Debate speech
Argue a side of a stated motion through audience-aware writing.
Write for the situation
Audience
judges, opponents and the audience
Purpose
Argue a side of a stated motion
Register and tone
Persuasive, respectful and logically clear
Avoid
Attacking opponents instead of addressing their argument
Conventions that help the reader
A greeting and position on the motion; distinct arguments; rebuttal of an opposing claim; a closing case. These are adaptable guidance: task, audience and purpose decide the choices.
A flexible route through the text
- 1State the motion and your side
- 2Develop an argument
- 3Rebut a specific opposing point
- 4Close with the strongest reason
Language to develop
Choose precise verbs and examples. Connect reasons and consequences, qualify claims when necessary and vary sentence forms without forcing unfamiliar language.
Planning question
Which claim are you rebutting, and what is your reason?
Model extract · Social organization
This original teaching extract shows selected choices. It is shorter than a complete Paper 1 response and is not an IB-marked exemplar.
Chair, judges and fellow students,
I support the motion that our school should introduce a peer-mentoring pilot. My central argument is that practical guidance becomes more useful when a newcomer can ask follow-up questions. The opposition may argue that a handbook already provides the necessary information. A handbook is valuable, but it cannot respond when a student is unsure how a rule applies to their situation. A trained peer, supported by an adult coordinator, can help bridge that gap. We should test a manageable pilot, then judge it through participant feedback.
Read as a writer
Find evidence of the intended reader, purpose and register. Identify a convention that makes the text usable.
Explore the content
Underline an example, reason or practical detail. Explain what it contributes, then develop the next paragraph yourself.
Connect it to each core theme
Identities
You are speaking for or against the motion: This school should introduce a multilingual welcome project.
Write a debate speech for judges, opponents and the audience. Develop a reasoned position, address an opposing argument and reach a justified conclusion.
Theme connection: how language choices shape belonging.
Planning focus: Which claim are you rebutting, and what is your reason?
Plan this taskExperiences
You are speaking for or against the motion: This school should introduce a student exchange programme.
Write a debate speech for judges, opponents and the audience. Develop a reasoned position, address an opposing argument and reach a justified conclusion.
Theme connection: what students gain from an unfamiliar experience.
Planning focus: Which claim are you rebutting, and what is your reason?
Plan this taskHuman ingenuity
You are speaking for or against the motion: This school should introduce an AI-supported language-learning app.
Write a debate speech for judges, opponents and the audience. Develop a reasoned position, address an opposing argument and reach a justified conclusion.
Theme connection: how technology helps learners and where its limits lie.
Planning focus: Which claim are you rebutting, and what is your reason?
Plan this taskSocial organization
You are speaking for or against the motion: This school should introduce a school peer-mentoring programme.
Write a debate speech for judges, opponents and the audience. Develop a reasoned position, address an opposing argument and reach a justified conclusion.
Theme connection: how a community can support newcomers.
Planning focus: Which claim are you rebutting, and what is your reason?
Plan this taskSharing the planet
You are speaking for or against the motion: This school should introduce a student-led food-waste project.
Write a debate speech for judges, opponents and the audience. Develop a reasoned position, address an opposing argument and reach a justified conclusion.
Theme connection: how individuals and institutions can reduce waste.
Planning focus: Which claim are you rebutting, and what is your reason?
Plan this taskTeach, practise and refine
- Read a real example of this text type and identify its readership and purpose.
- Annotate the model extract, then discuss how a different audience would change its wording.
- Select a theme task. Plan all required actions before writing; develop examples rather than listing them.
- Draft independently, review audience and task coverage, then revise one paragraph.
Teacher language
Which claim are you rebutting, and what is your reason?
Support without fixing every sentence
Offer an audience–purpose planning grid, a few useful connectors and oral rehearsal. Then remove the paragraph openings and ask for independent wording. Extend by developing an alternative viewpoint or a justified qualification.
Self-check
- Have I addressed every instruction?
- Do the reader, purpose, tone and conventions match?
- Does each main idea have a developed example or explanation?
- Have I checked verb forms, reference, spelling and punctuation?