Understand the Motion
Before building arguments, make sure you are answering the exact question in the motion. A strong argument about the wrong question still loses relevance.
Find the decision word
Words such as should, ban, require, prefer, better, more important, or justified tell you what kind of judgment is being asked.
A policy motion asks what should happen. A value motion asks what matters more. A comparative motion asks which option is better.
Identify what must be compared
Ask: compared with what?
“Schools should use AI tutors” means comparing a world with school adoption against a world without that adoption—not comparing AI with perfection.
Clarify reasonable boundaries
Do not define the motion so narrowly that the other side cannot debate it.
Do not define it so broadly that the discussion becomes vague.
Example
Motion: “Social media does more harm than good.” The debate is not “Is social media harmful?” Both sides can admit some harms. The real question is whether the total harms outweigh the total benefits.
Common mistake
Turning the motion into a nearby but easier topic.
Try this
Rewrite a motion as one plain-English question beginning with “Should we…?”, “Which is better…?”, or “Does X outweigh Y?”
Keep in mind
First decide what the debate is actually asking.
Practice this skill
Use it in a real debate and see how well it holds up when you have to respond to an opponent.