Spoken English, Year 9

opposition

HintParliament uses the same name for the parties that face the government.

The whyOther debating formats call the side in favour the government or the affirmative. Speakers do not choose their side, so debaters learn to build the best case for a view they may not hold, which is part of the training.

The strongest

HintAsk which one you could least afford to lose if the bell went early.

The whyTime can run out, and judges and audiences remember what they hear early. Leading with your best point means it gets full attention and the most time for evidence.

Stick to the motion

HintAsk whether anything they said helps decide the question on the table.

The whyEvery point has to bear on the statement being debated. However well made, an argument about something else wins nothing, and it uses up time the speaker needed.

Sum up their case

HintAsk what the judges will be left holding if the bell cuts a sentence in half.

The whyA point begun and abandoned leaves the audience with a loose end. A short summary reminds the judges of the arguments already made and lets the speaker finish on time and in control.

B

HintOnly one of them deals with the emergency.

The whyReply A is a new point for your own side; it leaves the emergency argument standing. Reply B answers the specific point that was made. A rebuttal has to meet the argument the other side actually used.

A concession in a debate

HintIt often begins: 'My opponent is right that...'

The whyGranting a fair point costs little and makes you look reasonable, which makes your remaining disagreement more believable. The skill is to give up the detail and keep the case.

A point of information

HintThe person offering it usually stands and says its three-word name aloud.

The whyIt tests whether a speaker can think on their feet: accepting one and answering it well shows confidence, while refusing every one looks defensive. It must be short, and the speaker stays in charge of the floor.

The points they actually make

HintYou cannot prepare this part the night before.

The whyA rebuttal written in advance answers the speech you expected, not the one that was given. Noting each claim as it is made, with a word or two of reply, is what lets you answer on your feet.

were; did

HintOne verb must agree with a plural subject; the other needs the simple past, not the participle.

The whyThese are the national curriculum's own two examples of Standard English verb forms. 'We was' and 'I done' are regular patterns in many dialects, not random slips, but formal speech and writing expect 'we were' and 'I did'.

Yes

HintSeparate how her words sound from which words and verb forms she chooses.

The whyStandard English is defined by grammar and vocabulary and, as the national curriculum glossary puts it, is not limited to any particular accent. You can keep your own voice and still use it.

Code-switching

HintA speaker might do it between the playground and a job interview.

The whyBilingual speakers do it between languages; most people do it between varieties without thinking, speaking one way at home and another in a formal setting. Doing it on purpose is the skill: you add Standard English for formal moments without giving up the way you speak elsewhere.

anything

HintStandard English allows only one negative here, and 'didn't' already supplies it.

The whyTwo negatives in one clause are normal in many dialects and in many other languages, but Standard English uses one: 'I didn't see anything' or 'I saw nothing'. The national curriculum glossary gives 'I wasn't doing anything' as a Standard form.