features of a debate essay

How to Write a Good Debate Essay

When the word “debate” occurs in an essay title, you are being asked to examine a subject in which there are opposing views. The aim is that your essay will lead to support for one side, based on clear argument, effective judgement and justification for the decisions presented and arguments presented. The foundation of a good debate essay is effectively completing research combined with being able to refer to facts and credible information. The biggest challenge is to remain unemotional, whilst still persuading your audience of the validity of the arguments you are making in support of your chosen side.

Writing your debate essay

Introduction.

Your introduction should ensure that your reader understands what topic is being debated and encourage them to read more. One effective way to start is with a question, which sets the stage for you to state your position on the subject (your thesis statement). For example, “Does online learning creates laziness in students?”.

The aim is that your readers will have an immediate answer to the question, and this then drives the arguments you are presenting. An alternative approach is to refute a statement, framing the subject negatively, for example, “There are studies which suggest online learning creates laziness, however, studies have shown that online learning actually increases motivation”. In this case you are encouraging the reader to support your argument. In both cases, you have set a foundation with your introduction which needs to be built on by effective arguments and evidence.

The body text of your debate essay should be separated into paragraphs, each one of which will cover a different reason / rationale for the viewpoint you set out in your introduction. For each point you should provide back-up information from credible sources, which demonstrates that you have evaluated evidence before drawing a conclusion and opinion. Each paragraph should introduce your argument for or against, depending on your perspective, and include where appropriate, statistical evidence, illustrative data and clearly referenced sources. A good tip with a debate essay is to also present the counterargument for your point and refute it with viable sources to demonstrate why it is incorrect, demonstrating your understanding of the subject. The structure of the body text should be logical, moving from one argument to another with effective connections such as “Furthermore”, “Notwithstanding”, “Moreover” or similar to ensure coherence of argument.

The conclusion to your debate essay should be a summing up of all the positive points you have made, reaffirming your stance on the issue and should refer back to your thesis statement or original question. This enables you to demonstrate that you have effectively provided a strong justification for your point of view and in so doing, persuaded the reader of the accuracy of your perspective and opinion.

Key Words for a Debate Essay

In the same way
On the other hand
Nevertheless
On the contrary
Subsequently
Specifically
Furthermore
In consequence

Tips For Writing A Debate Essay

An argumentative paper depends on various aspects that can either build the conversation or break it. Here is how to write a debate essay step by step and get your point through in a convincing manner:

Choose the topic wisely. Make sure it is a controversial topic that can have a debate both ways. You can pick any topic from child education to medicinal marijuana. The topic itself needs to have a compelling pull to keep the audience involved.
Once the topic is decided, figure out which side you are on. For topics like domestic violence, most people will be against it, but you can still create an argument around it confidently.
Make sure you have done your research to articulate the facts and stats which go both in favour and against the topic. Your opponents may have a different perspective than you, but if you have solid grounds that can prove your stance, you can make them agree with you.
Know your audience. The readers of your essay will be very crucial to you building your argument. If you are writing a term paper, you may focus more on sentence building, structuring, and formatting. But if you are drafting for a competition, you need solid supporting research which can be cited and argued.
Have your facts ready. Without figures and numbers, a paper loses credibility. It becomes more of an opinion-piece than a debate essay grounded in facts.
The last, the most important factor. Select an issue you are most passionate about. If you feel strongly about it, you will be able to express your thoughts and also be able to research it with dedication.

Consider these tips combined when you think about how to make a debate essay convincing and interesting. Don’t forget, your opponent may not agree at all with your verdict, but at least you would present your vision with strong arguments and leave a good impression on the readers.

Debate Writing - A Comprehensive Writing Guide

14 min read

What is Debate Writing?

A debate is a formal contest of argumentation where two opposing teams defend and attack a given resolution. Similarly, it is also a persuasive manner of speaking to convert one’s opinion into your viewpoint.

Here, the speaker either speaks for or against a particular topic being discussed. Moreover, it is the process of preparing and writing the debate before its formal presentation.

Features of Debate Writing

The following are the main features of debate writing.

Informative - A good debate must provide complete information and facts. It is supposed to inform and educate people with the help of logical reasoning.
Well-reasoned - The arguments discussed in a debate must be logical, relevant, competent, and well-explained.
Persuasive - A debate must emphasize strong arguments to convince the people.
Orderly - A debate must present the facts in a structured and organized form. It should also follow a specific format.
Dynamic - In a debate, two teams present opposing arguments. Similarly, all the important points must be questioned and answered by each team member.

Types of Debate

The following is a detailed description of common debating types that are practiced on various occasions.

Team Policy Debate - It consists of two teams, each with two debaters. The main aim is to present a huge amount of data coherently.
Cross-examination Debate - It is considered a period between speeches. Here, the opponents ask each other to clarify and understand the points based on evidence.
Lincoln-Douglas Debate - It is a one-on-one and an open-style debate. Here, the debaters focus on arguing for or against a topic persuasively and logically.
Spontaneous Argumentation - Includes two teams that argue on a specific idea, but it does not require much research work. Similarly, this debate focuses more on presentation than content.
Public Forum Debate - It includes arguments on controversial topics. Moreover, these are used to test the argumentation, cross-examination, and refutation skills of the debaters.
Parliamentary Debate - It consists of two teams, one called the government and the other called the opposition team. The Government team proposes a motion, and the Opposition team argues against it.

If you want to learn more about the different debating types, head to over comprehensive blog on types of debates.

Debate Writing Format

The debate writing for middle or high school follows the same format structure. Here, we have mentioned a detailed format for you to get an idea of the parts of a debate.

Check out the given debate writing template to get help with structuring your debate.

Debate Writing Template

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How to Start a Debate?

When starting the debate writing process, the question “ How to write a debate introduction?… ” could come off as a daunting one, but don’t worry.

Here are some easy steps for you to write a compelling debate introduction.

1. Impressive greeting and strong opening sentence:

Greet your audience with enthusiasm, capturing their attention with a compelling opening statement that sets the tone for your debate.

2. Tell a personal story:

Connect emotionally by sharing a relevant personal anecdote that humanizes the topic, making it relatable and engaging.

3. State an amazing Fact:

Introduce a surprising or impressive fact related to your debate topic to pique interest and establish credibility.

4. Use a powerful quotation:

Incorporate a thought-provoking quote that aligns with your argument, adding depth and authority to your speech.

5. Ask a rhetorical question:

Pose a rhetorical question to stimulate critical thinking among your audience, encouraging them to ponder the issue at hand.

6. State a problem:

Clearly articulate the problem or challenge associated with your debate topic, highlighting its significance and relevance.

7. Share your opinion about the topic:

Express your stance on the matter, providing a concise preview of your argument and setting the stage for the forthcoming points in your debate speech.

How to Write a Debate?

Following are the steps you can stick to for writing a debate speech that lets you stand out from the competition:

1. Understand the Debate

The first of many steps in debate writing is understanding its nature. Here, both teams will be given a topic, and they will choose an affirmative or negative stance.

2. Research the Topic Thoroughly

Brainstorm and research the topic thoroughly to understand all the aspects of the debate. Make a list of critical points and use credible sources to cover them in your key arguments.

3. Develop a Debate Outline

Develop a basic debate speech outline that consists of three main sections. It includes an introduction, body, and conclusion that are discussed below in detail.

It is the first section of the outline that includes an attention grabber. Introduce your topic and present the context with the help of a thesis statement . Also, provide a brief overview of the students’ arguments to understand the direction of the debate.

It is the main section of the debate that discusses the key arguments in detail. Moreover, it further includes logical reasoning and evidence to support the thesis.

The conclusion is the last chance to demonstrate significant ideas. It summarizes the main body by adding emotion and drama to the words and includes a strong closing sentence.

4. Writing the Debate

Start writing the final draft of your debate. Mention the crucial elements of persuasion, which are ethos, pathos, and logos. These are used to explain the effects of the resolution in the real world.

Also, use transition words to maintain a logical flow between paragraphs. Lastly, edit and proofread your work to avoid plagiarism, grammar, spelling, and punctuation errors.

Here is a great example of a well-written debate introduction:

If you’re thinking, “ How to write a debate greeting? ”, take a thorough look at the detailed steps below:

If you have the question, “ How to write a debate against the motion? ” in mind, look at this step-by-step procedure below:

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How to End the Debate?

End the debate by making sure that you have included the following elements. It will help you assess the credibility of your debate.

Does your debate start with an interesting greeting?
Does it provide original content, personal experience, and a call to action?
Does the debate follow a proper format structure?
Does it include the correct sentence structure?
Does it maintain logical transitions to flow ideas from one paragraph to another?
Have you proofread or revised it for common mistakes such as spelling, grammar, and punctuation?
Does the debate mention your opinion about the given topic?
Does the debate end with a powerful conclusion sentence to leave a lasting impact on the audience?

Debate Writing Tips and Tricks

Here are some amazing debate tips and tricks for you to write a perfect debate:

It is better to know and prepare for a debate before starting it
Conduct thorough research work to collect relevant data and draft creative arguments about the topic
A writer should think relatively to identify the validity of significant claims
Try to understand the formal debate through a variety of personal experiences
Support the arguments with examples and evidence to make them more credible and authentic
Also, consider the perspective of the judges and audience while making a critical argument
Always structure your speech while keeping the time limits in mind
Do not always disagree with the opponent’s arguments. Instead, you should take notes and think logically
Build your case by keeping in mind all the possible objections that others can raise
Never make the mistake of introducing new arguments in your closing section

Advanced Techniques for Debate Writing

Below are some easy debating techniques to write a primary and high school debate.

Introduce the topic at the beginning of the debate and form an opinion about it.
Know your audience to adjust your argument according to them.
Assign the two sides as affirmatives and negatives.
Take enough time to research the case and the vocabulary used for it.
Organize your opinion and present supporting facts to persuade the audience.
Follow a basic debate structure that includes the following period.
Get an idea about the opponent’s arguments and advance your research by weakening them.
Make a judgment based on the audience’s votes and your opinion about the arguments.
Connect to the audience emotionally by presenting examples, evidence, and personal experiences.
Incorporate simple, well-timed humor to engage and emphasize your argument effectively

Debate Writing Examples

Check out the following examples of debate writing to get a better idea of the concept.

Debate Example for Ks2

Debate Writing Class 6

Debate Writing Class 7

Debate Writing Class 8

Debate Writing Class 9

Debate Writing Class 11 PDF

Debate Writing Class 12

Debate Writing Example on Online Classes

If you want inspiration from more examples on various debate topics, visit our comprehensive debate examples blog!

Debate Writing Topics for Students

The following are some impressive debate writing prompts for students to get started.

All schools should conduct compulsory drug testing on their students
Middle and high schools must ban sex education
Is it ethical to move in before getting married?
Academic institutes should ban smoking on college premises
Peer pressure is harmful to students
High schools should provide daycare services to students who have children
The government should develop nuclear energy for commercial use
Celebrities can get away with crime more easily than non-celebrities
Cell phones should not be used in classrooms
Money motivates people more than any other factor in the workplace

Head over to our list of debate topics to choose from a wide range of unique debate writing ideas.

To sum it up, This comprehensive guide to debate writing will help you write a perfect one for your high school or college. We’ve covered all the essential details one would need to craft a winning debate.

However, if you think that you could use a helping hand to perfect your debate writing game, we’ve got you covered.

You can get help from our speech writing service to solve your debate writing worries. Our writing experts will deliver you comprehensive and well-composed debates at rates that won’t break the bank.

Simply reach out to our reliable essay writing service , and we’ll take care of all your writing-related problems.

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How to write an argumentative essay | Examples & tips

How to Write an Argumentative Essay | Examples & Tips

Published on July 24, 2020 by Jack Caulfield . Revised on July 23, 2023.

An argumentative essay expresses an extended argument for a particular thesis statement . The author takes a clearly defined stance on their subject and builds up an evidence-based case for it.

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When do you write an argumentative essay, approaches to argumentative essays, introducing your argument, the body: developing your argument, concluding your argument, other interesting articles, frequently asked questions about argumentative essays.

You might be assigned an argumentative essay as a writing exercise in high school or in a composition class. The prompt will often ask you to argue for one of two positions, and may include terms like “argue” or “argument.” It will frequently take the form of a question.

The prompt may also be more open-ended in terms of the possible arguments you could make.

Argumentative writing at college level

At university, the vast majority of essays or papers you write will involve some form of argumentation. For example, both rhetorical analysis and literary analysis essays involve making arguments about texts.

In this context, you won’t necessarily be told to write an argumentative essay—but making an evidence-based argument is an essential goal of most academic writing, and this should be your default approach unless you’re told otherwise.

Examples of argumentative essay prompts

At a university level, all the prompts below imply an argumentative essay as the appropriate response.

Your research should lead you to develop a specific position on the topic. The essay then argues for that position and aims to convince the reader by presenting your evidence, evaluation and analysis.

Don’t just list all the effects you can think of.
Do develop a focused argument about the overall effect and why it matters, backed up by evidence from sources.
Don’t just provide a selection of data on the measures’ effectiveness.
Do build up your own argument about which kinds of measures have been most or least effective, and why.
Don’t just analyze a random selection of doppelgänger characters.
Do form an argument about specific texts, comparing and contrasting how they express their thematic concerns through doppelgänger characters.

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An argumentative essay should be objective in its approach; your arguments should rely on logic and evidence, not on exaggeration or appeals to emotion.

There are many possible approaches to argumentative essays, but there are two common models that can help you start outlining your arguments: The Toulmin model and the Rogerian model.

Toulmin arguments

The Toulmin model consists of four steps, which may be repeated as many times as necessary for the argument:

Make a claim
Provide the grounds (evidence) for the claim
Explain the warrant (how the grounds support the claim)
Discuss possible rebuttals to the claim, identifying the limits of the argument and showing that you have considered alternative perspectives

The Toulmin model is a common approach in academic essays. You don’t have to use these specific terms (grounds, warrants, rebuttals), but establishing a clear connection between your claims and the evidence supporting them is crucial in an argumentative essay.

Say you’re making an argument about the effectiveness of workplace anti-discrimination measures. You might:

Claim that unconscious bias training does not have the desired results, and resources would be better spent on other approaches
Cite data to support your claim
Explain how the data indicates that the method is ineffective
Anticipate objections to your claim based on other data, indicating whether these objections are valid, and if not, why not.

Rogerian arguments

The Rogerian model also consists of four steps you might repeat throughout your essay:

Discuss what the opposing position gets right and why people might hold this position
Highlight the problems with this position
Present your own position , showing how it addresses these problems
Suggest a possible compromise —what elements of your position would proponents of the opposing position benefit from adopting?

This model builds up a clear picture of both sides of an argument and seeks a compromise. It is particularly useful when people tend to disagree strongly on the issue discussed, allowing you to approach opposing arguments in good faith.

Say you want to argue that the internet has had a positive impact on education. You might:

Acknowledge that students rely too much on websites like Wikipedia
Argue that teachers view Wikipedia as more unreliable than it really is
Suggest that Wikipedia’s system of citations can actually teach students about referencing
Suggest critical engagement with Wikipedia as a possible assignment for teachers who are skeptical of its usefulness.

You don’t necessarily have to pick one of these models—you may even use elements of both in different parts of your essay—but it’s worth considering them if you struggle to structure your arguments.

Regardless of which approach you take, your essay should always be structured using an introduction , a body , and a conclusion .

Like other academic essays, an argumentative essay begins with an introduction . The introduction serves to capture the reader’s interest, provide background information, present your thesis statement , and (in longer essays) to summarize the structure of the body.

Hover over different parts of the example below to see how a typical introduction works.

The spread of the internet has had a world-changing effect, not least on the world of education. The use of the internet in academic contexts is on the rise, and its role in learning is hotly debated. For many teachers who did not grow up with this technology, its effects seem alarming and potentially harmful. This concern, while understandable, is misguided. The negatives of internet use are outweighed by its critical benefits for students and educators—as a uniquely comprehensive and accessible information source; a means of exposure to and engagement with different perspectives; and a highly flexible learning environment.

The body of an argumentative essay is where you develop your arguments in detail. Here you’ll present evidence, analysis, and reasoning to convince the reader that your thesis statement is true.

In the standard five-paragraph format for short essays, the body takes up three of your five paragraphs. In longer essays, it will be more paragraphs, and might be divided into sections with headings.

Each paragraph covers its own topic, introduced with a topic sentence . Each of these topics must contribute to your overall argument; don’t include irrelevant information.

This example paragraph takes a Rogerian approach: It first acknowledges the merits of the opposing position and then highlights problems with that position.

Hover over different parts of the example to see how a body paragraph is constructed.

A common frustration for teachers is students’ use of Wikipedia as a source in their writing. Its prevalence among students is not exaggerated; a survey found that the vast majority of the students surveyed used Wikipedia (Head & Eisenberg, 2010). An article in The Guardian stresses a common objection to its use: “a reliance on Wikipedia can discourage students from engaging with genuine academic writing” (Coomer, 2013). Teachers are clearly not mistaken in viewing Wikipedia usage as ubiquitous among their students; but the claim that it discourages engagement with academic sources requires further investigation. This point is treated as self-evident by many teachers, but Wikipedia itself explicitly encourages students to look into other sources. Its articles often provide references to academic publications and include warning notes where citations are missing; the site’s own guidelines for research make clear that it should be used as a starting point, emphasizing that users should always “read the references and check whether they really do support what the article says” (“Wikipedia:Researching with Wikipedia,” 2020). Indeed, for many students, Wikipedia is their first encounter with the concepts of citation and referencing. The use of Wikipedia therefore has a positive side that merits deeper consideration than it often receives.

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An argumentative essay ends with a conclusion that summarizes and reflects on the arguments made in the body.

No new arguments or evidence appear here, but in longer essays you may discuss the strengths and weaknesses of your argument and suggest topics for future research. In all conclusions, you should stress the relevance and importance of your argument.

Hover over the following example to see the typical elements of a conclusion.

The internet has had a major positive impact on the world of education; occasional pitfalls aside, its value is evident in numerous applications. The future of teaching lies in the possibilities the internet opens up for communication, research, and interactivity. As the popularity of distance learning shows, students value the flexibility and accessibility offered by digital education, and educators should fully embrace these advantages. The internet’s dangers, real and imaginary, have been documented exhaustively by skeptics, but the internet is here to stay; it is time to focus seriously on its potential for good.

If you want to know more about AI tools , college essays , or fallacies make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples or go directly to our tools!

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An argumentative essay tends to be a longer essay involving independent research, and aims to make an original argument about a topic. Its thesis statement makes a contentious claim that must be supported in an objective, evidence-based way.

An expository essay also aims to be objective, but it doesn’t have to make an original argument. Rather, it aims to explain something (e.g., a process or idea) in a clear, concise way. Expository essays are often shorter assignments and rely less on research.

At college level, you must properly cite your sources in all essays , research papers , and other academic texts (except exams and in-class exercises).

Add a citation whenever you quote , paraphrase , or summarize information or ideas from a source. You should also give full source details in a bibliography or reference list at the end of your text.

The exact format of your citations depends on which citation style you are instructed to use. The most common styles are APA , MLA , and Chicago .

The majority of the essays written at university are some sort of argumentative essay . Unless otherwise specified, you can assume that the goal of any essay you’re asked to write is argumentative: To convince the reader of your position using evidence and reasoning.

In composition classes you might be given assignments that specifically test your ability to write an argumentative essay. Look out for prompts including instructions like “argue,” “assess,” or “discuss” to see if this is the goal.

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How to Write a Debate Essay: Simple Principles to Follow

Serious multiracial colleagues having discussion brainstorming project together in office.

Debating means almost the same as arguing. You have a standpoint on a certain issue and want everybody else to accept it. To have a better understanding of what debates are all about, we advise you to watch some videos of political debates. These are the best examples of how one should argue for a certain point.

However, oral debates between people are certainly different from debating on paper and writing a good debate essay. If this is your next written assignment and you face some difficulties with it, we are ready to provide necessary assistance.

So, if you want to know how to write a debate essay and win the “battle”, follow these simple principles.

⭐ Know the features of a good debate

👀 choose debate essay topics wisely, 🔎 investigate background of the problem, 🗣️ collect arguments and counterarguments.

A winning debate has several characteristics that you should know and use when writing own debate essay:

a certain position on an issue;
proofs and evidences;
refuting arguments;

Basically, a good debate essay topic is any current issue that is of great interest to public and causes… heated debates. Yet, it does not mean you should pick any burning issue for discussion. It should be something you feel strongly about and will be able to argue for in your debate essay.

It is very important to study the topic of your debate essay thoroughly. What are the causes of the problem? What makes it so important to people? Why does this issue call opposing views?

Needless to say, you have to study as many materials devoted to the problem as you can and collect your arguments. However, you should also take into account all the counterarguments so that to refute them later in your debate essay.

If you lack ideas for your debate essay, read our articles about an essay on Affirmative Action and essay on animal experimentation.

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IV. Types of Argumentation

4.1 Features of an Argument

Terri Pantuso

Argument is not the loud, assertive, unwavering statement of your opinion in the hopes of conquering the opposition. Argument is the careful consideration of numerous positions and the careful development of logically sound, carefully constructed assertions that, when combined, offer a worthwhile perspective in an ongoing debate. Certainly you want to imagine yourself arguing with others—and certainly you want to believe your ideas have superior qualities to theirs—but the purpose of argument in the college setting is not to solve a practical problem or shut down a conversation. Rather, it’s to illuminate, expand, and further inform a debate happening on a worthwhile subject between reasonable, intelligent people. In other words, calling the opposition stupid is not good argument, it’s an ad hominem attack. For a review of this and other logical fallacies, refer to section 3.6 of this text.

Some of the key tools of argument are the strategies that students are asked to consider when doing a rhetorical analysis. Before beginning an argument of your own, review the basic concepts of rhetorical appeals below. As you plan and draft your own argument, carefully use the following elements of rhetoric to your own advantage.

Rhetorical Appeals

The use of data, statistical evidence, and sufficient support to establish the practicality and rationality of your claims should be the strongest element of your argument. To have a logically sound argument, you should include:

A debatable and supportable claim
Logical reasoning to support your claim
Sound evidence and examples to justify the reasoning
Reasonable projections
Concessions & rebuttals
Avoid logical fallacies

The ethical and well-balanced use of all of the strategies above will help you to present yourself as trustworthy and intelligent in your consideration of the topic and in the development of your argument. This balance should include the use of credible, relevant sources which can be accomplished through research methods utilizing the strategies governing your discipline. Following those strategies will build your credibility as a writer of argument, particularly in the college setting, as you pay attention to the needs of the audience with regard to presentation and style. In college, this means that you have used the style manual (MLA, APA, Chicago, etc.) required for the assignment and appropriate to the audience. In so doing, make certain to cite the sources you have used according to the style manual you are using.

The use of examples and language that evoke an appropriate emotional response in your reader—that gets them to care about your topic—can be helpful in argument. For academic essays, pathos may be useful in introductory sections, concluding sections, or as ways to link various parts of the paper together. However, if your argument is based solely or primarily upon emotional appeals, it will be viewed as weak in an academic setting, especially when data or ethical sources can disprove your claims. Therefore, college writing often puts more emphasis on logos and ethos.

Approaches to Argument

A well-structured argument is one that is carefully and optimally planned. It is organized so that the argument has a continuous building of ideas, one upon the other or in concert with the other, in order to produce the most persuasive impact or effect on the reader. For clarity, avoid repeating ideas, reasons, or evidence. Instead, consider how each idea in your argument connects to the others. Should some ideas come before others? Should you build your reasons from simple to complex or from complex to simple? Should you present the counterargument before your reasons? Or, would it make more sense for you to present your reasons and then the concessions and rebuttals ? How can you use clear transitional phrases to facilitate reader comprehension of your argument? Consider these questions while constructing and revising your argument.

Simple to Complex/Complex to Simple

Whether structuring a paragraph or a research paper, the simple to complex (or reverse) method can be an effective way to build cohesion throughout your writing. Just as the phrase implies, simple to complex is when a writer introduces a simple concept then builds upon it to heighten interest. Sometimes, the opposite structure works to move the reader through your position. For example, if you choose to write on the topic of pollution as it impacts the world, you might begin with the concept of straws and sea turtles. Your simple topic of sea turtles swallowing straws thrown away might then move to the complex issues of consumption, consumerism and disposal. Conversely, if you begin with the broad, complex topic of consumerism, you could then move to the story of the sea turtles as a way of building pathos in the reader. Whichever method you choose, make sure that the relationship between the topics is logical and clear so that readers find validity in your position.

Cause/Effect

The cause/effect method is a way of establishing a reason, or reasons, why something has occurred. For example, if you live in south Texas, then you understand the problem that mosquitoes cause in the hot, humid summer months. While there is no way to eliminate all mosquitoes, there are ways to minimize their growth in your backyard. If you research the ways in which mosquitoes are born, you would understand the importance of things such as emptying containers of all stagnant water so that they cannot incubate or keeping your grass mowed to eliminate areas for them to populate. The process by which you go through to determine the cause of mosquito infestations is the cause and effect method. In argumentation, you might use this method to support a claim for community efforts to prevent mosquitoes from growing in your neighborhood. Demonstrating that process is effective for a logos based argument.

Chronological

Sometimes an argument is presented best when a sequential pattern is used. Oftentimes, that pattern will be based on the pattern of time in which the sequence occurs. For example, if you are writing an argumentative essay in which you are calling for a new stop light to be installed at a busy intersection, you might utilize a chronological structure to demonstrate the rate of increased accidents over a given period of time at that intersection. If your pattern demonstrates a marked increase in accidents, then your data would show a logical reason for supporting your position. Oftentimes, a chronological pattern involves steps indicated by signal words such as first, next, and finally. Utilizing this pattern will walk readers through your line of reasoning and guide them towards reaching your proposed conclusion.

Another method for organizing your writing is by order of importance. This method is often referred to as emphatic because organization is done based upon emphasis. The direction you choose to go is yours whether you begin with the strongest, most important point of your argument, or the weakest. In either case, the hierarchy of ideas should be clear to readers. The emphatic method is often subjectively based upon the writer’s beliefs. If, for example, you want to build an argument for a new rail system to be used in your city, you will have to decide which reason is most important and which is simply support material. For one writer, the decrease in the number of cars on the road might be the most important aspect as it would result in a reduction of toxic emissions. For another writer, the time saved for commuters might be the most important aspect. The decision to start with your strongest or weakest point is one of style.

Style/ Eloquence

When we discuss style in academic writing, we generally mean the use of formal language appropriate for the given academic audience and occasion. Academics generally favor Standard American English and the use of precise language that avoids idioms , clichés , or dull, simple word choices. This is not to imply that these tropes are not useful; however, strong academic writing is typically objective and frequently avoids the use of first-person pronouns unless the disciplinary style and conventions suggest otherwise.

Some writing assignments allow you to choose your audience. In that case, the style in which you write may not be the formal, precise Standard American English that the academy prefers. For some writing assignments, you may even be asked to use, where appropriate, poetic or figurative language or language that evokes the senses. Additionally, instructors should be cognizant of second language learners and the variations in style when writing in a non-native language.

In all cases, it is important to understand what style of writing your audience expects, as delivering your argument in that style could make it more persuasive.

This section contains material from:

“Arguing.” In A Guide to Rhetoric, Genre, and Success in First-Year Writing , by Melanie Gagich and Emilie Zickel. Cleveland: MSL Academic Endeavors. Accessed July 2019. https://pressbooks.ulib.csuohio.edu/csu-fyw-rhetoric/chapter/8-2-arguing/ . Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License .

Pronouncement, affirmation, or endorsement; a declaration or statement of belief, usually positive in nature.

An acknowledgement of at least one aspect of the other side of the argument that admits or accepts validity or legitimacy.

A counterstatement or counterargument; to offer evidence that opposes the argument that is being made.

Motionless, inactive, idle, or sluggish; a lack of development, growth, or advancement.

A system involving rank. Hierarchical refers to a system that involves a hierarchy. For example, the military is a hierarchical system in which some people outrank others.

To take the position or side of the subject (rather than the object) which is the one doing the observing (rather than being observed); the belief, preference, or understanding of an individual.

A phrase that is not traditionally associated with the meaning that the words provide; idioms cannot be literally translated into another language. For example, when someone is “feeling under the weather,” they are feeling ill.

A stereotyped or corny phrase, expression, or idea that has lost its original meaning from overuse, usually over a long period of time. The saying “time flies when you’re having fun” is an example of a cliché.

A stereotypical or predictable literary convention or device such as a plot point (the damsel in distress), a figure of speech (metaphor, idiom, etc.), or theme or motif (red roses represent true love).

Impartiality or fairness; dispassionate or detached. Also refers to the goal, aim, or intention that someone or a group of people hope to achieve.

Having awareness.

Debate Writing

Last updated on: Mar 4, 2024

Debate Writing Steps to Help You Prepare a Winning Debate

By: Nova A.

12 min read

Reviewed By: Rylee W.

Published on: Mar 31, 2020

Whether you're an experienced debater or a new one, writing your debate speech before you deliver it is important.

Debate writing is a skill that can help you express your opinions and persuade others. When preparing for a debate, you need to know how to craft effective arguments, support them with evidence, and address counterarguments.

In this blog, we'll break down the essential steps of debate writing. You will also get some tips and techniques on writing a good debate. From building strong arguments to presenting them effectively, you'll gain the skills needed to excel in debates. Get ready to embark on a journey of growth and discover the secrets of.

Let's dive in and explore the world of debate writing together!

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What is Debate Writing?

Debate writing is an essential step in preparing for a debate.

A debate is a form of persuasive communication that involves presenting arguments and counterarguments on a specific topic. Debates typically follow a defined format, with participants presenting their arguments and counterarguments in turn.

Debate writing is a process of organizing your points, arguments, and sources in writing so you know exactly what you are going to say during your debate. Writing your debate helps you express opinions effectively and convince others of the validity of your viewpoint.

Features of Debate Writing

Understanding the nature and features of debate writing is crucial for students aiming to become effective debaters. Debate writing encompasses several key features, including:

Structured Format

Debate writing thrives on an organized structure, where arguments unfold in a logical sequence. A well-crafted format ensures clarity, making it easier for the audience to follow and comprehend your points.

Research and Evidence

Thorough research and strong evidence are keys to a compelling debate. You must dive deep into the topic, drawing upon credible sources to strengthen your arguments.

Persuasive Techniques

Beyond presenting facts, effective debaters employ persuasive techniques to sway opinions. These techniques include ethos, pathos, and logos . These persuasion techniques enhance the impact of your arguments by resonating with the audience on a deeper level.

Critical Thinking

As a debate writer, you have to analyze information, identify flaws in opposing arguments, and construct nuanced responses. The ability to think critically contributes to the depth and strength of your position in a debate.

Listening and Responding

Engaging with opponents' arguments requires not only attentiveness but also the ability to formulate timely and relevant counterarguments, creating a dynamic and intellectually stimulating exchange.

Types of Debate

A debate comes in various forms, each with its own rules, structure, and objectives. Let's explore some of the common types of debate:

Traditional Debate: This is the classic style of debate where two teams argue for or against a proposition. The traditional debate follows specific rules and formats, such as the British Parliamentary or American Parliamentary style.
Lincoln-Douglas Debate: This style focuses on one-on-one debates. The format involves a single affirmative speaker and a single negative speaker engaging in cross-examination.
Policy Debate: Policy debates center around specific policy proposals. Debaters analyze the advantages and disadvantages of the proposed policy, considering its economic, social, and political implications.
Public Forum Debate: Public forum debates aim to stimulate discussions on current events to a wider audience. Debaters present arguments, provide evidence and engage in crossfire exchanges.
Mock Trial Debate: Mock trial debates simulate legal proceedings, where participants act as lawyers, witnesses, and judges. Debaters present their cases by examining witnesses, introducing evidence, and making persuasive arguments.

Six Steps for Writing a Debate

Writing a debate requires careful planning and organization to convey your arguments effectively. Here are six steps to help you through the process:

Step 1: Use a Strong Opening

The opening of your debate sets the tone and grabs the attention of your audience. It is essential to start with a compelling hook that captivates the listeners and immediately engages them in your argument.

Here are some tips along with their examples:

Start with a provocative question
Use a captivating statistic
Share a thought-provoking quote
Tell a compelling story or anecdote

Step 2: Clearly Define the Topic

Defining the topic of your debate helps establish the scope and context of your arguments for your audience. Here's how you can effectively define the topic:

Provide clear definitions: Begin by offering a concise definition of the topic you will be discussing. Define any key terms or concepts that may require clarification.

For example:

Outline the key arguments: Identify and outline the key arguments of your debate. This helps provide a comprehensive overview and gives structure to your arguments.
Clarify the scope: Specify the specific focus or scope of your debate. This helps avoid confusion and ensures a more focused discussion. For example:

By clearly defining the topic, you lay the groundwork for a well-structured and informed debate.

Step 3: Write and Organize Your Arguments

Debate writing follows a structured format to ensure clarity, organization, and effective communication of arguments. Once you have a clear topic, you can write down your arguments, evidence sources, and counterarguments in an organized way.

While variations exist based on the specific type of debate, here is a brief overview of a typical debate writing format:

Step 4: Use Appropriate Signposting

Signposting is an important technique in debate writing that involves guiding your audience through your arguments. By using signposting, you help your audience follow your line of reasoning and understand the structure of your debate.

Here are some ways to effectively use signposting:

Preview Main Points:

At the beginning of your speech, briefly outline the main points or arguments you will be presenting. This provides a clear roadmap for your audience and helps them anticipate the flow of your debate.

Transition Phrases

Use transition phrases to move smoothly from one point to another. These phrases act as signposts, signaling the shift from one argument to the next. For example:

By using signposting techniques, you enhance the clarity and structure of your debate.

Check out this video to learn more!

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Step 5: Assess Your Arguments

When writing your arguments for a debate, it's essential to be concise, focused, and persuasive. Here are some tips for effectively presenting your arguments:

State your main points clearly: Begin by clearly stating your main points or arguments. Make sure your audience understands the key ideas you will be discussing.
Provide supporting evidence: Support your arguments with relevant and credible evidence. This can include facts, statistics, expert opinions, or real-life examples. Strong evidence strengthens the validity of your arguments.
Explain the significance of your arguments: Clearly explain why your arguments are important and relevant to the topic. Help your audience understand the implications and impact of your ideas.
Address potential counterarguments: Anticipate potential counterarguments and address them preemptively. This shows that you have considered multiple perspectives and strengthens your position.

Remember, in a debate, you typically have limited time to present your arguments. Be concise, impactful, and persuasive to make the most of the time allotted to you.

H3- Step 6: Conclude your Debate

The conclusion of your debate is your final opportunity to leave a lasting impression on your audience. It should effectively summarize your main arguments and reinforce the strength of your position.

Here's how to craft a compelling conclusion:

Summarize your main points
Restate your main argument
Highlight the strengths of your position
Address counterarguments
Maintain a confident tone

Debate Writing Examples

Check out these debate writing samples to see how debate writing works in practice. These examples will help you make sense of the points discussed above.

Debate Writing Class 7

Debate Writing Class 8

Debate Writing Class 9

Debate Writing Class 10

Debate Writing Class 12

Things To Avoid in Debate Writing

Debate writing requires specific skills and techniques to convey your arguments and engage your audience effectively.

Here are some essential do's and don'ts to keep in mind:

Don’t rely solely on emotions

While emotions can be powerful, it is essential to support your arguments with logical reasoning and evidence. Avoid basing your debate solely on personal feelings or emotional appeals.

Avoid logical fallacies

Do not engage in logical fallacies, such as ad hominem attacks, straw man arguments, or false analogies. Stick to sound reasoning and evidence-based arguments.

Ignoring time constraints

Respect the time limits given for your debate. Be mindful of your speech duration and allocate sufficient time for each argument. Practice pacing yourself to stay within the allotted time.

Don’t make sweeping generalizations

Avoid making broad generalizations without providing supporting evidence. Ensure your arguments are grounded in facts and specific examples.

Avoid being disrespectful

Maintain a respectful tone throughout the debate, even when addressing opposing viewpoints. Avoid personal attacks or derogatory language. Focus on the arguments rather than attacking individuals.

Interesting Debate Topic Ideas

Debate writing is a great way to learn more about different perspectives on important topics. Here are some engaging topics for your debate writing exercise:

Should school uniforms be mandatory in all educational institutions?
Is social media more harmful than beneficial for society?
Should standardized testing be abolished in schools?
Is animal testing necessary for scientific and medical advancements?
Should the voting age be lowered to 16?
Is the death penalty an effective form of punishment?
Should genetically modified organisms (GMOs) be banned?
Is homeschooling a better alternative to traditional schooling?
Should the use of plastic bags be completely banned?
Is climate change primarily caused by human activities?

Need more ideas? Head to our list of engaging debate topics for more!

Now that you understand the basics of debate writing, it's time to take things up a notch. Debate writing is a great way to hone your critical thinking and have argumentative skills.

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200+ Engaging Debate Topics to Get Your Audience Riled Up!

Learn the Art of Debate Writing: Proven Techniques for Convincing Arguments

21 min read

Published on: Feb 7, 2022

Last updated on: Jan 31, 2024

What is Debate Writing?

Debate writing is a specialized form of written communication that focuses on presenting arguments and persuading others to adopt a particular point of view.

It is commonly used in academic settings, such as debate competitions, formal discussions, and formal presentations.

At its core, debate writing involves constructing logical and well-supported arguments while anticipating and addressing counter-arguments.

It requires thorough research, critical thinking, and the ability to present information in a clear and organized manner.

Key Elements of Debate Writing

Debate writing encompasses several key elements that contribute to its effectiveness and persuasiveness.

Understanding and incorporating these elements can elevate the quality of your debate writing.

Here are the key elements to consider:

Clear Thesis Statement: A good debate should begin with a clear and concise thesis statement presenting your main argument or position.
Research and Evidence: Thorough research is essential for building strong arguments. Gather relevant facts, statistics, expert opinions, and examples to support your position.
Logical Structure : Organize your debate writing in a logical and coherent manner. Use paragraphs to separate different ideas and arguments.
Counter Arguments and Rebuttal : Anticipate opposing arguments and address them in your debate. Acknowledge counterarguments and provide counter-reasons or evidence to refute them.
Persuasive Language and Rhetorical Devices: Employ persuasive language techniques and rhetorical devices to enhance the impact of your debate writing.
Clarity and Conciseness: Write in a clear and concise manner to ensure your arguments are easily understood.

Types of Debate

There are several types of debates that serve different purposes and employ distinct formats.

Here are the most common types of debate:

Formal Debates

Formal debates follow a structured format with predetermined rules and procedures. They are often held in academic settings, political contexts, or organized events.

Formal debates typically involve a moderator or judge who enforces the rules and ensures the debate runs smoothly.

Participants are assigned specific roles, such as affirmative or negative, and follow a prescribed structure for presenting arguments.

Lincoln-Douglas Debates

Lincoln-Douglas debates, also known as LD debates, are a type of formal debate typically held in high school debate tournaments.

They involve a one-on-one debate between two participants:

Affirmative: Arguing in favor of the topic
Negative: Arguing against it

The debates follow a structured format and typically focus on a philosophical or ethical topic.

Parliamentary Debates

Parliamentary debates are a popular format used in parliamentary democracies worldwide.

They are typically more informal than formal debates. They involve a panel of participants who engage in rapid-fire exchanges on a wide range of topics.

Parliamentary debates are known for their fast-paced and often lively nature.

Oxford-Style Debates

Oxford-style debates follow a structured format similar to formal debates but with a focus on audience participation .

The debate begins with an audience poll, where attendees indicate whether they support or oppose the topic.

After the debate, the audience votes again, and the side that gains the most supporters is declared the winner.

Public Forum Debates

Public forum debates are a type of debate commonly used in high school and college debate tournaments.

They follow a structured format and are designed to be accessible to a general audience .

Public forum debates typically focus on current events and social issues and emphasize the use of evidence and logic.

Cross-Examination Debates

Cross-examination debates involve participants cross-examining each other's arguments to find weaknesses and inconsistencies.

They are often used in legal and political contexts and require participants to be quick on their feet and think critically.

If you need more insights, check out this blog on different types of debates .

Debate Writing Format

Debate writing follows a specific format to ensure clarity, organization, and effective presentation of arguments.

While there can be variations based on the specific type of debate or context, the following format provides a general framework for debate writing:

Introduction

Start with an attention-grabbing opening sentence or a thought-provoking question to engage the reader.
Provide background information on the topic and its relevance.
Present a clear and concise thesis statement that states your position on the topic.

Opening Statement

Begin with a strong opening statement that clearly presents your main argument.
Provide a brief overview of the key points you will be addressing in support of your argument.
Use persuasive language and compelling evidence to establish the validity of your position.

Supporting Arguments

Present your main arguments in separate paragraphs, each focusing on a single point.
Start each argument with a topic sentence that summarizes the main idea.
Support your arguments with relevant evidence, such as facts, statistics, expert opinions, or examples.
Explain the significance of the evidence and how it directly supports your position.
Address counterarguments or opposing viewpoints that may challenge your position.
Provide a clear and logical response to each counterargument.
Refute opposing claims with compelling evidence, logical reasoning, or alternative interpretations.
Summarize the main points of your debate, restating your thesis statement.
Emphasize the strength of your arguments and the evidence supporting your position.
Leave a lasting impression on the reader by reiterating the importance or implications of your stance.
End with a call to action or a thought-provoking statement that encourages further reflection or discussion.

How to Start a Debate?

Starting a debate requires careful planning and preparation to set the stage for a compelling and engaging discussion.

Here are some steps to effectively start a debate:

Define the Format and Rules

Determine the format of the debate, whether it's a formal debate, panel discussion, public meeting or a more interactive format.

Establish the rules and guidelines that all participants must follow. This includes:

Time limits for speaking
Order of presentation
Expectations for respectful and constructive engagement.
Craft an Attention-Grabbing Opening

Start with a compelling introduction that captures the attention of the audience.

Consider using a surprising statistic, a thought-provoking question, a captivating anecdote, or a relevant quote.

Clearly state the topic and provide a brief context to help the audience understand the significance of the debate.

Present the Thesis Statement

Clearly articulate your thesis statement, which represents your stance on the topic. Make sure it is concise, specific, and debatable.

This statement will guide the direction of your arguments and set the tone for the debate.

Provide Background Information

Offer some background information or context about the topic to ensure that everyone has a basic understanding of the subject matter.

This will help the participants and audience follow the debate more effectively.

Set the Ground Rules

Before proceeding with the arguments, outline the rules and expectations for the debate.

Explain the time limits for each speaker, the order of presentation, and guidelines for raising points or posing questions.

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State the Format and Agenda

Briefly explain the format of the debate and outline the agenda.

Inform the participants and audience about the number of speakers, rounds, or specific segments that will take place during the debate.

This helps to provide structure and clarity to the discussion.

Encourage Audience Engagement

Consider incorporating opportunities for audience participation. Like a question-and-answer session or a chance for the audience to share their perspectives.

Encouraging active involvement creates a more dynamic and inclusive debate atmosphere.

Introduce the Participants

Introduce each participant, including their names, affiliations, and a brief overview of their expertise or qualifications.

This helps establish credibility and allows the audience to connect with the speakers.

Inspire Respectful Dialogue

Emphasize the importance of respectful and constructive dialogue throughout the debate.

Encourage participants to listen actively, address arguments rather than attacking individuals, and foster an environment that values diverse perspectives.

How to Write a Debate?

Writing a debate involves careful planning, research, and organization to effectively present arguments and engage the audience.

Here are some steps to guide you in writing a debate:

Understand the Topic

Begin by thoroughly understanding the topic you will be debating.

Conduct research to gather relevant information, explore different perspectives, and gain a comprehensive understanding of the subject matter.

This will help you form strong arguments and counterarguments.

Identify Your Stance

Determine your position or stance on the topic. Consider the arguments and evidence you have gathered during your research and decide which side of the debate you will support.

Clearly define your thesis statement, which represents your main argument or position on the topic.

Organize Your Arguments

Structure your debate by organizing your arguments in a logical and coherent manner.

Start with your strongest argument and arrange the subsequent arguments in a strategic order that supports your overall position.

Each argument should be presented in a separate paragraph or section.

Gather Supporting Evidence

Support your arguments with credible evidence. This may include factual data, statistics, expert opinions, case studies, examples, or historical references.

Ensure that the evidence you present is reliable, up-to-date, and relevant to your arguments.

Anticipate Counterarguments

Consider potential counterarguments or opposing viewpoints and prepare counter-reasons or evidence to address them.

Anticipating counterarguments demonstrates that you have considered multiple perspectives and strengthens your overall position.

Use Persuasive Language

Employ persuasive language techniques to make your arguments more compelling and engaging.

Use strong and precise vocabulary, employ rhetorical devices such as parallelism or metaphors, and appeal to logic, emotion, or ethics when appropriate.

Craft your sentences and paragraphs in a way that is clear, concise, and impactful.

Structure the Debate

Use clear headings or subheadings to denote different sections or arguments within your debate.

This helps the reader follow the flow of your arguments and enhances the overall organization and readability of your writing.

How to End a Debate?

Ending a debate requires a strong and memorable conclusion that effectively wraps up your arguments and leaves a lasting impact on the audience.

Here are some key points to consider when ending a debate:

Summarize Main Points

Briefly recap the main arguments and evidence you presented throughout the debate.

Summarize the key points to reinforce your position and remind the audience of the strongest aspects of your argument.

Restate Thesis Statement

Restate your thesis statement in a concise and impactful manner. Emphasize the main idea of your debate and reiterate your stance on the topic.

This helps reinforce your position and provides clarity to the audience.

Address Counterarguments

Acknowledge and address any counter arguments or opposing viewpoints that were presented during the debate.

Offer counter-reasons or evidence to refute them effectively.

Final Impact Statement

End with a powerful and thought-provoking statement that resonates with the audience.

This could be a memorable quote, a call to action, or a compelling question that encourages further reflection or discussion on the topic.

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Maintain Professionalism

Ensure that you end the debate on a professional and respectful note. Avoid personal attacks or confrontational language in the closing remarks.

Instead, focus on the strength of your arguments and the merits of your position.

Engage the Audience

Consider engaging the audience in your closing remarks.

This could involve asking a rhetorical question that encourages them to reflect on the topic. Or inviting them to share their own thoughts and perspectives.

Leave Room for Discussion

Conclude by acknowledging that the debate is part of an ongoing conversation. Encourage further exploration and dialogue on the topic beyond the confines of the debate.

This shows that you recognize the complexity of the issue and value continued engagement and learning.

Debate Writing Examples

When it comes to debate writing, examples can be a valuable tool for understanding the application of persuasive arguments and effective communication.

Here are a few debates writing examples that illustrate different styles and approaches:

Example # 1:

Example # 2:

Given below are some more examples of debate writing.

Debate Writing Class 12 - Sample pdf

Debate Writing Class 9 - Example

Debate Writing Class 8 - Example

Debate Writing Class 7 - Example

If you want to explore more examples, you can check out our debate examples blog here!

Debate Writing Topics

Here are some debate writing topics that can spark interesting discussions and provide ample opportunities for persuasive arguments:

Should the use of cell phones be allowed in schools?
Is social media more beneficial or harmful to society?
Should genetically modified organisms (GMOs) be banned?
Is climate change primarily caused by human activities?
Should capital punishment (death penalty) be abolished?
Is online education as effective as traditional classroom learning?
Should college education be free for all students?
Is censorship necessary in the media and arts?
Should animal testing be banned for cosmetic and medical purposes?
Is it ethical to use animals for scientific research?
Should the minimum voting age be lowered or raised?
Is gun control necessary to reduce gun violence?
Should the use of plastic bags be banned?
Is homeschooling a better alternative to traditional schooling?
Should recreational marijuana use be legalized?

Need more topics? Check out this blog on debate topics 2024 !

H2- Tips And Tricks For Effective Debate Writing

When it comes to effective debate writing, here are some valuable tips and tricks to enhance your skills and make a persuasive impact:

Express Your Views: Clearly articulate your perspective on the topic.
Craft a Strong Thesis Statement : Present a concise and compelling statement that captures your main argument.
Conduct Thorough Research: Gather relevant information and facts to support your arguments.
Hone Your Writing Skills: Focus on clarity, coherence, and persuasive language to effectively convey your points.
Collaborate with Team Members: Engage in constructive discussions with your team to enhance your collective understanding of the topic.
Structure Your Debate Speech: Organize your points logically and present them in a cohesive manner.
Generate and Develop Ideas: Brainstorm various angles and perspectives to enrich your debate content.
Utilize Your Skills and Abilities : Leverage your strengths and unique abilities to present compelling arguments and counterpoints.
Choose Engaging Debate Topics : Select thought-provoking and relevant topics that encourage meaningful discussions.

Not enough tips? Still confused? Read more here in our debate tips and tricks blog .

Writing a debate speech is a skill that empowers individuals to articulate their ideas, and persuade others effectively.

Remember, perfect debate writing requires thorough research, thoughtful analysis, and persuasive arguments. You can learn and improve your argument building skills with our AI writing tool .

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How to Write a Winning Debate Speech

What is a Debating Speech?

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.

Debating speeches are written according to a set of rules so a moderator can assess their effectiveness and provide an opportunity for 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 in an attempt 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

debate speech,debating | class debating unit 1 | How to Write a Winning Debate Speech | literacyideas.com

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 so that you can 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, 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.

debate speech,debating | debate Organizer Free | How to Write a Winning Debate Speech | literacyideas.com

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

How to Write 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 speech writing 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 also 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.

Examples of strong opening statements for a debate

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.

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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.

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Sat / act prep online guides and tips, 3 strong argumentative essay examples, analyzed.

General Education

Need to defend your opinion on an issue? Argumentative essays are one of the most popular types of essays you’ll write in school. They combine persuasive arguments with fact-based research, and, when done well, can be powerful tools for making someone agree with your point of view. If you’re struggling to write an argumentative essay or just want to learn more about them, seeing examples can be a big help.

After giving an overview of this type of essay, we provide three argumentative essay examples. After each essay, we explain in-depth how the essay was structured, what worked, and where the essay could be improved. We end with tips for making your own argumentative essay as strong as possible.

What Is an Argumentative Essay?

An argumentative essay is an essay that uses evidence and facts to support the claim it’s making. Its purpose is to persuade the reader to agree with the argument being made.

A good argumentative essay will use facts and evidence to support the argument, rather than just the author’s thoughts and opinions. For example, say you wanted to write an argumentative essay stating that Charleston, SC is a great destination for families. You couldn’t just say that it’s a great place because you took your family there and enjoyed it. For it to be an argumentative essay, you need to have facts and data to support your argument, such as the number of child-friendly attractions in Charleston, special deals you can get with kids, and surveys of people who visited Charleston as a family and enjoyed it. The first argument is based entirely on feelings, whereas the second is based on evidence that can be proven.

The standard five paragraph format is common, but not required, for argumentative essays. These essays typically follow one of two formats: the Toulmin model or the Rogerian model.

The Toulmin model is the most common. It begins with an introduction, follows with a thesis/claim, and gives data and evidence to support that claim. This style of essay also includes rebuttals of counterarguments.
The Rogerian model analyzes two sides of an argument and reaches a conclusion after weighing the strengths and weaknesses of each.

3 Good Argumentative Essay Examples + Analysis

Below are three examples of argumentative essays, written by yours truly in my school days, as well as analysis of what each did well and where it could be improved.

Argumentative Essay Example 1

Proponents of this idea state that it will save local cities and towns money because libraries are expensive to maintain. They also believe it will encourage more people to read because they won’t have to travel to a library to get a book; they can simply click on what they want to read and read it from wherever they are. They could also access more materials because libraries won’t have to buy physical copies of books; they can simply rent out as many digital copies as they need.

However, it would be a serious mistake to replace libraries with tablets. First, digital books and resources are associated with less learning and more problems than print resources. A study done on tablet vs book reading found that people read 20-30% slower on tablets, retain 20% less information, and understand 10% less of what they read compared to people who read the same information in print. Additionally, staring too long at a screen has been shown to cause numerous health problems, including blurred vision, dizziness, dry eyes, headaches, and eye strain, at much higher instances than reading print does. People who use tablets and mobile devices excessively also have a higher incidence of more serious health issues such as fibromyalgia, shoulder and back pain, carpal tunnel syndrome, and muscle strain. I know that whenever I read from my e-reader for too long, my eyes begin to feel tired and my neck hurts. We should not add to these problems by giving people, especially young people, more reasons to look at screens.

Second, it is incredibly narrow-minded to assume that the only service libraries offer is book lending. Libraries have a multitude of benefits, and many are only available if the library has a physical location. Some of these benefits include acting as a quiet study space, giving people a way to converse with their neighbors, holding classes on a variety of topics, providing jobs, answering patron questions, and keeping the community connected. One neighborhood found that, after a local library instituted community events such as play times for toddlers and parents, job fairs for teenagers, and meeting spaces for senior citizens, over a third of residents reported feeling more connected to their community. Similarly, a Pew survey conducted in 2015 found that nearly two-thirds of American adults feel that closing their local library would have a major impact on their community. People see libraries as a way to connect with others and get their questions answered, benefits tablets can’t offer nearly as well or as easily.

While replacing libraries with tablets may seem like a simple solution, it would encourage people to spend even more time looking at digital screens, despite the myriad issues surrounding them. It would also end access to many of the benefits of libraries that people have come to rely on. In many areas, libraries are such an important part of the community network that they could never be replaced by a simple object.

The author begins by giving an overview of the counter-argument, then the thesis appears as the first sentence in the third paragraph. The essay then spends the rest of the paper dismantling the counter argument and showing why readers should believe the other side.

What this essay does well:

Although it’s a bit unusual to have the thesis appear fairly far into the essay, it works because, once the thesis is stated, the rest of the essay focuses on supporting it since the counter-argument has already been discussed earlier in the paper.
This essay includes numerous facts and cites studies to support its case. By having specific data to rely on, the author’s argument is stronger and readers will be more inclined to agree with it.
For every argument the other side makes, the author makes sure to refute it and follow up with why her opinion is the stronger one. In order to make a strong argument, it’s important to dismantle the other side, which this essay does this by making the author's view appear stronger.
This is a shorter paper, and if it needed to be expanded to meet length requirements, it could include more examples and go more into depth with them, such as by explaining specific cases where people benefited from local libraries.
Additionally, while the paper uses lots of data, the author also mentions their own experience with using tablets. This should be removed since argumentative essays focus on facts and data to support an argument, not the author’s own opinion or experiences. Replacing that with more data on health issues associated with screen time would strengthen the essay.
Some of the points made aren't completely accurate , particularly the one about digital books being cheaper. It actually often costs a library more money to rent out numerous digital copies of a book compared to buying a single physical copy. Make sure in your own essay you thoroughly research each of the points and rebuttals you make, otherwise you'll look like you don't know the issue that well.

Argumentative Essay Example 2

There are multiple drugs available to treat malaria, and many of them work well and save lives, but malaria eradication programs that focus too much on them and not enough on prevention haven’t seen long-term success in Sub-Saharan Africa. A major program to combat malaria was WHO’s Global Malaria Eradication Programme. Started in 1955, it had a goal of eliminating malaria in Africa within the next ten years. Based upon previously successful programs in Brazil and the United States, the program focused mainly on vector control. This included widely distributing chloroquine and spraying large amounts of DDT. More than one billion dollars was spent trying to abolish malaria. However, the program suffered from many problems and in 1969, WHO was forced to admit that the program had not succeeded in eradicating malaria. The number of people in Sub-Saharan Africa who contracted malaria as well as the number of malaria deaths had actually increased over 10% during the time the program was active.

One of the major reasons for the failure of the project was that it set uniform strategies and policies. By failing to consider variations between governments, geography, and infrastructure, the program was not nearly as successful as it could have been. Sub-Saharan Africa has neither the money nor the infrastructure to support such an elaborate program, and it couldn’t be run the way it was meant to. Most African countries don't have the resources to send all their people to doctors and get shots, nor can they afford to clear wetlands or other malaria prone areas. The continent’s spending per person for eradicating malaria was just a quarter of what Brazil spent. Sub-Saharan Africa simply can’t rely on a plan that requires more money, infrastructure, and expertise than they have to spare.

Additionally, the widespread use of chloroquine has created drug resistant parasites which are now plaguing Sub-Saharan Africa. Because chloroquine was used widely but inconsistently, mosquitoes developed resistance, and chloroquine is now nearly completely ineffective in Sub-Saharan Africa, with over 95% of mosquitoes resistant to it. As a result, newer, more expensive drugs need to be used to prevent and treat malaria, which further drives up the cost of malaria treatment for a region that can ill afford it.

Instead of developing plans to treat malaria after the infection has incurred, programs should focus on preventing infection from occurring in the first place. Not only is this plan cheaper and more effective, reducing the number of people who contract malaria also reduces loss of work/school days which can further bring down the productivity of the region.

One of the cheapest and most effective ways of preventing malaria is to implement insecticide-treated bed nets (ITNs). These nets provide a protective barrier around the person or people using them. While untreated bed nets are still helpful, those treated with insecticides are much more useful because they stop mosquitoes from biting people through the nets, and they help reduce mosquito populations in a community, thus helping people who don’t even own bed nets. Bed nets are also very effective because most mosquito bites occur while the person is sleeping, so bed nets would be able to drastically reduce the number of transmissions during the night. In fact, transmission of malaria can be reduced by as much as 90% in areas where the use of ITNs is widespread. Because money is so scarce in Sub-Saharan Africa, the low cost is a great benefit and a major reason why the program is so successful. Bed nets cost roughly 2 USD to make, last several years, and can protect two adults. Studies have shown that, for every 100-1000 more nets are being used, one less child dies of malaria. With an estimated 300 million people in Africa not being protected by mosquito nets, there’s the potential to save three million lives by spending just a few dollars per person.

Reducing the number of people who contract malaria would also reduce poverty levels in Africa significantly, thus improving other aspects of society like education levels and the economy. Vector control is more effective than treatment strategies because it means fewer people are getting sick. When fewer people get sick, the working population is stronger as a whole because people are not put out of work from malaria, nor are they caring for sick relatives. Malaria-afflicted families can typically only harvest 40% of the crops that healthy families can harvest. Additionally, a family with members who have malaria spends roughly a quarter of its income treatment, not including the loss of work they also must deal with due to the illness. It’s estimated that malaria costs Africa 12 billion USD in lost income every year. A strong working population creates a stronger economy, which Sub-Saharan Africa is in desperate need of.

This essay begins with an introduction, which ends with the thesis (that malaria eradication plans in Sub-Saharan Africa should focus on prevention rather than treatment). The first part of the essay lays out why the counter argument (treatment rather than prevention) is not as effective, and the second part of the essay focuses on why prevention of malaria is the better path to take.

The thesis appears early, is stated clearly, and is supported throughout the rest of the essay. This makes the argument clear for readers to understand and follow throughout the essay.
There’s lots of solid research in this essay, including specific programs that were conducted and how successful they were, as well as specific data mentioned throughout. This evidence helps strengthen the author’s argument.
The author makes a case for using expanding bed net use over waiting until malaria occurs and beginning treatment, but not much of a plan is given for how the bed nets would be distributed or how to ensure they’re being used properly. By going more into detail of what she believes should be done, the author would be making a stronger argument.
The introduction of the essay does a good job of laying out the seriousness of the problem, but the conclusion is short and abrupt. Expanding it into its own paragraph would give the author a final way to convince readers of her side of the argument.

Argumentative Essay Example 3

There are many ways payments could work. They could be in the form of a free-market approach, where athletes are able to earn whatever the market is willing to pay them, it could be a set amount of money per athlete, or student athletes could earn income from endorsements, autographs, and control of their likeness, similar to the way top Olympians earn money.

Proponents of the idea believe that, because college athletes are the ones who are training, participating in games, and bringing in audiences, they should receive some sort of compensation for their work. If there were no college athletes, the NCAA wouldn’t exist, college coaches wouldn’t receive there (sometimes very high) salaries, and brands like Nike couldn’t profit from college sports. In fact, the NCAA brings in roughly $1 billion in revenue a year, but college athletes don’t receive any of that money in the form of a paycheck. Additionally, people who believe college athletes should be paid state that paying college athletes will actually encourage them to remain in college longer and not turn pro as quickly, either by giving them a way to begin earning money in college or requiring them to sign a contract stating they’ll stay at the university for a certain number of years while making an agreed-upon salary.

Supporters of this idea point to Zion Williamson, the Duke basketball superstar, who, during his freshman year, sustained a serious knee injury. Many argued that, even if he enjoyed playing for Duke, it wasn’t worth risking another injury and ending his professional career before it even began for a program that wasn’t paying him. Williamson seems to have agreed with them and declared his eligibility for the NCAA draft later that year. If he was being paid, he may have stayed at Duke longer. In fact, roughly a third of student athletes surveyed stated that receiving a salary while in college would make them “strongly consider” remaining collegiate athletes longer before turning pro.

Paying athletes could also stop the recruitment scandals that have plagued the NCAA. In 2018, the NCAA stripped the University of Louisville's men's basketball team of its 2013 national championship title because it was discovered coaches were using sex workers to entice recruits to join the team. There have been dozens of other recruitment scandals where college athletes and recruits have been bribed with anything from having their grades changed, to getting free cars, to being straight out bribed. By paying college athletes and putting their salaries out in the open, the NCAA could end the illegal and underhanded ways some schools and coaches try to entice athletes to join.

People who argue against the idea of paying college athletes believe the practice could be disastrous for college sports. By paying athletes, they argue, they’d turn college sports into a bidding war, where only the richest schools could afford top athletes, and the majority of schools would be shut out from developing a talented team (though some argue this already happens because the best players often go to the most established college sports programs, who typically pay their coaches millions of dollars per year). It could also ruin the tight camaraderie of many college teams if players become jealous that certain teammates are making more money than they are.

They also argue that paying college athletes actually means only a small fraction would make significant money. Out of the 350 Division I athletic departments, fewer than a dozen earn any money. Nearly all the money the NCAA makes comes from men’s football and basketball, so paying college athletes would make a small group of men--who likely will be signed to pro teams and begin making millions immediately out of college--rich at the expense of other players.

Those against paying college athletes also believe that the athletes are receiving enough benefits already. The top athletes already receive scholarships that are worth tens of thousands per year, they receive free food/housing/textbooks, have access to top medical care if they are injured, receive top coaching, get travel perks and free gear, and can use their time in college as a way to capture the attention of professional recruiters. No other college students receive anywhere near as much from their schools.

People on this side also point out that, while the NCAA brings in a massive amount of money each year, it is still a non-profit organization. How? Because over 95% of those profits are redistributed to its members’ institutions in the form of scholarships, grants, conferences, support for Division II and Division III teams, and educational programs. Taking away a significant part of that revenue would hurt smaller programs that rely on that money to keep running.

While both sides have good points, it’s clear that the negatives of paying college athletes far outweigh the positives. College athletes spend a significant amount of time and energy playing for their school, but they are compensated for it by the scholarships and perks they receive. Adding a salary to that would result in a college athletic system where only a small handful of athletes (those likely to become millionaires in the professional leagues) are paid by a handful of schools who enter bidding wars to recruit them, while the majority of student athletics and college athletic programs suffer or even shut down for lack of money. Continuing to offer the current level of benefits to student athletes makes it possible for as many people to benefit from and enjoy college sports as possible.

This argumentative essay follows the Rogerian model. It discusses each side, first laying out multiple reasons people believe student athletes should be paid, then discussing reasons why the athletes shouldn’t be paid. It ends by stating that college athletes shouldn’t be paid by arguing that paying them would destroy college athletics programs and cause them to have many of the issues professional sports leagues have.

Both sides of the argument are well developed, with multiple reasons why people agree with each side. It allows readers to get a full view of the argument and its nuances.
Certain statements on both sides are directly rebuffed in order to show where the strengths and weaknesses of each side lie and give a more complete and sophisticated look at the argument.
Using the Rogerian model can be tricky because oftentimes you don’t explicitly state your argument until the end of the paper. Here, the thesis doesn’t appear until the first sentence of the final paragraph. That doesn’t give readers a lot of time to be convinced that your argument is the right one, compared to a paper where the thesis is stated in the beginning and then supported throughout the paper. This paper could be strengthened if the final paragraph was expanded to more fully explain why the author supports the view, or if the paper had made it clearer that paying athletes was the weaker argument throughout.

3 Tips for Writing a Good Argumentative Essay

Now that you’ve seen examples of what good argumentative essay samples look like, follow these three tips when crafting your own essay.

#1: Make Your Thesis Crystal Clear

The thesis is the key to your argumentative essay; if it isn’t clear or readers can’t find it easily, your entire essay will be weak as a result. Always make sure that your thesis statement is easy to find. The typical spot for it is the final sentence of the introduction paragraph, but if it doesn’t fit in that spot for your essay, try to at least put it as the first or last sentence of a different paragraph so it stands out more.

Also make sure that your thesis makes clear what side of the argument you’re on. After you’ve written it, it’s a great idea to show your thesis to a couple different people--classmates are great for this. Just by reading your thesis they should be able to understand what point you’ll be trying to make with the rest of your essay.

#2: Show Why the Other Side Is Weak

When writing your essay, you may be tempted to ignore the other side of the argument and just focus on your side, but don’t do this. The best argumentative essays really tear apart the other side to show why readers shouldn’t believe it. Before you begin writing your essay, research what the other side believes, and what their strongest points are. Then, in your essay, be sure to mention each of these and use evidence to explain why they’re incorrect/weak arguments. That’ll make your essay much more effective than if you only focused on your side of the argument.

#3: Use Evidence to Support Your Side

Remember, an essay can’t be an argumentative essay if it doesn’t support its argument with evidence. For every point you make, make sure you have facts to back it up. Some examples are previous studies done on the topic, surveys of large groups of people, data points, etc. There should be lots of numbers in your argumentative essay that support your side of the argument. This will make your essay much stronger compared to only relying on your own opinions to support your argument.

Summary: Argumentative Essay Sample

Argumentative essays are persuasive essays that use facts and evidence to support their side of the argument. Most argumentative essays follow either the Toulmin model or the Rogerian model. By reading good argumentative essay examples, you can learn how to develop your essay and provide enough support to make readers agree with your opinion. When writing your essay, remember to always make your thesis clear, show where the other side is weak, and back up your opinion with data and evidence.

What's Next?

Do you need to write an argumentative essay as well? Check out our guide on the best argumentative essay topics for ideas!

You'll probably also need to write research papers for school. We've got you covered with 113 potential topics for research papers.

Your college admissions essay may end up being one of the most important essays you write. Follow our step-by-step guide on writing a personal statement to have an essay that'll impress colleges.

Christine graduated from Michigan State University with degrees in Environmental Biology and Geography and received her Master's from Duke University. In high school she scored in the 99th percentile on the SAT and was named a National Merit Finalist. She has taught English and biology in several countries.

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Debate Essays and What to Know About Them

The nightmare of being a student is in the fact that you never know the type of assignment your teacher might ask you to do at any point in time. You might end up thoroughly failing in your class work unless you understand some of the most crucial concepts for handling some of these tasks. This paper will focus on debate essays and ways in which you can achieve high scores by following simple procedures and guidelines.

Introduction on How to Write a Debate Essay

These essays are narratives that are built on arguments. They divide people into two distinct groups – You are forced to either support or oppose a motion with no option for a middle ground. You are to present all the facts that you believe will help you win your argument. Such conflicts are mostly seen among politicians during parliamentary sessions. Arguments also occur among ordinary people in normal interactions.

Crucial Facts on How to Start a Debate Essay

You first need to know how to write a debate essay step by step if you are to get everything right. Understand what comes first and what needs to be placed in the middle and last section of your document. Here is something you should consider at the start of every paper:

Create a hook

You need to get the attention of your audience through the first few lines of your paper. Use facts that are mind-boggling and that are likely to make them trust you. Make this information sound new to them even if they have heard of it before. Provide statistics to support your claims. For instance, don’t just say that “road accidents are some of the major causes of death in the world.” Instead, show the number of people who are killed every year as a result of rogue driving. Show how some of these people are breadwinners in their families or even newlyweds. In other words, capture the attention and imagination of people by all possible means.

Show the origin

Every issue always has roots, some of which are never known to the public. Dig deeper into the archives and retrieve enough information that shows how the problem began. In the case of road accidents, you can research to find out how, why, and when the first road accident occurred. You can be more specific to reveal the names of those who lost their lives. Find out what impact these victims had in their nation and include it in your document. However, do not be too wordy.

Formulate a thesis statement

This is a summary of what the paper is all about. It shows the relationship between cause and effect by indicating why you support your argument. Avoid being too general since the sentence will lose meaning. Do not say, “Several factors lead to road accidents.” Instead, mention these factors. Say something like “Road accidents are caused by increased levels of corruption, drunk driving, poor roads, and faulty traffic lights.”

Choosing what to Omit

Resist the temptation of including every detail in your introduction. That is not how to write a good debate essay. Details are to be added in the body section and not in the introduction. Resist the temptation of wanting to share everything you know about a topic. Stay focused even as you try hard to make your audience agree with you.

Different Ways of Making a Thesis Statement

It is not a must that you use the same method as everyone else when creating your thesis statement. You have three distinct options for this section whenever you are writing a debate essay. Here are the three main ways to construct any thesis statement.

Provide all pointers

Your thesis statement can include the crucial points you intend to talk about. Take, for example, a topic like ‘Teenage Pregnancy.’ The points you might want to discuss probably include “neglect by family members, rot in the society, and drug abuse.” You can introduce these points in the following way:

Sample: “Increased pregnancy among teenage girls is as a result of neglect by parents, moral decay in the society, and unreported rape cases.”

You will need to discuss each point in details when you get to the body section. This might be the best option for you as you would easily spot all your crucial points and discuss them in details without forgetting any of them.

Answer a question

Use your topic to formulate a question. For instance, ask yourself why most people are unhappy with their lifestyles. You should be able to develop an answer that can be used in your thesis. Here is a typical response to such a question:

Sample: People are not happy with their lifestyles due to the high levels of unemployment that leaves them living below their means, and that denies them the ability to enjoy the luxuries of life.

Express your discontentment

You can show why you believe that some assumptions are wrong. Provide your reasons in the same sentence. Make this an argument that might strike a constructive conversation. Here is a good example:

Sample: “It is vague to assume that all old illiterate people can learn statistics since this is a technical discipline that requires young people with high IQ.”

We hope that all your questions on what is a debate essay were sufficiently answered. Make good use of the information provided here to master how to write your debate essay effectively.

Simple Tips for Writing a Debate Essay

The ideas provided in this article should be incorporated into the structure of a debate essay. Have a clear understanding of how to begin a debate essay. Here are more tricks and tips on how to make a debate essay.

Sound professional: You cannot convince people unless you make them believe that you know what you are talking about.
Be thorough: Exhaust all the points needed to create a convincing document.
Introduce your points: Every new paragraph should have a short sentence to let your audience know what to expect.
Strong conclusion: Amaze your audience with a memorable ending. It has to be in line with your thesis statement.

These tips will leave a mark in the heart of any examiner. This result leads to good scores.

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Debate — Questions, Structure, and Topics

What is a debate?

A debate is a form of public discourse that presents organized arguments by two opposing sides. In a typical debate, two sides (affirmative and negative) are given a proposition to debate using a structured format that differs based on the type.

The affirmative side advocates for the proposition, providing supporting evidence and explanation, while the opposing side refutes the resolution. Therefore, the affirmative wants to convince the audience to adopt the resolution, while the opposition side wants them to reject it.

The audience varies depending on the topic of the debate. Consider the following examples:

Political: Voters

Policy: Lawmakers

Trial: Jury

Public Debate/Forum: Community members

Debate questions

The basis of a debate stems from the resolution, a declarative statement determined by a question. The resolution contains the claim the two sides will debate. These statements derive from debate questions:

Structure for debate

The specific structure depends on the form of debate. However, every formal debate contains a judge, opposing sides, speeches, and a decision.

Debates are set up to persuade a panel of judges rather than the opponent.

There are always two sides in a debate – one that agrees with the resolution (affirming) and one that disagrees (opposing).

Each debate includes rounds of speeches that present the side’s argument. The placement of the speech in the debate impacts its purpose.

The constructive speech is each team’s first speech to build their case.

Rebuttals provide the opportunity for both sides to discredit their opponent’s argument.

Cross-examination allows each side to question the other side.

The period where speakers from both sides can ask and answer each other’s questions is called crossfire . The grand crossfire functions in the same way, except all four speakers participate.

Closing statements offer each side a final opportunity to present their argument.

Upon conclusion of the debate, the judge(s) or moderator decides the winning side.

Types of debates

Team policy, Lincoln-Douglas, spontaneous argumentation, public forum, and parliamentary are the most common types of debates.

Team policy debates consist of two teams of two who take a position concerning a predetermined policy. One team argues to enact the policy while the opposing team members offer reasons to reject it.

Policy debates are structured as follows:

Lincoln-Douglas debates consist of one speaker debating against another speaker and are a common form of high school debates. The topic typically concerns social and philosophical issues with questions concerning ideas such as morality, justice, democracy, etc. They focus on determining if certain thoughts or actions are good or bad, right or wrong, and moral or immoral. Presidential debates typically look most like Lincoln-Douglas debates.

Spontaneous argumentation (SPAR) is a quick and simple type of debate. It typically involves two debaters given a topic right before the debate, allowing only a few minutes for preparation.

Public forum debates feature two teams with two speakers each who debate a topic regarding a current event.

A parliamentary debate includes two teams with two speakers each. The affirmative team is often referred to as the government and is trying to uphold the resolution, whereas the negative team (the opposition) opposes the government’s viewpoint. The government identifies a problem and offers a solution, while the opposition argues against that solution. The rules for this type of debate originated from British parliamentary procedure.

Debating tips

When debating, the following strategies can positively affect the outcome:

While some debate formats allow for a limited amount of preparation time, utilize the time provided. It is best to take as much time as possible to formulate an argument. Going into a debate unprepared not only impacts the argument but can negatively influence body language, eye contact, volume, pacing, etc.

Focus and stay on topic. Make sure each sentence has a purpose and supports the argument.

Use good public speaking skills like appropriate eye contact, volume, pacing, intonation, inflection, posture, etc., which show the speaker’s confidence. Sometimes the presentation can be as important as what is presented.

Debates provide speakers with the opportunity to respond to their opponent’s argument. Focus on actively listening to the opposing side. While it is possible to predict their argument, providing a direct response to something they said is much more persuasive than moving forward as if there is no opposing side.

The point of a debate is to attack the argument , not the opponent.

Debate topics

The following are example topics for each main type of debate:

Team Policy Debate

The United States federal government should substantially increase its protection of its water resources.

The United States federal government should substantially increase its security cooperation with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization in one or more of the following areas: artificial intelligence, biotechnology, and cybersecurity.

New York should offer universal healthcare to its residents.

Lincoln-Douglas Debate

In a democracy, a free press ought to prioritize objectivity over advocacy.

Radicalism is preferable to incrementalism to achieve social justice.

Civil disobedience in a democracy is morally justified.

The actions of corporations ought to be held to the same moral standards as the actions of individuals.

Spontaneous Argumentation (SPAR)

Lying is sometimes justified.

High schools should require uniforms.

Voting is a duty and not a right.

The pen is mightier than the sword.

Money can buy happiness.

Public Forum Debate

Japan should revise Article 9 of its Constitution to develop offensive military capabilities.

The United States should establish a comprehensive bilateral trade agreement with Taiwan.

Parliamentary Debate

In the US criminal justice system, truth-seeking ought to be valued above attorney-client privilege.

Chain stores are detrimental to the best interests of the American public.

The United States Senate should eliminate the filibuster.

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How to Structure a Debate Essay in 5 Easy Steps

Table of Contents

Learning how to structure a debate essay is a fundamental skill for anyone who wishes to be successful in their academic careers.

The student can learn about the subject of debate and its different points of view by doing a lot of research. This enables the student choose a point of view and back it up with evidence.

Empirical research, in which the student gathers data through interviews, surveys, observations, or experiments, is often required for argumentative tasks.

This article advises on the 5-step technique to structure a debate essay. Let’s dive in!

What Is a Debate Essay?

Debate essays are the same as argumentative essays. An argumentative essay is a scientific paper that presents, argues, and defends a particular point of view supported by evidence, facts, and examples.

These essays are written to persuade others that your point of view is worth sharing. Students must use a first-person perspective to produce an excellent debate essay.

Regardless of the depth or breadth of their study, argumentative essays are obligated to develop a strong thesis and adhere to logical reasoning.

5 Steps to Structure a Debate Essay

Structuring a debate essay can be the most challenging task for students due to the difficulties of making an argument.

Knowing where to start your essay will give you confidence and assurance that you can successfully map out your essay . These are the structures upon which a debate essay rests.

1. Specific Thesis Statement

A thesis statement is well-stated, specific, and located in the essay’s first paragraph.

Students should provide background information by reviewing the issue broadly in the introductory paragraph of an argument essay.

The next step is for the writer to establish the necessity of or interest in the topic (exigence). This thesis statement needs to focus on the right way to meet the assignment’s requirements.

It will be challenging for students to write a compelling essay if they do not comprehend this section.

2. Proper Transitioning

There should be smooth progressions between the paper’s introduction, main body, and conclusion.

In an essay, transitions serve as the cement between paragraphs. Without a consistent line of reasoning, the reader will become confused, and the essay will fall apart.

A good transition should summarize the prior section’s ideas and set the stage for the new ideas in the subsequent section.

4. Provide Proof to Back Your Thesis

Your proof can be factual, logical, statistical, or anecdotal. The information obtained to support your thesis statement in an argumentative essay must be current, accurate, and comprehensive.

The thesis statement needs to be backed up by evidence, be it factual, logical, statistical, or anecdotal. However, students should think about more than one perspective when gathering evidence.

An effective and well-rounded argumentative essay will also cover the thesis’s counterarguments.

Dismissing data that might disprove a thesis is immoral. It isn’t the student’s responsibility to demonstrate why opposing viewpoints are incorrect. However, they should explain why contrary viewpoints may lack updated information.

3. Provide Evidence-Based Paragraphs

Start by discussing a broad notion in each paragraph. This will help the essay stay focused and organized throughout. In addition, the clarity that results from brevity will be appreciated by the reader.

Each paragraph of the essay’s body should flow from and support the thesis statement introduced in the essay’s introduction.

Your thesis statement should be backed up by research in some paragraphs, which should be appropriately labeled. It should also detail why and how the evidence backs up the premise.

Arguing an issue requires thinking and explaining the other side of the argument. Students writing debate essays should devote one or two paragraphs to addressing opposing viewpoints, depending on the length of the assignment.

Students do not need to demonstrate why the contrary ideas are incorrect. They should instead show how opinions that do not coincide with their thesis may be poorly informed or outdated.

5. Proper Conclusion

Give a summary that revisits the thesis in light of the evidence presented rather than merely restating it.

This is where some students may start to have trouble with the essay. This section of the essay will most strongly impact the reader’s thoughts. It needs to do its job and make sense.

Avoid introducing new material in the conclusion and focus on synthesizing what you’ve discussed in the essay’s main body.

Justify the topic’s relevance, recap its essential ideas, and restate your thesis. Depending on the paper’s length, you should discuss some follow-up research that makes sense in light of your findings.

Final Words

One must know how to structure a debate essay before writing it. It is vital to have proper transitions and essential points. Remember to be persuasive in your approach.

This means showing convincing arguments rather than arguing with the opposition. A well-structured debate essay needs to be able to shift the reader’s perspective and change it radically.

How to Structure a Debate Essay in 5 Easy Steps

Abir Ghenaiet

Abir is a data analyst and researcher. Among her interests are artificial intelligence, machine learning, and natural language processing. As a humanitarian and educator, she actively supports women in tech and promotes diversity.

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How To Write A Debate: 9 Steps

How To Write A Debate: A debate is a serious conversation on a topic done at a public gathering or legislative assembly when opposing viewpoints are given and the discussion is usually ended with a vote. A debate is a formalized discussion.

Two opposed sides alternate speaking in support and opposition to a specific point of dispute, which is frequently based on a topic. Unlike arguments with family or friends, each participant is given a set amount of time to speak, and interjections are strictly monitored. “ Affirmative ” speakers are those who agree with the subject, while “ opposition ” speakers are those who disagree.

Almost everyone has had to write an argument at some time in their lives, whether for an English lesson, as part of a group, or simply for fun. However, just because the majority of people have done it previously does not mean it is simple. There are a plethora of things to think about: should you start by appealing to your audience’s emotions or go right to the point with cold hard facts? In your discussion, how many arguments should you include? Is it necessary to include a conclusion?

This article demonstrates how to easily organize and compose a debate to help you limit and reduce ambiguity.

Recommended: How to Start a Debate By Introducing yourself

Table of Contents

Debate Writing Essentials

A debate must have a proposition, a topic, or a problem, and speakers must talk for or against it. As a result, each point should be carefully picked, taking into account both the benefits and cons of the topic at hand.

To make the ideas clear in one’s mind, an outline of the essential issues should be created in the order in which one would argue. Because a speaker’s time is frequently limited, the points should be concise and instructive. Every issue/subject has its own vocabulary, which must be carefully selected in order to prevent unwanted pauses in the argument due to a lack of words to communicate views on the spot.

The speaker addresses the chair makes an argument, ‘ appeals ‘ for empathetic comprehension and support, attacks the opponent’s position, and asserts the argument.

Also see: How to speak in Public without fear or anxiety

What Are The Various Types Of Debate?

1. Cross-Examination Debate: This is a contemporary form of college debate in which two people compete against one other. These debates are meant to be values-based and to concentrate on the most important aspects of a contentious subject. While precise approaches differ, Cross-Examination Debate favors extensive use of evidence and an emphasis on the topic rather than delivery.

2. Lincoln-Douglas Debate: It is a one-on-one argument in which logic, ethical ideals, and philosophy are heavily emphasized. The Lincoln-Douglas Debate is a sort of high school debate in the United States. It is also known as LD Debate or just LD, and it is used in tournaments such as the National Forensic League.

Five speeches and two rounds of cross-examination make up an L-D debate session. The Lincoln-Douglas Debates, which took place between Abraham Lincoln and Stephen A. Douglas in 1858, are commemorated by the initials LD. Their arguments revolved around slavery, its morality, ideals, and logic.

Also see: Differences Between Interpersonal and intrapersonal communication

3. Academic Debate: Academic debate is an excellent way to strengthen your academic skills while also learning about new topics. Many different speeches, such as Lincoln Douglas’, might be utilized as a template.

Debate competition teaches students how to defend their point of view in front of others. Also, work on your writing and thinking skills.

4. Parliamentary Debate: In most regions of the world, these are the most prevalent types of debates. The practice differs from country to country. Although it is called a Parliamentary debate, it is not a debate held in a government legislature. These are called after the discussions that take place in the British parliament.

5. Spontaneous Debate: These debates, also known as SPAR, are frequently held in college and university classrooms. In these debates, two debaters pick a topic at random. Before engaging in a brief discussion on the topic, the debaters spend a few minutes preparing what they will say. These disputes are more concerned with presentation and style than with topic because they do not need much study.

Also see: Advantages and Disadvantages of being a leader

6. NDT Debate: NDT stands for National Debate Tournament. Tournament debate is one of the oldest and most popular types of debate at the collegiate level. The emphasis in this type of debate is on providing vast volumes of data as rapidly and as logically as possible.

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9 Steps to Write An Excellent Debate

1. A Strong Start: A great opening statement is the foundation of any excellent dissension. When dealing with something emotionally charged, such as debate themes, starting with an emotionally charged introduction is the best way to go.

For example, if you were advocating for your nation to accept more migrants, an opening phrase maybe, “Have you ever imagined how it might feel to be forced to leave your home? To be so afraid of violence or other forms of persecution that you and your family must flee your home and migrate to a new country?”

It’s equally as effective to start your dissension with a compelling statistic. If your topic isn’t overly emotive, using a shocking or alarming statistic as your first line might nevertheless convey emotion. You should try to get your audience and judge to sit up taller in their seats.

2. Describing The Topic: Following your beginning, you must make the topic you’re discussing very obvious to your audience. Declare your issue as well as your team’s viewpoint on it. Make sure your topic’s keywords are defined. This doesn’t have to be an exact dictionary definition; alternatively, it might be your understanding of the word in the context of the discussion or scenario.

While this may appear tedious, it is necessary to ensure that you and your opponent are on the same page. Debating someone who has a different interpretation of the issue than you is extremely difficult. If you’re not the first speaker in the discussion, you should use this time to either agree with or disagree with your opponent’s description.

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3. Titling or Signposting: Signposting may appear to be inconvenient and unneeded. It can even appear to impede the flow of your otherwise smooth and lyrical speech if you’re a word fanatic. However, it is very essential in the framework of a good discussion.

You may believe you’ve written the greatest and most straightforward debate in the world, but the audience isn’t you. They aren’t as knowledgeable about the subject as you are, and they aren’t nearly as committed to the discussion as you are. During the introduction, they may zone out for a few seconds before becoming fully disoriented. This is why signposting is so essential; it’s a quick and easy approach to remind your audience what you’re talking about and where you’re at in your speech.

Add a few phrases at the conclusion of your introduction to notify the listener how many points you’ll be making and in what sequence you’ll be delivering them.

You might state at the outset of each argument to remind the audience of what you’re talking about. While this may appear simple and as if you anticipate the audience to fall asleep on you, it is actually quite important and makes your discussion simpler to follow.

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4. Rebuttal: Sometimes the best attack is a solid defense, as the saying goes. If you’ve ever watched a professional debate, you’ll know that the most exciting portion is generally when one side takes one of the opposing side’s arguments and rips it apart.

While entertaining to watch, it is also the hardest aspect of any discussion to master. Rebutting arguments requires you to think on your feet. You have just thirty seconds to deliver a compelling counter-argument to one that your opponent has undoubtedly spent hours studying and polishing. Fortunately, there are several tactics you may do while rebutting to make the task seem less intimidating.

5. Make Pre-research: If you’ve decided on a discussion topic before the debate, time is your most valuable commodity. Use it. Put yourself in your opponent’s position after you’ve created your own arguments and try to predict what arguments they’ll employ.

Also see: Reasons Why Most Businesses Fail

6. Identify The Point: If your opponent is arguing for a change, there is one essential topic you may focus on while rebutting them. If your opponent is calling for a complex shift in government policy or social philosophy but has failed to articulate the benefits of the proposed change, here is your chance to strike.

Bringing up economic issues is extremely beneficial since it can be applied to almost any argument topic. Any discussion on social justice, a topical issue, a government policy, or something utterly out of the ordinary will have an economic component.

7. Make Your Own Claims: A simple but powerful technique to create a defense against your own case is to twist your own reasoning to refute an opponent’s claim. Of course, going too far and reciting your entire planned argument is a terrible error. However, you may break down the body of your speech into different parts to counter your opponent.

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8. The Body: Writing a body paragraph for an essay is essentially identical to writing an argument for a debate. Each argument should begin with signposting, followed by a one-sentence explanation of your case.

After that, you should expand on your point a little, provide some facts and statistics to back up your claims, and then neatly link back to the debate’s topic so the audience understands that you’re not just delivering a passionate rant, but rather a carefully calculated point that ties in with a general thesis statement.

In most debates, having three arguments is the best strategy to keep your speech running long enough. If you have a clearly weaker argument, attempt to wedge it between two stronger ones.

9. Collecting Proof: If your issue necessitates the use of statistics and specialists at every step, you must ensure that you are doing everything appropriately.

When you use the appropriate evidence in your dispute, you become more credible, but when you use the wrong sort of information from the wrong sources, you leave yourself up to criticism from the adversary.

The first step in locating appropriate evidence to quote is to examine the source. Second, ensure sure the information or figure is current. Your proof is the foundation of your argument; if it isn’t solid enough, everything will fall apart.

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It brings together the arguments you’ve made in the body of your essay and delivers a message that should leave the reader feeling informed. Writing an argument ending is one of the most significant, as well as one of the most fundamental, aspects of your speech.

Now it’s just a matter of expressing yourself. If you’re the last person to speak in a group discussion, make sure your conclusion addresses the most severe issues expressed by your peers.

Writing a debate might be difficult or tedious, but it can also be gratifying since it expands your understanding, fosters critical thinking, and sharpens your persuasive skills. However, in order to be effective, you must know how to write for a discussion. The preceding instructions will assist you in comprehending the debate speech writing process. A good debate involves a combination of subject knowledge, reasoning ability, and the ability to articulate the proper attitude.

Edeh Samuel Chukwuemeka, ACMC, is a lawyer and a certified mediator/conciliator in Nigeria. He is also a developer with knowledge in various programming languages. Samuel is determined to leverage his skills in technology, SEO, and legal practice to revolutionize the legal profession worldwide by creating web and mobile applications that simplify legal research. Sam is also passionate about educating and providing valuable information to people.

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COMMENTS

How to Write a Good Debate Essay
Here is how to write a debate essay step by step and get your point through in a convincing manner: Choose the topic wisely. Make sure it is a controversial topic that can have a debate both ways. You can pick any topic from child education to medicinal marijuana. The topic itself needs to have a compelling pull to keep the audience involved.
Debate Writing
The following are the main features of debate writing. Informative - A good debate must provide complete information and facts. It is supposed to inform and educate people with the help of logical reasoning. ... Simply reach out to our reliable essay writing service, and we'll take care of all your writing-related problems. Write Essay Within ...
How to Write an Argumentative Essay
Make a claim. Provide the grounds (evidence) for the claim. Explain the warrant (how the grounds support the claim) Discuss possible rebuttals to the claim, identifying the limits of the argument and showing that you have considered alternative perspectives. The Toulmin model is a common approach in academic essays.
How to Write a Debate Essay: Simple Principles to Follow
paper for 12.01 10.21/page Learn More. So, if you want to know how to write a debate essay and win the "battle", follow these simple principles. Table of Contents. ⭐ Know the features of a good debate. 👀 Choose debate essay topics wisely. 🔎 Investigate background of the problem. 🗣️ Collect arguments and counterarguments.
4.1 Features of an Argument
A well-structured argument is one that is carefully and optimally planned. It is organized so that the argument has a continuous building of ideas, one upon the other or in concert with the other, in order to produce the most persuasive impact or effect on the reader. For clarity, avoid repeating ideas, reasons, or evidence.
Debate Writing Essentials: Steps, Tips, and Examples
Features of Debate Writing. Understanding the nature and features of debate writing is crucial for students aiming to become effective debaters. Debate writing encompasses several key features, including: ... Our essay writing service can also provide you with different perks, like free unlimited revisions, a confidentiality guarantee, and more.
An Ultimate Guide to Mastering Debate Writing: Tips & Tricks
Gather relevant facts, statistics, expert opinions, and examples to support your position. Logical Structure: Organize your debate writing in a logical and coherent manner. Use paragraphs to separate different ideas and arguments. Counter Arguments and Rebuttal: Anticipate opposing arguments and address them in your debate.
How to Write a Good Argumentative Essay: Easy Step-by-Step Guide
1. Introductory paragraph. The first paragraph of your essay should outline the topic, provide background information necessary to understand your argument, outline the evidence you will present and states your thesis. 2. The thesis statement. This is part of your first paragraph.
How to Write a Winning Debate Speech
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.
How to Write an A+ Argumentative Essay
An argumentative essay attempts to convince a reader to agree with a particular argument (the writer's thesis statement). The writer takes a firm stand one way or another on a topic and then uses hard evidence to support that stance. An argumentative essay seeks to prove to the reader that one argument —the writer's argument— is the ...
3 Strong Argumentative Essay Examples, Analyzed
Argumentative Essay Example 2. Malaria is an infectious disease caused by parasites that are transmitted to people through female Anopheles mosquitoes. Each year, over half a billion people will become infected with malaria, with roughly 80% of them living in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Best Tips on How to Write Any Debate Essay
Resist the temptation of including every detail in your introduction. That is not how to write a good debate essay. Details are to be added in the body section and not in the introduction. Resist the temptation of wanting to share everything you know about a topic. Stay focused even as you try hard to make your audience agree with you.
Debate
A debate is a form of public discourse that presents organized arguments by two opposing sides. In a typical debate, two sides (affirmative and negative) are given a proposition to debate using a structured format that differs based on the type. The affirmative side advocates for the proposition, providing supporting evidence and explanation ...
6.6: Features of an Argument
Rather, it's to illuminate, expand, and further inform a debate happening on a worthwhile subject between reasonable, intelligent people. In other words, calling the opposition stupid is not good argument, it's an ad hominem attack. For a review of this and other logical fallacies, refer to section 3.7 of this text.
How to Write an Argumentative Essay (With Features & Structure)
Argumentative essay from the word "Argument", according to Virtue's English Dictionary (Encyclopaedia Edition) defines argument as a subject of a discourse or writing; a reason offered for or against something; a debate, controversy, discussion and a process of reasoning.Therefore argumentative essay can be defined as a debatable writing which upon choosing a stance, attempts to persuade ...
How to Structure a Debate Essay in 5 Easy Steps
5. Proper Conclusion. Give a summary that revisits the thesis in light of the evidence presented rather than merely restating it. This is where some students may start to have trouble with the essay. This section of the essay will most strongly impact the reader's thoughts. It needs to do its job and make sense.
How To Write A Debate: 9 Steps
9 Steps to Write An Excellent Debate. 1. A Strong Start: A great opening statement is the foundation of any excellent dissension. When dealing with something emotionally charged, such as debate themes, starting with an emotionally charged introduction is the best way to go. How to write a debate outline.
6 Easy Steps to Write a Debate Speech
Step 3: Signposting. Signposting may seem annoying and unnecessary. If you're a word-enthusiast it can even seem like it's disrupting the flow of your otherwise smooth and lyrical speech. However, it's completely and totally necessary in the structure of a good debate. You may think that you've written the best and most easy-to-follow debate in ...
Features Of A Debate Essay
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Features Of A Debate Essay
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Features Of A Debate Essay
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How to Write a Good Debate Essay

Writing your debate essay

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How to Write a Debate Essay: Simple Principles to Follow

⭐ Know the features of a good debate

4.1 Features of an Argument

Rhetorical Appeals

Approaches to Argument

Simple to Complex/Complex to Simple

Cause/Effect

Chronological

Style/ Eloquence

Debate Writing Steps to Help You Prepare a Winning Debate

What is Debate Writing?

Features of Debate Writing

Types of Debate

Six Steps for Writing a Debate

Step 1: Use a Strong Opening

Step 2: Clearly Define the Topic

Step 3: Write and Organize Your Arguments

Step 4: Use Appropriate Signposting

Step 5: Assess Your Arguments

H3- Step 6: Conclude your Debate

Debate Writing Examples

Things To Avoid in Debate Writing

Interesting Debate Topic Ideas

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Learn the Art of Debate Writing: Proven Techniques for Convincing Arguments

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Parliamentary Debates

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Opening Statement

Supporting Arguments

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