Step-by-Step Debate Writing Guide - 65+ Topics and Examples Included

Worried about writing a debate for the debate competition? This article will share the key steps that you can follow to develop a winning debate. Let’s delve into it to learn more!

Imagine you are standing behind a podium, excited to deliver your debate, but when you start speaking, suddenly you feel like you are at a loss for words. Generally, students face this type of situation when they don’t write their debate before delivering it. 

The inability to formulate their thoughts in a debate is one of the key obstacles that hinders them from expressing themselves. If you are also among those students and eager to know the secret behind debate writing, we have got you covered. In this blog, we’ll share a step-by-step guide to writing a successful debate. Continue reading to explore this guide.

Points To Remember:

• Debate writing is an important step in debate preparation, which gives you a chance to organise ideas before speaking.

• Learn the key features that make a debate engaging and impactful.

• See how conducting research allows the writer to gather credible information about the topic.

• Explore how an outline helps in a smooth writing process, starting from structuring the introduction and ending with summarising the debate.

• Proofreading is the chance to make your debate flawless and error-free.

• Here, you will also explore some appealing and engaging debate topics from which you can choose for your debate.

Before jumping into the writing process, let’s first learn what debate writing and its core features are.

Debate Writing - Fundamentals You Must Know

Boston University defines debate writing as “It is the fundamental step of debate preparation, which involves organising thoughts, arguments, and sources in a writing format to familiarise yourself with what you will discuss during the oral debate.” 

Have a look at some core features of debate writing that would help you in your writing process in the later stage:

• Informative: A good debate outlines in-depth information and facts about the topics because the main purpose of this debate is to educate the audience.
• Orderly: The debate must present all the arguments and counterarguments in a structured and organised way so the listeners easily get to know the purpose of the talk.
• Persuasive: During the writing process, you must ensure that you present strong arguments that are impactful enough to convince your audience.
• Dynamic: Debate is a dynamic document that comprises two opposing arguments in a structured way. However, it is important that all the arguments and counterarguments are presented as per the structure format.
• Well-reasoned: All the arguments in a debate must be logical, well-researched, and competent. 

As you have learnt about writing a debate and its features, now it’s the right time to explore the debate writing process outlined by The Academic Papers UK’s experts.

Debate Writing - A Step-by-Step Writing Guide for Students

Whether you are an experienced debater or a newbie, writing a debate before delivering it is important. Writing an impactful debate demands well-researched arguments, clear thinking, and an excellent way to express yourself. 

However, writing a great debate is a hard nut for students due to their weak writing skills. They can avail themselves of academic writing services like The Academic Papers UK, to ensure their success.

Apart from that, they can follow some effective steps for debate writing. Check out what these steps are.

1: Conduct Research On Debate Topic

Before starting to write the debate, conducting research about the topic is important to gather credible information. It is true that during the debate, you only have to take one side of the discussion, but it is essential to spend some time thoroughly understanding all the aspects of the topic.

You can conduct in-depth research on the debate topic by following the steps given below by the College of the Holy Cross:

• Brainstorm ideas related to the topic and write them on paper. Make sure that you brainstorm all the components of both sides so you will not leave any stone unturned.
• You can visit your institution’s library and explore all the resources, such as books, journals, or newspapers, to gather credible information related to your topic.
• In addition, you can research your debate topic on the Internet and collect data from authentic sources. Be cautious about the unverified sites when you explore your debate topic on the internet.

Note: When you research your topic, make sure that you also explore the strongest arguments that your opponents might make. Considering these arguments is important, as ignoring the strongest arguments can make your rhetorical appeal less effective. 

2: Craft an Outstanding Outline

After gathering reliable data about your debate topic, the next step is to make a basic outline of your debate. It is good to memorise the entire speech and use this debate outline as notes. You can revise these notes before delivering the speech instead of reviewing the entire speech. Also, the debate outline helps you to organise your thoughts before starting to write the debate.

A basic debate outline consists of the following components:

• An attention-grabber opener
• Your stance that may be affirmative or negative
• Your definitions and values
• Criterion
• Contentions

You can break all of these components into subcategories to explain each of them effectively. However, it is good to start with your criteria and values and work on the contentions last.

3: Start Writing with a Catchy Introduction

The introduction of your debate is the first part of your debate, so it must be catchy and interesting. This section must grab the audience’s attention and set the stage for your entire debate. Moreover, making a good first impression on the jury is also important, so you must make them feel that your debate is persuasive at the very beginning.

The Atlanta Urban Debate League experts state the two ways to start a winning debate:

• One of the best ways to start your introduction is by contextualising the topic, especially if the topic is about real-world events. 
• Another way to start your debate introduction is with an example, anecdote, or quotation to build a connection with the audience and judges.

After starting your debate introduction with a strong hook, add the following components to it.

• After the hook, introduce the main issue that you are going to discuss in your speech.
• Now, it’s time to present your thesis statement and outline your main argument. At this place, you have to take a position on the topic, which may be supporting or opposing.
• In the end, briefly explain the key points that you will cover in your debate body. It is like a summary of your overall body of debate. 

4: Time to State Your Stance Clearly

As you have given a brief about your stance in the introduction section, it is important to outline once again where you stand on the topic. Make sure that you clearly and concisely state your position so the audience and the judges do not confuse your stance.

No matter whether you are affirmative or negative on the topic, say firmly what you believe. In addition, University of Sheffield Hallam experts recommend that you don’t need to mix your stance. Always state in simple and firm words whether you are negative or affirm the resolution. Keep in mind that there is no need to explain the reasons behind your stance; you say what you believe.

 For instance, you can say that “I firmly negate the resolution which outlines that the Israeli pre-emptive attack on Iran is justified to deter them from spreading nuclear proliferation.”

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5: Work on the Debate Body

Now it’s time to write the debate’s body section, where you have to develop the main arguments and back them with 2-3 supporting points to justify your position. Back every key point with some examples, statistics, and other strong evidence. It is the longest part of your speech, so pay close attention to structuring this section.

Follow the tips below to structure your debate body, outlined by the professors of the University of Glasgow.

• Always focus on the causes of the main problem and its effects. After stating the cause and effects, you have to present an effective solution by using expert opinion, examples, and related statistics.
• It is good to use visual aids to show each detail to your audience. Using these images instead of generic terms can leave a strong impact on your audience and jury.
• Clearly reflect your motive and appeal behind every key point to your audience with a lighter touch of emotion. Adding real-life examples will help you showcase your motivation behind your stance.
• In the essay body, it is good to use rhetorical analysis questions, which eventually make your opponents think about the validity of their counterarguments. This approach will make you seem more intelligent and prepared.

6: Write a Strong Conclusion

The conclusion paragraph is the last section of your debate and is the final opportunity for you to impress your audience and jury. This part must comprise all the key points of your debate to strengthen your position. Below are some effective ways to conclude your debate, given by the Durham Union:

You can conclude your debate by linking it back with the introduction and wrapping up on the same theme as you crafted the introductory paragraph.

• Another way to wrap up your debate is with a quotation from a famous personality.
• You can also summarise your debate by stating the main arguments of your speech and reminding the judges what your position is.

Follow the tips below to conclude your debate effectively:

• Always end your speech by summarising the key points of the debate.
• It is important to restate the main argument of your debate in the concluding paragraph.
• Never forget to highlight the importance of your position in the last section.
• Always address the counterarguments in a confident tone. 

7: Make Your Debate Flawless by Proofreading

As you have written your debate, now it’s time to proofread it before memorising it. This proofreading allows you to identify the structural mistakes and weak flows. Keep in mind the following things when you proofread your document:

• When you proofread your document, make sure all your arguments are clearly and precisely stated and easy to understand for the audience.
• Double-check that all your ideas are structured logically.
• Give one separate read to identify your grammar and spelling mistakes.
• Check the tone and overwriting style of your debate and ensure that it is professional and confident.
• For one time, read your speech aloud, as it will help you identify the mistakes that you probably missed during silent reading. 

8: Create a Checklist

Many students hurry to start practising their speech, as on the day of the talk, they come to know that they have missed some key aspects in their debate writing process. But what else can they do at that moment? If you don’t want to become one of them, then you must create a checklist to ensure that your written debate is ready to deliver.

Furthermore, this debate also helps you to assess the credibility of your debate. Check out what to add to your checklist:

• Does your speech begin with an engaging hook?
• Did you follow the correct sentence structure in your debate?
• Is there a seamless transition between your ideas?
• Is your debate clearly reflecting your main position?
• Did you follow the right debate structure?
• Does your debate include the original content and personal anecdotes?
• Did you proofread your debate to identify grammar and spelling mistakes?
• Does your debate end with a powerful conclusion and leave a lasting impression on your judges and audience?

Once you have proofread your debate and marked all the points on this checklist, you are ready to deliver an impactful speech and impress your audience.

Explore Debate Writing Samples

Now that you have learnt how to write a winning debate, we hope that you can now write an impactful speech related to your educational course. If you are still in doubt due to weak persuasive skills, you can seek academic writing help services from our professional writers, who know how to structure each type of academic document.

Besides, you can check out some debate writing samples that are given below. 

The first example is by Examples.com, in which the writer crafted a well-structured speech backed with strong evidence. 

The next example is by Techmint. Check out how the writer developed his argument in this speech.

A Go-To List of Debate Writing Topics

Choosing a good debate topic is important to deliver an impactful message during the speech. Half of the struggle of debate speech writing disappears when you pick a unique debate topic. But selecting the right topic is an uphill battle for students. To help them, we are going to share a go-to list of powerful debate writing topics. Students can pick any of these topics and start writing a winning debate.

Have a look at what these topics are:

Interesting Debate Topics

1. The use of autonomous weapons in modern warfare is ethically wrong, and the international organisation should implement measures to prevent this use.
2. Social media is the prime source of electoral participation.
3. Setting a global basic income can play a crucial role in reducing economic inequality and low unemployment in underdeveloped countries.
4. The government should take measures to protect digital data and information privacy in today’s fast-moving world.
5. Nuclear energy is the key component of the future sustainable energy plan.
6. Globalisation is the basic element that intermixes the cultural identities and traditions.
7. It is aesthetically right to maintain the personal data of the employees without any stricter privacy policies.
8. The emerging trend in artificial intelligence is leading the world to increasing unemployment rates. 
9. Should genetic modification be strictly regulated for humans?
10. Developed countries have failed to strike a balance between economic growth and environmental sustainability in the growing climate change issue.

Controversial Debate Topics

1. Is it justifiable to launch a military action in the Middle East region without the approval of Congress?
2. There is no harm in using performance-enhancing drugs during sports.
3. Is the ban on the fur clothing industry ethically justified to prevent animal cruelty?
4. Should the government impose an additional tax on sugary foods and drinks to reduce the obesity rate?
5. Public surveillance cameras are a threat to privacy protection in this digital age.
6. Life-saving treatments must be free for all people, especially for those who cannot pay the bill for them.
7. Is the introduction of the new consent feature on social media platforms effective in stopping the spread of misinformation?
8. Is it ethically and morally right to use genetic engineering to shape ourselves?
9. The use of animals for testing new cosmetic products in the beauty industry is ethically wrong.
10. The emerging extremist political groups across the world are a threat to global peace.
11. Should physician-assisted suicide be legalised for people suffering from chronic illnesses?
12. Is it right to sell the synthetic organs for transplant through a private organisation?

Funny Debate Topics

1. Aliens vs robots: who is the best companion for humans?
2. Is impulsive online shopping a bad or a good habit for Gen Z?
3. Is it socially acceptable to start the Christmas decorations in early September?
4. Are chicken sandwiches just another name for chicken burgers?
5. Apple Pay and Google Pay are the best replacements for a physical wallet in today’s world.
6. Spoiling the show is right for the friends who always cancel the plan at the last moment.
7. Laughter emojis are an overrated way to express laughter: syntax characters are always on top.
8. Is time travel ever possible in this real world? If yes, then where would you go in the past or the future?

Debate Topics for Students

1. Should the government limit the use of cryptocurrencies due to the increasing cases of online financial fraud?
2. Mental health vs physical health: which one is more important?
3. Recreational drugs are harmless, and the government should give the green light to their usage.
4. Human doctors are more credible as compared to AI doctors.
5. The emerging use of artificial intelligence steals jobs from the human workforce.
6. Electric cars are a great solution to overcome the increasing problems and issues.
7. Is working from home effective in achieving work-life balance in today’s fast-paced world?
8. Is imposing a higher ratio of wealth taxes the solution to reducing economic inequality?
9. The private companies should not use the personal data of employees for targeted ads.
10. Social media platforms are responsible for biasing public opinion during elections.

Debating Topics on Education

1. Educational institutions should have access to the students’ social media activities to make sure that they are not involved in any unethical behaviour.
2. Every school should provide free meals to students.
3. Can performance-based financial aid reduce the college dropout ratio in the US?
4. Colleges and universities should remove the requirement of passing standardised tests, such as, SAT or ACT, to get admission.
5. Students should get permission to use ChatGPT to complete their academic assignments.
6. Is there a need to implement a healthier lunch program for students in junior and high school?
7. Are university assignments and other writing tasks contributing to stress and depression among students?
8. Should school uniforms be mandatory for students of all educational levels?

Psychological Debate Topics

1. Is it right that psychologists prescribe medication to their patients for anxiety?
2. Every psychologist should report the child abuse if he/she suspect it during the case.
3. Is hypnosis legal to use during sessions with patients?
4. Psychologists can establish a dual relationship with their clients.
5. Can leadership skills develop after successful psychological treatment?
6. Should parental rights be limited if any of the parents is mentally disabled or ill?
7. There are negative psychological effects of custody cases that often distort the child’s personality.
8. Are gender roles in our society biologically determined, or are they rooted in traditional norms?
9. Is a psychopath born with a mental disorder or created with the influence of the outside world?

Political Debate Topics

1. Should the government allow freedom of speech for the betterment of society?
2. Paying a 20% tip for the food services is ethically and morally justified for the consumers.
3. Should America intervene in the Russia-Ukraine conflict after the Israel-Iran war?
4. Is free college education the right of all high school students?
5. The role of the UN in the recent Israel-Iran war is remarkable.
6. Every kind of politics should be kept out of the premises of educational institutions.
7. Is providing the best healthcare services the responsibility of the state government at any cost?
8. The government should make the availability of internet free and easily accessible for all students.
9. Should nuclear weapons be legalised in modern warfare?
10. The government should support the smooth transition of work from an on-site to a remote setting in the private organisation. 

Conclusion

Debate writing is a challenging task for students, as it demands strong critical thinking skills, mental abilities, and writing skills. Most students find themselves in hot water when their teacher asks them to give a speech. To help them, we have come up with a step-by-step guide to write an impactful debate.

The key steps of this writing include researching to collect data about the topic, making an outline for the debate, writing an engaging introduction, stating your stance clearly, structuring the debate body, writing the conclusion, proofreading, and marking all the points on the checklist.

Besides these steps, we also shared some debate writing samples for your better understanding. We sincerely hope that our guide will be helpful to you in writing your debate. For additional support, you can approach us to seek our academic writing services from our qualified writers, like The Academic Papers UK, who are proficient in structuring debates on every topic.

FAQs

What are the Five Rules of the Debate?

Debate is a powerful academic tool to build confidence and polish your overall personality. You should deliver multiple debates during your academic career; however, there are some general rules that you must know while speaking about a topic in front of an audience.

Check out what these rules are:

• Whether you are supporting or opposing the resolution, never move from your main point of view.
• When you give a present, make sure that you give two or three supporting pieces of evidence to support your stance and make it credible.
• Make sure that all the facts that you have presented in your debate are accurate and up-to-date.
• Never bring new points or opinions in the rebuttal speech, as it will make your overall speech weak. 

How to Select a Good Topic for Your Debate?

Selecting a good topic of debate is an important step that allows you to conduct in-depth research and explore the different aspects of the topic. To choose a good debate topic, you must follow the tips below:

• Make sure that your chosen topic is relevant and resonates with the current real-life issues. Also, choose a topic about which you are passionate, as it will make your debate enjoyable for you.
• Always add a balanced viewpoint of both sides. No matter whether you affirm or negate the resolution, present balanced arguments. This will give your discussion depth and let your audience know that you have explored all the aspects of the topic.
• When you consider any topic for your debate, first make sure that there are enough resources and information available on your topic, as this will help you to support your main argument. 

How Long Should a Debate Be?

The duration of your speech depends on the level of your education. For instance, a debate for the high school level should be five to ten minutes long. On the other hand, the university-level debate can go for even 20-25 minutes. 

Apart from the educational level, the duration of your speech also depends on the depth of the topic. Therefore, you always pay close attention to choosing the topic for your debate. 

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