Formats of Debate

Lincoln-Douglas
 Lincoln-Douglas
• (also called as the two men debate)
• there is only one speaker in the side of the
affirmative as well as in the side of the
negative 
 Lincoln-Douglas
• Named in honor of the two famous debaters
who used it from

• This debate format derives directly from the

US Presidential debates
Number of people in the debate: 2
Number of people in a team: 1
Number of teams in the debate: 2
Duration of the speeches: The times are different
from speech to speech, and are marked at the
speeches.
Questions format: Cross-examination
Format:
1st Affirmative constructive – 7 minutes
Cross-examination – negative asks affirmative –
3 minutes
There will be the so-called rebuttal speeches.
The debaters should not present new arguments,
but are allowed to present new evidence.
1st Affirmative rebuttal – 4 minutes
1st Negative rebuttal – 7 minutes
2nd Affirmative rebuttal – 4 minutes
• The speaker in the affirmative side
opens the debate then followed by the
negative speech.
British
Parliamentary
Debate
• The parliamentary debate is a specialized format
involving the use of special procedures.
• Teams are divided into the “government”
(affirmative) and “opposition” (negative)

• The first team (first table) starts the debate.

• The second table team has to extend the debate on a
different level also known as the extending the
debate.
Number of people in the debate: 8
Number of people in a team: 2
Number of teams in the debate: 4
Duration of the speeches: 5 or 7 minutes
Questions format: Points of information
Rebuttal
 Rebuttal
• kind of debate where each team from
the affirmative and the negative side is
composed of about two or three
members
• As the debate starts, the affirmative speaker
opens the constructive speech and the
negative speaker starts the rebuttal.

• Every speaker is allowed to deliver a

rebuttal speech. The debate is closed with
the affirmative side delivering the last
rebuttal.
One-Rebuttal
 One-Rebuttal
• considered as a modified form of the
Lincoln-Douglas type of debate.
• In this type of debate, there are about two
to three members in both the affirmative
and the negative side.
• In this debate, all of the speakers have a
chance to refute the argument of the
opponent with the exception of the first
affirmative speaker who is given the
opportunity to close the debate in his or her
rebuttal speech.
Asian Parliamentary
Debate
 Asian Parliamentary
• This debate format is mainly used in
Asia and is also the basics of the World
Schools Debate Format.
 Asian Parliamentary
Number of people in the debate: 6
Number of people in a team: 3
Number of teams in the debate: 2
Duration of the speeches: Constructive and
whip-speeches 7 minutes, replies 4 minutes
OREGON-OXFORD
FORMAT OF DEBATE
 Oregon-Oxford Debate

• This debate format gives emphasis on

research and argumentation.
• The debaters are expected to deliver prepared
speeches on a given topic.
 Two Sides of Debate

AFFIRMATIVE – proves the validity of

the issue or topic called the proposition.
NEGATIVE – disproves the given
proposition.
• Both teams will discuss their
respective sides using the following
focus points: NECESSITY,
BENEFICIALITY, and
PRACTICABILITY
• The affirmative side has the burden of
proving the proposition while the
negative has the burden of rebuttal or
disproving the proposition.
 DEBATE
MECHANICS
1ST Affirmative Speaker (Constructive
Speech) – 4 mins
1ST Negative Speaker (Interpellation) – 2 mins
1ST Negative Speaker (Constructive Speech)
– 4 mins
1ST Affirmative Speaker (Interpellation) – 2
mins
2nd Affirmative Speaker (Constructive
Speech) – 4 mins
2nd Negative Speaker
(Interpellation) – 2 mins
2nd Negative Speaker (Constructive
Speech) – 4 mins
2nd Affirmative Speaker
(Interpellation) – 2 mins
3rd Affirmative Speaker (Constructive
Speech) – 4 mins
3 Negative Speaker (Interpellation) – 2
rd

mins
3 Negative Speaker (Constructive Speech) –
rd

4 mins
3rd Affirmative Speaker (Interpellation) – 2
mins
4th Negative Speaker
(Rebuttal) – 4 mins
4th Affirmative Speaker
(Rebuttal) – 4 mins
Constructive Speech – focuses on
any of the following:
Practicability, Necessity, or
Beneficiality, or of the
proposition.
 Practicability

•Is it possible?
•Is it capable of being one?
•Can it happen?
•Is it feasible?
 Necessity

•Is it necessary?

•Is there a need for this?

 Beneficiality

•Will it be favorable?

•Will they get something from

it?
•Is it advantageous?
Example:
Introduction:
I believe that it is NECESSARY to
abolish death penalty and I have
three (3) arguments to prove this:

Argument #1: It promotes a

vicious cycle of violence.
Argument #2: It is not effective
deterrent to crimes.
Argument #3: It doesn’t consider the
possibility of reformation.
Now, let me explain my arguments.
Argument #1…Why is this so?..
Argument #2…Why do I say so?...
Argument #3…What do I mean by
this?...So, what I have told you is…
I have proven to all of you that it is
necessary to abolish the death
penalty because of the following
points.
Argument #1: It promotes a
vicious cycle of violence.
Argument #2: It is not effective
deterrent to crimes.
Argument #3: It doesn’t consider
the possibility of reformation.
A good speaker must always follow
a detailed SIGN-POSTING of his
speech. As a rule, the speaker
would have to: Tell the audience
what you are going to say/ Say it/
Tell them what you just said.
Interpellation – the process
whereby a speaker is asked
regarding his speech. The goal of an
interpellation is to disprove the
entire case off the speaker or a vital
argument in his speech.
 Pointers for Interpellation
• Question and answer must be brief.
• Questions must be well-framed to reveal
the opponents lack of evidence or
weakness of the evidence.
• Questions may be designed to force the
opponent to concede in his argument.
 Rebuttal Speech
• This speech is delivered by the
third speaker of the team.
• A good rebuttal aims to debunk or
disprove the arguments of the
other side.
Two (2) Parts of Rebuttal Speech
• Rebuttal Proper
• Summary
• Rebuttal proper must answer the following
questions: What did they say? What’s wrong
with it? (including the fallacies, if any) What
did we say? Why are we right?
• A good summary should begin around the
last minute of the speech. It must aim to
make lasting impression on the audience.
• The goal is to make the listener remember and
clearly understand your side. It must
therefore answer the following: What did they
intend to prove? How did they try to prove it?
What have they proven? What did we try to
prove? How did we prove this?
Ponder on this…
 What is the significance of
harmonious collaboration in a
debate?
Debate develops my . . .
Based on this, I realized that. . .
The value/s that struck me the most
is . . .
I will use this . . .