Y05W14RC The Yawn Mystery

This week, you will read two different ideas about a familiar mystery. You will practise noticing what each speaker believes, what reasons they give and how they respond to each other. As you read, pay attention to which points sound strongest and why. A simple everyday action can lead to a big debate.

Persuasive — Debate transcript

A debate transcript is a written record of people speaking about a topic from different sides. Writers use it to persuade by presenting claims, reasons, examples and replies to the other side. It often includes labelled speakers, clear turns, opening ideas, responses and short closing statements so you can follow each argument step by step. As a reader, you need to track who is saying what, separate evidence from opinion and compare how strong each side’s case is. You are not only learning about the topic, but also judging how each speaker builds their argument.

Before You Read

  • Look at the title and notice that it sounds like a question with more than one possible answer.
  • Think about how people often have different ideas about everyday things, even when everyone has seen the same behaviour.
  • Get ready to follow labelled speakers and notice when the discussion shifts from main points to rebuttals and closing ideas.

While You Read

  • Pause after each speaker’s turn and check what their main claim is.
  • Use the speaker labels and turn order as guides so you can keep each side’s ideas separate.
  • Notice which parts are examples, which parts are opinions and which parts try to sound like evidence.
  • Pay attention to rebuttals, because they show how each speaker answers the other side’s reasoning.
  • If two ideas seem similar, re-read the exact words to see whether the speakers really mean the same thing.

Read With Purpose

  • Notice how each speaker explains what a yawn might mean.
  • Pay attention to the difference between a clue, a theory and a strong piece of evidence.
  • Watch how each side tries to make its claim sound more convincing.

Now read

The debate transcript

~4 min read · ~638 words

Do Yawns Mean Anything?

Moderator: Welcome to today’s class debate. Our topic is: ‘Do yawns mean anything?’ Everyone yawns sometimes, but people do not always agree about why it happens. Speaker A will argue that yawns do send a message, especially about tiredness, boredom or a change in attention. Speaker B will argue that yawns are not mainly a message to other people, but more likely part of what the body is doing. Listen for each speaker’s claim, reasons and examples.

Speaker A: I believe yawns do mean something. First, they often happen when people are tired. If someone stays up late, sits through a long car trip or reaches the end of a busy day, a yawn can signal that their body is slowing down. Second, yawns can appear when a person is losing focus. In class, for example, a yawn might not mean the lesson is bad. It may simply show that the person’s attention is dipping.

I also think yawns can work as a social signal. A signal is a sign that gives information. When one person yawns, other people often start yawning too. This is called ‘contagious’ yawning, which means the action seems to spread from one person to another. That suggests yawns may do more than move air in and out. They may help people notice each other’s state and respond to it.

My final point is that people often read meaning into yawns for a reason. If a friend yawns three times while you are talking, you probably assume something is going on. Maybe they are tired. Maybe they need a break. The yawn may not tell you everything, but it still gives a clue.

Speaker B: I agree that yawns can give a clue, but I do not think that is their main purpose. A yawn may look like a message, yet it might really be a body process. Some scientists have explored the theory that yawning helps with alertness or brain temperature. That means yawning might help the body shift state when a person is sleepy, restless or changing activities.

Think about when yawns often happen. They can appear before sleep, after waking up or during a quiet moment. Those are all times when the body is adjusting. A yawn might be part of that adjustment, not a deliberate signal to other people. In other words, the meaning we notice could be a side effect, not the main job.

Contagious yawning does not prove that yawns are messages either. Humans copy many actions without planning to. People smile back, tap their feet after hearing a beat and laugh when others laugh. A yawn may spread because people are responsive to each other, not because the yawn is a message like a spoken sentence.

Speaker A Rebuttal: Speaker B is right that a yawn could be part of a body process. However, that does not cancel its meaning. A school bell is metal and sound, but it still sends a message. In the same way, a yawn can begin in the body and still tell others something useful.

Speaker B Rebuttal: Speaker A is right that people notice yawns and interpret them. However, noticing a clue is not the same as proving a purpose. Dark clouds can signal rain, but the clouds are not trying to communicate with us. A yawn may work like that.

Speaker A Closing Statement: Yawns may not have one perfect meaning every time, but they often signal tiredness, fading attention or the need for a pause. Because other people notice them and respond to them, yawns do mean something.

Speaker B Closing Statement: Yawns may seem meaningful, but the stronger explanation is that they are mostly linked to body changes such as alertness and adjustment. People may read meaning into them, yet that does not make signalling their main function.

Check your vocabulary knowledge

signal n.
a sign that gives information
contagious adj.
able to spread from one person to another
alertness n.
the state of being awake and attentive
adjustment n.
a change made to fit a new condition
function n.
the main job or purpose of something