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.
Speech9 cardsAbout 4 min to speakBeginnerSchool
Persuasive speech template
Cue cards for a persuasive speech using a clear problem, solution and action structure: an attention hook, why it matters, your argument, answering objections and a call to action.
Free to use, edit, print and study. No account needed: your set stays on this device.
The cards
- 1
Plan
- Topic: [___]
- What I want the audience to do or believe: [___]
- Who they are and what they already think: [___]
A persuasive speech asks for change. Know exactly what change you want.
- 2
Attention
Open with one of these:
- A short story: "Last [month], [a person / I] ___."
- A question: "How many of you have ever ___?"
- A surprising contrast: "We spend [___], yet [___]."
No "Today I'm going to talk about..." as the first line.
- 3
The problem
- What is happening: [___]
- Who it affects: [___]
- Evidence you have checked: [source + finding]
- Why it matters to this audience: [___]
- 4
Your solution
"There is a simple way to change this: [your proposal]."
- How it works: [___]
- Where it has worked: [a real example you have checked]
- Why it is realistic: [cost, time, effort]
- 5
Picture the result
"Imagine [a month / a year] from now, if we [do this]: [describe a positive scene]."
"Now imagine if we do nothing: [describe the same scene getting worse]."
Contrast helps people feel the difference.
- 6
Answer the objection
"Some of you might be thinking [main objection]."
"That's a fair concern. But [why it is smaller than it seems, or how your solution handles it]."
Respecting doubts makes you more persuasive, not less.
- 7
Persuasive techniques check
- Trust: why should they listen to you? [experience, research]
- Feeling: one moment that makes them care
- Logic: one clear chain of reasons
- Repetition of one key phrase: [___]
- A rule of three: [___, ___ and ___]
- 8
Delivery notes
- Pause after your hook. Let the question or story land.
- Lower your voice and slow down for the most important line.
- Use one gesture you plan in advance for your key phrase.
- Look at different parts of the room on each card.
- Stand still when you give the call to action. Movement can look uncertain.
- 9
Call to action
Make it specific and easy:
"Today, I'm asking you to [sign / join / switch / vote / try] [exact action] by [when]."
Close by returning to your opening story or question.
How to use this template
A persuasive speech tries to change what an audience thinks or does, and the most reliable way to do that is to walk them through a problem, a solution and a clear action. This template uses that classic sequence, the same one often taught as the motivated sequence: grab attention, show the problem, offer your solution, help the audience picture the result, then ask for a specific action. A card for answering the main objection makes your speech fairer and more convincing, and a quick checklist reminds you to balance credibility, feeling and logic. Use it for class assignments, student council speeches, community meetings or competitions. Fill the brackets with your own topic and only use evidence you have checked.
Tips
- Write the call to action first. Knowing exactly what you want people to do keeps every other card focused.
- Choose evidence the audience will trust. A local example often persuades more than a distant statistic.
- Keep the problem card shorter than the solution card. People act when they see a way forward.
- Slow down and pause after your picture-the-result card. Let the contrast sink in.
- Practise in front of someone who disagrees with you, and use their objection on the objection card.
- Avoid exaggeration. One overstated claim can make an audience doubt everything else.
Make it fit
- For a two-minute speech, combine the problem and solution cards and drop the techniques check.
- For a speech to adults or a council, add a card on cost and who would be responsible.
- For a student election, turn the solution card into your three main promises.
- For a persuasive essay, use the same cards as paragraph plans.
- For an audience that strongly disagrees, move the objection card to just after the problem, so you address their doubts before asking them to accept your solution.
Updated October 28, 2026