1.

Do you think having a high paying job is more important than having a job that makes
you happy?
2. Have you ever slept in a tent overnight?
3. Do you have any tattoos or body piercings?
4. Do you consider yourself more of an optimist or a pessimist?
5. Who does the grocery shopping in your family?
6. How do you keep up on current events?
7. What is the most memorable vacation you have ever been on?
8. Do you play any sports? When was the last time you were on a team?

Business English Topics for Debate/Discussion

1. Multinationals do more harm than good.
2. Multi-level marketing is a legitimate business model.
3. We need a minimum wage so that companies don’t take advantage of their employees.
4. Human Resources shouldn’t be allowed to ask questions about an applicant’s marital
status, religion, age, medical history, or immigration status.
5. Companies shouldn’t look at prospective employees’ social media profiles.
6. Casual dress codes are beneficial for the company.
7. Companies should have strict policies against dating at work.
8. Open floor plans are better than cubicle farms.
9. GMO’s have made the world a better place.
10. Happy employees do a better job.
11. It’s okay for bars, restaurants, casinos, and other businesses in the service sector to
only hire attractive employees.
12. Social media sites should be blocked at work.
13. The lingua franca for doing business should be English and more companies should
demand English proficiency from their employees. Chinese?
14. Employees that work from home are more productive.
15. Companies should be allowed to drug test their employees.
16. An MBA is worth the cost.
17. Non-financial incentives are better motivators than financial incentives.
18. Pay-day loans need to be regulated by the government.
19. Corporations should not be allowed to make large campaign contributions to political
candidates.
20. Pro sports leagues should not have a non-profit status.
21. Men should be given more time off for paternity leave.
22. We need laws to regulate the unpredictability of part-time schedules.
23. Companies should be forced to provide health care to full-time employees.
24. Companies should be forced to provide health care to part-time employees.
25. Prescription drug companies should be allowed to advertise directly to consumers.
26. We need laws to ensure that women receive salaries comparable to their male
counterparts.
27. There should be gender quotas for women on boards of directors.
28. Public funds should not be used for professional sports stadiums.
Useful Expressions for Discussion and Debate
Giving an Opinion
In my opinion… Asking for an Opinion
I think… What do you think?
The way I see it… Do you agree?
According to… What are your thoughts on this?
As far as I’m concerned…

Agreeing
I completely agree. (strong) Disagreeing
You’re absolutely right. (strong) I completely disagree. (strong)
I couldn’t agree more. (strong) I totally disagree. (strong)
Exactly. I disagree.
You’re right. That’s not always true.
I agree. That’s not always the case.
I guess so. (weak) I’m not so sure about that. (weak)
You could be right. (weak) I don’t know if I agree with you. (weak)
You may have a point there. (weak)

Acknowledging someone’s argument and presenting yours

I agree with you, but…
That may be true, but…
I see your point, but…
I guess so, but…
That’s not necessarily true because…
Not necessarily because…

Countering Directly
But…
But why…?
But if…
But what about…

Interrupting
Sorry to interrupt, but…
Can I add something?
Sorry, you were saying… (after interrupting someone)
Please let me finish (after being interrupted)

Redirecting
Let’s get back to…
Getting back to…
You were saying that…