Advanced Writing Skills

Debate Writing

Points to remember

1. Write Heading/ Topic of the debate at the top.
2. Write ‘For/ against the Motion’ below the topic/ Heading.
3. Address the Audience: Honourable judges, learned teachers and dear students.
4. Begin with:  I stand here today to speak for the motion (name of the topic) that …………………..
7. Stick to your view point either in favour or against.
5. The opening sentence should touch the main theme and the last sentence should specify the conclusion of the topic.
6. It is more appropriate that one single paragraph should deal with one thought thoroughly.
7. Bank up arguments with relevant information.
8. Total agreement or disagreement with the topic should be expressed forcefully and clearly by using the following:

(a) I’d like to argue….
(b) In my opinion……
(c) May I ask?
(d) Refer to your opponent’s view/views
(e) I, therefore, wholeheartedly support the view that…….
(f) I feel strongly that……
(g) My knowledgeable opponent has submitted that…………
(h) Honourable judges, my dear opponent has overlooked the fact that…………

7. Develop each point in a systematic and logical manner.
8. Your composition should be meaningful, brief and to the point. Unnecessary or superfluous details or explanations must be avoided.
9. In the end, write Thank you

Q1. You are Zeenia/Zeeshan a class XII student of RSV school, Badli. You interacted with your friends for knowing their views on shopping Malls which have come up in every corner of the city. You found that around half the total number of your friends love to go to Malls, while the other half hate them. Write a debate in 150.200. Words in favour of or against the topic Mall Culture in Cities.

Mall Culture in Cities
(For the motion)
By Zeeshan

Honourable Chairmain, judges and my dear friends

I stand before you to express my views in favour of the motion ‘Mall culture in cities’. Shopping malls are becoming integral part of cities. Every corner of a city has at least one shopping mall in it. They are fast emerging as new hallmark of development. Teenagers love to visit malls with their friends and family. Airconditioned atmosphere provides a big relief from sweltering heat one has to face while shopping in markets in summers. The neat and clean, safe and secure buildinghelps teenagers to forget the stress and pressure of schools and colleges andenjoy free time in a relaxed way. Shopping malls help teenagers to shop for anything under the sky under one roof. All their favourite things like Junk Jewellery, latest DVD, newly released books all are available there. They can take electronic item of any brand withoutcaring about bargaining as the articles sold in malls are of quality brands withfixed price tags. Window shopping, the best way to learn about latest productsin market is best done in malls. Teenagers with their peer are seen windowshopping at showrooms of famous brands there.

Shopping malls also provide perfect place to give and enjoy parties.Mcdonalds, Pizzahuts, KFC and many such eating joints have their outlets in malls. It is becoming a new trend among teenagers to celebrate birthdays, friendship days and many such occasion in the company of whole gang of their friends in shopping malls. Shopping malls with their movie theaters provide another way of enjoying holidays with friends and family. One can watch latest movie in cool and relaxed atmosphere of such theaters. Thus shopping malls are emerging as the most favourite place for teenagers to hang around in the company of their loved ones without worrying about heat or hunger.

Thank you

 

Mall Culture in Cities
(Against the motion)
By Zeenia

Hon’ble Chairman, judges and my dear friends

I stand before you to express my views against the motion ‘Mall culture in cities’. Mushrooming of shopping malls in every nook and corner of cities is becoming a nuisances for common people. Teenagers suffer most because of increasing mall culture in cities.

Everything about malls is detestable. Their imposing structure and lucrative exterior symbolise the superficiality of city life with increasing materialistic outlook of its people. They seem to be blot on social growth of people. Youngsters, especially teenagers spend their valuable time and hard earned money of their parents in malls.

Shopping malls are harmful for health of the visitors. The air inside the mall is stale due to its being air-conditioned without proper ventilation. The air inside it contains fumes from its eating joints besides breathed out air of the crowd there.

Shopping malls are heavy on the purse also. Most of the showroom in malls charge higher prices in comparison to those in open markets as they have to pay higher rents. It costs many times more to watch movies or buy things here. Shopping malls encourage western culture among teenagers. They get
lured by the glossy advertisements about the eating joints there and want to give parties in them instead of at home. They thus, harm teenagers as they get away from Indian values like partying at home with parents.

To conclude, one can say it emphatically that today’s Teenagers under the bad influence of western culture, encouraged by malls, spend their valuable time and hard earned money by roaming around aimlessly and many a times anonymously in malls in the name of window shopping. They want to show off to their friends their spending powers and western outlook at the cost of time and money.

Thank you

Q2. Write a debate in 150-200 Words in favour of or against the topic ‘Fast food are health hazards’.

FAST FOODS ARE HEALTH HAZARDS
(For the Motion)
By Arpan

Honourable Chairman, worthy teachers and dear students

Today I stand before you to speak for the motion on ‘Fast foods are health hazards’.Well, I hope you’ll agree with me that fast foods like burgers, hot dogs etc, are really health hazards. These are cooked in very unhygienic conditions. Secondly, the material used in them is of inferior quality. We see that these are sold in street corners and on hand carts. These are exposed to insects like flies and get dust. Even the paper plates on which these are served is of inferior quality. Very much spiced, these become the favourites of the children. There is every likelihood of children falling sick due to these fast foods. I am, therefore, of the opinion that they must be banned for selling in the streets. Even shops selling them must be checked and their qualities be tested.

Honourable judges, you’ll agree with me that our school-going children and the youth depend heavily on these fast food items. They ape the Western culture in relishing them with fizzy drinks. But we know it already that these make them fat and obese. Obesity is already in action. This means that fast foods are real health hazards.

Thank you all.

 

FAST FOODS ARE HEALTH HAZARDS
(Against the Motion)
By Aarti

Honourable Chairperson, worthy teachers and dear students

Today I stand before you to speak against the motion on ‘Fast foods are health hazards’. My knowledgeable friend has painted a rather sad picture of fast foods. But it is not so that every kind of fast food sold anywhere is a health hazard. You all will kindly see that these fast foods are prepared in hygienic conditions, though it can’t be said about the fast foods sold in street corners. But bad fast foods available in one corner can’t label all fast foods joints as bad. See for yourself at famous fast foods organizations like Mcdonald’s, Pizza Hut etc. These multi-national organizations have world standards about their recipes of fast foods. Then there are health inspectors who can raid any fast food selling joints for their qualities.

Honourable judges, my dear opponent has overlooked the fact that fast foods have become very popular because of their time-saving aspects. In today’s modern world when life is running like a jet, no one has time. These fast foods have become a very good answer to the fast-moving life. We can see that the youth are always on the run and they can eat these while ‘running’ the race of life.

Finally, these fast foods have the substances which are good for health and carry the genuine items in them. Then their tastes as well as qualities are just good. Their popularity speaks their qualities.

Thank you all.

Q3. Write a debate in 150-200 Words in favour of or against the topic ‘TV viewing is harmful for children.’

TV VIEWING IS HARMFUL FOR CHILDREN
(For the Motion)
By Tripoli

Worthy Chairman, respected judges and dear students

I am here to speak for the motion on TV is harmful for children.In my opinion, TV viewing has really harmed the children. Their mind is the most impressionable one. Anything wrong printed on it, is difficult to remove even at a later stage. I submit that the most telling effect is on children’s health. Many have to wear spectacles because of a weak eyesight later. As a result, regularity of life and punctuality get affected. Home work is its first victim. Studies are not done properly to save time for TV. Also TV viewing gives them anxieties and tension. When the homework gets delayed, fear enters their minds. Slowly, this fear takes a harmful turn. Children start shirking work due to it. Sometime they start telling lies.

I feel that TV viewing exposes the children to an easy life as it is seen in films. There are reports that children die in their attempting to imitate some ‘actions’ of their favourite heroes. Children think that life is like that as is seen in films etc. So this causes frustration at a later stage when they face realities of life which are different. TV viewing is not helping children in making them as responsible and understanding adults. We, in fact, are weakening the very foundation of our young India in this way.

TV viewing makes children immune to violence. Fightings in films, demonstrations or strikes shown in news bulletins blunt them to other finer sensibilities. These are necessary for a peaceful co-existence. I feel strongly that our youths take to crimes due to what they see on screen.

I, therefore, whole-heartedly support that TV viewing is most harmful for human development.

Thank you all.

 

TV viewing is harmful for children
(Against the Motion)
By Rajan

Worthy chairman,  judges and dear students

Today I stand before you to speak against the motion on ‘TV viewing is harmful for children’. My knowledgeable friend has submitted that TV viewing is really harmful for children. I think it is important to impress the children with basic teachings which would help them a lot later in life. TV viewing does harm the eyesight but only in a wrong way. I disagree as if TV is viewed at a proper distance and in sufficient light, it has no adverse effect on the eyesight. After all, reading bad books is also harmful. Should then reading be banished? I feel strongly that only thro

ugh TV viewing can we build both their character and conduct.

Secondly, TV viewing does not disturb the homework. On the contrary, TV viewing helps in the growth of mental faculties and reasoning power of the children. I strongly support the view that by TV viewing they can grasp the subject well.

My knowledgeable opponent has submitted that TV viewing widens the gap between dream (of films, serials, etc.) and reality of life. My argument is this that it, again depends on how one sees TV programmes. They are for entertainment as reading stories and fairy tales is. We should not view them just as dreams.

I feel strongly that TV viewing is a wholesome educative entertainment. It widens understanding, fellow-feelings, mutual love and cooperation. There are many social useful programmes on TV. These add love to human behaviour in the youth. Good programmes open the area of human understanding. They result in leaving a sound effect on the youth. Sports produce in them team spirit, a sense of fellow-feeling and mutual cooperation.    

I, therefore, wholeheartedly support the view that TV viewing is not, at all harmful.

Thank you all.

Q4. Write a debate in 150-200 Words in favour of or against the topic ‘Modern living has made the people of India weak, unhealthy and disease-prone’.

MODERN LIVING – DISEASE PRONE
(For the Motion)
By Akanksha

Worthy chairman, respected judges and dear students

Today I stand before you to speak for the motion on ‘Modern living has made the people of India weak, unhealthy and disease-prone’.

In my opinion, modern living has made the people of India weak, unhealthy and disease-prone. Today’s life is full of stress, tension, pressures and worries. These begin right from the stage a child is admitted to school. Competition, hurried life, uncertainty of future doubts about success, possibilities of failure etc. cause stress on the human mind. I submit that with one’s growth these worries also grow.

I strongly feel that what we eat and how we live are major factors for making weak .Adulteration, impurities of food articles, irregularity in taking food, wrong habits and eating fly-exposed market foods are the other side of our life. I firmly believe that the fast life and that too full of air, sound and water pollution causes diseases. Smoke, sound and contaminated water tend to make us catch diseases. May I ask : do we have enough time to have a walk in nature, to breathe in clean and fresh air ? No, certainly not. The results can be seen in the increasing number of patients in hospitals.

Next, the living style is also to blame. I disagree that we become safe from mosquitoes by using coils, repellents, aerosols, etc. The matter in them is certainly poisonous. They cause dizziness, skin and lung diseases. I draw the attention that our habits to sleep inside the homes with coolers or fans cause diseases. We breathe in stale air and make ourselves prone to various diseases.

My final argument is that we seek a shortcut to everything. This love of ease is an invitation to disease. I, therefore, strongly support that our present life-styles tend to make us easy victims to these diseases.

Thank you all.

MODERN LIVING – DISEASE PRONE
(Against the Motion)
By Akanksha

Honourable chairman, respected judges and dear students

I stand before you to speak against the motion on ‘Modern living has made the people of India weak, unhealthy and disease-prone.’

My learned opponent has, in fact, painted a sad picture that modern living has made the people of India weak, unhealthy and disease-prone. Life expectancy of the people will refute this argument. I submit that modern living has, on the contrary, proved a boon for good health of all. In the past, many women used to die during the delivery period; many people and children died for want of medical help. This is not so now. Child-care education and better means of modern living have resulted in the sound health of all. Longevity has also increased much.

My next argument is about availability of many comforts. No doubt, life today is fast and competitive. But these are offset by comforts. When one feels ease and comfort, one tends to be away from the stresses and strains.

I strongly oppose the view that various insecticides cause lung diseases, dizziness, headaches etc. On the contrary, every pack has a warning pasted on it. Their proper use, as per these directions, therefore, can check their side-effects.

My knowledgeable opponent has spoken about pollution. Our Government is taking all steps to check it.

I firmly reject that hospitals and nursing homes show unhealthy condition of the people. Surely, these indicate the health of our people. I, therefore, strongly feel that modern living has proved a blessing for the sound health of all the people.

Thank you all.

Q5. Write a debate in about 150-200 Words in favour of or against the topic ‘Homework should be abolished.’

HOMEWORK SHOULD BE ABOLISHED
(For the Motion)
By Raman

Honourable Chairperson, honourable judges, members of staff and friends.

I stand here today to speak for the motion that homework should be abolished. At the very outset I’d like to raise this question—Is the homework to be done by the parent the tutor, or the already overburdened student?

In my opinion, homework is rarely done at home. It is most often copied in the bus, in between classes, or these days reproduced over the telephone. I submit, in fact, that homework often becomes such a burden in many families that parents decide to do it in the speediest and most convenient manner. As a result, older children, private tutors or even parents themselves set to work completing it. Further, I feel very strongly that homework checks a child’s physical, emotional and social development. It simply programmes students to become competitive. I should like to draw your attention to the fact that this monster—homework—becomes a thing of fear and finally becomes a holiday horror. I fail to understand why my worthy opponent has chosen to support somet.lv – – that consumes so much of the student’s free time and energy, both in term-time and holiday-time.

My final argument is that it is of limited value. The type of homework most often ~ is dull and mechanical, so as to keep students busy at home as in school. I support the motion that homework should be abolished.

Thank you all.

HOMEWORK SHOULD BE ABOLISHED
(Against the Motion)
By Amit

Honourable Chairperson, judges and friends

My knowledgeable opponent has submitted that homework is not a desirable thing. But may I ask how the teacher is to check and assess the work of the students if not through homework?

I strongly oppose the view that homework is done by parents, tutors or other children. On the contrary, if homework is constructive, and stimulating, it becomes such a pleasurable activity. I don’t think that homework checks a child’s growth. Instead, it builds children’s self-confidence, and gives them a sense of achievement.

In class, most of the time has to be spent learning from the teacher or working groups. There simply isn’t enough time for the teacher to allow students to work silently and individually. This, I submit, is the great value of homework—that it encourages students to deepen their understanding of topics covered in class, by working quietly and privately on a motivating task. I strongly reject the view that homework has to be dull and mechanical. Instead, homework is usually thought-provoking. It is always interesting, if done in the right spirit.

Homework is an essential part of education. It is good for us as it is enjoyable.

Thank you all.

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