes) of your team’s case. You should include the key issues which you and the Negative team disagreed on during this.
You can introduce new material but this is interpreted as poor team planning.

Third Negative

This is the same structure as the Third Affirmative.

There are many variations of the three against three debate, a commonly known one is Points of Information. This is used a lot in university debates . During a speech the opposition is allowed to ask a question or make a point.

They stand up and say “point of information” or “on that point” etc. The speaker can choose to accept or reject the point. If accepted, the point of information can last around 15 seconds and the speaker can ask for it to stop at any time.

Debate definitions

Younger debaters tend to waste time defining terms so you must first decide whether you need to define a term. Ask yourself: will my speech be confusing if I don’t define this term? Could the opposition misinterpret what I mean without a definition? For example, the motion could be “we should ban plastic straws”. It’s clear what “plastic straws” are but what does “ban” mean?

Two factors which determine the definition of the debate:

1. Context – what is happening in the area that relates to this issue? For example, maybe the government of a country is debating banning smoking in public buildings and you decide to define the term “passive smoking” during the debate. If a significant event related to the topic has occurred then it should be the focus of the debate, for instance, a shocking report may have recently been revealed in the media showing the widespread effects of second-hand smoking.

2. Spirit of the motion – topics are chosen for a reason so what sort of debate was imagined when the topic was chosen? Looking at the spirit of the motion will ensure that you pick a definition that will produce a well-balanced and important debate.

If the topic is vague then you will have more choice of definitions. You have a duty to pick a clear definition and one that will create a good debate. If not, this may cause a definitional challenge which will ruin the debate and frustrate the judges.

For example, the topic may be “we spend too much money on the stars”. Stars can refer to celebrities or astronomy so you need to choose a definition.

Look at the context and see if there has been a recent significant event related to either topics – the media is the best place to look.
Then apply second test – which definition will lead to the best debate, which will be more interesting and debatable?

If one answer passes both tests then that’s your definition. If they tie then either is a good definition.

When providing your definition explain the context used to form the definition. This is important because your understanding of the context may be different from others due to various factors, such as, religion, culture, gender etc.

Learn more about using AI to practice your debating skills .

Basic argument structure

There are various ways of dividing up cases according to groups of arguments, such as, social/economic/political etc. You could assign each speaker to handle a group.

Place the most important arguments first, for example, “The media has more influence on self-esteem than anybody else. This is true for three reasons. Firstly (most important argument)… Secondly…, Thirdly (least important argument)…”

To structure an argument follow these steps:

Claim – present your argument in a clear statement. This claim is one reason why you’re in favour of/against the motion.
Evidence – the evidence supporting your claim, such as, statistics, references, quotes, analogies etc.
Impact – explain the significance of the evidence – how does this support your claim?

Arguments are weakest at the evidence stage as it’s easy to argue against, for example, the evidence may consist of isolated examples or there may be counter evidence. But it’s not a good technique because the opposition can provide more evidence or rebut your criticisms.

It’s difficult to rebut claims because they are usually reasonable but if you can attack a claim then that speaker’s whole argument falls apart. So if you think a claim is vulnerable then rebut it but you will need a strong explanation to show why it doesn’t matter.

European human rights debating for sixth form students from across London.

There are common flaws you can look for to form a rebuttal:

1. False dichotomy – this is where the speaker is trying to falsely divide the debate into two sides even though there are more alternatives than they state. It’s likely the speaker is doing this on purpose but in some cases they do not understand the debate.

2. Assertion – this is when a speaker presents a statement which isn’t actually an argument because there is no reason to believe that the statement is valid. It may just be an assumption. You can point out that there has not been enough examination to prove this validity and then give a reason why the assertion is (probably) not valid.

3. Morally flawed – arguments can be morally flawed, for example, “All criminals given a prison sentence should be given the death penalty instead, this will save the country money and space.” What has been argued is true but it’s clearly morally flawed.

4. Correlation rather than causation – a speaker may suggest a link between two events and suggest one led to the other. But the speaker may not explain how one caused the other event which can make an argument invalid.

5. Failure to deliver promises – sometimes a speaker might fail to complete a task they promised to deliver. For instance, they may state that they will provide evidence supporting a certain claim but they may lose track of what they have said and not actually do this.

6. Straw man – the opposing team introduces an argument and then rebuts it. They may use an extreme example of your proposal or perhaps they were hoping that you would make this argument.

7. Contradiction – an argument the other team presents may contradict one of their previous arguments. You must point out that the arguments cannot be true simultaneously and then explain how this reduces their case’s credibility.

8. Compare the conclusion to reality – think “what would happen if what they (the other team) are suggesting is implemented right now?” This usually shows that it’s more complicated than they have suggested and the changes can cause secondary problems.

Judges generally score the speakers looking at this criteria:

Content / Matter – What the debaters say, their arguments and evidence, the relevance of their arguments.
Style / Manner – How the debaters speak, including the language and tone used.
Strategy / Method – The structure of the speech, the clarity and responding to other’s arguments.

Debating event at the Oxford Union

Important skills for debating

To meet the judges criteria you will have to develop certain skills, consider the following:

You points must be relevant to the topic.
Provide evidence whenever you can and not your personal opinion.
You must put aside your personal views and remain objective when you debate so your argument remains logical. You can be passionate about a topic but interest can turn into aggression and passion can turn into upset.
Consider the audience’s attention span – make it interesting, for example, don’t just present lots of complicated statistics.
Ethos – the ethical appeal
Pathos – the emotional appeal
Logos – the logical appeal
Use notes but keep them brief and well organised. Use a different piece of paper for rebuttals.
Similar to looking at conclusions to create rebuttals, think comparatively by asking yourself “How does my plan compare to what’s happening now/what would happen in the world if the other team won?” You can win the debate if you can make comparative claims about why your arguments matter more than the other team.
Only tell jokes if you’re naturally good at it otherwise this can backfire.
Flexibility is important because you might get allocated the side of the argument you don’t agree with. You’ll have to work hard to overcome your views. Also use this insight to think of the potential arguments you might make and then plan for counter arguments.
Speak clearly and concisely.
You must talk fast enough to have the time to deliver your speech but slow enough so you can be understood.
Project your voice to the back of the room.
Incorporate dramatic pauses.
Emphasise important words and vary your tone appropriately.
Have a relaxed pose and posture.
Avoid filler words.
Know your material.
Emphasise using gestures and avoid nervous gestures.
Maintain eye contact with the audience.
Keep your language simple to avoid confusion.
Refer to the opposite side as: “My opponent”.
When making a rebuttal say: “My opponent said…, however…”
Don’t exaggerate – avoid the words “never” or “always” etc.
Avoid saying that a speaker “is wrong”, instead say that “your idea is mistaken”.

What to avoid

Falsifying, making up or altering evidence.
Publicly disagreeing with the judges’ decision.
Attacking a speaker rather than an idea.
Acting aggressively or offensively towards debaters, judges, audience etc.
Interrupting other debaters as this can suggest that your argument isn’t very strong.
Disagreeing with facts or obvious truths.

British Parliamentary debating

British Parliamentary debating is a popular form of debating so we will briefly explain it: There are four teams made up of two speakers each. Two teams are on the government’s side and the other two teams are the opposition but all the teams are trying to win rather than one side. The motion is given 15 minutes before the debate begins and teams are assigned to positions randomly. They alternate their speeches, with the government’s side starting. Speeches are usually 5-7 minutes.

The first two speakers on the government side are called the “opening government” and the first two speakers on the opposition’s side are called the “opening opposition”. The last two speakers on the government’s and opposition’s side are called the “closing government” and “closing opposition” correspondingly.

British MPs debate a petition seeking to ban Donald Trump from entering the U.K.

The speakers’ roles in the opening half of the debate are similar to the roles of the first and second speakers in the three against three debate described previously. The only difference is that the second opening government and second opening opposition speakers include summaries at the end of their speeches – this is because they will also be competing with the teams in the closing half of the debate.

The closing government and closing opposition aim to move the debate on but not contradict their side’s opening team. As well as rebuttal, the majority of the third speaker’s time consists of presenting either: new material, new arguments, a new analysis from a different perspective or extending previously presented arguments. This is called an “extension” which must be something that sets their team apart and makes them unique.

The last two speeches of the closing teams are summary speeches – they summarise the debate and disagreements between the team. Their most important goal is to explain why their side has won the debate. They are not allowed to present new arguments but they can present new evidence and rebuttal.

During the speeches points of information are offered regularly. Speakers should only accept a maximum of two points of information. The first and last minute is protected time where points of information cannot be offered.

Rather than a side trying to win, all the teams are trying to win – this allows different perspectives to be explored. The teams are then ranked 1st to 4th in the debate.

Debate topics

Almost anything can be debated, here are some popular topics – these have been written as questions but they can be easily adapted into statements:

Is animal experimentation justified?
Should we legalise the possession of cannabis for medicinal use?
Should we recognise Bitcoin as a legal currency?
Is torture acceptable when used for national security?
Should mobile phones be banned until a certain age?
Does technology make us more lonely?
Should guns be banned in the U.S.?
Should we make internet companies liable for illegal content shared on their platforms?
Will posting students’ grades publicly motivate them to perform better?
Should animals be used for scientific testing?
Do violent video games make people more violent?
Should the death penalty be stopped completely?
Should smoking in public places be completely banned?
Should doping be allowed in professional sports?
Should all zoos be closed?
Should consumers must take responsibility for the plastic waste crisis?
Is euthanasia justified?
Is the boarding school system beneficial to children?

Debate topics for children

If you’re trying to think of debate topics for a classroom, consider the following:

Should mobile phones be allowed at school?
Is global warming a problem?
Should violent video games be banned?
Is school detention beneficial?
Are celebrities good role models?
Does social networking have a beneficial effect on society?
Are single sex schools more effective than co-ed schools?
Do celebrities get away with more crime than non-celebrities?
Is cloning animals ethical?
Are humans to blame for certain animal extinctions?

Debating societies

If you’re interested in debating consider searching for a society or debating events near you:

Most universities have a debating society and their webpages usually contain lots of useful information and tips.
Toastmasters
Use Meetup to find debates close to you

Specific to the UK:

Sylvans Debating Club
The Association of Speakers Clubs

How To Debate: Mastering the Art of Persuasive Discourse

A debate is a form of persuasive communication involving two sides arguing for and against a specific position. The exercise is structured with many rules and conventions that a debater must follow. Knowing the ins and outs of how to debate is crucial for success.

Being able to engage in a spirited debate is an essential skill in today’s complex and interconnected world. Whether in academic settings, professional environments, or personal conversations, the ability to present and defend your ideas effectively significantly affects your reputation and influence.

This article explores key principles and practical tips for developing your debating prowess . It will enable you to articulate your views persuasively, handle counterarguments gracefully, and foster a constructive exchange of ideas. With these tools at your disposal, you’ll be ready to navigate the realm of debates with confidence and intellectual agility.

Table of Contents

What Are The Five Types Of Debates?

Debating is more than just expressing your opinion; it involves the art of persuasive discourse, where logical reasoning, compelling evidence, and respectful communication converge.

Here are five common types of debates:

Policy debates focus on analyzing and evaluating specific courses of action or proposed policies. Participants delve into the potential benefits, drawbacks, and impacts of different policy options, often employing research and evidence to support their arguments.
Value debates revolve around discussing and weighing moral, ethical, or philosophical principles. Participants explore abstract concepts such as justice, liberty, or equality to establish which values should be prioritized and why.
Fact-based debates center on examining empirical evidence and verifying the truth or accuracy of a given statement or claim. Participants present data, research, and expert opinions to support their arguments, often engaging in a rigorous analysis of facts and evidence to determine the most accurate interpretation.
Team debates involve groups of participants working collaboratively to present arguments and counterarguments. Typically structured as a competitive event, these debates require coordination and strategy, with each team member contributing their unique perspective to put forward a cohesive and persuasive case.
Formal debates adhere to specific rules and protocols, often following established formats such as parliamentary or Lincoln-Douglas debates . These debates emphasize structured discourse, timed speeches, and strict guidelines for rebuttals and cross-examinations.

What Are The Three Main Parts Of A Debate?

The three main parts of a debate are the opening statements, the rebuttals, and the closing statements.

The opening statement s serve as the foundation of a debate. Each participant or team presents their initial arguments and outlines their main points. This is the opportunity to establish a clear position, provide supporting evidence, and capture the audience’s attention.
Opening statements should be concise and persuasive and set the stage for the rest of the debate.
Rebuttals are the heart of a debate, where participants directly address and challenge the arguments put forth by their opponents. During this phase, debaters critically analyze the opposing views, identify flaws or weaknesses, and present counterarguments supported by evidence and logic.
Rebuttals require quick thinking, effective communication, and the ability to dismantle opposing claims while maintaining a respectful tone .
The closing statements are the final opportunity for participants to leave a lasting impression. In this phase, debaters summarize their main points, reiterate their strongest arguments, and emphasize why their position is superior.
Closing statements should leave the audience with a compelling reason to support the debater’s position. You must also reinforce the key points and provide a sense of closure to the debate.

Is Debating A Skill?

Debating is like mental gymnastics that strengthens several areas. Here’s why:

Sharpens Thinking: Deft debaters research, analyze arguments, and build strong cases. This hones critical thinking and the ability to see different perspectives.
Communication Powerhouse: Debating builds confidence in public speaking and clear communication. You learn to organize thoughts, present arguments logically, and use evidence effectively.
Adaptability on Point: Debates are like intellectual sparring matches. You have to think on your feet, respond to counter-arguments, and adjust your approach as needed.

These skills are valuable in any field, from academics to law to business. So, debating isn’t just about winning arguments, it’s about training your brain to be a stronger, more versatile thinking and reasoning tool.

What Are The Five Basic Debating Skills?

Researching and gathering relevant information is a fundamental debating skill. It involves conducting thorough investigations, analyzing sources critically, and understanding different perspectives to develop well-informed arguments supported by evidence.
Critical thinking is crucial for effective debating. It encompasses evaluating arguments objectively, identifying logical fallacies, spotting inconsistencies, and constructing well-reasoned counterarguments. Developing necessary thinking skills enables debaters to approach complex topics with analytical precision and form persuasive responses.
Debating necessitates clear and articulate communication skills. Debaters should be able to express their ideas coherently, use appropriate language and tone, and engage the audience. Active listening and responding thoughtfully to the points raised by opponents are also key components of effective communication in debates.
Persuasive speaking is the art of influencing the audience and convincing them of the validity of one’s arguments. Debaters should employ rhetorical devices, such as ethos, pathos, and logos, to appeal to their listeners’ emotions, credibility, and logic.
Time management is critical in debates with limited time constraints. Debaters must learn to structure their arguments effectively within the given timeframe, allocate appropriate time for each point, and deliver concise and impactful speeches.
Skillful time management ensures that debaters make their strongest case while also leaving sufficient time for rebuttals and closing statements.

Do’s And Don’ts Of A Debate

Know your stuff: Research your topic and build a strong case with evidence.
Be respectful: Focus on ideas, not personal attacks. Listen actively and acknowledge your opponent’s points.
Speak clearly and concisely: Organize your thoughts, use strong arguments, and avoid filler words.
Anticipate rebuttals: Think of how your opponent might counter your arguments and prepare responses.

Don’t:

Get emotional: Stay calm and collected, even if challenged.
Resort to fallacies: Avoid weak arguments like personal attacks or strawman arguments.
Interrupt your opponent: Let them speak and wait for your turn to respond.
Stray from the topic: Stick to the issue at hand and avoid irrelevant tangents.

How To Debate Step By Step?

Understand the topic: Familiarize yourself with the subject matter, including key terms, concepts, and relevant arguments.
Research and gather evidence: Conduct comprehensive research to support your position. Collect data, facts, examples, and expert opinions that strengthen your arguments.
Structure your arguments: Organize your thoughts by outlining your main points and supporting evidence. Ensure a logical flow and coherence in presenting your ideas.
Engage respectfully: Maintain a respectful and professional demeanor throughout the debate. Listen actively to your opponents, address their points directly, and avoid personal attacks.
Deliver compelling speeches: Present your arguments confidently using clear and persuasive language . Employ rhetorical devices, such as ethos, pathos, and logos, to appeal to the audience’s emotions, credibility, and logic.
Rebut opposing arguments: During rebuttal, deconstruct and challenge your opponents’ arguments. Offer counterarguments supported by evidence and logical reasoning.
Stay focused and concise: Remember time constraints and prioritize your strongest points. Keep to the topic at hand and avoid digressions.
Adapt to feedback: Pay attention to comments from the audience, judges, or moderators. Adjust your approach, if necessary, and address any weaknesses or gaps in your arguments.
Conclude with impact: Summarize your main points and reiterate the strength of your position in the closing statement. Leave a lasting impression on the audience and reinforce the key takeaways from your arguments.
Reflect and improve: After the debate, analyze areas for improvement, learn from your experiences, and continue to develop your debating skills.

How Do You Begin A Debate?

To begin a debate, start with a compelling opening statement that captures the audience’s attention. Clearly state your position or proposition and briefly summarize your main arguments.

Hook the audience by using a thought-provoking question, a powerful statistic, or a relevant anecdote to establish the importance and relevance of the topic.

How Do You Structure A Debate?

When structuring a debate, begin with an introduction that clearly defines the topic and provides context for the discussion. Next, present your main arguments logically, ensuring each point builds upon the previous one.

Different Roles

High school students often become debate team members, taking on different roles such as the first affirmative, second speaker, or third affirmative.

In a parliamentary debate, the first speaker, often the prime minister, sets the tone by introducing the debate topic and outlining the team’s case. This crucial role requires thorough research, brainstorming new arguments, and presenting them coherently.

Affirmative And Negative Teams

Once the affirmative team presents its arguments, it’s time for the negative team to respond. The negative speaker must listen attentively, analyze their opponent’s arguments, and provide strong refutations.

Avoid constructing straw man arguments and instead engage with the core of the affirmative team’s points. To strengthen their position, the opposing team should use analogies or points of information to challenge the other side effectively.

Speakers use transition phrases to smoothly guide the audience from one point to another, concluding the debate by summarizing key points and reiterating their position.

How Does Teamwork Function In A Debate?

Teamwork plays a vital role in public speaking.

The affirmative speaker should work seamlessly with their team, ensuring a well-structured, logical debate. Each team member contributes to the overall coherence and success of the discussion, taking turns to present their viewpoints and plugs any gaps in the team’s arguments.

Collaboration and effective time management, facilitated by the timekeeper, are key elements in achieving a strong performance.

What Should Be Your Goal In A Debate?

Ultimately, the goal of a debate is to persuade the adjudicator and the audience. Debaters should present the team’s case clearly and confidently.

They can build a solid foundation by analyzing the opponent’s argument and offering well-reasoned refutations. Avoiding filler and staying focused on the main points ensure a persuasive and impactful performance.

Mastering the art of persuasive discourse in debates requires dedication and practice . Aspiring debaters should embrace teamwork, understand the debate structure, and hone their research, refutation, and public speaking skills.

How Do You Debate Successfully?

Thorough preparation is the key to defeating your opposing team! Conduct research and gather evidence to support your arguments. Develop strong critical thinking skills to evaluate and respond to opposing viewpoints effectively.

Communicate confidently and respectfully, utilizing persuasive speaking techniques and positive body language (make eye contact!) to engage the audience and convey the strength of your position.

How To End A Debate

Ending a debate gracefully shows respect and leaves a lasting impression. Here’s how to do it effectively:

Summarize Your Key Points: Briefly remind everyone of your main arguments and why they’re strongest.
Reiterate Your Stance: Clearly restate your position on the topic.
Address Your Opponent (Gracefully): Acknowledge their strengths (if possible!), but explain why yours hold more weight.
Conclude with a Broader Point: If appropriate, connect your debate topic to a larger issue or implication.
End on a Positive Note: Thank your opponent and the audience for their time and engagement.

By following these steps, you can leave the debate on a high note, demonstrating your sportsmanship and the strength of your arguments.

Adam Howarth

Adam covers the topic of Public Speaking for Digital Authority. From his first experience of oratory with his school debating society to his more recent experiences of promoting the local business scene in Wrexham, Wales, he has always been involved in public speaking.

How to Debate for Beginners – Nail your First Debate | 7 Steps w 10 Tips

Ellie Tran • 05 October, 2023 • 15 min read

How to debate for beginners? Arguing is a big, big topic. If you’ve never done one before, it can be overwhelming to think of what will happen and how you can avoid looking totally clueless in front of everyone.

There is much to learn before you can pluck up the courage to stand at the podium. But don’t worry; this debate for beginners guide will give you the steps, tips and examples you need to slay your next debate. So, let’s check out these lovely debate tips!

7 Steps to Set Up a Debate for Beginners

10 Tips for New Debaters

6 Styles of Debates

2 Debate Examples

More tips with ahaslides.

How to Hold a Student Debate
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How a Debate for Beginners Works (in 7 Steps)

Before you get into how to phrase your arguments like a pro, you’ll need to know about how a beginners’ debate works. Check out these 7 steps to a debate for newbies and what you’ll need to do along the way, then you’ll completely understand how to be a better debater!

1. The Purpose is Decided

illustration of 2 people having a debate behind 2 podiums

As we can use debates in many places and situations, such as in schools, company meetings, panel discussions or political bodies, it’s crucial that the primary purposes of the debate is chosen first. This can give a clear view of plan and organise the debates because there are a lot of details to work on later, all of which need to be in alignment.

So, before anything, the facilitator will answer this – what are the goals of this debate ?

For example, if you are in a student debate , the goals should be the same as your lesson, which can be to encourage students’ critical thinking and public speaking skills. If it’s at work, it can be to decide which of two ideas to go with.

2. The Structure is Chosen

Asking how to debate well, you need to have a structure. There are a lot of debate structure variations out there, and multiple formats within them. It’s important for you to know some basic terms used in many common types of debates first before preparing for a debate…

Topic – Every debate has a topic, which is formally called a motion or resolution . The topic can be a statement, a policy or an idea, it’s up to the setting and purpose of the debate.
Two teams – Affirmative (supporting the motion) and Negative (opposing the motion). In many cases, each team consists of three members.
Judges or Adjudicators : The people who judge the quality of the arguments in the evidence and performance of the debaters.
Timekeeper – The person who keeps track of time and stops the teams when time’s up.
Observers – There can be observers (an audience) in the debate, but they are not allowed to chime in.

For a beginner debate, after receiving the motion, the teams will have time to prepare. The Affirmative team starts the debate with their first speaker, followed by the first speaker from the Negative team. Then it goes to the second speaker in the Affirmative team, back to the second speaker in the Negative team, and so on.

Each speaker will talk and present their points in the set time stated in the debate rules. Bear in mind that not all debates end with team Negative ; sometimes, team Affirmative will be asked to finish.

As you’re probably new to this, you can find the debate process for beginners below . It’s easy to follow and can be used in lots of different types of debate.

3. The Debate Plan is Made

For the debate to run smoothly, the facilitator will have a plan that’s as detailed as possible . They should let you know this plan, as it will help to visualise everything and keep you from going off track, which is super easy to do when you’re taking part in a beginners’ debate.

Here’s a simple checklist of what a plan should contain:

The purpose of the debate
The structure
How the room will be set up
The timeline and timing for each period
Formal debating rules and instructions for the speakers and adjudicators
Notetaking templates for the roles
The summary to close the debate when it ends

4. The Room is Arranged

The environment is essential for a debate as it can affect speakers’ performance to some degree.

Your debate should have as professional an atmosphere as possible. There are many ways to set up a debate room, but whichever setup is chosen, it will all centre around the ‘speaker area’ in the middle. This is where all the debating magic will happen.

Each speaker representing the two teams will stand in the speaker area during their turn, then return to their seat when they finish.

Below is a popular layout example for a beginner debate:

Of course, there’s always the option to hold a debate online. You may struggle to feel the same atmosphere in an online beginners’ debate, but there are some ways to spice it up:

Background customisation: Each role might have a different Zoom background: the host, timekeeper, adjudicators and each team. This can help to differentiate the roles of each participant and inspire some pride in the role given.
Timer: Timing is important in a debate, especially for newbies on their first time out. Your facilitator may decide to keep track of your pace with an on-screen timer (although in most debates, the timekeeper just signals when there is 1 minute or 30 seconds left).
Sound effects: Remember, this is only a debate for beginners. You can expect your faciltator to lighten the atmosphere with encouraging clapping sound effects when a speaker finishes their talk.

5. The Teams are Picked

The teams will be divided into Affirmative and Negative . Usually, the teams and the speaker positions within those teams are randomised, so your facilitator may use a spinner wheel to make the process more thrilling and engaging.

using AhaSlides' spinner wheel to divide teams in debate for beginners

After the two teams have been chosen, the motion will be announced and you’ll be given some time to prepare, ideally one hour.

In this time, the facilitator will point out lots of different resources so teams can understand the context and the problems to make stronger points. The more you know, the more vigorous the debate.

6. The Debate Starts

Each different type of debate requires another format, and there can be lots of variations. Below is a very popular version that can be used in any debate for beginners.

Each team has four turns to speak in this debate, so it’s best to have 6 or 8 speakers. In the case of 6, two debaters will speak twice.

💡 There can be a short time to prepare before the rebuttals, depending on the rules.

You can see a video example of this format down here .

7. Judge the Debate

It’s time for the adjudicators to work. They need to observe the debates and performance of each debater then assess. These are some of the things that they will be looking at in your performance…

Organization and clarity – The structure behind your speech – does it make sense to lay it out the way you did?
Content – This arguments, evidence, cross examination and rebuttals you produce.
Delivery and presentation style – How you deliver your points, including oral and body language, eye content, and tone used.

Nobody can master everything from the beginning and if you’ve never debated in your life, things are not easy to get started with. Below are 10 quick tips to discover how to debate effectively and can go along with the newbies in every debate.

#1 – Preparation is the key – Research the topic a lot beforehand to get not just background information, but also confidence. This can help novice debaters understand the issues better to be good rebuttal starters, then draft their arguments, find evidence, and avoid going down rabbit holes. Every debater should outline everything in points (ideally 3 points for 3 arguments) to better arrange ideas and see the ‘big picture’ of their speech.

#2 – Keep everything on topic – One of the sins of debating is going off track, as it wastes valuable speaking time and weakens the argument. Pay attention to the outlines and main points to make sure they follow the topic and address the right problems.

#3 – Make your points with examples – Having examples makes your debate sentences more convincing, and also, people see things more clearly, like this example below…

Illustration of a paper with evidence and a tick on it

#4 – Try to think like the opponents – While revising ideas, think of points the opposition may pose. Identify a few and write down a mind map of rebuttals that you could offer if they do end up making those points.

#5 – Have a strong conclusion – End the debate with a few good sentences, which can at least sum up the main points. In many cases, debaters like to conclude with power, with one poetically crafted sentence to cause that mic drop moment ( check out an example of this below ).

#6 – Be confident (or fake it till you make it!) – One of the most important things about how to be better at debating is the vibe. Debaters need to be confident with what they’re saying, as swagger has a great sway over judges and observers. Of course, the more you prepare, the more confident you are.

#7 – Speak slowly – A very common problem of novice debaters is their talking speed. More often than not on the first time round, it’s way too fast, which causes both listeners and the speaker anxiety. Take a breath and speak slowly. You may get less out, but what you do produce will have gravitas.

#8 – Use your body and face – Body language can support your points and show confidence. Look the opponents in the eyes, have a nice standing posture and control the facial expressions (don’t get too aggressive) to catch attention.

#9 – Listen carefully and take notes – Debaters must pay attention to every speech and idea to follow the pace, support their teammates and rebut the opponents better. Having notes can help a lot, as no one can remember every point to rebut or further expand. Remember to note down key points only.

#10 – Avoid cheap shots – Focus and rebut your opponents’ arguments, not the opponents themselves. No debaters should be offensive towards others; it shows a lack of professionalism and you’ll definitely be marked down for it.

6 Styles of Beginner Debates

There are many styles of debates with different formats and rules. Knowing some of them thoroughly can help beginner debaters see the process and what they need to do. Here are some common debating styles you might see in your first debate!

1. Policy debate – This is a common type that requires a lot of research. The debate revolves around whether or not to enact a particular policy, and usually in the form of two people more team. Policy debate is used in many schools because it’s practical, and the rules are easier to follow than other types.

2. Parliamentary debate – This debate style is based on the British government model and the debates in the British Parliament. First adopted by British universities, now this is the official debate style of many big debating competitions like The World University Debating Championship and European Universities Debating Championship. Such debate is witty and shorter than the traditional policy debate, making it suitable for many cases, from middle schools to universities.

3. Public forum debate – In this style, two teams debate some ‘hot’ and controversial topics or current event issues. These topics are the ones you already probably have an opinion about, so this type of debate is more accessible than a policy debate.

4. Lincoln Douglas debate – This is an open, one-on-one debate style, named after a famous series of debates back in 1858 between the U.S. Senate candidates Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas. In this style, debaters focus on more profound or more philosophical questions, mainly about significant issues.

5. Spontaneous argumentation – Two debaters argue on one particular topic; they need to frame their arguments in a very short time and quickly respond to their opponents’ ideas without much preparation. It requires strong argumentative skills and can help boost confidence and conquer stage fright.

6. Congressional debate – This style is a simulation of the U.S. legislature, in which the debaters emulate Congress members. They debate pieces of legislation, including bills (proposed laws), resolutions (position statements). The mock Congress then vote to pass into law and continue to vote for or against the legislation.

Here we have two examples of some debates for you to better see how they happen…

1. British Parliament Debate

This is a short clip of a debate between former British prime minister Theresa May and former leader of the Labour Party, Jeremy Corbyn. The debate’s dynamic atmosphere and heated arguments are typical of this kind of rowdy debate. Also, May ended her speech with such a strong statement that she even went viral!

2. The Debaters

Student debates are becoming an increasingly popular phenomenon at school; some well performed debates can even be as engaging as debates from adults. This video is one episode from an English-language Vietnamese debate show – The Debaters. These high school students debated the motion ‘We applaud Greta Thunberg’ in a pretty common 3-on-3 format.

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Debate Speech

Debate speech generator.

Debate. What would be the first thing that pops in our minds when we think of that? To some, it is an intellectual argument on about almost anything. From various concepts such as love and the reason of living in the first place to something serious such as political views of a person. Merriam-Webster defines debate as a contention by words or arguments. In terms of law or government, it is the formal discussion of a motion before a deliberative body according to the rules of parliamentary procedure. A debate can also serve as a regulated discussion of a proposition between two matched sides.

Speech Templates
Welcome Speech

Although the concept of a debate is that it does not always have to be so formal and that the exchange of ideas can be casually done, there are occasions that it will have to be formal especially when representing your school for a inter-school competition or simply for a debate class. You may also see motovational speech .

Considering that the topic has already been assigned to you and your group mates, it is important that you begin preparing for your debate with the opposing party. Here are some examples listed down.

1. Preparing for the Debate Speech

2. research the topic very thoroughly with credible information..

Brainstorm the topic and research before you sit down to write. Write out a pro and con list. If you are on a debate team, do this together. Each member could discuss the pro and con lists, and then strike the weaker reasons until you are left with three or four reasons that seem strongest in support or opposition.You may also see self introduction speech .
It also helps to spend time in the library since not every resource material can be found on the internet.
You and the team would also want to deal with the strongest arguments on the other side in your speech as ignoring the other side’s best arguments can weaken your rhetorical appeal.You may also see informative speech .

3. Write an outline of your speech.

A simple debate outline should at least contain these four parts: An introduction, your thesis argument, your key points to back your stance up, and a conclusion. For unknown terminologies, prepare a definition in advance so that you can have an answer when the judges ask you may also see presentation speech .
You can break each of those four part into subcategories. It’s often a good idea to write the introduction and conclusion last, focusing on the thesis argument and the evidence to back it up first.

Writing the Debate Speech

1. write an introduction that is catchy and interesting..

Who does not love a good and catchy introduction? But for these kinds of situations, it is best to stay mindful as the whole point of this debate lies in the formality sense which is something to be taken seriously.

For instance, a simple good morning to all parties involved and witnessing the said debate will suffice. There is no need for extra remarks or commentaries if not asked.You may also see orientation speech
its critical to always make a good impression, especially to the judges as this will make them think that the debater is persuasive speech. In order to achieve this, one technique in writing a strong introduction is to contextualize the topic, especially when the topic depicts a present situation.
Some introduction speech can also focus on prominent examples, quotations, or on a personal anecdote that can help establish a rapport with the audience and judges. Be mindful when using humor though as it involves risks that can eventually lead to awkward silences if not done right. Find a relevant specific that illustrates the underlying point.

2. Outline where you stand very clearly.

Make sure that you point out which stance your team belongs to. Since this is a debate, being part of the positive or negative stance does not serve as an advantage for as long as you are able make your points get through the judges and the audience, then it is enough.You may also see speech examples for students .

Don’t muddle on your assigned stance. It needs to be extremely clear whether you affirm or negate the resolution, so don’t try to confuse and eventually contradict yourself in the middle of the debate. The audience also should not have to wait until the end to find out. Make your stance very clear, and do it early on. You may also see declamation speech .

3. Make key points to back up your stance.

As early as possible, you have to identify the main key points found in your speech.

One good way to do this is to back up your position with three to four strong points of supporting argumentation. More than one to two key points are required to back up your stance.
In every speech, the body or the “meat” of the speech is always the most important part . But keep in mind that you will only be given a short span of time for you to say your piece before time runs out (perhaps 3 ½ minutes to 30 seconds for an opening and for a conclusion, depending on the given rules of the debate).

4. Develop your key points.

Even as you deliver your key points in the said debate, it still cannot be without substance. Back every single one of your key points up with examples, statistics and other resources that can be found during your research.

Focus on the causes of the problem, the effects of the problem, expert opinion, examples, and statistics. Then after that, present a solution. In a debate, you are not given the opportunity to use a PowerPoint Presentation, so as you continue discussing the points of your stance, allow your audience to visualize on what you are saying. You may also see debate speech. You may also see graduation speech .

Do not only attempt to appeal to the motives and emotions of the listener, but also to their sense of fair play, desire to save, to be helpful, to care about the community, and others with a light touch.Try using rhetorical questions which make your opponents consider the validity of their point. Consider irony which undermines their point and makes you seem more mature and intelligent, simile which gives them something to relate to, humor which gets the audience on your side when done well, and repetition which reinforces your point. You may also see inspirational speech .

5. Understand the art of persuasion.

Finally, what is a debate with persuasion? Ancient philosophers such as Aristotle studied the art of persuasion, and by understanding their techniques will further help your debate speech. You may also tribute speech .

Aristotle believed that speakers are more persuasive writing if they combined elements of logos (persuasion by reasoning) with pathos (having an element of emotional appeal) and ethos (an appeal based on the character of the speaker) – for example, that they seem intelligent or of good will.

There are two ways to use logic – inductive (the premises are viewed as supplying strong evidence for the truth of the conclusion) and deductive (if all premises are true, the terms are clear, and the rules of deductive logic are followed, then the conclusion is necessarily true). You may also see wedding speech .

We hope you enjoyed browsing through our debate speech examples. Debating is both an entertaining an serious activity especially when tackling issues on humanity and the natural environment. Despite what topics you choose, there is a standard forma. You may also see youth speech .

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How to Write a Speech if You're Third Speaker

Last Updated: September 3, 2023 Fact Checked

This article was co-authored by Patrick Muñoz . Patrick is an internationally recognized Voice & Speech Coach, focusing on public speaking, vocal power, accent and dialects, accent reduction, voiceover, acting and speech therapy. He has worked with clients such as Penelope Cruz, Eva Longoria, and Roselyn Sanchez. He was voted LA's Favorite Voice and Dialect Coach by BACKSTAGE, is the voice and speech coach for Disney and Turner Classic Movies, and is a member of Voice and Speech Trainers Association. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 301,044 times.

There are three key roles on a debate team: first speaker, second speaker and third speaker. While the first and second speakers concentrate on building a substantive case, the third speaker has a unique job in that he or she must use their time to attack their opponent's case. This guide will help you create an outline for your argument if you are the third speaker on your debate team.

Before the Debate

Make a list of the main arguments of first and second speakers on your team. Use the notes to rebut arguments of the opposing side.
Throughout the debate, note down key clashes and the main arguments of the opposing side. [1] X Research source
State the clashes and explain/analyze why your side has won in each clash.

Step 2 Draft a persuasive closing statement.

Third Speaker Proposition

Third Speaker Opposition

Step 1 Rebut the proposition's arguments by using a new and different angle for your argument.

It is important to note that if you are a third speaker on an opposing team, you are not creating a constructive argument. Presenting a new argument at this time would not allow the proposing team to rebut. The arguments you are defending are arguments that have already been made by your first and second speakers.

Community Q&A

Know your argument. [7] X Research source Thanks Helpful 3 Not Helpful 0
Start research on your position early so that you are adequately prepare to write a proper speech. Thanks Helpful 2 Not Helpful 1
Take notes and adjust your speech as you listen to each speaker. Thanks Helpful 2 Not Helpful 0

↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0rIANDXXu-k
↑ https://www.theclassroom.com/write-good-closing-argument-4659.html
↑ https://www.dav.com.au/resources/itd_speaker_roles.php
↑ https://virtualspeech.com/blog/guide-to-debating

About This Article

If you’re the third speaker on your debate team, you’ll need to write a speech that attacks the opponent’s case. Before the debate, make a list of key points from the first and second speaker so you have them ready when it’s time for your closing summary. You can add to these notes during the actual debate so you can incorporate information about your challenger’s arguments. To make your proposition, restate your team’s position and rebut the opposition’s arguments. Then, defend your affirmative arguments with your own, unique supporting examples. Finally, end your speech with your closing statement. To learn how to give your opposition, keep reading! Did this summary help you? Yes No

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Example Speeches – First, Second and Third Speakers

Primary School First Speaker Exemplar

An exemplar speech of a first speaker at the Primary School level. With thanks to the students at Pulteney Grammar School for their time in producing this video.

Primary School Second Speaker Exemplar

An exemplar speech of a second speaker at the Primary School level. With thanks to the students at Pulteney Grammar School for their time in producing this video.

Primary School Third Speaker Exemplar

An exemplar speech of a third speaker at the Primary School level. With thanks to the students at Pulteney Grammar School for their time in producing this video.

Instant Debate Speech Maker Online

Debates are an excellent opportunity to develop many personal skills, become a more open-minded person, and learn new information. Through this activity, students improve critical thinking, public speaking, teamwork skills, increase their self-esteem, and learn to disagree with others.

Preparing for a debate can take a lot of time, which is why our team has created this tool and guide for you. With our debate speech maker, you no longer have to sit for hours and think about how to formulate your argument correctly! Also, on this page you will learn many useful facts about debates and get tips for preparing for them.

📢 Introduction to the Tool

🗣️ What Is a Debate?

👍 debate maker benefits, ✏️ how to write a debate speech, 🔗 references, 📢 debate script maker: an introduction.

If you’ve decided to participate in a debate, you probably know that this activity requires a lot of preparation. Sometimes, you may receive the topic of your debate in advance so that you have time to prepare thoroughly for it. But also, you may be given the subject on the day of the debate, and then you’ll have much less time to prepare. In either case, our debate maker will be an indispensable assistant!

When comparing AI vs human writers, artificial intelligence excels in the speed of content creation, although it loses in creativity. Unlike when using other AI chat bots, you don't have to bother with creating successful prompts. Using this tool is simple - to instantly make a speech, you’ll need to take these four steps:

Type in the topic of the debate.
State your position and audience.
Indicate whether you are replying to an opponent.
Click “Generate” and get your result!

A debate is a structured and formalized argumentative exchange between two or more opposing sides . While this practice is usually associated with the election season , it can also be often found in schools or colleges. Participants, categorized as either the “pro” or “con” side, systematically present and defend their perspectives on a given topic. They use evidence to back up their claims and. Each side takes turns articulating arguments and responding to their opponent's points.

The primary objective of a debate is persuasion - convincing the opposition and the audience. Although debates often lack a declared winner, they may conclude with a vote or judgment from adjudicators in formal settings. Informal debates can persist until one side concedes.

Debate Terminology Examples for Students

Here, you can become familiar with the basic terms. It’ll be beneficial for you to learn them to make it easier to grasp the debate structure further.

Adjudicator - An impartial observer who evaluates the debate. Such moderators provide feedback on the quality of arguments and overall performance. Also, they can contribute to determining the winner in formal debates.
An affirmative - A team or speaker supporting the motion in a debate. Affirmatives present arguments in favor of the proposition. They aim to convince the audience or adjudicators of the motion's validity.
Motion - The central topic, idea, or statement being debated. The motion frames the discussion and determines the stances of the affirmative and opposition sides. Debaters construct arguments either in support or against this subject.
Chairperson - The person responsible for moderating and overseeing the debate. Their goal is to maintain order and ensure adherence to the rules. The chairperson may introduce speakers and the motion.
Card - A card is a paragraph or several paragraphs taken from an authoritative journalistic or scholarly source that proves the validity of a particular argument. It should be a verbatim quotation without additions or paraphrasing. It is important to explain the quote and how it relates to the argument.
Floor - The general audience or participants who are not actively engaged in the debate but may have the opportunity to pose questions. They can make contributions during designated segments. The floor adds an interactive element to the discussion.
Opposition/a Negative - A team or speaker taking an opposing stance on the core topic. The opposition presents arguments countering the proposition. Such arguments should demonstrate flaws in the affirmative's position and persuade the audience that the motion is unsupported.
The first speaker - The initial speaker of a team. They introduce and establish the main arguments supporting or opposing the motion. Their speech should set the tone for the team's position and outline the critical points to be developed by subsequent speakers.
The second speaker - The second speaker introduces additional evidence and reinforces the team's position. They aim to strengthen their affirmative/opposing case and respond to the arguments from the other team.
The third speaker - The last speaker should summarize the team's key points. They may also respond to opposition’s reasons raised during the debate. The goal is to leave a lasting impression on the adjudicators before the discussion concludes.
Reply speeches - Reply speeches are the concluding words from both the affirmative and opposition sides. These speeches are often shorter, not more than three minutes. Such speeches are the last chance to influence the overall impression, so they should strongly support your ideas.

What Does the Maker of the Argument Do in a Debate?

In a debate, the first speaker, whether on the affirmative or opposition side, should:

Formulate a clear and concise stance on the motion.
Organize arguments logically, presenting a structured case.
Support points with relevant facts and examples.
Convince adjudicators and the audience of the credibility of their position.

The Structure of a Debate

Whether an academic debate or a parliamentary one, the structure and ground rules essentially remain the same.

In this section, we'll briefly explain how your proceedings are going to look like:

Gathering the sides . At this stage, you should determine the teams and their participants. They are divided into affirmative and negative sides. As a rule, the debates should include three speakers , who will take turns and, at each stage, strengthen their position. All participants should meet 15 minutes before the start to prepare materials .
Starting the debate . Participants should determine the debate’s time limit, as speeches cannot last nonstop. Usually, each speaker is given a maximum of 3 minutes for their presentation. At the beginning, the speakers should introduce themselves. The duration of the answer is regulated by the timekeeper , who should give a bell 30 seconds before the end of the speaker's time to start summarizing.
Debating the topic . The core of the debate involves a structured exchange between the sides. The first speaker for the affirmative introduces the motion, presenting key arguments. The opposition's first speaker responds, presenting counterarguments. This pattern continues with subsequent speakers building upon and responding to the points raised. The debate format could also include cross-examination or questioning segments.
Finishing the debate . Both sides deliver final counter-speeches summarizing key arguments. The adjudicators then assess the overall performance of each side. The persuasiveness of the arguments presented assists in the audience’s decision-making. Participants may engage in discussions and receive feedback . After the debate, each team is given the opportunity to thank everyone in attendance.

As you've probably already realized, getting ready for such a significant event will take a lot of time. You'll need to gather your thoughts, stay level-headed, and be assertive in your stance. This preparation process can be quite overwhelming. That's why our debate script maker is the perfect solution!

This debate writer has many advantages:

Our tool is a great way to save time and get that initial burst of inspiration for your debate. However, that is just the beginning. You will still need to edit and finalize this speech. Additionally, you may find it helpful to learn how to write one yourself.

The following steps will show you how to improve your speech and prepare you for your future debates:

Compelling beginning . The opening of your speech is of the utmost significance. Your task is to captivate the audience and create the overall atmosphere of the speech. We suggest using a hook at the very beginning. It can be a question or a fact intended to capture the attention of your opposition and the audience. You could also use a quote from a famous person, an interesting statistic, a rhetorical question, or even a relevant personal anecdote.
Presenting your arguments . This is the time to talk about your position on the topic. Be sure to formulate a concise thesis statement . After that, you should provide the arguments that support it. Explain each point clearly to avoid misunderstanding among the audience.
Explaining the position . Follow a structure where each of your arguments is followed by evidence and then justification. Proof builds credibility and engages the listeners. Ensure that you have data only from relevant and reliable sources.
Summarizing . In the concluding part of your persuasive speech, you should reiterate your thesis and essential arguments. Emphasize the value of your position. It’s your last opportunity to impress the judge and the listeners. Round it off by offering a provocative question, a recommendation, or talking about your predictions for the future of the subject.
Confidence and consistency . After writing your speech, you should refine its structure so that you have smooth transitions from one idea to the next. Use connecting words to tie your arguments together. Afterward, practice your speech and make sure it's clear . Your gestures, facial expressions, and intonation are ways to communicate with listeners. Be convincing but not pushy, and use a moderate pace.

We wish you good luck in your debates! And if you need to create a different kind of speech, try our informative speech generator .

Updated: Jan 26th, 2024

What is a debate? – Vanesa Velkova, European Commission
How debating works – Law Society of Scotland
Debating: A Brief Introduction for Beginners – Debating SA Incorporated
Debate Timing & Structure - Debating Matters
How do you structure your debate speech to capture the attention and interest of your audience? - LinkedIn
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Our debate speech maker tool is the perfect solution for those who wish to deliver the perfect response to their opponents. Easily generate a speech on any topic and wow the audience with your eloquence. Additionally, learn all about debates, their structure, and find useful tips.

General election latest: Sunak laughs off idea for extra bank holiday - as Reform's only MP hits back at 'load of rubbish' claim about Farage

Labour's shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves has delivered her first major speech of the general election campaign, while Rishi Sunak continues to sing the virtues of his national service policy proposal.

Tuesday 28 May 2024 14:45, UK

General Election 2024

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Election news

PM says national service 'will keep young people out of trouble'
Sunak laughs off voter's idea of bank holiday for St George's Day
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Live reporting by Ben Bloch

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Our political correspondent Tamara Cohen is on Labour's campaign bus today and was in the room for Rachel Reeves's speech this morning.

She says it was all about trying to "reassure businesses and workers", with absolutely no policy announcements.

Tamara notes this election has seen something of a role reversal for the two main parties.

"Compared to the last three elections I've covered, it's the Tories who are chucking out different offers and Labour being very safety first," she says.

Ms Reeves's message was "very much Labour is the partner of business".

"It's been on a journey since their terrible defeat in 2019, but she says they now represent the centre ground of British politics," Tamara says.

One other thing to note - a slight dividing line between Ms Reeves and her boss Sir Keir Starmer.

He was asked yesterday if he'd define himself as a socialist, and the Labour leader said yes.

Not so Ms Reeves.

We heard a short while ago from Douglas Ross, leader of the Scottish Conservatives, after he told party supporters they will defeat the SNP.

Sky correspondent Ashna Hurynag asked him why he didn't mention Rishi Sunak by name during that speech, and seemed to avoid his party's record in Westminster.

Mr Ross replied that the PM was in Scotland "within 24 hours of the election being called", saying he'll be back during the campaign.

'Taking the fight to SNP'

He argued that there are "key seats" throughout Scotland that will be a "straight choice between the Scottish Conservatives and the SNP".

"So voters can unite behind the Scottish Conservatives, beat the SNP, and get the focus onto the real priorities that people have up and down the country."

Asked if he is worried about how dysfunctional the Tory campaign is down south, Mr Ross did not push back on that assertion.

Instead, he replied: "I want to focus on what we're doing up here in Scotland. It's taking the fight to SNP.

"If we beat the SNP, we can end their obsession with independence."

By Matthew Thompson, correspondent

On the six-hour drive from London to the Lake District yesterday, journalists outnumbered actual Liberal Democrats by four to one.

It made it feel more like a newsroom away day than an actual general election campaign.

Today though, Lib Dem leader Ed Davey has finally joined us.

Party spinners say that, in the same way Air Force One is only given that name when the US president steps aboard, now we can finally give the bus its official moniker: Yellowhammer One.

The idea being it will smash into the so-called Tory Blue Wall.

It's been a stunt-heavy start to the week, with Ed Davey speaking to us from a paddle board on Lake Windermere, shortly after taking a not entirely accidental dip in the water.

Now we're on our way to Wales, where the party hopes to regain at least one MP.

Stunts of course, will only get them so far.

Rachel Reeves is a former Bank of England economist who is vying to be the UK's first female chancellor.

Alongside Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer, she has worked to change the party's image among voters after it suffered its worst defeat since 1935 at the 2019 election.

Ms Reeves has sought to portray Labour as fiscally responsible, saying she would never "play fast and loose" with the nation's finances.

She is seen as a crucial component in making Labour appear more credible to voters and in providing business with the reassurance it craves following years of upheaval.

She could be one of the most significant political figures in the years ahead, so Sky's political reporter Alexandra Rodgers takes a look at her background, and how her political career has unfolded:

By Gurpreet Narwan , political correspondent

This was billed as a policy event, but it was really the Nigel Farage show.

He made his first appearance on the campaign trail in Dover today, where he warned about the threat of illegal and legal migration.

The event was light on actual policy announcements, but Reform will be grateful for his intervention.

It's a relatively new party, and doesn't have the money, personnel or machinery of more established political parties - something that was painfully clear in Skegness last week, where only 17 people showed up.

Farage offers a certain celebrity appeal that allows the party to punch above its weight.

He had fans outside, asking for selfies and calling him a hero.

Others were less kind, yelling expletives.

He is, of course, a divisive figure. The problem for the Tories is that in the areas they need to win, his party may be more popular than they are.

By Tim Baker , political reporter

Reform UK's honorary president Nigel Farage has been speaking to Sky political correspondent Gurpreet Narwan in Dover.

Understandably, given the location, Mr Farage wanted to talk about migration.

He also reiterated comments he made to Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips, in which he said there were issues with young, Muslim, men being radicalised .

"I'm being accused of intolerance for calling out intolerance," Mr Farage says.

He highlighted Angela Rayner meeting a group in her constituency in which he claimed no other women were present.

Mr Farage said the marginalisation is something seen in "extreme forms" of Islam - and women have a "different place in their society".

This is something he "hadn't noticed in the Church of England".

Asked about his rhetoric being used by racist people, Mr Farage says "they are a tiny, tiny, irrelevant fringe minority" - and that he has "never had anything to do with them".

Reform UK's honorary president, Nigel Farage, announced last week that he will not be standing as an MP due to his desire to participate in the US election later this year.

We asked Reform's only MP, Lee Anderson, if he is disappointed that Nigel Farage is not standing as an MP, he replied that he is "chuffed to bits" because it means he can campaign much more in different seats.

"From a selfish point of view, it's much better for me," he said.

'I don't know what you've been smoking'

Sky's Wilfred Frost suggested that a party leader can still travel, and Mr Farage's decision to not stand is because he knows he wouldn't win.

But Mr Anderson replied: "What a load of rubbish you're talking - I don't know what you've been smoking recently."

He said the difference between Mr Farage and people like the PM and Labour leader is that they have safe seats with "whopping majorities", and so do not have to spend time in their constituencies in order to win.

So rather than fighting a seat, Mr Anderson said his time is "better spent" helping Reform candidates win across the country.

We heard a short while ago from Reform's only MP, Lee Anderson, and we asked what they would do to stop small boat crossings.

He replied that Nigel Farage and leader Richard Tice have been very clear, as has he over the last few years - and that the plan is to turn them back in the Channel, adding: "They need to be sent back the same day."

'It's very simple'

He said he spoke directly to people in migrant camps in Calais last year, and he claimed they told him that if the boats were being turned around, or they knew they'd be sent to a third country for processing, they would not make the journey.

"There's the deterrent - it's very simple."

Mr Anderson conceded that Reform UK will not form a majority government to implement the policy, but said: "We are going to win seats".

He said the popular vote will be "crucial", saying: "If we can get millions of people to vote Reform - even in places where we might not win or have a chance - it sends out a clear message to the Labour Party and the Conservative Party that the people in this great country of ours are very, very angry."

We've just had a Conservative Party response to the speech by shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves setting out her plans to grow the economy ( see the key points here ).

Work and Pensions Secretary Mel Stride said in a statement: "Labour will not match our commitment to increase personal tax thresholds for pensioners and will instead raise taxes by £2,094 on hard-working families.

"They do not have the courage or conviction to name a single tax they would cut."

It was the Conservative government that froze income tax thresholds, but he labelled Ms Reeves' refusal to commit to unfreezing them for pensioners a "retirement tax".

He added: "Only Rishi Sunak and the Conservatives have a clear plan, backed by bold action, to end the double tax on work and ensure pensioners who have worked hard their entire lives will have a new tax-free threshold to protect them."

The PM is "fine-tuning his pitch on bedrock Conservative issues", our political correspondent Rob Powell says.

He says the PM is "really re-emphasising" some of his core themes like security and the economy during his campaign.

"I think this is the sort of format where Rishi Sunak does pretty well," he says of the Q&A he just held in Stoke-on-Trent (see previous posts).

"With the questions, he was across a lot of the detail, and he spoke about things like a technical education and giving people the skills they need to fill skills gaps."

Rob says he also talked about the triple lock pensions allowance announced by the Tories if they win the general election.

"I think the intention of that is very clearly to appeal to traditional Tory voters," he explains.

He goes on to say the PM is "venturing into some of the constituencies which will decide this election".

He spent yesterday in Tory strongholds under threat from the Lib Dems, while today is focused more on seats targeted by Labour.

"Of course it will be these constituencies that decide who is victorious come polling day," Rob adds.

"And I think that is why he is fine-tuning his pitch on those bedrock Conservative issues."

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PDF The Debating Cheat Sheet
Speaker Roles First Speaker (Affirmative): The first affirmative must introduce the debate as a whole, not just their team's side. This means that they need to provide a DEFINITION (that is, defining the key terms and the topic as a whole in the MOST REASONABLE way). Secondly, they must introduce your TEAM LINE, which is
PDF First Affirmative Speaker Template
Today as first speaker I will be talking to you about (Write down the main heading/s of the point/s you will be talking about.) 5. This is wrong because (During the debate you will write a reason why that point is wrong.) 6. S/he also said that (Write down another point that was made onto your rebuttal card.) 7.
How to Write a Debate Speech: 10 Steps (with Pictures)
1. Understand how debates work. You will be given a debate topic - this is called a "resolution." Your team must take a stance either affirmative or negative to the resolution. Sometimes you will be given the stance, and sometimes you will be asked to take a position. You may be asked to stand affirmative or negative.
4 Ways to Begin a Debate
Remember to maintain eye contact with an audience at the end of a sentence. Hold eye contact with an individual for only three to five seconds, then move on to someone else. Practice holding eye contact with someone you know for a minute or two. Repeat the exercise 5 or 6 times—that will really help a lot. 4.
Debate 101: 1st Speaker
No Comments. First speakers should focus on the delivery of the main case, setting the foundation for your side to win the debate. What should you do as a first speaker? Firstly, take a breath and stay calm. The first minute of your speech is called the Golden Minute. That's because you have to make your speech appealing in just under 1-2 ...
How to Write a Winning Debate Speech
1. Choose a Topic For Your Debate. Also called a resolution or a motion, the topic is sometimes chosen to debate. This is usually the case in a school activity to practice debating skills. The resolution or motion is usually centered around a true or false statement or a proposal to change the current situation.
How to debate
This video demonstrates the role of the first speaker for the affirmative side in a classroom debate.
The Essential Guide to Structuring Your Debate Speech
3. Main Arguments: The Heart of Your Speech. Main arguments are the star of your speech. They serve as the backbone of your speech, providing the content that supports your position. While ...
How to Write a Debate Speech
Here is a standard debate speech format for a 20-15 minutes long debate: Opening Statements. Affirming Side: 5 minutes. Opposing Side: 5 minutes. Rebuttals (No New Arguments) Affirming Side: 3 minutes. Opposing Side: 3 minutes. Cross-Examination. Affirming Side to Opposing Side: 3 minutes.
How to Prepare and Present a Debate Speech + Tips & Examples
Use Vocal Variety and Tone. Vary your vocal tone and pace to add interest and emphasis to your speech. Use pauses and changes in pace to emphasize important points, and vary your volume to make your arguments more impactful. Use the Debate Speech Checklist. Here is a checklist that can help you evaluate your debate.
PDF First Affirmative Speaker Template 1A
2. The topic for our debate is "That _____ _____ TEAM SPLIT 3 3A. Today as first speaker I will be talking to you about _____ _____ _____ 3B. Our second speaker will be talking about _____ _____ _____ Our third speaker will rebut and sum up our team case. 2 3. We agree with the definition given by the affirmative team. OR
How To Start A Debate On Any Topic
When starting a debate in a classroom setting, consider the following steps: Begin by clearly stating the topic of the debate through a brief explanation or a thought-provoking question focusing on the subject. Make sure the issue is relevant to the curriculum or the lesson being discussed. Set clear guidelines and expectations.
How to Write a Winning Debate Speech
Welcome to our ultimate guide on how to write a winning debate speech! Whether you're a seasoned debater honing your skills or a novice looking to make a pow...
Complete Guide to Debating: How to Improve your Debating Skills
A debate is a structured contest over an issue or policy. There are two sides - one supporting, one opposing. Benefits of debating include: Allowing you to think about aspects and perspectives you may not have considered. Encourages you to speak strategically. Improving public speaking skills. Learning how to create a persuasive argument.
PDF Debating: A Brief Introduction for Beginners
records the time of each speaker. There are two teams: • an Affirmative - the team that agrees with the topic; and • a Negative - the team that disagrees with the topic. Each side consists of three members; first, second and third speakers. The First Affirmative speaker begins the debate. When s/he is finished and returns to
How To Debate: Mastering the Art of Persuasive Discourse
To begin a debate, start with a compelling opening statement that captures the audience's attention. Clearly state your position or proposition and briefly summarize your main arguments. Hook the audience by using a thought-provoking question, a powerful statistic, or a relevant anecdote to establish the importance and relevance of the topic.
How to Debate for Beginners
For a beginner debate, after receiving the motion, the teams will have time to prepare. The Affirmative team starts the debate with their first speaker, followed by the first speaker from the Negative team. Then it goes to the second speaker in the Affirmative team, back to the second speaker in the Negative team, and so on.
6 Easy Steps to Write a Debate Speech
Step 2: Defining the Topic. After your opening, you need to make the subject that you're talking about crystal-clear to your listeners. To do this, state your topic and your team's position on the topic. For example, "Today we're here to discuss the topic X.
Debate Speech
Here are some examples listed down. 1. Preparing for the Debate Speech. It is important to understand on how a debate works. The team will be given a topic which is called a "resolution" and your team will have to decide whether to take the affirmative or negative stance to the resolution. Whether you will be assigned to a certain stance or ...
3 Ways to Write a Speech if You're Third Speaker
1. Restate your team's position. 2. Rebut the opposition's arguments. While it may seem redundant with some of the work the first or second speaker has done, this is an opportunity for a new angle to be presented (e.g. impact on individual vs. impact on society).
Example Speeches
Primary School Second Speaker Exemplar. Primary School Second Speaker Exemplar. An exemplar speech of a second speaker at the Primary School level. With thanks to the students at Pulteney Grammar School for their time in producing this video. Primary School Third Speaker Exemplar. Primary School Third Speaker Exemplar.
Debaters Association of Victoria
First Affirmative. The first affirmative's role is to set out their team's interpretation of the topic (the contention/team case), define the topic, outline the team split, and present arguments. Define the topic. The first task of the first affirmative speaker is to define the topic. The definition specifies the important issue (s) in ...
Debate Speech Maker
The first speaker for the affirmative introduces the motion, presenting key arguments. The opposition's first speaker responds, presenting counterarguments. This pattern continues with subsequent speakers building upon and responding to the points raised. The debate format could also include cross-examination or questioning segments.
General election latest: Sir Keir Starmer attacks 'desperate' Tories as
General election latest: Sir Keir Starmer attacks 'desperate' Tories as he delivers first major campaign speech. The Labour leader says his party is ready to meet the "core tests" set by the ...

Debate 101: 1st Speaker

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