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Middle School Novice Curriculum Guide
Cross-Examination
To develop your questioning skills, you will learn more about how you will do so in the context of a policy debate. Let’s look at the speech order table again:
If you notice the pattern, it’s always the speaker who isn’t going to speak next. Sometimes your partner can help you out during cross-examination, and that’s called tag-teaming. If you want to tag-team, make sure to ask the judge if they’re okay with it first!
Another thing to keep in mind is that you only have two minutes during cross-examination. So, if you are asking questions, you should ask short and simple questions. You should also try to ask questions that develop arguments you have made or will make. You should not ask general questions about the topic, open-ended questions, or for simple definitions.
When answering questions, you should answer the questions to the best of your ability, and you should try to relate your answers to previous arguments your team have made. You should not lose focus, and you should try to answer your opponent’s questions even when you are not sure of the answer. You can always provide a summary of the relevant arguments on a particular issue.