1. Tell an interesting and engaging story that concerns the topic of your debate. Topic Story The benefits of social media “When I was twelve, my parents divorced. There was no one I could really talk to about my feelings—except for Jenny. Over the years, Jenny and I spoke almost every day. I coached her through her first breakup, she helped me figure out which schools to apply to. Today, Jenny and I consider ourselves to be closer than sisters. The only thing is, we’ve never met each other in person!” Everyone should be required to learn a foreign language “My Dad was travelling alone in Hungary when his money and passport were stolen. He went to the police station and tried to file a report, but no one there understood English. Desperately, Dad gestured towards one of the officer’s wallets, but his charade was misunderstood. The policeman thought that Dad was trying to steal his wallet! Guess who ended up spending a very uncomfortable night in jail?” 2. Ask a rhetorical question to persuade your audience to side with your position. Topic Rhetorical question Macs are better than PCs “We all want to get the most out of our computers, right?” Parents should be allowed to genetically engineer their children “Is it really wrong for a mother to want to provide her child with the best life possible?” 3. Provide an impressive statistic that is directly related to your argument. Topic Powerful statistic Homework should be banned “According to researchers at Stanford, 56 percent of high school students consider homework to be the greatest source of stress in their lives.” Solar energy should replace traditional energy “Did you know that by the year 2050, the world will completely run out of oil?” 4. Use a well-known or powerful quote to lend credence to your argument. Topic Quote Voting should be a requirement “Roald Dahl once said, ‘Somewhere inside of all of us is the power to change the world.’” Zoos should be abolished “‘The animals of this world were not made for humans...they exist for their own reasons.’”