Simple Debates
AdvancedDebates.
- Roles: the proposition supports the motion · the opposition argues against it
- Speech pattern: I disagree. Phones are useful tools for… (stand + point)
- Rebuttal: Tablets cannot make calls, so our safety point still stands.
文體小知識：Win with reasons, not volume.
§Text Passage
1Chair: Good morning, everyone, and welcome to our class debate. Today's motion is: “Students should be banned from bringing smartphones to school.”
Chair: We will hear from both sides, then a rebuttal round, and finally the judge's decision.
1st Proposition Speaker: We believe phones should be banned because they distract students from lessons.
Phones also encourage students to compare expensive models, which makes some classmates feel unhappy.
1st Opposition Speaker (Kelly): I disagree. Phones are useful tools for research and safety.
Many students travel home alone, and they need to contact their parents.
A total ban treats students like small children, and it ignores these real needs.
2Chair: Thank you. We now move to the rebuttal round.
2nd Proposition Speaker: Most schools already provide tablets, so personal phones are not necessary.
Tablets are for learning; phones are mainly for games and social media.
Kelly: Tablets cannot make calls, so my safety point still stands.
Besides, teaching students to use phones responsibly is better than banning them. Rules alone cannot teach responsibility.
3Judge: Both teams spoke clearly, and I remind everyone to focus on evidence.
The proposition gave rules, but the opposition gave examples that the audience could relate to.
My decision is that the opposition wins today's debate.
Chair: Thank you, everyone. The conclusion is clear: a good debate is won with reasons, not volume.
§Sentence-by-sentence translation Sentence-by-sentence translation
Chair: Good morning, everyone, and welcome to our class debate.
主席：各位早晨，歡迎參加我們班的辯論。
Today's motion is: “Students should be banned from bringing smartphones to school.”
今日的辯題是：「學生應否被禁止帶智能手機回校？」
Chair: We will hear from both sides, then a rebuttal round, and finally the judge's decision.
主席：我們會先聽雙方的論點，然後進行反駁環節，最後由評判裁決。
1st Proposition Speaker: We believe phones should be banned because they distract students from lessons.
正方第一位發言人：我們認為應禁止帶手機，因為手機令學生上課分心。
Phones also encourage students to compare expensive models, which makes some classmates feel unhappy.
手機也令學生比較昂貴的型號，使部分同學感到不開心。
1st Opposition Speaker (Kelly): I disagree.
反方第一位發言人（Kelly）：我不同意。
Phones are useful tools for research and safety.
手機是研究和安全方面有用的工具。
Many students travel home alone, and they need to contact their parents.
很多學生獨自回家，需要聯絡父母。
A total ban treats students like small children, and it ignores these real needs.
全面禁止把學生當成小孩子，也忽視了這些真實需要。
Chair: Thank you.
主席：謝謝。
We now move to the rebuttal round.
我們現在進入反駁環節。
2nd Proposition Speaker: Most schools already provide tablets, so personal phones are not necessary.
正方第二位發言人：很多學校已提供平板電腦，所以個人手機並非必要。
Tablets are for learning; phones are mainly for games and social media.
平板電腦用於學習；手機則主要用於遊戲和社交媒體。
Kelly: Tablets cannot make calls, so my safety point still stands.
Kelly：平板電腦不能打電話，所以我的安全論點仍然成立。
Besides, teaching students to use phones responsibly is better than banning them.
再者，教學生負責任地用手機，比禁止他們更好。
Rules alone cannot teach responsibility.
單靠規則不能教會人負責任。
Judge: Both teams spoke clearly, and I remind everyone to focus on evidence.
評判：雙方都說得清楚，我提醒大家要聚焦於證據。
The proposition gave rules, but the opposition gave examples that the audience could relate to.
正方提出了規則，反方的例子卻更能引起觀眾共鳴。
My decision is that the opposition wins today's debate.
我的裁決是：反方勝出今日的辯論。
Chair: Thank you, everyone.
主席：謝謝大家。
The conclusion is clear: a good debate is won with reasons, not volume.
結論很清楚：好的辯論靠道理取勝，而不是聲量。
1Summary 重點摘要
Debates.
2Vocabulary cards Vocabulary
Formal argument.
Agree side.
Disagree side.
Topic.
Counter argument.
Debater.
Decides winner.
Final speech.
3Step by step Steps
- PropositionOpen for the affirmative: We believe phones should be banned because they distract students from lessons. Phones also encourage students to compare expensive models.
- OppositionAnswer with your stance: I disagree. Phones are useful tools for research and safety. Many students travel home alone, and they need to contact their parents.
- RebuttalAnswer the point, not the person: Tablets cannot make calls, so my safety point still stands — evidence against evidence.
- ConclusionThe judge rules: My decision is that the opposition wins today's debate. The conclusion is clear: a good debate is won with reasons, not volume.
- The motionThe chair reads it first: Today's motion is: 'Students should be banned from bringing smartphones to school.' The proposition supports it; the opposition fights it.
- Lift the argumentFrom cases to principle: teaching students to use phones responsibly is better than banning them. Rules alone cannot teach responsibility.
- Judge's criteriaBoth teams spoke clearly… focus on evidence — the opposition gave examples that the audience could relate to, and that wins.
5Worked example Example
Based on the debate passage, write a speech as an opposition speaker against the motion 'Students should be banned from bringing smartphones to school', with a stand, reasons and a rebuttal.
- Step 1: State your stand — I disagree. Phones are useful tools for research and safety.
- Step 2: Reason one (safety) — Many students travel home alone, and they need to contact their parents.
- Step 3: Rebut the other side — Tablets cannot make calls, so our safety point still stands.
- Step 4: Lift your argument — Teaching students to use phones responsibly is better than banning them.
- Step 5: Conclude — Rules alone cannot teach responsibility.
- Answer: I disagree with the motion. Phones are useful tools for research and safety. Many students travel home alone, and they need to contact their parents after school. The proposition says schools already provide tablets, but tablets cannot make calls, so our safety point still stands. A total ban treats students like small children and ignores these real needs. Besides, teaching students to use phones responsibly is better than banning them, because rules alone cannot teach responsibility. For these reasons, we believe the motion should be rejected.
6Common mistakes Mistakes
7Quick check Quick check
Q1What is a debate?
Q2What is proposition?
Q3What is opposition?
Q4What is rebuttal?
Q5What is a judge?
8Recap Recap
- Roles: the proposition supports the motion · the opposition argues against it
- Speech pattern: I disagree. Phones are useful tools for… (stand + point)
- Rebuttal: Tablets cannot make calls, so our safety point still stands.
- Lift the argument: teaching responsibility is better than banning
- The judge's rule from the passage: A good debate is won with reasons, not volume.