Opening a debate the right way will make your audience more interested and help you win your argument. Before your debate, take the time to prepare a solid opening that will win people over. This article covers some tried-and-true ways to help you begin your debate, captivate your audience, and clearly lay out your arguments. Plus, we spoke with expert public speakers to get their top tips for delivering your argument with confidence.
How to Open a Debate: A Quick Guide
The best way to start a debate is to open with a bold rhetorical question, a touching personal story that's relevant to your argument, or a shocking statistic. Introduce your topic by defining key terms, laying out your argument, and briefly presenting a solution.
Steps
Introducing Your Topic & Argument
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Greet the audience at the beginning of your presentation. As the 1st affirmative speaker, you have the opportunity to make a good first impression and set the tone for your team’s presentation. Making a formal greeting at the start of your speech shows respect for your audience and their opinion. It also demonstrates that you’re confident, serious, in control, and knowledgeable about the topic. [6] X Research source
- Example audience greetings:
- “Good morning, faculty and staff. The topic of today’s debate is student parking.”
- “Good morning, everyone. Thank you for taking the time to come to this debate. Today, the topic is fair trade agreements.”
- “Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. It’s a pleasure to be here today to discuss the important issue of climate change.”
- “Honorable judges, esteemed opponents, and distinguished audience members— good afternoon, and thank you for joining us as we explore the topic of artificial intelligence.”
- Example audience greetings:
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Define and explain any key terms in the introduction. As the first speaker in a debate, it’s your job to make sure the audience understands all the key terms in the debate. It’s also important to demonstrate that both teams are using the same definitions for terms, especially for more abstract ideas like “freedom,” “justice,” and “fairness.” If your opponent is defining a term differently, stating at the beginning allows you to challenge their explanation and provide sources. Being able to defend your choice can be key to winning your debate . [7] X Research source
- Identify the key terms in your argument and look up their definitions in a range of dictionaries. Choose the most appropriate definition for each word. You want to pick a definition that is neutral and conventional.
- Your definitions can be literal as well as contextualized. Contextualized definitions add examples of how the concept applies to the real world. For example, a contextualized definition of money would show that money is used to buy services, such as food and gas.
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Summarize your position and the argument you’ll be making. Many consider the summary of your argument the most important part of the first round of a debate. This is where you explain your speakers’ roles and the most important parts of your argument. [8] X Research source Make sure to keep your summary short and to the point so the audience doesn’t get distracted or lose interest.
- Debate summary sentence examples:
- “We believe enrolled students should not have to pay for a parking pass to park on campus,”
- “We will argue that students should have a say in what books are included in our school library.”
- “We’ll demonstrate that investing in better access to mental health resources saves lives, strengthens communities, and reduces healthcare costs.”
- “Today, we’ll explain how raising the minimum wage to a living wage benefits workers, businesses, and our entire economy.”
- Speaker role explanation example:
- “As the first speaker, I will be defining key terms and outlining our main argument. Our second speaker will explain the supporting reasons for our argument, and our third speaker will summarize our argument.”
- Debate summary sentence examples:
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Lay out your solution to the debate’s primary issue. Your team's argument should include a proposition on how to address the problem you are debating. Debating teams do this by defining a policy they wish to enact. The first speaker briefly lays out the team’s proposal for change. [9] X Research source
- Try to focus on 2-3 important reasons why your proposed policy is needed or needs to change.
- In order to demonstrate that your team's policy will work, use similar policies that have already been enacted to reinforce your solution.
- For example, you can highlight that a ban on using cell phones while driving is similar to the ban on drinking while driving.
Sample Lines & Salutations
Expert Q&A
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QuestionHow can I improve my public speaking?Lynn Kirkham is a Professional Public Speaker and Founder of Yes You Can Speak, a San Francisco Bay Area-based public speaking educational business empowering thousands of professionals to take command of whatever stage they've been given - from job interviews, boardroom talks to TEDx and large conference platforms. Lynn was chosen as the official TEDx Berkeley speaker coach for the last four years and has worked with executives at Google, Facebook, Intuit, Genentech, Intel, VMware, and others.Set your intention before you even step into the space. How do you want to be? Intend to make great great eye contact, love the audience, be loved by the audience, and hit your presentation out of the park. Treat the experience like an opportunity rather than obligation.
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QuestionWhat is the importance of debating if I am in high school?Community AnswerDebate can help kids feel confident voicing their opinions in front of others, which is important in the development of self-confidence.
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QuestionWhat should I do if I forget the words?Community AnswerJust think about what you're debating about; it's not a speech, it's an arguement. As long as you've researched your side, you'll be fine. Note cards are also helpful.
Video
Tips
References
- ↑ https://www.hamilton.edu/academics/centers/oralcommunication/guides/how-to-engage-your-audience-and-keep-them-with-you
- ↑ https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/plato-rhetoric/
- ↑ https://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/statistics/
- ↑ https://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/quotations/
- ↑ https://www.toastmasters.org/resources/public-speaking-tips/visual-aids-and-props
- ↑ https://brainiacs.com.ng/how-to-start-a-debate-greeting-in-secondary-school/
- ↑ https://libguides.nypl.org/howtoresearchforadebatewiththenewyorkpubliclibrary
- ↑ https://www.debatedrills.com/public-forum/the-summary-speech
- ↑ https://debateus.org/the-basic-structure-of-policy-debate-2/
- ↑ https://nurturescienceprogram.org/connecting-despite-crisis-eye-contact
- ↑ https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/communication-success/201911/do-you-talk-too-fast-how-to-slow-down
- ↑ https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-become-more-articulate
- ↑ https://debateus.org/the-basic-structure-of-policy-debate-2/
- ↑ https://cpb-ap-se2.wpmucdn.com/learn.stleonards.vic.edu.au/dist/1/223/files/2013/08/DEBATING-CHEAT-SHEET.pdf
- ↑ https://www.ethosdebate.com/a-beginners-guide-to-debate-ethics-and-etiquette/
About This Article
The best way to start a debate is to open with a bold rhetorical question, a touching personal story that’s relevant to your argument, or a shocking statistic. Once you have your audience’s attention, define the key terms you’ll be using in your debate and summarize your case. For tips on presenting your argument, like how long to maintain eye contact with audience members, keep reading!
Reader Success Stories
- "Especially thank to you the writer and the editor for writing this article. This article helped me a lot to remake myself confident. I have participated in the debate today and it helped me a lot in front of the students from a different school. I hadn't expected that. I can regain my self confidence now, so I can speak so peacefully in front of them." ..." more