Types of Debate - A Complete Overview & Examples

Debates provide various positive benefits for the students. It increases the opportunity for listening and speaking in the classroom.

Therefore, debate writing requires proper structure to support and present the claim.

Similarly, there are different types of debates used at the high school or college level. Each type has two sides, along with its format.

However, the main aim is to engage and persuade the audience. 

Most students are not good at writing debates because they are often unfamiliar with the major types.

If you are one of them, read this detailed guide to get an idea about the forms of debating and examples.

What is the Debate?

A debate is a formal and organized argument where the participants discuss a subject from two opposing sides. Each topic has two sides. Those who agree with the idea are on the "Pro" side. However, those who disagree are on the "Con" side.

Each side presents the argument clearly to engage the audience. For this, relevant examples and evidence are used to support the claim.

The primary purpose of a debate is to convince the audience that your viewpoint is right. Moreover, a mediator decides the winner during formal debate tournaments. Nevertheless, the informal debate continues until the time when any one of the debate team gives up.

On the other hand, a writer needs to follow the proper format and structure for writing a debate. Remember, a well-written debate will leave a long-lasting impression on the audience.

Types of Debate

Below are the types of debates that are popular and will help you to get started.

• Team Policy Debate

  Team policy debates consist of two teams, each with two debaters. Here, the structure includes the following elements.

  • Eight speeches
  • Four constructive speeches
  • Four rebuttals
  • Four periods of cross-examination

  The primary objective of team policy debate is to present a huge amount of evidence quickly and coherently. Moreover, these are most commonly used in middle school or high school debates.

  Below given is the basic format of a team policy debate.

  First Affirmative Constructive	8 minutes
  Cross-Examination of the 1st affirmative	3 minutes
  First Negative Constructive	8 minutes
  Cross-examination of the 1st negative	3 minutes
  Second Affirmative Constructive	8 minutes
  Cross-Examination of the 2nd affirmative	3 minutes
  Second Negative Constructive	8 minutes
  Cross-Examination of the 2nd negative	3 minutes
  First Negative Rebuttal	15 minutes
  First Affirmative Rebuttal	5 minutes
  Second Negative Rebuttal	15 minutes
  Second Affirmative Rebuttal	5 minutes

  Check out the example for a better understanding.

• Cross-Examination Debate
  

  Cross-examination is a new type of two-on-two college debate. It is mainly defined as a period between speeches. Here, the opponent debaters ask questions to clarify and understand each other’s points of information.

  It consists of resolutions that are not related to policy. Similarly, this kind of debate is based on values where evidence can be presented.

  Moreover, a cross-examination debate provides you with an opportunity to engage with your opponent. It further demonstrates your confidence to become a persuasive speaker that helps you win more points.

  Here is a detailed format structure of the cross-examination debate.

  1st Affirmative Constructive	8 minutes
  Cross-examination by 2nd Negative	3 minutes
  1st Negative Constructive	8 minutes
  Cross-examination by 1st Affirmative	3 minutes
  2nd Affirmative Constructive	8 minutes
  Cross-examination by 1st Negative	3 minutes
  2nd Negative Constructive	8 minutes
  Cross-examination by 2nd Affirmative	3 minutes
  1st Negative Rebuttal	5 minutes
  1st Affirmative Rebuttal	5 minutes
  2nd Negative Rebuttal	5 minutes
  2nd Affirmative Rebuttal	5 minutes

  
  Refer to the below example of the cross-examination debate.
  

• Lincoln-Douglas Debate
  

  Lincoln-Douglas is an open style of debate. It is mainly inspired by the debates between Abraham Lincoln and Stephen A. Douglas in the 1850s.

  Moreover, this is a one-on-one debate that focuses on arguing for or against a topic. Here, the participants agree on the time limits and topics beforehand.

  For example, in the United States presidential debates, one debate is entirely focused on domestic policy. At the same time, the other one is devoted to foreign policy.

  You can also check out our blog to get interesting debate topics.

  The main purpose of the Lincoln-Douglas debates is to speak persuasively, clearly, and logically. Similarly, it is very structured in nature and allows people to express their viewpoints openly.

  A typical format of the Lincoln-Douglas debate is as follows.

  Speaker A: Making the case	6 minutes
  Speaker B: Cross-examination of speaker A	3 minutes
  Speaker B: First rebuttal	7 minutes
  Speaker A: Cross-examination of speaker B	3 minutes
  Speaker A: First rebuttal	4 minutes
  Speaker B: Final rebuttal	5 minutes
  Speaker A: Closing rebuttal	5 minutes

  
  Have a look at the below example to get a better idea.
  

• Spontaneous Argumentation
  

  Spontaneous argumentation includes two debaters that argue on a particular topic. Firstly, they take enough prep time for a debate topic and then present the argument.

  These types of debate essays are often used in college and university classrooms. Moreover, it also helps in decreasing the anxiety of a speaker by building confidence.

  However, it does not require detailed research work. Thus, the writer focuses more on presentation and style rather than the content.

  The spontaneous argumentation debate format is given below.

  Affirmative Case	3 minutes
  Cross-Examination of the Affirmative	1.5 minutes
  Negative Case	3 minutes
  Cross-Examination of the Negative	1.5 minutes
  Negative Counter-Arguments	2 minutes
  Affirmative Counter-Arguments	2 minutes
  Negative Closing Statement	2 minutes
  Affirmative Closing Statement	2 minutes

  
  Refer to the document for a detailed example.
  

• Public Forum Debate
  

  Public forum debate is considered as audience friendly and a current events debate. It includes two teams of debaters that argue on monthly controversial topics.

  The round begins with a coin toss between the competing debate teams. It is required to determine which side, either Pro or Con, will present their argument first. Each debate team will be given 3 minutes to prepare the topic.

  Furthermore, it consists of eight speeches and three crossfires but each with a time limit. The winner is further decided by a judge who serves as a referee.

  Lastly, this type of debate is used to test the students’ argumentation, cross-examination, and refutation skills.

  The following is a format structure of public forum debate.

  Speaker 1 – Constructive Speech (Pro or Con)	4 minutes
  Speaker 2 – Constructive Speech (Pro or Con)	4 minutes
  Cross-fire	3 minutes
  Speaker 3 – Rebuttal Speech (Pro or Con)	4 minutes
  Speaker 4 — Rebuttal Speech (Pro or Con)	4 minutes
  Cross-fire	3 minutes
  Speaker 1 –- Summary	2 minutes
  Speaker 2 – Summary	2 minutes
  Grand cross-fire	3 minutes
  Speaker 3 –- Final Focus	2 minutes
  Speaker 4 – Final Focus	2 minutes

  
  Check out the below example of a public forum debate.
  

• Parliamentary Debate
  

  Similar to the spontaneous types of debate arguments, parliamentary debates do not require thorough research. The resolutions are decided only 10 minutes before a round of debate starts. Similarly, it greatly emphasized logic and persuasiveness.

  They are referred to as “parliamentary” because of their similar nature to the debates that occur in the British parliament. Thus, such types of debates are mainly used in parliaments and assemblies.

  Moreover, it consists of the following elements.

  Two teams, each with two debaters
  Six speeches
  Four constructive speeches
  Two rebuttal speeches
  The format structure of the parliamentary debate is as follows.

  First proposition constructive speech	7 minutes
  First opposition constructive speech	8 minutes
  Second proposition constructive speech	8 minutes
  Second opposition constructive speech	8 minutes
  Opposition rebuttal	4 minutes
  Proposition rebuttal	5 minutes

  
  Here is a detailed example to get a better understanding.

Types of Debates Examples

Check out the document for some more types of debate examples.

Choosing the correct debate type is indeed confusing for most students. But the above guide will help you identify the right one for writing your debate.

If you are still unsure about your writing capabilities, the best option is to get help from a professional paper writer. However, not every writing service has qualified and experienced experts. Thus, make sure you choose a reliable and authentic service.

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