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Debate Worksheet: Rebuttal

Debate lesson 5: Rebuttal: answering the other side · Set 851 · 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.🛡️ What kind of reply is this? They said “Cooking is risky for students.” Reply: “My mother makes very tasty dal.” (a) attacks the person (b) a fair rebuttal (c) dodges the point
  2. 2.🛡️ They said “Sports periods waste study time.” Which reply answers this point? (a) you never play sport (b) I like lunch break (c) sport is popular (d) play helps us focus
  3. 3.🛡️ They said “Homework helps us practise.” Which reply answers this point? (a) I like football (b) homework is boring (c) you are a show-off (d) we can practise in class
  4. 4.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) False (b) True
  5. 5.🛡️ 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
  6. 6.🛡️ In a rebuttal, which comes first: give your evidence or say why it matters? (a) give your evidence (b) say why it matters
  7. 7.🛡️ 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
  8. 8.🛡️ 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) a fair rebuttal (b) dodges the point (c) attacks the person
  9. 9.🛡️ 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) a fair rebuttal (b) attacks the person (c) dodges the point
  10. 10.🛡️ When you rebut, what do you do first? (a) laugh at them (b) state their point fairly (c) raise your voice (d) change the topic
  11. 11.🛡️ 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
  12. 12.True or false: They said “A garden costs too much.” Reply: “Seeds and pots cost under ₹500, and parents have offered tools.” — this attacks the person, not the point. (a) True (b) False
  13. 13.🛡️ A good rebuttal attacks… (a) the speaker (b) the judges (c) the argument (d) the audience
  14. 14.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 attacks the person, not the point. (a) False (b) True
  15. 15.🛡️ 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
  16. 16.🛡️ What kind of reply is this? They said “Sports periods waste study time.” Reply: “A short break for play helps students focus better afterwards.” (a) dodges the point (b) a fair rebuttal (c) attacks the person
  17. 17.🛡️ What is a rebuttal? (a) a personal attack (b) thanking the judges (c) answering their point (d) repeating your point
  18. 18.True or false: They said “Students won’t read in a reading hour.” Reply: “Libraries are quiet places.” — this dodges the point instead of answering it. (a) False (b) True
  19. 19.🛡️ What kind of reply is this? They said “Students won’t read in a reading hour.” Reply: “Libraries are quiet places.” (a) attacks the person (b) dodges the point (c) a fair rebuttal
  20. 20.True or false: They said “Homework helps us practise.” Reply: “You only say that to please the teacher.” — this dodges the point instead of answering it. (a) True (b) False
  21. 21.🛡️ In a rebuttal, which comes first: say their point or say why it is wrong? (a) say their point (b) say why it is wrong
  22. 22.🛡️ What kind of reply is this? They said “Homework helps us practise.” Reply: “You only say that to please the teacher.” (a) attacks the person (b) dodges the point (c) a fair rebuttal
  23. 23.🛡️ What kind of reply is this? They said “Homework helps us practise.” Reply: “Practice can happen in class, where the teacher can help.” (a) attacks the person (b) dodges the point (c) a fair rebuttal
  24. 24.🛡️ 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) attacks the person (b) a fair rebuttal (c) dodges the point
  25. 25.🛡️ In a rebuttal, which comes first: say why it matters or say their point? (a) say why it matters (b) say their point
  26. 26.🛡️ 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
  27. 27.🛡️ In a rebuttal, which comes first: give your evidence or say their point? (a) give your evidence (b) say their point
  28. 28.🛡️ 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
  29. 29.True or false: They said “Homework helps us practise.” Reply: “Practice can happen in class, where the teacher can help.” — this is a fair rebuttal, as it answers the point. (a) True (b) False
  30. 30.True or false: They said “Cooking is risky for students.” Reply: “You are scared of everything.” — this dodges the point instead of answering it. (a) True (b) False
  31. 31.🛡️ What kind of reply is this? They said “A garden costs too much.” Reply: “You can’t even grow a cactus, so who cares?” (a) dodges the point (b) attacks the person (c) a fair rebuttal
  32. 32.🛡️ What kind of reply is this? They said “Homework helps us practise.” Reply: “Anyway, I like football more than homework.” (a) dodges the point (b) attacks the person (c) a fair rebuttal
  33. 33.True or false: They said “Long holidays help us rest.” Reply: “You are lazy, so of course you want rest.” — this dodges the point instead of answering it. (a) False (b) True
  34. 34.True or false: They said “Cooking is risky for students.” Reply: “My mother makes very tasty dal.” — this is a fair rebuttal, as it answers the point. (a) False (b) True
  35. 35.🛡️ What kind of reply is this? They said “Sports periods waste study time.” Reply: “Sport is played all over the world.” (a) dodges the point (b) a fair rebuttal (c) attacks the person
  36. 36.🛡️ They said “A garden costs too much.” Which reply answers this point? (a) gardens are pretty (b) seeds cost under ₹500 (c) you can’t grow plants (d) I love flowers
  37. 37.🛡️ What kind of reply is this? They said “A garden costs too much.” Reply: “Gardens look very pretty in spring.” (a) attacks the person (b) a fair rebuttal (c) dodges the point
  38. 38.🛡️ What kind of reply is this? They said “Students won’t read in a reading hour.” Reply: “You never read anything yourself.” (a) attacks the person (b) dodges the point (c) a fair rebuttal
  39. 39.True or false: They said “Cooking is risky for students.” Reply: “My mother makes very tasty dal.” — this dodges the point instead of answering it. (a) False (b) True
  40. 40.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) False (b) True

Answer key

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

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