» Although millions of

people all over the

world, they do not all

debate in the same way,

in the same format, or

even in the same

language.

» Most debates have a

few characteristics in

common

• A fixed topic

• Try to persuade

audience or judge.

~ Often, arguments are successful

because they are .

~ Important difference: an argument is

a simple .

~ “The death penalty is justified.”

~ “Hyacinths are better than roses.”

Offer Proof – Win Over Your Audience

Successful Arguments = Complete Arguments

• 3 basic parts necessary

• Assertion - a statement that

something is so

• Reasoning - the reason why the

assertion is valid

• Evidence - the proof of the reasoning

¿ Why debates need a clash?• Debate deals with arguments.• That is why refutation or counter-

argument is necessary - because it promotes direct clash between arguments .

There are many ways to answer an argument.

Firstly, you could provide a counterclaim – e.g.

Speaker 1: Bananas are better than oranges because they contain more potassium.

Speaker 2: Speaker 1 says that bananas are better than oranges, but I disagree. Oranges are better than bananas.

In order to refute an argument, you must include what we call a “therefore” component. This component is where you explain why your argument trumps the argument of your opponent.