DEBATES

Language

Opinion Evidence/Popular Opinion

The way I see it, All the evidence points to/suggests…

In my view, I think you’ll find that…

In my opinion, I think that If you ask anyone,…

My view on the matter is… The vast majority of people would say…

As far as I understand it, We have no evidence that…

As far as I’m concerned, 9 out of 10 people would say that…

I’d say that… There’s no evidence to support that whatsoever.

I personally am (not) a big fan of…

Adding points
Main arguments
What’s more,
I support/oppose the notion that… for the following reason: Firstly,…
On top of that,
The key issue here is…
Besides that,
The real question/dilemma is… (question form)
Apart from that,
The critical/crucial factor here is…
Another thing to consider is…
It’s vital to remember that…
We shouldn’t forget that…
By far and away the most important point is…
It’s also worth bearing in mind that…

Rebutting/Cross-Examining

So what you’re saying is… Conceding/Partially Agreeing

So let me get this straight… I admit that your point about… may be true, however,

Correct me if I’m wrong but… I take/see your point about…

You’re not seriously suggesting that…, are you? Let’s say I agree with the idea of…

You can’t possibly be saying that… I hear what you’re saying, but…

I feel I must also disagree with you about…

Conclusion Debate Structure

In a nutshell, 1. Opening statement (90 secs)

So to sum up, 2. Cross examination (30 secs)

So in summary, 3. (repeat)

So to wrap up, 4. Rebuttal #1 (30 secs each)

So as I was saying, 5. Rebuttal #2 (30 secs each)

All in all, 6. Closing Statements (30 secs each)