Introduction To Debate
and Building an
Effective Argument
Argument (argumentation)
• To take a side from a proposition-give
the audience FACTS.
• Intends to provide insight offers a
verifiable perspective for the audience
• Supports reasoning with valid evidence.
• Considers opposing viewpoints.
• Provides rationale to clarify/explain
relevance and validity of evidence.
Persuade:
• To try to convince someone-try to
change their OPINION.
• Based on the writer’s opinion
• Attempts to influence the perspective of
the audience by appealing to their
emotions, sense of right and wrong or to
sense of identity.
• Selects facts and emotion to support
opinion.
Are we persuading?
• WE ARE NOT WRITING TO
PERSUADE!!!
• We will be speaking and riting to build
effective arguments.
What Is Debate?
- Debate is a formal academic
competition in which students argue
both sides of a given topic.
- The foundation of debate is speaking.
Students deliver speeches based on
logic and research, attempting to
persuade a judge to endorse their
argument.
Terminology for Debate and
Argumentative Writing
• Write these down on your hand-out.
Debate:
• To argue both sides of a topic
Fact:
• Something proven to be true.
Opinion:
• A feeling or belief.
Quote:
• To write exactly what someone said or
wrote.
Resolve:
• Make a firm decision to do something.
Proposition:
• A subject to be debated.
Evidence:
• Facts and examples to prove
something.
• For on demand writing, quotes from the
passage/article.
• Give credit to author when you’re writing
with direct quotes OR…paraphrasing.
Claim/Contention/Thesis:
• Claim: One side of an argument derived
from a proposition.
• Contention: A strong statement to
support one side of an argument.
Affirmative side:
• Side that supports the proposition
Negative side:
• Side that opposes the proposition.
Affirmative vs. Negative
-
The job of the Affirmative (Aff) is to prove that the topic
(resolution) is a good idea.
-
The job of the Negative (Neg) is to prove that the topic
(resolution) is a bad idea.
-
A judge will evaluate the debate and vote for whichever team
does a better job proving their point.
-
Being an eloquent speaker helps, but debate has much more to
do with winning substantive arguments than with oratory.
-
Debaters use a combination of research, logic, and strategy in
order to persuade judges that they have won.
Affirmative vs. Negative
- The core of debate is refutation. Debaters both make
their own arguments and are respsonsible for
responding to arguments made by the other team.
That is what distinguishes debate from other speaking
contests.
- In order to adequately respond to the arguments
made by the opposing team, debaters need to prove
that their own arguments are better reasoned, better
evidenced, have historical or empirical support, or
have greater significance.
Oppose:
• To be against something.
Counterclaim /
Counterargument
• An opposing argument or response to
your claim/argument of the proposition.
Rebuttal:
• A response to a counterargument or
counterclaim
Concede:
• To surrender or admit that someone
else is right or correct in their argument.