Reddit reviews Style: The Basics of Clarity and Grace (5th Edition)

Ordinal numbers (first, second, third) are helpful for contestants and judges flowing the round to keep track of points. The tagline (or claim) for your argument should be clear, specific and concise/brief. Saying something vague like "First, this bill will help constituents" doesn't really describe an argument, whereas, "First, this bill provides tax relief to the burdened middle class" gives more context. Think of it this way: try to say as much as possible that summarizes each point in as few words as possible. Also, avoid "debatey" terms like "contention," or "claim." Instead, use words like "point," or "reason."


I highly recommend this book to frame your thinking about concision, coherence, and cohesion in both speaking and writing: https://www.amazon.com/Style-Basics-Clarity-Grace-5th/dp/0321953304/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=Style%3A+The+Basics+5th+Edition&qid=1550767232&s=gateway&sr=8-1

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As for pen colors, I highly recommend one color for affirmative arguments, one color for negative, and another color for questions you'd like to ask (or to make other notes to yourself).