How do you start a debate against the motion?
Asked by: Cecilia Kuhic PhD | Last update: October 11, 2025Score: 4.1/5 (7 votes)
Begin your debate with a compelling introduction. State the motion, provide a brief overview of your opposition, and grab the audience's attention.
How do you start an opposing debate?
You could start your debate with a powerful quote or strong facts to draw attention instantly. Practice is crucial to mastering any art. So, if you are nervous about your debate, practice, practice, and practice some more. Your fear will go away!
How do I start off an argument in a debate?
Start with a captivating hook: Begin with a thought-provoking question, an intriguing fact, or a compelling anecdote that relates to your topic. This will immediately engage the audience and make them eager to hear more. Example: ``Imagine a world where every voice is heard, where ideas clash and minds are sharpened.
How do you start an opening statement for a debate?
``Today, I stand before you to affirm that (state your position on the topic). I firmly believe that (briefly explain your main argument).'' Provide a compelling statistic or relevant quote: Share a statistic or a quote from a credible source that highlights the significance or impact of the topic you are debating.
What are some lines to start a debate?
- [some nice opening, e.g. quote]
- Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to this debate.
- Welcome from this side of the house…
- The motion for debate today is: …
Debating skills - Introduction
How to start a debate against the motion?
- Greet the audience. You should always greet your audience. ...
- State what your side is arguing. After you greet your audience, concisely state your team's argument. ...
- Make eye contact with audience members. Try to make eye contact with individual persons in the audience. ...
- Speak slowly and clearly.
What is a good example of a debate?
A debate is a formal discussion about a subject where people have different views. Different facts and opinions are presented by each side during the discussion. Watch this short debate about whether children should wear school uniforms.
How do you start a strong opening statement?
Your opening statement should start with a hook that grabs your reader's attention and makes them curious about what's to come. A hook can be a surprising fact, an intriguing question, or a vivid description.
How do you start a line of argument?
- Formulate your main claim. You can start by drafting a claim, a hypothesis or a position on an issue. ...
- Bring together your reasons and evidence. ...
- Structure your argument. ...
- Test and refine your main claim.
What is a powerful way to start a debate?
Opening a debate effectively involves grabbing attention with a compelling statement or question related to the topic, providing context, and outlining your main points. To close, summarize key arguments, reinforce your position, and leave a lasting impression with a strong concluding statement or call to action.
What are sentence starters for debate?
- I agree ... because/due to the fact that... ...
- I am sure... I wonder... ...
- I agree with... and I want to add... Building on from what... said... Adding to what...said... ...
- I can see your point, but... Whilst I understand what you're saying, I also think... ...
- I know... ...
- I haven't decided because.. ...
- Did you know that... ?
How do you start an opposing argument?
- Some people believe/argue/feel/think that…
- It is true that…
- Opposing views claim…
- One common concern about (the issue) is…
- Supporters of….
How do you start an argument in a debate?
- Introduce the problem. Introduce the problem or issue at the center of your argument. ...
- Present your claim. ...
- Support your claim. ...
- Acknowledge the opposing side of the argument. ...
- Restate your claim.
How do you write a debate against the motion essay?
- Address the Audience: Begin by addressing the audience politely and respectfully. ...
- Express Gratitude: Express appreciation for the opportunity to speak. ...
- Introduce Yourself: ...
- Acknowledge the Opponent: ...
- Establish Rapport: ...
- Relevant Quote or Anecdote: ...
- State the Motion or Topic: ...
- Preview Your Position:
What is the best opening sentence?
- "Here is a small fact: You are going to die." ...
- “All this happened, more or less." ...
- “It was a bright cold day in April and the clocks were striking thirteen.” ...
- “It was a pleasure to burn.” ...
- “We went to the moon to have fun, but the moon turned out to completely suck.”
What is the opening statement of a debate?
Opening statements should contain an explanation of the topic, acknowledgment of the opposing team's concerns and directly address those concerns.
What is a powerful opening?
The first element of a powerful speech opening is to hook your audience with something that sparks their curiosity, interest, or emotion. This could be a surprising fact, a provocative question, a personal story, a relevant quote, or a humorous anecdote.
What's a good sentence for debate?
Examples from Collins dictionaries
An intense debate is going on within the Israeli government. There has been a lot of debate among scholars about this. There are expected to be some heated debates in parliament over the next few days. The United Nations Security Council will debate the issue today.
How to debate for beginners?
- Define your audience. ...
- Commit to a single claim. ...
- Structure your argument around your claim. ...
- Incorporate research. ...
- Anticipate opposing claims. ...
- Address your argument's flaws. ...
- Ask questions. ...
- Answer questions directly.
What is a good argument example?
Smoking is bad for your health. Therefore smoking is bad for your health. This argument is actually sound. The premise is true, and the argument is valid, because the conclusion does follow from the premise!
How to start a debate example?
You should include several key elements in your introduction that set the stage for your debate: Begin with a captivating statement, anecdote, question, statistic, or quote that will capture the audience's attention and pique their interest in the topic.
What are good words to use in a debate?
- Inconsistent. Definition: Not staying the same throughout; contradictory. ...
- Distinction. Definition: A difference or contrast between similar things or people. ...
- Superficial. ...
- Generalization. ...
- Incompetent. ...
- Assertion. ...
- Evading. ...
- Faulty.
What is a simple greeting for debate?
Debating is an art of confidently trying to prove your assertions regarding for or against a topic. ' Good evening respected judges, my worthy opponents, faculty members and audience , I (NAME) hereby humbly express my thanks for your interest in the (SUBJECT ).