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Debate Worksheet: Rebuttal

Debate lesson 5: Rebuttal: answering the other side · Set 363 · 40 questions
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Debater's tip (Their point, why it fails, your proof): Step 1: say their point fairly. Step 2: say why it is wrong or weak. Step 3: give your evidence. Step 4: say why it matters. A fair rebuttal answers the same point with a reason or a fact. Dodging (changing the subject) and attacking the person are not rebuttals.

NameDateTime takenScore ___ / 40
  1. 1.🛡️ They said “A garden costs too much.” Which reply answers this point? (a) you can’t grow plants (b) seeds cost under ₹500 (c) gardens are pretty (d) I love flowers
  2. 2.🛡️ What is a rebuttal? (a) thanking the judges (b) repeating your point (c) a personal attack (d) answering their point
  3. 3.🛡️ In a rebuttal, which comes first: give your evidence or say why it is wrong? (a) give your evidence (b) say why it is wrong
  4. 4.True or false: They said “Cooking is risky for students.” Reply: “You are scared of everything.” — this attacks the person, not the point. (a) False (b) True
  5. 5.True or false: They said “Long holidays help us rest.” Reply: “Let’s talk about something else instead.” — this attacks the person, not the point. (a) True (b) False
  6. 6.🛡️ What kind of reply is this? They said “A garden costs too much.” Reply: “Gardens look very pretty in spring.” (a) a fair rebuttal (b) dodges the point (c) attacks the person
  7. 7.🛡️ What kind of reply is this? They said “Cooking is risky for students.” Reply: “My mother makes very tasty dal.” (a) dodges the point (b) attacks the person (c) a fair rebuttal
  8. 8.🛡️ In a rebuttal, which comes first: say why it is wrong or say their point? (a) say why it is wrong (b) say their point
  9. 9.🛡️ What kind of reply is this? They said “Sports periods waste study time.” Reply: “Sport is played all over the world.” (a) attacks the person (b) dodges the point (c) a fair rebuttal
  10. 10.🛡️ What kind of reply is this? They said “Long holidays help us rest.” Reply: “Let’s talk about something else instead.” (a) dodges the point (b) attacks the person (c) a fair rebuttal
  11. 11.True or false: They said “Recycling is too hard to manage.” Reply: “Plastic comes in many colours.” — this dodges the point instead of answering it. (a) True (b) False
  12. 12.🛡️ In a rebuttal, which comes first: say their point or give your evidence? (a) say their point (b) give your evidence
  13. 13.🛡️ In a rebuttal, which comes first: say why it matters or give your evidence? (a) say why it matters (b) give your evidence
  14. 14.🛡️ What kind of reply is this? They said “Homework helps us practise.” Reply: “Anyway, I like football more than homework.” (a) a fair rebuttal (b) attacks the person (c) dodges the point
  15. 15.🛡️ In a rebuttal, which comes first: say why it is wrong or give your evidence? (a) say why it is wrong (b) give your evidence
  16. 16.🛡️ In a rebuttal, which comes first: say why it matters or say why it is wrong? (a) say why it matters (b) say why it is wrong
  17. 17.🛡️ What kind of reply is this? They said “Sports periods waste study time.” Reply: “You just hate sport because you always lose.” (a) attacks the person (b) a fair rebuttal (c) dodges the point
  18. 18.True or false: They said “Long holidays help us rest.” Reply: “Let’s talk about something else instead.” — this dodges the point instead of answering it. (a) True (b) False
  19. 19.🛡️ In a rebuttal, which comes first: say why it is wrong or say why it matters? (a) say why it is wrong (b) say why it matters
  20. 20.🛡️ They said “Homework helps us practise.” Which reply answers this point? (a) you are a show-off (b) I like football (c) we can practise in class (d) homework is boring
  21. 21.🛡️ In a rebuttal, which comes first: say why it matters or say their point? (a) say why it matters (b) say their point
  22. 22.🛡️ When you rebut, what do you do first? (a) state their point fairly (b) change the topic (c) raise your voice (d) laugh at them
  23. 23.🛡️ What kind of reply is this? They said “A garden costs too much.” Reply: “Seeds and pots cost under ₹500, and parents have offered tools.” (a) a fair rebuttal (b) dodges the point (c) attacks the person
  24. 24.🛡️ They said “Sports periods waste study time.” Which reply answers this point? (a) sport is popular (b) play helps us focus (c) you never play sport (d) I like lunch break
  25. 25.True or false: They said “Sports periods waste study time.” Reply: “A short break for play helps students focus better afterwards.” — this is a fair rebuttal, as it answers the point. (a) True (b) False
  26. 26.🛡️ What kind of reply is this? They said “Recycling is too hard to manage.” Reply: “Two labelled bins and one monitor per class make it simple.” (a) dodges the point (b) attacks the person (c) a fair rebuttal
  27. 27.🛡️ What kind of reply is this? They said “Cooking is risky for students.” Reply: “With teachers watching and simple tools, it can be done safely.” (a) attacks the person (b) dodges the point (c) a fair rebuttal
  28. 28.True or false: They said “Cooking is risky for students.” Reply: “My mother makes very tasty dal.” — this attacks the person, not the point. (a) True (b) False
  29. 29.True or false: They said “Homework helps us practise.” Reply: “You only say that to please the teacher.” — this attacks the person, not the point. (a) False (b) True
  30. 30.🛡️ In a rebuttal, which comes first: give your evidence or say their point? (a) give your evidence (b) say their point
  31. 31.🛡️ What kind of reply is this? They said “Long holidays help us rest.” Reply: “Two shorter breaks would give the same rest without losing touch with lessons.” (a) dodges the point (b) a fair rebuttal (c) attacks the person
  32. 32.True or false: They said “A garden costs too much.” Reply: “Seeds and pots cost under ₹500, and parents have offered tools.” — this dodges the point instead of answering it. (a) False (b) True
  33. 33.True or false: They said “Sports periods waste study time.” Reply: “You just hate sport because you always lose.” — this attacks the person, not the point. (a) True (b) False
  34. 34.True or false: They said “Cooking is risky for students.” Reply: “With teachers watching and simple tools, it can be done safely.” — this dodges the point instead of answering it. (a) True (b) False
  35. 35.True or false: They said “Long holidays help us rest.” Reply: “Two shorter breaks would give the same rest without losing touch with lessons.” — this is a fair rebuttal, as it answers the point. (a) True (b) False
  36. 36.🛡️ What kind of reply is this? They said “Students won’t read in a reading hour.” Reply: “In our trial week, 32 of 40 students finished a book.” (a) attacks the person (b) a fair rebuttal (c) dodges the point
  37. 37.🛡️ What kind of reply is this? They said “Recycling is too hard to manage.” Reply: “Plastic comes in many colours.” (a) attacks the person (b) a fair rebuttal (c) dodges the point
  38. 38.🛡️ What kind of reply is this? They said “Homework helps us practise.” Reply: “Practice can happen in class, where the teacher can help.” (a) a fair rebuttal (b) attacks the person (c) dodges the point
  39. 39.🛡️ What kind of reply is this? They said “Long holidays help us rest.” Reply: “You are lazy, so of course you want rest.” (a) a fair rebuttal (b) dodges the point (c) attacks the person
  40. 40.🛡️ A good rebuttal attacks… (a) the audience (b) the judges (c) the argument (d) the speaker

Answer key

  1. seeds cost under ₹500
  2. answering their point
  3. say why it is wrong
  4. True
  5. False
  6. dodges the point
  7. dodges the point
  8. say their point
  9. dodges the point
  10. dodges the point
  11. True
  12. say their point
  13. give your evidence
  14. dodges the point
  15. say why it is wrong
  16. say why it is wrong
  17. attacks the person
  18. True
  19. say why it is wrong
  20. we can practise in class
  21. say their point
  22. state their point fairly
  23. a fair rebuttal
  24. play helps us focus
  25. True
  26. a fair rebuttal
  27. a fair rebuttal
  28. False
  29. True
  30. say their point
  31. a fair rebuttal
  32. False
  33. True
  34. False
  35. True
  36. a fair rebuttal
  37. dodges the point
  38. a fair rebuttal
  39. attacks the person
  40. the argument

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