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The three M's is a major part of debating mainly because
it is what adjudicators look at when they are scoring. The three M's,
Matter, Method and Manner all have specific characteristics that set out the
basic outlines for the presentation of a debate.
Matter is the content of the speech. It can be contrasted with the presentation style of the speech (manner) and the structure of the speech (method). Matter includes arguments, evidence presented to support those arguments, examples and analysis. Matter includes substantive matter, rebuttal and points of information. In debates in which points of information are used, both the content of the question and the content of the answer are considered matter. The elements of matter are: - logic - relevance
Method is the way the speech / debate is structured. This looks at the ordering of an individuals debate, ie. did the first speaker define the topic before moving on to their points, or did a speaker remember to rebut the oppositions case before moving on to their own. Method also includes the time that an individuals debate goes for and how long a debater spends of each part of their debate, introduction, rebuttal, points and summary.
Manner is usually overlooked as an important part of debating but still makes up 40 % of a debaters mark in any debate. This covers a debaters speaker style, the way they present their case, if they include humor and if they constantly make eye contact or read straight of their notes. Though these things sound simple, debaters constantly overlook the importance of these, and loose easy marks because of it.
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This site was last updated 10/12/04