Informative speech template
Cue cards for an informative speech: an interesting opening, a clear thesis and preview, three main points with examples, transitions, and a summary that leaves the audience with one idea.
Speech10 cardsAbout 5 min to speakBeginnerSchool
Debate speech template: build your case on cue cards
A general debate case on cue cards: hook, definitions, team line, two or three arguments with evidence and impact, rebuttal space and a strong close. Works for most school formats.
Free to use, edit, print and study. No account needed: your set stays on this device.
The cards
- 1
Motion and side
Motion: [This house would ___]
We are: [affirmative / negative, proposition / opposition]
Team line (one sentence): [The core reason our side is right]
Every card that follows should support this line.
- 2
Hook and greeting
[Address the chair, adjudicators and audience in the way your format expects.]
Open with a short scene, question or contrast:
"Imagine [a student who ___]. Today's debate is about whether [that student should ___]."
- 3
Definitions and scope
- Key term 1: [___] means [___]
- Key term 2: [___] means [___]
- What we are not arguing: [___]
Keep definitions fair and reasonable. A squirrelled definition loses the adjudicator's trust.
- 4
Roadmap
"Our team will prove [team line] through [two / three] arguments."
- "I will cover [argument 1] and [argument 2]."
- "My second speaker will cover [argument 3]."
A clear split shows teamwork and stops overlap.
- 5
Argument 1
- Claim: [what is true]
- Reasoning: [why it is true, step by step]
- Evidence: [example, case study or expert source you have checked]
- Impact: [why it matters, who is affected, how much]
- 6
Argument 2
- Claim: [___]
- Reasoning: [___]
- Evidence: [___]
- Impact: [___]
Link back: "This matters because it shows [team line]."
- 7
Pre-empt the other side
"Our opponents might say [their likely best argument]."
"But [why it is wrong, or why our argument outweighs it]."
Only use this if you are first speaker. Later speakers rebut what was actually said.
- 8
Rebuttal space
Leave this card blank to fill during the debate:
- They said: [___] → Response: [___]
- They said: [___] → Response: [___]
Attack the reasoning, not the person.
- 9
Weighing
Tell the adjudicator why your side matters more, even if the other team has a point:
- Size: "Our argument affects [more people / a more vulnerable group]."
- Likelihood: "Our outcome is [more certain] because [___]."
- Time: "Their benefit is short-term; ours lasts [___]."
- 10
Close
"Today I have shown that [argument 1] and [argument 2]. Together they prove that [team line]."
Return to your hook: "So for [the student we imagined], [what our side means for them]."
"I am proud to [propose / oppose]."
How to use this template
Use this as the base template for almost any school or club debate. It lays out a constructive case the way adjudicators like to hear it: motion and team line first, then a hook, fair definitions, a roadmap, two developed arguments, and a close that ties back to your opening. Each argument card follows claim, reasoning, evidence and impact, which is the simplest way to make sure your points are explained rather than just asserted. A rebuttal card is left with gaps so you can fill it during the round. Debate formats differ around the world in speaker roles, speech lengths and terminology, so adjust the greeting and timing to your league's rules; the structure itself carries across most of them.
Tips
- Write your team line first and test every argument against it. If an argument does not support the line, cut it.
- Spend most of your time on reasoning and impact. Evidence alone rarely wins a round; explaining why it matters does.
- Use only evidence you have checked and can name the source of. Adjudicators and opponents may ask.
- Number your arguments out loud ('my first argument is...'). It helps the adjudicator's notes match yours.
- Practise with a timer and a signal at one minute remaining, so you always reach your close.
- Look up from your cards at the start of each new point. Eye contact makes arguments sound more certain.
Make it fit
- For a three-minute speech, keep one argument plus the rebuttal card and a short close.
- As second speaker, replace the definitions and roadmap with a quick recap of your team line and move rebuttal to the start.
- For negative or opposition, add a card accepting or challenging the affirmative's definitions before your arguments.
- For a classroom debate with younger students, simplify each argument card to 'because' and 'for example'.
Updated October 28, 2026