DEBATE WRITING

Debate is a contest between two speakers or two groups of speakers to show their skills and abilities in an
argument over a topic. It is a kind of formal discussion before a public assembly or legislature. It is a persuasive
manner of speaking with the aim of converting the view of another person, or of the audience, to your own point
of view. A speaker either speaks for or against the issue being discussed.

Points to be Kept in Mind

- Debate should always have a good introduction to grab the audience’s attention and garner interest in the topic.
- Prepare the debate properly by considering both positive and negative aspects of the topic.
- Address the jury and the audience properly.
- Make your stand very clear from the beginning.
- Highlight the main points of your argument emphatically.
- While developing points, substantiate them with relevant examples, statistics, etc.
- Use argumentative style and logical reasoning.
- State your own opinion or view in the concluding lines with a powerful statement to emphasise your stand on
the issue.
- Some examples can be added in support of your view.
- Throughout the debate, stick to your viewpoint either in favour or against the motion.
- Include rhetorical questions, which makes your opponents consider the validity of your point while it
undermines their point.

Steps to write a Debate

1. Write Heading/ Topic of the debate at the top.
2. Write ‘For/ against the Motion’ below the topic/ Heading.
3. Address the Audience: Honourable judges, learned teachers and dear students.
4. Begin with: I stand here today to speak for the motion (name of the topic) that …………………..
5. Stick to your view point either in favour or against.
6. The opening sentence should touch the main theme and the last sentence should specify the conclusion of the
topic.
7. It is more appropriate that one single paragraph should deal with one thought thoroughly.
8. Bank up arguments with relevant information.
9. Total agreement or disagreement with the topic should be expressed forcefully and clearly by using the
following:
(a) I’d like to argue….
(b) In my opinion……
(c) May I ask?
(d) Refer to your opponent’s view/views
(e) I, therefore, wholeheartedly support the view that…….
(f) I feel strongly that……
(g) My knowledgeable opponent has submitted that…………
(h) Honourable judges, my dear opponent has overlooked the fact that…………
10. Develop each point in a systematic and logical manner.
11. Your composition should be meaningful, brief and to the point. Unnecessary or superfluous details or
explanations must be avoided.
12. In the end, write Thank you

FORMAT FOR DEBATE WRITING

You are Zeenia/Zeeshan a class XII student of RSV school, Badli. You interacted with your friends for knowing
their views on shopping Malls which have come up in every corner of the city. You found that around half the
total number of your friends love to go to Malls, while the other half hate them. Write a debate in 150-200. Words
in favour of or against the topic Mall Culture in Cities.

MALL CULTURE IN CITIES Formal address

A debate begins with a formal address
(For the motion)
to the chief guest, other eminent
By Zeeshan people and the audience.
Honourable Chairman, judges and my dear friends
I stand before you to express my views in favour of the motion ‘Mall culture in cities’.
Content
Shopping malls are becoming integral part of cities. Every corner of a city has at least
 one shopping mall in it. They are fast emerging as new hallmark of Expression
(a) Grammatical accuracy appropriate
development. Teenagers love to visit malls with their friends and family. Airconditioned
words and spellings.
atmosphere provides a big relief from sweltering heat one has to face while shopping in (b) Coherence and relevance of ideas
markets in summers. The neat and clean, safe and secure building helps teenagers to and style.
forget the stress and pressure of schools and colleges and enjoy free time in a relaxed
way. Shopping malls help teenagers to shop for anything under the sky under one roof.
All their favourite things like Junk Jewellery, latest DVD, newly released books all are
available there. They can take electronic item of any brand without caring about
bargaining as the articles sold in malls are of quality brands with fixed price tags.
Window shopping, the best way to learn about latest products in market is best done in
malls. Teenagers with their peer are seen window shopping at showrooms of famous
brands there.
Shopping malls also provide perfect place to give and enjoy parties. McDonalds, Pizza
huts, KFC and many such eating joints have their outlets in malls. It is becoming a new
trend among teenagers to celebrate birthdays, friendship days and many such occasion
in the company of whole gang of their friends in shopping malls. Shopping malls with
their movie theatres provide another way of enjoying holidays with friends and family.
One can watch latest movie in cool and relaxed atmosphere of such theatres. Thus,
shopping malls are emerging as the most favourite place for teenagers to hang around Formal thanks
in the company of their loved ones without worrying about heat or hunger. At the end of the debate, the speaker
Thank you formally thanks the audience for their
cooperation and listening to him/her.
(Against the motion)
By Zeenia
Hon’ble Chairman, judges and my dear friends Formal address
A debate begins with a formal address
I stand before you to express my views against the motion ‘Mall culture in cities’.
to the chief guest, other eminent
Mushrooming of shopping malls in every nook and corner of cities is becoming a people and the audience.
nuisances for common people. Teenagers suffer most because of increasing mall culture
in cities.
Content
Everything about malls is detestable. Their imposing structure and lucrative exterior
Expression
symbolise the superficiality of city life with increasing materialistic outlook of its people. (a) Grammatical accuracy appropriate
They seem to be blot on social growth of people. Youngsters, especially teenagers spend words and spellings.
their valuable time and hard earned money of their parents in malls. (b) Coherence and relevance of ideas
and style.
Shopping malls are harmful for health of the visitors. The air inside the mall is stale due
to its being air-conditioned without proper ventilation. The air inside it contains fumes
from its eating joints besides breathed out air of the crowd there.
Shopping malls are heavy on the purse also. Most of the showroom in malls charge
higher prices in comparison to those in open markets as they have to pay higher rents.
It costs many times more to watch movies or buy things here. Shopping malls encourage
western culture among teenagers. They get lured by the glossy advertisements about
the eating joints there and want to give parties in them instead of at home. They thus,
harm teenagers as they get away from Indian values like partying at home with parents.
To conclude, one can say it emphatically that today’s Teenagers under the bad influence
of western culture, encouraged by malls, spend their valuable time and hard-earned
money by roaming around aimlessly and many a times anonymously in malls in the
Formal thanks
name of window shopping. They want to show off to their friends their spending powers
At the end of the debate, the speaker
and western outlook at the cost of time and money. formally thanks the audience for their
Thank you. cooperation and listening to him/her.

Sample 01
Write a debate in 150-200 Words in favour of or against the topic ‘Fast food are health hazards’.

FAST FOODS ARE HEALTH HAZARDS

(For the Motion)
By Arpan
Honourable Chairman, worthy teachers and dear students
Today I stand before you to speak for the motion on ‘Fast foods are health hazards’. Well, I hope you’ll agree with me that
fast foods like burgers, hot dogs etc, are really health hazards. These are cooked in very unhygienic conditions. Secondly, the
material used in them is of inferior quality. We see that these are sold in street corners and on hand carts. These are exposed
to insects like flies and get dust. Even the paper plates on which these are served is of inferior quality. Very much spiced,
these become the favourites of the children. There is every likelihood of children falling sick due to these fast foods. I am,
therefore, of the opinion that they must be banned for selling in the streets. Even shops selling them must be checked and
their qualities be tested.
Honourable judges, you’ll agree with me that our school-going children and the youth depend heavily on these fast food
items. They ape the Western culture in relishing them with fizzy drinks. But we know it already that these make them fat
and obese. Obesity is already in action. This means that fast foods are real health hazards.
Thank you all.

(Against the Motion)

By Aarti
Honourable Chairperson, worthy teachers and dear students
Today I stand before you to speak against the motion on ‘Fast foods are health hazards’. My knowledgeable friend has
painted a rather sad picture of fast foods. But it is not so that every kind of fast food sold anywhere is a health hazard. You
all will kindly see that these fast foods are prepared in hygienic conditions, though it can’t be said about the fast foods sold
in street corners. But bad fast foods available in one corner can’t label all fast foods joints as bad. See for yourself at famous
fast foods organizations like McDonald’s, Pizza Hut etc. These multi-national organizations have world standards about their
recipes of fast foods. Then there are health inspectors who can raid any fast food selling joints for their qualities.
Honourable judges, my dear opponent has overlooked the fact that fast foods have become very popular because of their
time-saving aspects. In today’s modern world when life is running like a jet, no one has time. These fast foods have become
a very good answer to the fast-moving life. We can see that the youth are always on the run and they can eat these while
‘running’ the race of life.
Finally, these fast foods have the substances which are good for health and carry the genuine items in them. Then their tastes
as well as qualities are just good. Their popularity speaks their qualities.
Thank you all.

SAMPLE 02
Write a debate in 150-200 Words in favour of or against the topic ‘Modern living has made the people of India
weak, unhealthy and disease-prone’.

MODERN LIVING – DISEASE PRONE

(For the Motion)
By Akanksha
Worthy chairman, respected judges and dear students.
Today I stand before you to speak for the motion on ‘Modern living has made the people of India weak, unhealthy and
disease-prone’.
In my opinion, modern living has made the people of India weak, unhealthy and disease-prone. Today’s life is full of stress,
tension, pressures and worries. These begin right from the stage a child is admitted to school. Competition, hurried life,
uncertainty of future doubts about success, possibilities of failure etc. cause stress on the human mind. I submit that with
one’s growth these worries also grow.
I strongly feel that what we eat and how we live are major factors for making weak .Adulteration, impurities of food articles,
irregularity in taking food, wrong habits and eating fly-exposed market foods are the other side of our life. I firmly believe
that the fast life and that too full of air, sound and water pollution causes diseases. Smoke, sound and contaminated water
tend to make us catch diseases. May I ask : do we have enough time to have a walk in nature, to breathe in clean and fresh
air ? No, certainly not. The results can be seen in the increasing number of patients in hospitals.
Next, the living style is also to blame. I disagree that we become safe from mosquitoes by using coils, repellents, aerosols,
etc. The matter in them is certainly poisonous. They cause dizziness, skin and lung diseases. I draw the attention that our
habits to sleep inside the homes with coolers or fans cause diseases. We breathe in stale air and make ourselves prone to
various diseases.
My final argument is that we seek a shortcut to everything. This love of ease is an invitation to disease. I, therefore, strongly
support that our present life-styles tend to make us easy victims to these diseases.
Thank you all.

(Against the Motion)

By Akanksha
Honourable chairman, respected judges and dear students.
I stand before you to speak against the motion on ‘Modern living has made the people of India weak, unhealthy and disease-
prone.’
My learned opponent has, in fact, painted a sad picture that modern living has made the people of India weak, unhealthy and
disease-prone. Life expectancy of the people will refute this argument. I submit that modern living has, on the contrary,
proved a boon for good health of all. In the past, many women used to die during the delivery period; many people and
children died for want of medical help. This is not so now. Child-care education and better means of modern living have
resulted in the sound health of all. Longevity has also increased much.
My next argument is about availability of many comforts. No doubt, life today is fast and competitive. But these are offset by
comforts. When one feels ease and comfort, one tends to be away from the stresses and strains.
I strongly oppose the view that various insecticides cause lung diseases, dizziness, headaches etc. On the contrary, every
pack has a warning pasted on it. Their proper use, as per these directions, therefore, can check their side-effects.
My knowledgeable opponent has spoken about pollution. Our Government is taking all steps to check it.
I firmly reject that hospitals and nursing homes show unhealthy condition of the people. Surely, these indicate the health of
our people. I, therefore, strongly feel that modern living has proved a blessing for the sound health of all the people.
Thank you all.