II - The Classic Debate Format
II - The Classic Debate Format
All debates have a format which the participants are expected to follow. This format usually prescribes how much time each side gets, what order the speeches will be given in, and what is expected to occur in each speech. This chapter introduces you to the format for Classic Debate.
There is a handy chart that will clarify this for you that you should obtain from your coach. This chapter will walk you through the entire debate in more detail. In addition to describing what will occur during the debate, we will also examine what is expected of you before and after the debate occurs. Please notice that there are additional sections at the end of this chapter on writing your constructive speeches, making your summary speeches, and cross-examination.
BEFORE THE DEBATE
At the beginning of the tournament, you will be assigned a team number or code. Write this down and don't lose it. For each debate round, a schedule will be printed which will list the affirmative team, the negative team, the judge, and a room number. Find your team number or code and go to the room assigned. The schedule will also tell you which side you are on (affirmative or negative).
Sample schedule:
Room Aff. Neg. Judge
A300 5 16 Gilmore
A301 2 7 Kraft
A302 13 11 Graupner
Once I have found my room, what do I do?
Normally, the two debate teams will set up in the front of the room. The judge will sit in the middle of the room, looking toward the front. You will need a table or desks to take notes and to set your materials on. You should always face the judge during the debate.
THE DEBATE ITSELF
The next question is obvious. What happens during the debate itself? To answer this question, you will find the next page helpful because it outlines the format of the debate. After the format chart (There's a better version not online.), this chapter takes you step by step through the entire debate.
Format and Time Limits
Affirmative Constructive - 6 Minutes
In this prepared speech, the affirmative presents their arguments in favor of the resolution. The speech should be pre-written.
Cross-Examination 3 Minutes
The 1st Negative Speaker cross-examines the 1st Affirmative Speaker
Negative Constructive 6 Minutes
In this prepared speech, the negative presents their arguments in opposition to the resolution. The speech should be pre-written and is not expected to directly address the arguments made during the affirmative constructive.
Cross-Examination 3 Minutes
The 2nd Affirmative Speaker cross-examines the 1st Negative Speaker
1st Negative Rebuttal 5 Minutes
The purpose of this speech is for the 2nd Negative Speaker to refute the arguments presented in the affirmative constructive.
Cross-Examination 3 Minutes
The 1st Affirmative Speaker cross-examines the 2nd Negative Speaker
Preparation Time 2 Minutes
1st Affirmative Rebuttal 7 Minutes
The 2nd Affirmative Speaker should first refute the arguments presented in the negative constructive. Then, the speaker should answer the attacks made during the 1st negative rebuttal.
Cross-Examination 3 Minutes
The 2nd Negative Speaker cross-examines the 2nd Affirmative Speaker
Preparation Time 2 Minutes
2nd Negative Rebuttal 6 Minutes
The 1st Negative Speaker should divide this speech between the negative and affirmative cases. The debater must both rebuild the negative attacks on the affirmative constructive and then rebuild his or her own case.
Preparation Time 2 Minutes
2nd Affirmative Rebuttal 4 Minutes
The 1st Affirmative Speaker should divide this speech between the negative and affirmative cases. The debater must both rebuild the affirmative attacks on the negative constructive and then rebuild his or her own case.
Preparation Time 2 Minutes
Negative Summary 3 Minutes
The 2nd Negative Speaker presents their closing argument. This speech should summarize the primary reasons for the judge to reject the resolution based on the arguments made and evidence presented throughout the debate.
Preparation Time 2 Minutes
Affirmative Summary 3 Minutes
The 2nd Affirmative Speaker presents their closing argument. This speech should summarize the primary reasons for the judge to affirm the resolution based on the arguments made and evidence presented throughout the debate.
During the Debate Step by Step - More information on what was above...
Speech #1: The Affirmative Constructive
Time Limit: 6 Minutes
Purpose: The affirmative team presents their arguments in favor of the resolution.
Speaker: The First Affirmative (1A)
This is a pre-prepared speech which provides the primary affirmative arguments in favor of the resolution. While the affirmative team will be able to answer negative attacks later in the debate, they can't bring up "new" main ideas or arguments in their favor. Therefore, it is very important that the affirmative team carefully plan their constructive speech. The speech should contain the very best arguments in favor of the resolution. These are the arguments the affirmative will defend throughout the debate.
The speech should be written to persuade the judge and/or audience. To be persuasive, the speech should be clearly written, it should be well supported with credible evidence, and it should use persuasive and attention-holding language.
Cross-Examination #1
Time Limit: 3 Minutes
Purpose: Question and answer
Participants: The 1st negative speaker asks questions of the 1st affirmative speaker
Cross-examination is an important part of the debate round. This is the only time that debaters interact directly. There are two main purposes of cross-examination.
Purpose #1 Clarification: First, issues or arguments that are unclear should be clarified. Simple questions like, "can you please explain your argument against our third contention?" can be crucial. It is impossible to debate well when you aren't sure of your opponent's arguments. Cross-examination gives you time to clarify any confusion.
Purpose #2 Exposing Flaws: Second, cross-examination allows you to expose weaknesses in your opponent's arguments or evidence. When executed well, such a cross-examination can be devastating.
Please see the section on cross-examination for more information.
Speech #2: The Negative Constructive
Time Limit: 6 Minutes
Purpose: The negative team presents their arguments in opposition to the resolution.
Speaker: The First Negative (1N)
Just like the affirmative constructive, the negative constructive outlines the main arguments in opposition to the resolution. It is also a pre-prepared speech, meaning it is not expected to directly answer the arguments made in the affirmative constructive. After the two constructive speeches, each team has presented a set of arguments in their favor. The next logical step is for the two teams to begin to directly attack the arguments made by their opponents.
Cross-Examination #2
Time Limit: 3 Minutes
Purpose: Question and answer
Participants: The 2nd affirmative speaker asks questions of the 1st negative speaker
Speech #3: The 1st Negative Rebuttal
Time Limit: 5 Minutes
Purpose: The negative team refutes the affirmative constructive.
Speaker: The Second Negative (2N)
While the 1N delivers the negative constructive, the 2N gets to plan their attack against the affirmative constructive. In this speech, the negative team presents their refutation (answers to) the affirmative constructive. The goal of the negatives is to disprove, or at least minimize, the affirmative arguments.
Cross-Examination #3
Time Limit: 3 Minutes
Purpose: Question and answer
Participants: The 1st affirmative speaker asks questions of the 2nd negative speaker
Preparation Time: 2 Minutes. All debaters are given 2 minutes at this time to prepare for future speeches. This is especially important for the 2nd affirmative speaker who will give the next speech.
Speech #4: The 1st Affirmative Rebuttal
Time Limit: 7 Minutes
Purpose: The affirmative team refutes the negative constructive AND rebuilds their case.
Speaker: The Second Affirmative (2A)
The first affirmative rebuttal is one of the most challenging speeches in the debate because it requires the 2A to do two things. First, he/she must refute the arguments made during the negative constructive (just as the 2N just refuted the arguments made during the affirmative constructive). Next, he/she must rebuild the affirmative case which was just attacked. The first affirmative rebuttal is the longest speech of the debate, but the time must be carefully divided between the two tasks. It is up to the 2A to decide how to divide the time.
Cross-Examination #4
Time Limit: 3 Minutes
Purpose: Question and answer
Participants: The 2nd Negative Speaker cross-examines the 2nd Affirmative Speaker
Preparation Time: 2 Minutes
Speech #5: The 2nd Negative Rebuttal
Time Limit: 6 Minutes
Purpose: To rebuild the attacks on the affirmative case and to rebuild the negative case.
Speaker: The First Negative (1N)
Now it is the negative team's turn to balance time on both cases. This is the negative's last chance before the summary to clarify, defend, and strengthen their argument's. The first negative speaker should defend the negative case and rebuild the negative attack against the affirmative. The negative team should begin to focus on the critical issues of the debate. There is not time to go into great detail over every issue in the debate.
Preparation Time: 2 Minutes
Speech #6: The 2nd Affirmative Rebuttal
Time Limit: 4 Minutes
Purpose: To rebuild the attacks on the negative case and to rebuild the affirmative case.
Speaker: The First Affirmative (1A)
The affirmative now gets their last chance before the summary to clarify, defend, and strengthen their arguments. This rebuttal is 2 minutes shorter than the 2nd negative rebuttal, so the affirmative team must continue the focus on the critical issues of the debate.
Preparation Time: 2 Minutes
Speech #7: The Negative Summary
Time Limit: 3 Minutes
Purpose: To summarize the reasons why the negative team has won the debate.
Speaker: The Second Negative (2N)
The summary is, of course, the final opportunity to persuade the judge to reject the resolution. Rather than going issue by issue through both cases, the summary should crystallize the debate into several main arguments for the judge to consider. These arguments should be the key issues in determining the winner of the debate.
Preparation Time: 2 Minutes
Speech #8: The Affirmative Summary
Time Limit: 3 Minutes
Purpose: To summarize the reasons why the negative team has won the debate.
Speaker: The Second Affirmative (2A)
The affirmative summary is the final opportunity to persuade the judge to support the resolution. Rather than going issue by issue through both cases, the summary should crystallize the debate into several main arguments for the judge to consider. These arguments should be the key issues in determining the winner of the debate.
Summary of Responsibilities
During the debater, each speaker will give 2 speeches. He or she will also participate in 2 cross-examinations, one as the questioner and one as the person who is questioned. Here is a summary of each person's responsibility through the debate.
First Affirmative (1A)
Affirmative Constructive
Answer questions of 2N
Question 2N after 1st Negative Rebuttal
2nd Affirmative Rebuttal
Second Affirmative (2A)
Question 1N after Negative Constructive
1st Affirmative Rebuttal
Answer questions of 1N
Affirmative Summary
First Negative (1N)
Negative Constructive
Answers questions of 2A
Question 2A after 1st Affirmative Rebuttal
2nd Negative Rebuttal
Second Negative (2N)
Question 1A after Affirmative Constructive
1st Negative Rebuttal
Answer questions of 1A
Negative Summary
After the Debate
• Immediately after the debate, it is customary for both teams to shake hands.
• Any evidence or materials that may have been borrowed during the debate should be returned.
• Occasionally, the judge will have a few brief comments for the debaters, which of course, should be listened to respectfully.
• Finally, all debaters should clean up their materials and move to their next debate. If you are competing in the last debate of the day, be sure to rearrange desks or tables that have been moved. Please help the tournament host by making sure any trash is disposed of.
WRITING YOUR CONSTRUCTIVE SPEECHES
As you already know, your team will present a six minute constructive speech during each debate. The purpose of the constructive speech is to make and support your main arguments in favor of the resolution when you are affirmative) or against the resolution (when you are negative).
Your constructive speech should always accomplish the following:
• It will present your primary arguments
• It will provide support for those arguments in the form of evidence and reasoning
• It should be persuasively written (should include introduction, transitions, & a conclusion)
Beyond those basic guidelines, you have the freedom to create a case that makes sense to you and that you believe will persuade the judge. Let's take a closer look at some of the basic requirements.
The Introduction
Your case should always begin with an introduction. The introduction needs to accomplish two things.
1) State the resolution and your position (in favor of it or opposed to it)
2) Provide a persuasive attention-getter to encourage the audience to listen to your speech.
Sample:
"Every year in the United States, our government executes dozens of convicted murderers. Their crimes are so terrible, that our legal system assigns death as the ultimate punishment. What is truly tragic and hypocritical is that every so often our legal system gets the wrong person. Instead of punishing someone for taking an innocent life, it is our government itself that is taking an innocent life. Because my partner and I believe that this should never happen again, we stand Resolved that the death penalty should be abolished in the United States. First, we'll prove that the death penalty results in miscarriages of justice..."
The Contentions
Your main argument are called contentions. They should be labeled as Contentions and numbered (traditionally Roman Numerals are used because this follows the outline format). Your contentions are statements that must be proven.
Sample:
"Contention I. Innocent People Are Wrongly Executed"
After you have stated your Contention, you must provide reasoning and evidence to support it. The length of the Contention is up to you (you only have 6 minutes, so they will be fairly brief). Also, the number of Contentions that you have is up to you. Usually, a case will have 2 to 4 main contentions.
You may chose to further divide your contentions into sub-points. Sub-points should be labeled with capital letters (following the outline format). Sub-points provide additional organizational structure to help clarify your argument.
Conclusion
After you have made and supported all of your contentions, you should end your case with a brief conclusion. In your conclusion, you should restate your main ideas and end with a persuasive appeal to your audience.
Sample: "In today's debate, the affirmative team has proven that the death penalty results in two major harms to society. First, innocent people are sometimes wrongly executed. Second, the death penalty is discriminatory because it is used more frequently against minorities. Finally,. We have shown that the death penalty has no major benefit because it does not reduce crime rates. In light of this evidence, the right thing to do is to abolish this unfair and ineffective punishment. I am now open for cross-examination."
SUMMARY SPEECHES
The final speeches of the debate should be used to synthesize various arguments into a few critical points for the judge to consider. One might introduce their summary with a statement like "in light of the arguments made in today's debate, we have upheld the resolution because..." This summary statement is difficult for several reasons. First, because of the general nature of the closing argument, the speaker must focus on the "big picture" and less on specific details. Second, the speaker must extend his/her best arguments while answering his/her opponent's best arguments. This requires a careful balance. Of course, each round of debate will lead to unique summary statements. However, here are some general tips for making successful summary statements.
1) Ask yourself, what are our most powerful arguments? After selecting your most powerful arguments you must explain why you have won these arguments and why this means you have won the debate. In other words, explain the impact of your best arguments.
2) Ask yourself, "what are the weaknesses in my opponent's best arguments?" Explain these weaknesses to the judge.
3) The summary must be an extension of the debate. It should show what your team has accomplished during the debate. It should not be new ideas or perspectives that haven't been brought up.
4) The summary should set up a decision-making criteria for the judge. What factors should be given the most weight in making a decision? For example, let's say that the affirmative has proven that adopting the resolution will save a species from extinction. The negative team, on the other hand, is able to prove that adopting the resolution would cost the US $10Billion. In this debate, the two sides would have to weigh saving a species to spending billions of dollars. It is your job as a debater to provide analysis that helps the judge arrive at his or her decision.
CROSS-EXAMINATION
Cross-examination serves three important purposes in the debate. It gives one side the chance to clarify the arguments and evidence presented by the other. Secondly, it is an opportunity to demonstrate flaws in the opponent's arguments. Thirdly, cross-examination is the time when the audience and judge have a chance to see the debaters interact with each other. In other words, cross-examination is a chance to gain the judge's favor.
In cross-examination, both participants face the judge rather than each other. This is because the questions are intended for the audience. The keys to effective cross-examination are good questions and a professional demeanor. Specifically:
1. Ask specific questions that get to the heart of the issue.
2. Be polite, professional, and respectful during cross-examination.
3. Never personalize cross-examination--the focus should always be on issues.
One of the best ways to improve your cross-examination performance is to improve your topic knowledge. The more you know about the topic, the easier you will find it to ask insightful questions and provide effective answers in cross-examination.
CONCLUSION
As you discovered, Chapter II is full of information. If you are new to classic Debate, it is quite normal to be confused by the format. Most beginning debaters have trouble remembering what to do in each speech. There is a simple solution: practice! Once you have been through a few debates, the format will be very easy to remember and you can focus on building better arguments, improving your delivery, and gathering evidence.
All debates have a format which the participants are expected to follow. This format usually prescribes how much time each side gets, what order the speeches will be given in, and what is expected to occur in each speech. This chapter introduces you to the format for Classic Debate.
There is a handy chart that will clarify this for you that you should obtain from your coach. This chapter will walk you through the entire debate in more detail. In addition to describing what will occur during the debate, we will also examine what is expected of you before and after the debate occurs. Please notice that there are additional sections at the end of this chapter on writing your constructive speeches, making your summary speeches, and cross-examination.
BEFORE THE DEBATE
At the beginning of the tournament, you will be assigned a team number or code. Write this down and don't lose it. For each debate round, a schedule will be printed which will list the affirmative team, the negative team, the judge, and a room number. Find your team number or code and go to the room assigned. The schedule will also tell you which side you are on (affirmative or negative).
Sample schedule:
Room Aff. Neg. Judge
A300 5 16 Gilmore
A301 2 7 Kraft
A302 13 11 Graupner
Once I have found my room, what do I do?
Normally, the two debate teams will set up in the front of the room. The judge will sit in the middle of the room, looking toward the front. You will need a table or desks to take notes and to set your materials on. You should always face the judge during the debate.
THE DEBATE ITSELF
The next question is obvious. What happens during the debate itself? To answer this question, you will find the next page helpful because it outlines the format of the debate. After the format chart (There's a better version not online.), this chapter takes you step by step through the entire debate.
Format and Time Limits
Affirmative Constructive - 6 Minutes
In this prepared speech, the affirmative presents their arguments in favor of the resolution. The speech should be pre-written.
Cross-Examination 3 Minutes
The 1st Negative Speaker cross-examines the 1st Affirmative Speaker
Negative Constructive 6 Minutes
In this prepared speech, the negative presents their arguments in opposition to the resolution. The speech should be pre-written and is not expected to directly address the arguments made during the affirmative constructive.
Cross-Examination 3 Minutes
The 2nd Affirmative Speaker cross-examines the 1st Negative Speaker
1st Negative Rebuttal 5 Minutes
The purpose of this speech is for the 2nd Negative Speaker to refute the arguments presented in the affirmative constructive.
Cross-Examination 3 Minutes
The 1st Affirmative Speaker cross-examines the 2nd Negative Speaker
Preparation Time 2 Minutes
1st Affirmative Rebuttal 7 Minutes
The 2nd Affirmative Speaker should first refute the arguments presented in the negative constructive. Then, the speaker should answer the attacks made during the 1st negative rebuttal.
Cross-Examination 3 Minutes
The 2nd Negative Speaker cross-examines the 2nd Affirmative Speaker
Preparation Time 2 Minutes
2nd Negative Rebuttal 6 Minutes
The 1st Negative Speaker should divide this speech between the negative and affirmative cases. The debater must both rebuild the negative attacks on the affirmative constructive and then rebuild his or her own case.
Preparation Time 2 Minutes
2nd Affirmative Rebuttal 4 Minutes
The 1st Affirmative Speaker should divide this speech between the negative and affirmative cases. The debater must both rebuild the affirmative attacks on the negative constructive and then rebuild his or her own case.
Preparation Time 2 Minutes
Negative Summary 3 Minutes
The 2nd Negative Speaker presents their closing argument. This speech should summarize the primary reasons for the judge to reject the resolution based on the arguments made and evidence presented throughout the debate.
Preparation Time 2 Minutes
Affirmative Summary 3 Minutes
The 2nd Affirmative Speaker presents their closing argument. This speech should summarize the primary reasons for the judge to affirm the resolution based on the arguments made and evidence presented throughout the debate.
During the Debate Step by Step - More information on what was above...
Speech #1: The Affirmative Constructive
Time Limit: 6 Minutes
Purpose: The affirmative team presents their arguments in favor of the resolution.
Speaker: The First Affirmative (1A)
This is a pre-prepared speech which provides the primary affirmative arguments in favor of the resolution. While the affirmative team will be able to answer negative attacks later in the debate, they can't bring up "new" main ideas or arguments in their favor. Therefore, it is very important that the affirmative team carefully plan their constructive speech. The speech should contain the very best arguments in favor of the resolution. These are the arguments the affirmative will defend throughout the debate.
The speech should be written to persuade the judge and/or audience. To be persuasive, the speech should be clearly written, it should be well supported with credible evidence, and it should use persuasive and attention-holding language.
Cross-Examination #1
Time Limit: 3 Minutes
Purpose: Question and answer
Participants: The 1st negative speaker asks questions of the 1st affirmative speaker
Cross-examination is an important part of the debate round. This is the only time that debaters interact directly. There are two main purposes of cross-examination.
Purpose #1 Clarification: First, issues or arguments that are unclear should be clarified. Simple questions like, "can you please explain your argument against our third contention?" can be crucial. It is impossible to debate well when you aren't sure of your opponent's arguments. Cross-examination gives you time to clarify any confusion.
Purpose #2 Exposing Flaws: Second, cross-examination allows you to expose weaknesses in your opponent's arguments or evidence. When executed well, such a cross-examination can be devastating.
Please see the section on cross-examination for more information.
Speech #2: The Negative Constructive
Time Limit: 6 Minutes
Purpose: The negative team presents their arguments in opposition to the resolution.
Speaker: The First Negative (1N)
Just like the affirmative constructive, the negative constructive outlines the main arguments in opposition to the resolution. It is also a pre-prepared speech, meaning it is not expected to directly answer the arguments made in the affirmative constructive. After the two constructive speeches, each team has presented a set of arguments in their favor. The next logical step is for the two teams to begin to directly attack the arguments made by their opponents.
Cross-Examination #2
Time Limit: 3 Minutes
Purpose: Question and answer
Participants: The 2nd affirmative speaker asks questions of the 1st negative speaker
Speech #3: The 1st Negative Rebuttal
Time Limit: 5 Minutes
Purpose: The negative team refutes the affirmative constructive.
Speaker: The Second Negative (2N)
While the 1N delivers the negative constructive, the 2N gets to plan their attack against the affirmative constructive. In this speech, the negative team presents their refutation (answers to) the affirmative constructive. The goal of the negatives is to disprove, or at least minimize, the affirmative arguments.
Cross-Examination #3
Time Limit: 3 Minutes
Purpose: Question and answer
Participants: The 1st affirmative speaker asks questions of the 2nd negative speaker
Preparation Time: 2 Minutes. All debaters are given 2 minutes at this time to prepare for future speeches. This is especially important for the 2nd affirmative speaker who will give the next speech.
Speech #4: The 1st Affirmative Rebuttal
Time Limit: 7 Minutes
Purpose: The affirmative team refutes the negative constructive AND rebuilds their case.
Speaker: The Second Affirmative (2A)
The first affirmative rebuttal is one of the most challenging speeches in the debate because it requires the 2A to do two things. First, he/she must refute the arguments made during the negative constructive (just as the 2N just refuted the arguments made during the affirmative constructive). Next, he/she must rebuild the affirmative case which was just attacked. The first affirmative rebuttal is the longest speech of the debate, but the time must be carefully divided between the two tasks. It is up to the 2A to decide how to divide the time.
Cross-Examination #4
Time Limit: 3 Minutes
Purpose: Question and answer
Participants: The 2nd Negative Speaker cross-examines the 2nd Affirmative Speaker
Preparation Time: 2 Minutes
Speech #5: The 2nd Negative Rebuttal
Time Limit: 6 Minutes
Purpose: To rebuild the attacks on the affirmative case and to rebuild the negative case.
Speaker: The First Negative (1N)
Now it is the negative team's turn to balance time on both cases. This is the negative's last chance before the summary to clarify, defend, and strengthen their argument's. The first negative speaker should defend the negative case and rebuild the negative attack against the affirmative. The negative team should begin to focus on the critical issues of the debate. There is not time to go into great detail over every issue in the debate.
Preparation Time: 2 Minutes
Speech #6: The 2nd Affirmative Rebuttal
Time Limit: 4 Minutes
Purpose: To rebuild the attacks on the negative case and to rebuild the affirmative case.
Speaker: The First Affirmative (1A)
The affirmative now gets their last chance before the summary to clarify, defend, and strengthen their arguments. This rebuttal is 2 minutes shorter than the 2nd negative rebuttal, so the affirmative team must continue the focus on the critical issues of the debate.
Preparation Time: 2 Minutes
Speech #7: The Negative Summary
Time Limit: 3 Minutes
Purpose: To summarize the reasons why the negative team has won the debate.
Speaker: The Second Negative (2N)
The summary is, of course, the final opportunity to persuade the judge to reject the resolution. Rather than going issue by issue through both cases, the summary should crystallize the debate into several main arguments for the judge to consider. These arguments should be the key issues in determining the winner of the debate.
Preparation Time: 2 Minutes
Speech #8: The Affirmative Summary
Time Limit: 3 Minutes
Purpose: To summarize the reasons why the negative team has won the debate.
Speaker: The Second Affirmative (2A)
The affirmative summary is the final opportunity to persuade the judge to support the resolution. Rather than going issue by issue through both cases, the summary should crystallize the debate into several main arguments for the judge to consider. These arguments should be the key issues in determining the winner of the debate.
Summary of Responsibilities
During the debater, each speaker will give 2 speeches. He or she will also participate in 2 cross-examinations, one as the questioner and one as the person who is questioned. Here is a summary of each person's responsibility through the debate.
First Affirmative (1A)
Affirmative Constructive
Answer questions of 2N
Question 2N after 1st Negative Rebuttal
2nd Affirmative Rebuttal
Second Affirmative (2A)
Question 1N after Negative Constructive
1st Affirmative Rebuttal
Answer questions of 1N
Affirmative Summary
First Negative (1N)
Negative Constructive
Answers questions of 2A
Question 2A after 1st Affirmative Rebuttal
2nd Negative Rebuttal
Second Negative (2N)
Question 1A after Affirmative Constructive
1st Negative Rebuttal
Answer questions of 1A
Negative Summary
After the Debate
• Immediately after the debate, it is customary for both teams to shake hands.
• Any evidence or materials that may have been borrowed during the debate should be returned.
• Occasionally, the judge will have a few brief comments for the debaters, which of course, should be listened to respectfully.
• Finally, all debaters should clean up their materials and move to their next debate. If you are competing in the last debate of the day, be sure to rearrange desks or tables that have been moved. Please help the tournament host by making sure any trash is disposed of.
WRITING YOUR CONSTRUCTIVE SPEECHES
As you already know, your team will present a six minute constructive speech during each debate. The purpose of the constructive speech is to make and support your main arguments in favor of the resolution when you are affirmative) or against the resolution (when you are negative).
Your constructive speech should always accomplish the following:
• It will present your primary arguments
• It will provide support for those arguments in the form of evidence and reasoning
• It should be persuasively written (should include introduction, transitions, & a conclusion)
Beyond those basic guidelines, you have the freedom to create a case that makes sense to you and that you believe will persuade the judge. Let's take a closer look at some of the basic requirements.
The Introduction
Your case should always begin with an introduction. The introduction needs to accomplish two things.
1) State the resolution and your position (in favor of it or opposed to it)
2) Provide a persuasive attention-getter to encourage the audience to listen to your speech.
Sample:
"Every year in the United States, our government executes dozens of convicted murderers. Their crimes are so terrible, that our legal system assigns death as the ultimate punishment. What is truly tragic and hypocritical is that every so often our legal system gets the wrong person. Instead of punishing someone for taking an innocent life, it is our government itself that is taking an innocent life. Because my partner and I believe that this should never happen again, we stand Resolved that the death penalty should be abolished in the United States. First, we'll prove that the death penalty results in miscarriages of justice..."
The Contentions
Your main argument are called contentions. They should be labeled as Contentions and numbered (traditionally Roman Numerals are used because this follows the outline format). Your contentions are statements that must be proven.
Sample:
"Contention I. Innocent People Are Wrongly Executed"
After you have stated your Contention, you must provide reasoning and evidence to support it. The length of the Contention is up to you (you only have 6 minutes, so they will be fairly brief). Also, the number of Contentions that you have is up to you. Usually, a case will have 2 to 4 main contentions.
You may chose to further divide your contentions into sub-points. Sub-points should be labeled with capital letters (following the outline format). Sub-points provide additional organizational structure to help clarify your argument.
Conclusion
After you have made and supported all of your contentions, you should end your case with a brief conclusion. In your conclusion, you should restate your main ideas and end with a persuasive appeal to your audience.
Sample: "In today's debate, the affirmative team has proven that the death penalty results in two major harms to society. First, innocent people are sometimes wrongly executed. Second, the death penalty is discriminatory because it is used more frequently against minorities. Finally,. We have shown that the death penalty has no major benefit because it does not reduce crime rates. In light of this evidence, the right thing to do is to abolish this unfair and ineffective punishment. I am now open for cross-examination."
SUMMARY SPEECHES
The final speeches of the debate should be used to synthesize various arguments into a few critical points for the judge to consider. One might introduce their summary with a statement like "in light of the arguments made in today's debate, we have upheld the resolution because..." This summary statement is difficult for several reasons. First, because of the general nature of the closing argument, the speaker must focus on the "big picture" and less on specific details. Second, the speaker must extend his/her best arguments while answering his/her opponent's best arguments. This requires a careful balance. Of course, each round of debate will lead to unique summary statements. However, here are some general tips for making successful summary statements.
1) Ask yourself, what are our most powerful arguments? After selecting your most powerful arguments you must explain why you have won these arguments and why this means you have won the debate. In other words, explain the impact of your best arguments.
2) Ask yourself, "what are the weaknesses in my opponent's best arguments?" Explain these weaknesses to the judge.
3) The summary must be an extension of the debate. It should show what your team has accomplished during the debate. It should not be new ideas or perspectives that haven't been brought up.
4) The summary should set up a decision-making criteria for the judge. What factors should be given the most weight in making a decision? For example, let's say that the affirmative has proven that adopting the resolution will save a species from extinction. The negative team, on the other hand, is able to prove that adopting the resolution would cost the US $10Billion. In this debate, the two sides would have to weigh saving a species to spending billions of dollars. It is your job as a debater to provide analysis that helps the judge arrive at his or her decision.
CROSS-EXAMINATION
Cross-examination serves three important purposes in the debate. It gives one side the chance to clarify the arguments and evidence presented by the other. Secondly, it is an opportunity to demonstrate flaws in the opponent's arguments. Thirdly, cross-examination is the time when the audience and judge have a chance to see the debaters interact with each other. In other words, cross-examination is a chance to gain the judge's favor.
In cross-examination, both participants face the judge rather than each other. This is because the questions are intended for the audience. The keys to effective cross-examination are good questions and a professional demeanor. Specifically:
1. Ask specific questions that get to the heart of the issue.
2. Be polite, professional, and respectful during cross-examination.
3. Never personalize cross-examination--the focus should always be on issues.
One of the best ways to improve your cross-examination performance is to improve your topic knowledge. The more you know about the topic, the easier you will find it to ask insightful questions and provide effective answers in cross-examination.
CONCLUSION
As you discovered, Chapter II is full of information. If you are new to classic Debate, it is quite normal to be confused by the format. Most beginning debaters have trouble remembering what to do in each speech. There is a simple solution: practice! Once you have been through a few debates, the format will be very easy to remember and you can focus on building better arguments, improving your delivery, and gathering evidence.
