DEBATING / ARGUMENTATIVE ESSAY

DEFINITION:

A debate is a formal contest in which arguments are used. In the argument, two sides openly or
publicly (but in this case on paper) dispute a proposition, question or motion in a systematic way.

Debating focuses attention on controversial issues, particularly those affecting the public interest.
For example, corruption, rampant rape cases, poverty and armed robbery in Sierra Leone. It
stimulates thinking, develops ability in writing (and speaking), provides training in research, and
encourages the habit of suspending judgement until all facts are at hand. It is simply a written (or
sometimes an oral) argumentation.

THE NATURE OF DEBATING QUESTIONS

Usually called proposition or motion, debating questions are topics stated in debatable form.
They may be phrased or coined either as questions or as resolutions.

AS QUESTIONS:

e.g.

1. Should football be banned as a secondary school sport? Express your views on the
proposition.
2. Should corporal punishment be used as a means of instilling discipline in school
children? Write your opinions for or against the motion.

AS RESOLUTION

e.g.

1. Football should be banned as a secondary school sport. Write your arguments FOR or
AGAINST the proposition / motion.
 2. Corporal punishment should be used as a means of instilling discipline in school children.
Write your arguments FOR or AGAINST the proposition / motion.

APPROACH, FORMAT / FEATURES

FIRST, write the question / resolution / motion in the form of a title either: (a) in lower case
letters and neatly underline it, or (b) in block letters without underlining it. (OPTIONAL)

SECOND, do a formal opening (or introduction) in which you acknowledge the presence of the
organizers of the contest, including: [a chairman, panel of judges, critics, (sometimes a time
keeper), guests (or audience), your fellow or co-debaters] – followed by an extension of your
regards to them.

NOTE: This is a COMPULSORY aspect that should not be discarded or left out.

In this same paragraph, state your own side of the argument, i.e. FOR or AGAINST, PRO or
CONS, IN FAVOUR or NOT IN FAVOUR depending on your stance / choice.

THIRD, you may choose to define key terms in the given question, motion or proposition, since
you should not assume for the audience or your fellow debater that they know the definitions of
the key concepts / terms in the given question / motion.

FOURTH, present your arguments which should be convincing in logical order, with each point
in its own paragraph. This can be done in, at least, three (3) different paragraphs.

You could also pick on any argument which, in your opinion, your opponent(s) might want to
use against you and do a REBUTTAL i.e. refute the point by making a contrary argument against
it. In other words, make a statement designed to refute or negate specific possible arguments that
could be put forward by your opponent(s).

FINALLY, conclude or summarize your points of argument, while you end up restating your
stance or position on the argument. This could be done in a skillful way.
Question

Football should be banned as a secondary school sport. Write your argument FOR or AGAINST
the motion.

SPECIMEN ANSWER / APPROACH

FOOTBALL SHOULD BE BANNED AS A SECONDARY SCHOOL SPORT

(TITLE)

The chairman, panel of judges, critics, distinguished audience, my fellow debaters: I am

delighted to be one of the speakers (writers) or presenters on this very controversial subject /
contest. Specifically, I wish to refute or support the motion. (FORMAL, USUAL OPENING
COURTESY)

The INTRODUCTION could usually summarize the history of the subject – matter (in this case,
football) in the country and define key terms (e.g. the word ‘ban’). (INTRODUCTION)

The ARGUMENTS are to be taken up one by one / and the evidence in support of each is given
in the form of facts, figures, examples, authority and logical reasoning – (This is done in
respective paragraphs numbering at least THREE (3)). (THE BODY OF THE ESSAY)

The CONCLUSION summarizes the main points of argument and reasserts or denies the
proposition / motion. (CONCLUSION)
 (2014 JUNE WASSCE) PAST QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

Question

You are the main speaker in a debate on the topic: Technology has made the world a better place.
Write your arguments FOR or AGAINST the motion.

SPECIMEN ANSWER

TECHNOLOGY HAS MADE THE WORLD A BETTER PLACE (TITLE)

The chairman, panel of judges, critics, distinguished audience and fellow debaters: I heartily
welcome you all to this debating session and as the main speaker, I wish to support the motion
stated above. (FORMAL, USUAL OPENING COURTESY)

Before commencing my arguments, I first consider it necessary to define the term technology,
and to explain what is meant by the world being a better place. Technology simply refers to the
application and use of a collection of scientific techniques or skills to produce different human
needs like machines, tools and equipment and so on for different purposes. And by the world
being a better place means making life more peaceful, easy, comfortable and conducive.
(DEFINITION OF KEY TERMS IN THE QUESTION)

Given the above, one way by which technology has made the world a better place is in the area
of transportation. Before the advent of technology, there was no means for people to move from
one place to the other easily, except on foot. Even that had a lot of drawbacks or disadvantages.
For example, it took very long time to cover some distances, and in fact, people did not go to
every place of their choice. But with technology; air, land and sea transports have been invented
which could take people to almost everywhere around the world in the shortest possible time
without strain and hindrance.

Another way by which technology has made the world a better place is in the area of medical
breakthrough. For example, apart from the medicines which can now cure diverse sicknesses and
diseases various instruments in the same field of medicine like X-ray and scanning machines can
now be used to diagnose various hidden sicknesses effectively. In fact, various queer sicknesses
and diseases which formally proved to be incurable, such as diabetes, kidney, heart and lung
diseases can now be effectively diagnosed and treated. Hence, this has led to longevity in life,
since many such ailments can now be cured medically.

Not the least, communication is another area that technology has contributed to make easy and
simple. Before then, people could walk long distances over long periods of time, in the face of
much difficulties, risks and hindrances to pass on or carry information. With technology, fast
means of communication such as fax machines, internet, mobile phones and the like have
brought about fast, swift and easy means of transferring messages from person to person, place
to place or community to community across the entire world in the shortest times possible.
(ARGUMENTS IN THE BODY OF THE ESSAY, PUT FORWARD IN RARIOUS
PARAGRAPHS OF AT LEAST THREE)

Given the few technological cases of transportation, communication and medication as well as
many other means not mentioned here, there is no denying that, indeed, technology has made the
world a better place. (CONCLUSION)

ARGUMENTS AGAINST THE SAME MOTION

TECHNOLOGY HAS MADE THE WORLD A BETTER PLACE

Honorable chairman, panel of judges, critics, distinguished ladies and gentlemen of the audience,
fellow debaters: my regards to you all, I wish to talk (or write) against the motion above.

However, before proceeding further, it would be of importance here to define what is meant by
technology on the one hand, and the world being a better place on the other hand. The former
simply means the application or applied use of science to create, make or invent various tings
needed by man in order to make life easy, simple, peaceful and more comfortable. But rather
unfortunately, technology has brought about more of disaster, trouble and complexity in life than
the good and comfortability on the following undisputable grounds.

Foremost, the invention of all kinds of weaponry used in warfare has been as a result of
technology. These weapons, of various types, have contributed to wipe out and / or displace lives
in various communities and nations on massive scales. These two world wars have been historic
cases in point. Next are the more recent cases of warfare in Syria, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Yemen,
South Sudan and many more. Fresh memories of all these wars still remain in the minds of
people across the world.

Second, opponents might want to raise the issue of electricity as being a major success of
technology, but they may be forgetting that it has caused more harm than good. For example, fire
accidents attributed to electricity had gutted and continue to wreck harroc on homes and
communities on a large scale and at alarming rates year in and other communities in Freetown
are typical cases in point.

Third, technology has also led to more loss of lives and property through accidents caused by the
various means of transportation on land, air and sea on massive scales in different parts of the
world, including underdeveloped, developing, and the so called advanced nations. In other
words, all of these technological inventions are death traps for mankind and for the loss of
property.

On the whole, though technology might be a good servant, it could equally be a very bad master.
Hence, it has largely failed to make the world a better place, considering the destruction of lives,
property, the ecosystem and other valuables of life it has rendered worthless, useless and
meaningless. Undoubtedly, you will all agree with me that technology has rather made the world
worse than better.
 (WASSCE 2015 JUNE) – SPECIMEN QUESTION AND ANSWER

Question

You are the main speaker in a debate on the topic: Students in rural schools have more
advantages than those in the urban centers. Write your arguments FOR or AGAINST the motion.

SPECIMEN ANSWER

STUDENTS IN RURAL SCHOOLS HAVE MORE ADVANTAGES THAN THOSE IN

TE URBAN CENTERS (TITLE)

The chairman, panel of judges, critics, members of the audience and my fellow debaters: I
hereby acknowledge your presence and extend warm felicitations to you. I wish to argue for the
motion stated above. (USUALLY, FORMAL OPENING COURTESY)

At this point, it would serve us all well if we know what is meant by rural students and urban
students. The former refers to students in remote, less- populated or suburban areas, while the
latter refers to those in cities, and well – populated settings. I support the motion for many strong
reasons, some of which are discussed below. (DEFINITION OF KEY TERMS)

Foremost, rural areas by nature or character are less populated with fewer places of distractions,
such as, cinemas, night clubs, and the like. This makes them more ideal for education. On the
contrary, cities which are highly populated have more distractions in the form of many film halls
and video centers, many night clubs, many festivities, multitude of neighborhood quarrels,
constant traffic congestions and noise pollution, all of which are distraction sights which makes
the urban students to be less focused and concentrated on their studies on a daily basis.
Therefore, the urban settings are actually not ideal for education. (THE BODY OF
ESSAY 1st ARGUMENT)

Next, since rural areas are comparatively not big in size and with lesser – populations, students
do not have the overhead problem of boarding vehicles to go to their schools / normally they
walk to their schools and in time, even if they have to be engaged in doing some domestic chores
before leaving for school. In a sense they are almost always regular, punctual and in schools
within record time. On the contrary, since the cities are bigger in size; for example, Freetown,
Bo, Makeni and others, students would need to board a vehicle, which requires payment of
transport fare to go to their schools. Sometimes even when they have the fares to pay, the
problem of getting vehicles on time is a big problem. As for those whose parents afford the
transport fares, their children would have to walk long distances to go to their schools. This
situation is a key disadvantage to urban students, which makes them to be late and not punctual
and regular in school for most of the days in the week. All these disadvantages put together
usually makes urban students in their majority to perform poorly in their academic works, and
gives them less hope to succeed at the final analysis. No wonder, there are more school dropouts
in the big towns than the rural settings. (2nd ARGUMENT)

Finally, once and since the big towns and cities are more populated and most times congested so
are their schools. In that regard, students normally have the greater tendency to scramble over
sitting accommodation in schools. Above all, there is normally no effective monitoring not to
talk of discipline in such schools. Truancy and irregularity as well as non – punctuality is
common among the students. These are obvious hindrances to their educational success. But for
the rural settings which have lesser populations, their classrooms, too, are usually not congested.
They normally have enough sitting accommodation, while they are well monitored and
disciplined by the school teachers and authorities. These are, of course, the ingredient that makes
rural students to be more advantageous, and in turn, makes them do better in their academic
works. (3rd ARGUMENT)

Conclusively, giving the various advantages that rural students stand to enjoy, there is no iota of
doubt that they are better placed than their urban counterparts. Therefore, I remain to hold the
view that rural students or schools have more advantages than those in urban settings.
(CONCLUSION)
 ARGUMENTS AGAINST THE MOTION

STUDENTS IN RURAL SCHOOLS HAVE MORE ADVANTAGES THAN THOSE IN

URBAN CENTRES (TITLE)

The chairman, panel of judges, critics, distinguished guests, fellow debaters: I salute you all in
the name of our Lord, Jesus Christ. I wish to refute the motion stated above. (THE
FORMAL OPENING COURTESY)

For the time being, it suffices here to define the terms rural and urban students. I n short, rural
students refer to students found in less populated remote or non – urban settings while urban
students are those found in cities or big towns which are relatively more populated.

As for the issue at hand, I have decided to refute / dispute the motion above for so many obvious
practical and undeniable reasons. Some obvious practical and undeniable reasons, some of these
are explained below.

To start with, there is no reason to claim that rural students have more advantages than urban
students for the fact that the rural settings are by nature seriously more disadvantaged and
handicapped as far as teaching and learning is concerned. For instance, most trained and
qualified teachers hardly offer / decide to leave the big towns for the remote places because they
always feel missing out on development a lot. Moreover, even good and well equipped libraries
with modern facilities could har5dly be seen in remote places. So, it can be more difficult for
rural students to do well academically compare to their urban counterparts, Of course good,
trained and qualified teachers as well as equipped modern standard library facilities have their
extra or added advantages for students to do well in schools.

Second, in the big town and cities where there are more schools, there is much more competition
among students compared to those in rural settings. In fact, competition among school and
students is one key factor that gingers ambitions students to do hard work. It is generally said the
more the merrier; and this particular adage holds where many schools compete against one
another. And this spirit is largely found in larger towns or cities where there are other facilities
like standard libraries, enough trained and qualified teachers, good science laboratories and
healthy competitions in areas of academic excellence, sporting facilities, literary and debating
societies and so on.

Additionally, urban students have far more advantages being that they are exposed to more and
better choices compared to their comrades in the remote centers. For instance, they can choose
better schools which they feel do well and have more facilities, attend syndicate classes or extra
lessons where they feel their own schools are lacking, so their they go in for more knowledge
and more effective teaching elsewhere. At the same time, they are closer to other facilities like
scholarships compared to those in the rural areas. All are motivating factors that keep the former
ahead of the letter in almost every area concerning academic improvement and success.

Conclusively, as a result of the various good options available to the urban students they stand
better chance to be more successful in their academic work than students in rural centers, not the
other way round. On the above notes, I still maintain my ground that the urban students, not the
rural ones, have better chances than their counterparts in question.