Fluency is knowing the moves, not only the words
The debate floor: useful language by function
| Function | Say this | Watch out |
|---|---|---|
| open your position | We believe that... / Our case is... | believe takes that, not for |
| interrupt politely | Can I just come in here? / Sorry, if I may... | raise your voice interrupts nothing |
| concede a point | That is fair, but... / I take your point on X, however... | a concession is a move, not a defeat |
| refute evidence | The data actually show... / That study is outdated because... | attacking the person is ad hominem, not refutation |
| close the round | On balance, our position stands because... | a summary of everything is a summary of nothing |
The stress that changes the message
English disagreement lives in stress. "I never SAID he stole it" (someone else said it), "I never said he STOLE it" (he copied it). Moving the emphasis moves the meaning without moving a single word. In debate, contrastive stress is your highlighter: "that may be TRUE, but it is not relevant" — the ear follows the stressed word, not the grammar.
The rebuttal in three beats (listen-fill-answer)
- LISTEN and note the exact words of the argument (not your version of it).
- FILL with the concession: "They say X, and that part is fair."
- ANSWER with the turn: "but X only holds if Y, and the evidence shows not-Y."
- Close with the IMPACT: "so their second argument loses its main support."
Politeness is strategy, not decoration
Blunt disagreement ("that is completely wrong") ends conversations and costs you judges in formal debate. English academic politeness is a set of standard buffers — with the content unchanged: "I see your point, though I would read it differently". The buffer buys attention; the reasoning still has to arrive.
In a formal debate, the best first move against an opponent argument is to…
Contrastive stress ("it is not RElevant") can change a sentence meaning without changing its words.
Record yourself delivering one concession and one refutation with the phrasebook above. Listen back: where did the stress fall?
You will hear your own hesitation
Tu texto se guarda sólo en este dispositivo.
In debate, interrupt with "if I may"; a concession is a , not a defeat; refute the , never the person.
Could you hold a 3-minute English debate round with these phrases?
Aquí se mira lo que ya fuiste acertando. Pulsa «Comprobar» para saber si puedes seguir.
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