How to Rebut Better
Know your team's case inside out., Plug holes in your speech before they are exploited., Get into the mindset of your opponents., Know your opponent's case!, Find something that's wrong with their argument., Prepare a rebuttal palm card., Relax, and...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Know your team's case inside out.
If the debate is prepared, you should be reading and rereading your teammates' speeches and improving them as a team.
Brainstorm as much as you can.
If the debate is in the short preparation format (that is, you have an hour or so between receiving the topic and speaking), make sure you are actively involved in the 10 minutes or so when you're coming up with your arguments, and focus on what your teammates are saying when they speak, not just what your opponents are saying. -
Step 2: Plug holes in your speech before they are exploited.
If you can see an opportunity where your opponent will attempt to rebut, they will see it too.
For example, if you are advocating Car A over Car B, and you say Car A is more expensive, make sure you add a disclaimer, such as "Even though Car A costs more, the superior quality is well worth the cost".
This way, your opponents may not even try to rebut that point at all, and if they do, you've set the basis for an easy rebuttal. , Sometimes it can be useful to pretend you have been allocated to the other side of the debate, and try to get into the opponents' minds.
Does Car B have better safety features? A lower cost? Write down as many of these rebuttals as possible, and how you plan to counter them.
If you can walk into a debate with a few semi-prepared rebuttals, it makes your job so much easier. , The first speaker of the opposing team will outline the arguments their entire team will make.
Write these down quickly, then pay keen attention to the rest of their speech.
You must take in as much information from them as is possible. , Do they contradict themselves? Are they cherry-picking arguments? Can you counter a hypothesis of theirs with facts? An opponent's argument is NEVER airtight.
If needed, write down a note to yourself if you're not sure about a possible rebut, then have a quiet team huddle about it just after they have finished their speech.
Write down anything and everything that you could use. , A useful format is to write which speaker you're rebutting (1, 2, 3 or 'all' if it applies), a paraphrased form of what they said, and a dot point that you will use to rebut.
Order your palm cards by speaker, and then by importance. , When you rebut, you shouldn't be talking to an audience or the adjudicator.
Rather, you should be having a conversation with an argumentative friend, or better yet, a teacher.
Be polite, and be formal, but above all, relax.
This will make it a lot easier to... , Once you've exhausted whatever is written on your palm card, you treat the rebuttal as you would an ordinary conversation.
When you talk to your friends, you don't think about what you're saying beforehand, do you? It just comes out.
Try to position your mind so that you are having a conversation, and it will become much easier to give impromptu rebuttals.
You'll get better at this over time. , In a debate, nothing is worse than a person who clearly thinks the other team is smarter, better or winning.
You're winning, and you just proved it with your rebuttal.
Be proud of what you have achieved. -
Step 3: Get into the mindset of your opponents.
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Step 4: Know your opponent's case!
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Step 5: Find something that's wrong with their argument.
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Step 6: Prepare a rebuttal palm card.
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Step 7: and pretend you're elsewhere.
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Step 8: Speak off the top of your head.
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Step 9: Be confident.
Detailed Guide
If the debate is prepared, you should be reading and rereading your teammates' speeches and improving them as a team.
Brainstorm as much as you can.
If the debate is in the short preparation format (that is, you have an hour or so between receiving the topic and speaking), make sure you are actively involved in the 10 minutes or so when you're coming up with your arguments, and focus on what your teammates are saying when they speak, not just what your opponents are saying.
If you can see an opportunity where your opponent will attempt to rebut, they will see it too.
For example, if you are advocating Car A over Car B, and you say Car A is more expensive, make sure you add a disclaimer, such as "Even though Car A costs more, the superior quality is well worth the cost".
This way, your opponents may not even try to rebut that point at all, and if they do, you've set the basis for an easy rebuttal. , Sometimes it can be useful to pretend you have been allocated to the other side of the debate, and try to get into the opponents' minds.
Does Car B have better safety features? A lower cost? Write down as many of these rebuttals as possible, and how you plan to counter them.
If you can walk into a debate with a few semi-prepared rebuttals, it makes your job so much easier. , The first speaker of the opposing team will outline the arguments their entire team will make.
Write these down quickly, then pay keen attention to the rest of their speech.
You must take in as much information from them as is possible. , Do they contradict themselves? Are they cherry-picking arguments? Can you counter a hypothesis of theirs with facts? An opponent's argument is NEVER airtight.
If needed, write down a note to yourself if you're not sure about a possible rebut, then have a quiet team huddle about it just after they have finished their speech.
Write down anything and everything that you could use. , A useful format is to write which speaker you're rebutting (1, 2, 3 or 'all' if it applies), a paraphrased form of what they said, and a dot point that you will use to rebut.
Order your palm cards by speaker, and then by importance. , When you rebut, you shouldn't be talking to an audience or the adjudicator.
Rather, you should be having a conversation with an argumentative friend, or better yet, a teacher.
Be polite, and be formal, but above all, relax.
This will make it a lot easier to... , Once you've exhausted whatever is written on your palm card, you treat the rebuttal as you would an ordinary conversation.
When you talk to your friends, you don't think about what you're saying beforehand, do you? It just comes out.
Try to position your mind so that you are having a conversation, and it will become much easier to give impromptu rebuttals.
You'll get better at this over time. , In a debate, nothing is worse than a person who clearly thinks the other team is smarter, better or winning.
You're winning, and you just proved it with your rebuttal.
Be proud of what you have achieved.
About the Author
Amy Diaz
Creates helpful guides on crafts to inspire and educate readers.
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