Let's talk about debates

A debate is a spoken discussion involving two sides. In Ancient Greece, around 500 BC, various groups living around Athens would send representatives to debate laws. This began the tradition of democracy and parliamentary debating.


     If you have observed parliament in action in Canberra or your state capital, you will have noted that there are speakers for and against a motion. At the end of the debate a vote is taken. If the for side gets more votes, the motion is passed. If the against side gets more votes, the motion is lost.


     Competition debating involves two teams. One team is the affirmative (yes or for) side while the other team is the negative (no or against) side. Each team has three speakers and can have a fourth 'silent' speaker who takes notes and gives ideas to the other speakers on his/her team. The structure of a debate is usually as follows.


1. A chairperson introduces the topic for debate and calls on the first speaker for the affirmative side. A time limit is set and a timekeeper rings a bell to signal one minute to go and 'time's up'.
2. The first speaker for the affirmative side speaks first. This speaker's role is to define the topic from the affirmative team's point of view and to preview to the audience what each team member is going to say.
3. The chairperson introduces the first speaker for the negative team.
4. The first speaker for the negative side speaks next. This speaker must tell the negative's point of view, criticise the affirmative speaker's argument and preview to the audience what each team member is going to say.
5. The chairperson introduces the second speaker for the affirmative team.
6. The second speaker for the affirmative team continues expressing the point of view of his/her team. It is important to elaborate and to use evidence to support the case. This speaker can briefly criticise what the first speaker for the negative said. The purpose of this speaker is to convince the audience in believing the affirmative case.
7. The chairperson introduces the second speaker for the negative team.
8. The second speaker for the negative team must present the main points of view. It is important to elaborate and to use evidence to support the case. This speaker can briefly criticise what the second speaker for the affirmative said. The purpose of this speaker is to convince the audience to believe the negative case.
9. The chairperson introduces the third speaker for the affirmative team.
10. The third speaker for the affirmative team has the task of criticising the points made by the negative team, convincing the audience that the affirmative team's line of argument is right and that the negative  team's line argument is wrong, and summing up his/her team's case.
11. The chairperson introduces the third speaker for the negative team.
12. The third speaker for the negative team has the task of criticising the points made by the affirmative team, convincing the audience that the negative team's line of argument is right and that the affirmative team's line of argument is wrong, and summing up his/her team's case.


     The chairperson calls on the adjudicator to say who won the debate and why. The adjudicator judges the debate based on matter (what was said), method (how it was set out) and manner (how it was said).


Source: Anderson, Mark and Kathy Anderson. 1997. Text Types in English 1. South Yarra: Macmillan Education Australia Pty Ltd.