how to ask a good question in debate...
my topic is "social media has deteriorated human communication"
dont spam
Answers
Do:
- Keep your questions argumentative.
- Ask relatively short questions.
- Reference speeches in your questions. This keeps questions focused on relevant material in the debate as well as avoid broad questions that allow your opponents to give vague answers that don't give you any advantage.
- Make sure you fully understand arguments before moving on.
- Keep your eyes on the judge.
Don't:
- Start questions with "Do you agree..." or "Are you aware..."
- Re-explain things that are already clear. This wastes time for both you and your opponents.
- Look at your opponent when asking questions. You should always keep your eyes on the judge.
The Do's and Don'ts of Answering
Do:
- Keep your answers short and sweet.
- Be specific to the question. Don't give them any more information than they need.
- Reference authors from the 1AC. Not only will this help you answer questions effectively, but this also shows the judge that you know your speech inside and out, which boosts speaker points.
- Stare at the judge for attention.
Don't:
- Answer irrelevant questions. (You can ask your opponents why a question is relevant before declining to answer.)
- Interrupt your partner if they're answering a question.
- Be afraid to admit you don't know something. If your opponent asks you something that both you and your partner don't know, it's better to admit you don't know than to lie about it. You can always argue later that it's not an important element of the debate anyways.