CENTER FOR STUDENT SERVICES 2010

DEBATE
A debate

A debate involves a discussion of the pros and cons of an issue. Debating successfully is all about
using argument and persuasion to convince other people that your views are right.

6 steps to debating perfection

Research: Research the subject, so that you have facts to back up your views.

Logic: Use logic to develop your case and make your points.

Counter Arguments: It’s always good to be prepared so consider the counter arguments in advance.

Keep an open mind: Be open-minded and prepared to change your opinion if you are convinced.

In the heart of a debate it’s easy to lose your cool.

Don’t get personal: In the heart of a debate it’s easy lose your cool and attack the other person for
having a different opinion to you. But remember they’re entitled to that opinion and just because they
don’t think the same as you it’s not a bad thing.

Stay Focused: Stick to the subject being debated and don’t stray into other areas. It sound obvious
but it’s easy to do once you start debating.

There is no RIGHT or WRONG in a debate. The importance is how you protect your ideas.

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LANGUAGE OF (DIS) AGREEMENT

EXPRESSING OPINIONS
I think … As far as I’m concerned, … I’m convinced that …

In my opinion, … If it were up to me, … I honestly feel that …

I’d like to … I suppose … I strongly believe that …

I’d rather … I suspect that … Without a doubt, …

I’d prefer … I’m pretty sure that … As far as I know …

The way I see it … It is fairly certain that … …

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OFFERING EXPLANATION

That’s why … Many people think … When you consider that …

For this reason, ... Considering … To illustrate, …

That’s the reason why … Allowing for the fact that … To be more specific, …

EXPRESSING AGREEMENT

In agreeing with an unfavorable opinion, you may wish to qualify your agreement with an
expression of regret, etc.

/ Yes, I am afraid it was.

His speech was boring I have to agree that it was.
\ I must say I found it so.

In other cases, you can be as enthusiastic as you like in emphasizing your agreement.

It was an interesting exhibition, wasn’t it? – Yes, it was superb/absolutely splendid!

A referendum will satisfy everybody. – Yes, definitely/quite/absolutely/ I absolutely agree/ I couldn’t

agree more/I quite agree/ I agree entirely.

A referendum will not satisfy everybody. – Definitely not/It certainly won’t/ You are absolutely right, it
won’t/ I agree that it won’t.

It’s good practice and it’s good fun. – Exactly.

I feel I ought to give her a hand – Oh, quite, quite.

I must do something, though – Yes, I quite agree.

There is far too much attention being paid to these hoodlums – Yes I couldn’t agree more.

The public showed that by the way it voted in the General election – That’s quite true.

We reckon that this is what THEY would have wanted us to do. – I think you are absolutely right.

You can show that you agree strongly with someone’s description of something by repeating
the adjective they have used and using "very" in front of it.

It was very tragic, wasn’t it – Very tragic indeed.

The pacing in all these performances is subtle, isn’t – Oh, very subtle, indeed.

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Other ways of expressing agreement are:

That’s just what I was thinking.

You know, that’s exactly what I think.

That’s a good point.

 Partial agreement

If you agree with someone, but not entirely or with reluctance, you can reply “I suppose so”.

I must have a job – I suppose so.

That’s the way to save lives, and save us a lot of trouble? – I suppose so.

If you are replying to a negative statement, you say, “I suppose not”.

Some of these places haven’t changed it – I suppose not.

 Qualified agreement

In discussion and argument, there is often a need to agree with one aspect of a speaker’s
view, and to disagree with another. Here are some of the methods you might use to express
this sort of qualified agreement:

Certainly it’s true that …, but on the other hand… / I can see that…. But surely…

I am in total agreement with you about… but we also have to consider….

Agreed, BUT if we accept… then it must also be true that…

 Corroboration

We can also agree, and add a further point to corroborate or confirm the argument

Yes, and in fact…. / Yes and what is more…

I agree, and in fact one might go so far as to say…

Absolutely! Actually, I would go further, and say…

EXPRESSING DISAGREEMENT

Notice that you need to be very polite when disagreeing with someone in English – even
someone you know quite well. When you deny or contradict what someone else has stated,
the effect is often impolite, unless the denial is qualified in some way. You can qualify it by an
apology or by adjusting to the speaker’s point of view:

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English is a difficult language to learn.

 I am afraid I disagree with you: some languages are even more difficult, I think.
 TRUE, but the grammar is quite easy. / Yes, but it’s not so difficult as Russian.
 Do you think so? Actually, I find it quite easy.

The commonest ways to express disagreement are as follows:

Yes, that’s quite true, but… / I’m not sure I quite agree.

Well, you have a point there, but… / Perhaps, but I don’t think that… / I see what you mean, but…

Try to express disagreement politely using expressions to soften the contradictory opinion.

It was a lot of money in those days – Well, not really.

It’s all over now, anyway. – No, I am afraid I can’t agree with you there.

People often say “Yes” or “I see what you mean”, to indicate partial agreement and then go on
to mention a point of disagreement, introduced by “but”.

You’ve just said yourself that you got fed up with it after a time. - Yes, but only after three weeks.

It’s a very clever film. – Yes, perhaps, but I didn’t like it.

They ruined the whole thing. – I see what you mean, but they didn’t know.

 Strong disagreement

If you know someone very well you can disagree more directly using expressions like these:
I can’t agree with you there. / You can’t be serious! / Come off it! / Don’t be silly! / Rubbish!

You should be very careful when using them, in order to avoid offending people.

That’s very funny – No, it isn’t.

You were the one who wanted to buy it – I am sorry, dear, but you are wrong.

 More formal ways

University education does divide families in a way – I cannot go along with that.

There would be less guilt which characterized societies of earlier generations. – Well I think I would
take issue with that.

When it comes to the state of this country, he should keep his mouth shut – I wholly and totally
disagree.

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