6 Tips for Questioning
by Stormee Massey on 3/6/22
Imagine this: you are in a debate round and it is time for cross-fire. You know your opponents will be asking you questions, but you realize quickly that you don’t have any of your own questions to ask. Sometimes in debate, we get so caught up in our speeches, that we forget that cross-fire is coming up.
The most common result is that competitors ask open-ended informational questions to “suck up time”. Unfortunately, this is the worst strategyGeneral Definition: Decisions made in the debate to optimize your likelihood of winning. Strategy can include argument choice, time allocation, the balance of offense and defense, rate of speech, and questioning approaches. • Public Forum: see general definition. • World Schools Debate: In WSD, this is 20% of a judge's ballot. Strategy evaluates whether or not you are allocating time More for cross-fire and could put you in a world of trouble when it comes to winning the debate.
So, let’s dive into a step-by-step guide on how to optimize your crossfireGeneral Definition: A three-minute questioning period after the first and second speeches where opponents take turns asking each other questions. Traditionally, the person that spoke first may ask the first question. Public Forum: see general definition. World Schools Debate:Not used in WSD, where "Points of Information" are offered instead. British Parliamentary: Not used in BP, where "Points of Information" are offered More.
1. Consider Your Rebuttal
CrossfireGeneral Definition: A three-minute questioning period after the first and second speeches where opponents take turns asking each other questions. Traditionally, the person that spoke first may ask the first question. Public Forum: see general definition. World Schools Debate:Not used in WSD, where "Points of Information" are offered instead. British Parliamentary: Not used in BP, where "Points of Information" are offered More is integral to rebuttalGeneral Definition: The second speech in a debate round, used to refute an opponent's arguments and rebuild one's own. Responses to an opponent's arguments are also referred to as "rebuttal" regardless of the speech where they appear. • Public Forum: In PF, rebuttal speeches are four minutes long and should address all arguments presented by the opponents. No new constructive More strategyGeneral Definition: Decisions made in the debate to optimize your likelihood of winning. Strategy can include argument choice, time allocation, the balance of offense and defense, rate of speech, and questioning approaches. • Public Forum: see general definition. • World Schools Debate: In WSD, this is 20% of a judge's ballot. Strategy evaluates whether or not you are allocating time More! When you are thinking of questions to ask, consider what your answers are going to be in the next speech.
Let’s look at an example. If our topicGeneral Definition: The central premise being debated, often called the "Motion" or "Resolution". • Public Forum: Not a common phrase in PF, where "Resolution" is used instead. • World Schools Debate: Not a common phrase in WSD, where "Motion" is used instead. • British Parliamentary: Not a common phrase in BP, where "Motion" is used instead.. • Canadian National Debate More is Resolved: The United States should ban homework. The proGeneral Definition: The side supporting the resolution in a debate, also known as the "Affirmative". • Public Forum: see general definition. • World Schools Debate: Pro is not a common phrase in WSD, where "Proposition" is used instead. • British Parliamentary: Pro is not a common phrase in BP, where "Government" is used instead. • Canadian National Debate Format: Pro More side might say this could reduce stress. On opposition, consider how you would respond to this.
If we are going to say “banning homework could increase stress on tests because it will be the first time you get independent practice”, consider how you can set this argument up in crossfireGeneral Definition: A three-minute questioning period after the first and second speeches where opponents take turns asking each other questions. Traditionally, the person that spoke first may ask the first question. Public Forum: see general definition. World Schools Debate:Not used in WSD, where "Points of Information" are offered instead. British Parliamentary: Not used in BP, where "Points of Information" are offered More. What questions can we ask that will make it easier to prove our argument in the speech.
For example, you could ask the question “Are there any other ways students will gain independent practice before the test?” Asking this question introduces the idea of your argument without giving it away.
As well, never ask a question you do not know the answer to; you never want your opponent to have an “ah-ha!” moment during crossfireGeneral Definition: A three-minute questioning period after the first and second speeches where opponents take turns asking each other questions. Traditionally, the person that spoke first may ask the first question. Public Forum: see general definition. World Schools Debate:Not used in WSD, where "Points of Information" are offered instead. British Parliamentary: Not used in BP, where "Points of Information" are offered More. Be careful with the questions you ask and make sure you know exactly what the point of your question is.
2. Be Careful with Wording
The way that you word your questions can be make or break for your crossfireGeneral Definition: A three-minute questioning period after the first and second speeches where opponents take turns asking each other questions. Traditionally, the person that spoke first may ask the first question. Public Forum: see general definition. World Schools Debate:Not used in WSD, where "Points of Information" are offered instead. British Parliamentary: Not used in BP, where "Points of Information" are offered More. If you ask questions that are too open-ended, this can result in your opponent talking forever about how awesome their case is. Sometimes, our gut instinct is to ask questions like “what is your impactGeneral Definition: The final result of a cause and effect relationship that explains why the argument has meaning or value. A good impact answers the question, "Why does this argument matter?" See also "Impact Weighing". • Public Forum: see general definition. • World Schools Debate: see general definition. • British Parliamentary:see general definition. • Canadian National Debate Format:see general definition. More in contentionGeneral Definition: A full argument, including a statement of the central claim or premise, analysis of the status quo, mechanisms or links defining how the motion changes the status quo, and impacts. A debate case may be organized into multiple contentions (e.g. "Contention One", "Contention Two", etc.). Public Forum: see general definition. World Schools Debate: In WSD, two contentions are typically More 1?”- consider how this would most likely be answered.
Asking open-ended information based questions can get you in trouble because it doesn’t move your strategyGeneral Definition: Decisions made in the debate to optimize your likelihood of winning. Strategy can include argument choice, time allocation, the balance of offense and defense, rate of speech, and questioning approaches. • Public Forum: see general definition. • World Schools Debate: In WSD, this is 20% of a judge's ballot. Strategy evaluates whether or not you are allocating time More forward AND it gives the judge an opportunity to get to know your opponent’s arguments more. Asking questions that start with “why”, “how” or “can you explain” will result in your opponent talking as long as they want about whatever they think would benefit them the most in the round.
My best advice is to start with a yes or no question, then move to asking an open ended question. This will direct your opponent to where you want them to go, and then ask for more information, thus, avoiding unnecessary pit stops along the way to our goal.
3. Write Down Questions
This is one of the easiest, and probably most forgotten, ways to prepare for crossfireGeneral Definition: A three-minute questioning period after the first and second speeches where opponents take turns asking each other questions. Traditionally, the person that spoke first may ask the first question. Public Forum: see general definition. World Schools Debate:Not used in WSD, where "Points of Information" are offered instead. British Parliamentary: Not used in BP, where "Points of Information" are offered More. Remember, the way we word our questions is very important. Consider how you gain ethosGeneral Definition: Appeals to credibility; rhetoric designed to persuade an audience by enhancing the credibility or ethical appeal of the speaker. Public Forum: see general definition.
World Schools Debate: see general definition.
British Parliamentary: see general definition.
Canadian National Debate Format: see general definition.
More in crossfireGeneral Definition: A three-minute questioning period after the first and second speeches where opponents take turns asking each other questions. Traditionally, the person that spoke first may ask the first question. Public Forum: see general definition. World Schools Debate:Not used in WSD, where "Points of Information" are offered instead. British Parliamentary: Not used in BP, where "Points of Information" are offered More: does asking a 30 second long meandering question make you seem like you know what you’re talking about or that you are confident in the answer you are looking for? The answer is no.
When a judge is evaluating crossfireGeneral Definition: A three-minute questioning period after the first and second speeches where opponents take turns asking each other questions. Traditionally, the person that spoke first may ask the first question. Public Forum: see general definition. World Schools Debate:Not used in WSD, where "Points of Information" are offered instead. British Parliamentary: Not used in BP, where "Points of Information" are offered More, they are looking for clear and straight to the point questions with confident and succinct answers from the opponent. Specifically in Public Forum, if you try too hard to make arguments while formatting your question, it can be irritating to the judge.
This means, you need to write your questions down. Consider your rebuttals, and how the wording of the question will affect the answers. Try to come up with 2-3 questions during your opponent’s speech and write them down exactly how you plan to ask them.
4. Control the Crossfire
Nothing can be more annoying to a judge during a crossfireGeneral Definition: A three-minute questioning period after the first and second speeches where opponents take turns asking each other questions. Traditionally, the person that spoke first may ask the first question. Public Forum: see general definition. World Schools Debate:Not used in WSD, where "Points of Information" are offered instead. British Parliamentary: Not used in BP, where "Points of Information" are offered More than when competitors devolve crossfireGeneral Definition: A three-minute questioning period after the first and second speeches where opponents take turns asking each other questions. Traditionally, the person that spoke first may ask the first question. Public Forum: see general definition. World Schools Debate:Not used in WSD, where "Points of Information" are offered instead. British Parliamentary: Not used in BP, where "Points of Information" are offered More into a shouting match. Always remember, crossfireGeneral Definition: A three-minute questioning period after the first and second speeches where opponents take turns asking each other questions. Traditionally, the person that spoke first may ask the first question. Public Forum: see general definition. World Schools Debate:Not used in WSD, where "Points of Information" are offered instead. British Parliamentary: Not used in BP, where "Points of Information" are offered More is for questions and answers. Arguing with your opponent will do little to establish ethosGeneral Definition: Appeals to credibility; rhetoric designed to persuade an audience by enhancing the credibility or ethical appeal of the speaker. Public Forum: see general definition.
World Schools Debate: see general definition.
British Parliamentary: see general definition.
Canadian National Debate Format: see general definition.
More and will most likely result in you losing speaker pointsGeneral Definition: A score given to debaters that assesses their style, delivery, and organization for a particular debate. See also "Ballot". • Public Forum: Commonly used. In PF, speaker points typically range from 25 to 30, with 27.5 representing an average speech, 25 representing a failure to engage with the debate or rudeness, and a 30 representing the ideal "perfect" More.
Instead, consider these strategies for getting crossfireGeneral Definition: A three-minute questioning period after the first and second speeches where opponents take turns asking each other questions. Traditionally, the person that spoke first may ask the first question. Public Forum: see general definition. World Schools Debate:Not used in WSD, where "Points of Information" are offered instead. British Parliamentary: Not used in BP, where "Points of Information" are offered More back on track.
If you are asking questions and your opponent just won’t stop talking, consider using the phrase “Okay, that’s fine, thank you. You may have a question now.” Doing this can redirect the crossfireGeneral Definition: A three-minute questioning period after the first and second speeches where opponents take turns asking each other questions. Traditionally, the person that spoke first may ask the first question. Public Forum: see general definition. World Schools Debate:Not used in WSD, where "Points of Information" are offered instead. British Parliamentary: Not used in BP, where "Points of Information" are offered More back to a question and answer format and prevent your opponent from sucking up all of the crossfireGeneral Definition: A three-minute questioning period after the first and second speeches where opponents take turns asking each other questions. Traditionally, the person that spoke first may ask the first question. Public Forum: see general definition. World Schools Debate:Not used in WSD, where "Points of Information" are offered instead. British Parliamentary: Not used in BP, where "Points of Information" are offered More time with their answer.
On the other hand, if you are wanting to ask a question but your opponent keeps asking follow-ups, after providing an answer say “may I have a question, please?” This reminds your opponent that this is a back and forth process and they are getting out of hand.
Both of these strategies will work not only to help you gain control of crossfireGeneral Definition: A three-minute questioning period after the first and second speeches where opponents take turns asking each other questions. Traditionally, the person that spoke first may ask the first question. Public Forum: see general definition. World Schools Debate:Not used in WSD, where "Points of Information" are offered instead. British Parliamentary: Not used in BP, where "Points of Information" are offered More, it will help get you brownie points with the judge. As mentioned before, judges hate when crossfireGeneral Definition: A three-minute questioning period after the first and second speeches where opponents take turns asking each other questions. Traditionally, the person that spoke first may ask the first question. Public Forum: see general definition. World Schools Debate:Not used in WSD, where "Points of Information" are offered instead. British Parliamentary: Not used in BP, where "Points of Information" are offered More becomes a shouting match, so using these strategies will refocus the control of the questioning period.
5. Know When to Quit
This might be the hardest step for some. I have judged many debates where competitors will ask a question, get the answer they need, and then will circle back to the same question. Even if you reword the question, you are creating redundancy and revealing to your opponent where your main offense is.
You are more likely to generate ethosGeneral Definition: Appeals to credibility; rhetoric designed to persuade an audience by enhancing the credibility or ethical appeal of the speaker. Public Forum: see general definition.
World Schools Debate: see general definition.
British Parliamentary: see general definition.
Canadian National Debate Format: see general definition.
More by asking a succinct thoughtful question, receiving an answer, and moving on to a different part of the debate. Circling back to a flag you have already planted can undermine your ethosGeneral Definition: Appeals to credibility; rhetoric designed to persuade an audience by enhancing the credibility or ethical appeal of the speaker. Public Forum: see general definition.
World Schools Debate: see general definition.
British Parliamentary: see general definition.
Canadian National Debate Format: see general definition.
More and show your judge that you don’t know when you’ve won. Be confident when you get the answer you need because the judge will notice; don’t give your opponent an opportunity to wiggle out of the trap you put them in.
6. Refer to Crossfire
When you ask questions in crossfireGeneral Definition: A three-minute questioning period after the first and second speeches where opponents take turns asking each other questions. Traditionally, the person that spoke first may ask the first question. Public Forum: see general definition. World Schools Debate:Not used in WSD, where "Points of Information" are offered instead. British Parliamentary: Not used in BP, where "Points of Information" are offered More that set up your rebuttalGeneral Definition: The second speech in a debate round, used to refute an opponent's arguments and rebuild one's own. Responses to an opponent's arguments are also referred to as "rebuttal" regardless of the speech where they appear. • Public Forum: In PF, rebuttal speeches are four minutes long and should address all arguments presented by the opponents. No new constructive More, this is called “planting the flag”. You want to establish your offense during crossfireGeneral Definition: A three-minute questioning period after the first and second speeches where opponents take turns asking each other questions. Traditionally, the person that spoke first may ask the first question. Public Forum: see general definition. World Schools Debate:Not used in WSD, where "Points of Information" are offered instead. British Parliamentary: Not used in BP, where "Points of Information" are offered More so that you can refer back to it in your speech.
Some people view crossfireGeneral Definition: A three-minute questioning period after the first and second speeches where opponents take turns asking each other questions. Traditionally, the person that spoke first may ask the first question. Public Forum: see general definition. World Schools Debate:Not used in WSD, where "Points of Information" are offered instead. British Parliamentary: Not used in BP, where "Points of Information" are offered More as a purely informational exchange, but this is far from the truth. CrossfireGeneral Definition: A three-minute questioning period after the first and second speeches where opponents take turns asking each other questions. Traditionally, the person that spoke first may ask the first question. Public Forum: see general definition. World Schools Debate:Not used in WSD, where "Points of Information" are offered instead. British Parliamentary: Not used in BP, where "Points of Information" are offered More is where you establish credibility and set up your success in the debate. When you are giving speeches after crossfireGeneral Definition: A three-minute questioning period after the first and second speeches where opponents take turns asking each other questions. Traditionally, the person that spoke first may ask the first question. Public Forum: see general definition. World Schools Debate:Not used in WSD, where "Points of Information" are offered instead. British Parliamentary: Not used in BP, where "Points of Information" are offered More, refer to questions and answers given during the questioning period to hold your opponents to their answers. This helps you reiterate how awesome your side is and prevents your opponent from squirreling out of an argument that they made and becoming a moving target.
These tips can all work wonders for your crossfireGeneral Definition: A three-minute questioning period after the first and second speeches where opponents take turns asking each other questions. Traditionally, the person that spoke first may ask the first question. Public Forum: see general definition. World Schools Debate:Not used in WSD, where "Points of Information" are offered instead. British Parliamentary: Not used in BP, where "Points of Information" are offered More strategyGeneral Definition: Decisions made in the debate to optimize your likelihood of winning. Strategy can include argument choice, time allocation, the balance of offense and defense, rate of speech, and questioning approaches. • Public Forum: see general definition. • World Schools Debate: In WSD, this is 20% of a judge's ballot. Strategy evaluates whether or not you are allocating time More. Just remember to RAWK in crossfireGeneral Definition: A three-minute questioning period after the first and second speeches where opponents take turns asking each other questions. Traditionally, the person that spoke first may ask the first question. Public Forum: see general definition. World Schools Debate:Not used in WSD, where "Points of Information" are offered instead. British Parliamentary: Not used in BP, where "Points of Information" are offered More.
Rebuttal- consider what you are saying in rebuttalGeneral Definition: The second speech in a debate round, used to refute an opponent's arguments and rebuild one's own. Responses to an opponent's arguments are also referred to as "rebuttal" regardless of the speech where they appear. • Public Forum: In PF, rebuttal speeches are four minutes long and should address all arguments presented by the opponents. No new constructive More.
Approach- consider how you want to approach the questions ie yes or no/ open-ended.
Write- write your questions down and be prepared to ask them succinctly.
Know when to quit- don’t ask the same question when you get what you need.
If you can remember this phrase, the rest will fall into place.
