Basic Terms in Debating

Debate: A competition in which two opposing teams of people make speeches to

support their arguments and disagree with those of the other team. The two teams
take in turns to speak (see the diagram below).

Proposition/Resolution: the opinion about which two teams debate

Affirmative team: this team agrees with the proposition

Negative team/opposition: this team disagrees with the proposition.

Rebuttal: explains the reason why one team disagrees with the other team.

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 Judges: decides the winner.

Giving Support for Your Reasons When Debating

Support consists of four types of evidence:

1) Example: from your own personal experience or from what you have read or heard.
2) Common Sense: things that you believe everybody knows.
3) Expert Opinion: the opinions of experts – this comes from research
4) Statistics: numbers and figures – this also comes from research

How can we apply these four types of evidence in a debate?

Let’s look at four examples, which support

the following proposition:
Smoking Should Be Banned in Public

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 Secondhand smoke is very unhealthy for
non-smokers.

3) Statistics:
Secondhand smoke causes about 250,000
respiratory infections in infants and children
every year, resulting in about 15,000
1) Example: For example/for instance/let hospitalizations each year.
me give an example
Whenever I go to a restaurant or bar and 4) Expert Opinion: According to…/to
there are people smoking near me, I feel that quote…/the book/paper/source____says…
I am breathing their smoke. This makes me According to the Environmental Protection
a smoker even though I don’t want to be. Agency, “secondhand smoke causes
approximately 3,000 lung cancer deaths in
2) Common Sense: Everybody knows/ if… non-smokers each year.”
then/ its common knowledge that

Debating vocabulary

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 Giving reasons and explanations to support your opinion

These expressions are useful for helping to introduce your evidence:

To start with, the reason why…,That’s why…,That’s the reason why…,For this
reason…,Many people think…, considering…, Allowing for the fact that…, When
you consider that…

Rebutting the opposition’s speech

When rebutting your opponent’s speeches you will need to first state their
argument so that you can then refute it.

They say…, the other team said…, according to the other team…, their argument
is that…, their opinion is that…, whilst they said that…, That may be true,
but…,They made a good point, but…,

The Process of Rebuttal – The Four Basic

Steps
STEP 1: “They say…, the other (Take notes during your opponent’s speeches so
that you will be clear what their argument was.)
team said…,”

State the argument that you are about to

refute so that the judges and the audience
can follow easily.

For example: “The other team said that

smoking is harmful for non-smokers.”

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STEP 2: “But I disagree…” Or “That may be true, but…”

Then begin your refutation of their argument.

For example: “That may be true, but I think that if non-smokers want to avoid cigarette smoke,
they can walk away from it.”

For example: “Because non-smokers should

look out for their own health.”
STEP 3: “Because….”

Give your reason for the refutation.

STEP 4: “Therefore…” For example: “Therefore it is not the

responsibility of smokers to protect non-
Sum up and conclude your refutation.
smokers.”

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 Things to check when
judging a debate
REASON Examples/common sense

Is the reason strong? Expert opinion/statistics

Is the reason clear? Is the support clear?

SUPPORT How strong was the

argument?
Summarize the support:

REBUTTAL: Therefore…

They disagree because… Is the rebuttal clear?

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Is the “because” and “therefore” strong?

How strong was the

rebuttal?