List three parts of a traditional speech introduction.
List the three common kinds of speech transitions.
Explain the function of a speech conclusion.
Chapter 8 Transitions, Introductions, and Conclusions
Chapter Objectives
List the three purposes of a speech introduction.
Explain the purpose of transitions.
List two parts of a traditional speech conclusion.
Lecture Outline
I. Introducing Your Speech
A. Learning objectives
1. List the three purposes of a speech introduction.
2. List three parts of a traditional speech introduction.
B. There are three basic purposes of an introduction:
1. To establish goodwill: An introduction should establish a general sense that you
care about the audience and have thought about them in advance of the speech.
2. To establish credibility: Along with the conclusion, the introduction is the part of
your speech in which you establish authority as a speaker. It is a place where you say,
either directly or indirectly, that you are qualified as a speaker and can be trusted. This
also refers to the ethos (character-based focus) of public speaking
3. To explain why you are speaking: The introduction is when the audience learns
about your purpose (expressed in a thesis statement) and how you will speak toward this
purpose, with a preview of your main points.
C. The Attention Getter
1. There is no right or wrong way to get the attention of your audience.
2. See the table called “Attention-Getting Techniques for Speech Introductions” for
descriptions and examples of the most common speech opening techniques.
D. The Thesis Statement
1. A thesis statement is the most efficient delivery device for your speech topic. In
it, you establish the parameters of your speech.
2. See Jamie Oliver’s introduction to a speech on childhood obesity in the text as an
example of a clear thesis statement.
E. The Preview and the Payoff
1. In the introduction, feed your audience’s anticipation by adding in a preview of
what your speech will entail. This preview includes the main points of your talk.
2. Use Jon Huntsman’s speech on U.S. energy policy in the text as an example of
preview.
II. Transitions
A. Learning Objectives
1. Explain the purpose of transitions.
2. List the three common kinds of speech transitions.
B. In public speaking, a transition refers to the way in which a speaker indicates the
movement from one main point or part of a speech to another.
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1. Enumeration concerns composing transitions for oral delivery and the creation
of mental signposts. Some examples of transition words are “first,” “second,” “one,”
“two,” “next,” and “finally.”
2. Remember that the audience will hear your speech only once and will not be able
to reread or rehear a point. Try to create a mental outline in the heads of your audience
members by making it clear you are moving from one point to another.
3. Internal previews and summaries are more detailed forms of transition that
review major points to come or that summarize points that have been said, respectively.
a) An internal preview is similar to the preview speakers provide in the
introduction, but it is shorter and comes in the body of the speech.
b) Internal summaries remind the audience what the speaker has recently
discussed.
III. Concluding Your Speech
A. Learning Objectives
1. Explain the function of a speech conclusion.
2. List two parts of a traditional speech conclusion.
B. See the box “Conclusions about Conclusions” for information about the importance of
having a good conclusion.
C. Add oral cues to your speech to signal to the audience that the speech is ending.
1. After the introduction most people’s attention wanders in the middle of a speech,
and transitions call them back to attention.
2. A conclusion is the ultimate call to attention. Along with the introduction, the
conclusion will be one of the most memorable parts of your speech.
D. Summary and Signal
1. The most common and effective way to end a speech is to summarize your main
points and reiterate your thesis.
2. Look at the excerpts from the introduction and conclusion to Jon Huntsman’s
speech on U.S. energy policy in the text. Notice the similarities between the preview and
the summary sections.
a) His preview of the main points of his speech is parallel to the points
made in his summary.
b) Note that he does not use the exact same wording in both sections.
E. The Closing or Note of Finality
1. Make your final note powerful and memorable. Your final note is often the most
memorable part of your speech and can be an opportunity to ask the audience to do
something or to remember something. Keep in mind that it sets the tone for how
audiences will remember you.
a) You can tell the audience to do something specific, or issue a call to
action.
b) Feel free to use attention getters: quotation, acknowledging the speaking
situation, asking a rhetorical question, visualization, telling a story or joke, or
offering a startling fact or statistic.
2. See Oprah Winfrey’s final note in her eulogy for Rosa Parks in the text as an
example of a good final note.
3. See the box “Should You Say ‘Thank You’?” for more information about using
“thank you” to conclude a speech.
Key Terms
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Enumeration: co mposing transitions for oral delivery a nd the creation of mental signposts, which are
verbal indications of the direction the speech will take; many ter ms and phrases are handy for this
purpose, for example: “first,” “second,” “third,” “one,” “two,” “next,” and “finally.”
Internal previews and summaries: more detailed forms of transition that review major points to come or
that summarize points that have been said, respectively.
Chapter Summary
Chapter 8: Transitions, Introductions, and Conclusions describes in detail the speech components that are
most crucial. The introduction, conclusion, and transitions provide the underlying structure of a speech,
and the introduction and conclusion are often the most memorable parts of a speech.
The chapter defines introductions, conclusions, and transitions as they pertain to a speech and explains the
purpose of each. Although transitions are not a stand-alone section of a speech, they are also discussed
Discussion Questions
1. Reviewing the list of attention-getting techniques, which do you think are the most effective and which
do you think might cause potential problems? Explain your answer and use examples to support your
points.
A: The attention-getter is like the ringmaster. If it is ineffective, the speech can get out of focus.
2. Today, the “mic drop” is a popular meme indicating that someone “nailed it” in a performance or
speech. In your opinion, what characteristics make up a “mic drop” conclusion? Defend your answer
using ideas from the chapter and examples.
3. How do introductions and conclusions establish goodwill by demonstrating the speaker’s level of
planning? Explain your answer by using ideas from the chapter and examples to illustrate your thoughts.
5. Goodwill is the act of demonstrating that a speaker has the audience’s best interests at heart. Speakers
need to establish goodwill in the introduction. What can you do in your upcoming speech to establish
goodwill? Use ideas and examples from the chapter.
A: Speakers can establish goodwill through preparation, which demonstrates concern for the
audience’s comprehension (see question 3). Speakers can also establish goodwill by showing
Activities for in-class work or homework
1. Student example speech evaluation: introduction
In this activity, students evaluate a sample student speech using a course assessment tool to link
assignments and content clearly. Before showing the video, go over the assignment sheet with the
students to make sure they understand the criteria. When students complete this activity using the rubric
itself, they can envision their own work process and how to evaluate their peers. Also, if assessments are
aligned with the course, this activity should help instructors identify where students struggle to connect
the rubric to the speech. For instructors who prefer evaluations that are less structured, one-point rubrics
are helpful.
This discussion prompt can be modified to many delivery formats and many activity structures. Activity
#2 applies the same question to the speech conclusion. Depending on class time, format, composition, and
chemistry, there are different ways to approach this activity:
1. The introduction and conclusion can make two separate activities.
2. Students can evaluate both the introduction and conclusion in one sitting.
3. Half the class can evaluate the introduction and half the class can evaluate the conclusion, as in
a jigsaw (see Chapter 7).
Sample speech on Alopecia (CC): search “belmont speech lab informative speech alopecia”
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Prompt:
2. Student example speech evaluation: conclusion
Following the directions in Question 1, students evaluate the conclusion of sample student speech.
Prompt:
After viewing the video, how well do you think the speaker fulfills the criteria of a good conclusion,
including completed in a timely and appropriate way, contained a summary reiteration of thesis, and
memorable final note/point? Support your answer with ideas from the chapter and use examples to
3. Evaluate the introduction to a famous speech.
Following the directions in Question 1, students evaluate the introduction and conclusion of a polished
speaker.
Kelly McGonigal’s TEDTalk “How to make stress your friend” discusses the surprisingly positive
physical impact of stress on your body. Search “ted talk how to make stress your friend.”
Prompt:
After viewing the video, how well do you think the speaker fulfills the criteria of a good introduction
(including attention, identification with audience, clear thesis, and effective preview) and a good
conclusion (including completed in a timely and appropriate way, contained a summary reiteration of
thesis, and memorable final note/point)? Support your answer with ideas from the chapter and use
4. Crafting transitions
Prepare two or three examples of mini-outlines with three main points and three subpoints for each
outline. The outlines can be posted on the projector or distributed on a worksheet. The activity can be
completed as homework or in class. For homework, give students a completed model to illustrate the
C. Long haired chats
(Internal preview: If cats are too aloof, you might want cuddly dogs. The three kinds of
dogs are Poodles, Pit Bulls, and German Shepherds.)
II. Dogs
A. Poodles
B. Pit Bulls
C. German Shepherds
III. Exotic pets
A. Snakes
B. Parrots
C. Sugar gliders
(Internal summary: I’ve told you about the unusual pets that some people have, including
snakes, parrots, and sugar gliders.)
In conclusion. . . .
5. Construct > Rehearse > Deliver a brief introduction and conclusion.
Students practice crafting and delivering a brief introduction and conclusion on a specific topic. This
activity can be completed as homework or in class. Assign a common topic and three main points.
Directions:
Step 1:
Teaching Tips
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1. When students analyze or evaluate recorded speeches in class for discussion, tone is important.
2. Although there are many student speeches on YouTube, a personal archive can make teaching much
3. Modeling speech strategies and techniques while teaching can help students visualize what they should
4. For activities 1–3, instructors who are interested in using streamlined rubrics might check into single-
point rubrics. This format is a simplified holistic rubric with three columns: assessment criteria,
comments about failing to meet expectations, and comments about exceeding expectations. For more
information, search “cult of pedagogy single point rubric.”
Content Presentation Ideas
1. Evaluating Speeches for Transitions
For this assignment, have students watch videos of two famous speeches and two student speeches. A
Google search for “Top 10 Famous Speeches” will provide a number of possible videos to use. To locate
student speeches online, search “sample student speeches” or something similar. In selecting the student
speeches, be sure that at least one of the student speeches demonstrates a poor job of using transitions.
Play the videos for the students in class, directing them to pay particular attention to the use of transitions
in the speeches. After the videos, lead a class discussion comparing the videos and the speakers’ use of
transitions.
Questions to ask should include:
Which speech(es) had the best use of transitions? Why do you think that?
Which speech(es) had the worst use of transitions? Why?
What examples of transitions did you find?
2. Recognizing the Importance of Transitions
The goal of this assignment is for students to recognize that transitions are needed for a speech to flow
Alternative option: You may also consider having the critiquing group record an “improved” version of
the speech that includes transitions. Then the two speeches can be compared to determine whether the
first group’s message was clearly conveyed or if it led to misunderstandings.
Preparing for the Assignment
Assign students to small groups. Provide each group with a topic and main points.
Assignment Instructions
3. Comparing Introductions and Conclusions
This is an informal assignment where students will work in pairs to compare samples of written
introductions and conclusions. You can find examples to use from the Perdue Online Writing Lab.
Give each pair of students hard copies of two introductions and two conclusions, and ask them to read and
evaluate each.
Provide students with a list of questions to help activate their thinking:
Which introduction(s) and conclusion(s) do you like (or dislike)? Why?
What method does each introduction and conclusion demonstrate?
Which ones do you think would be most effective if used in an actual presentation? Which would
be least effective?
4. Delivering Various Introductions and Conclusions
For this assignment, students will again work in pairs and will receive hard copies of sample introductions
and conclusions. Additionally, they are to write another sample introduction and conclusion of their own
that is somehow different from the ones already provided.
When finished, students will deliver their introductions and conclusions to the class. This time, it will be
the job of the audience to evaluate these introductions and conclusions.
Each student will receive a list of questions to respond to for each presentation:
What method was used in each introduction and conclusion?
Which introductions and conclusions did you think were most effective? Why?
Which were least effective? Why?
When the presentations are finished, students should share their thoughts on the strengths and weaknesses
of the introductions and conclusions presented.
More Resources
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1. Transitions—These videos are generally good for flipped or online classes:
Ehow video on transitional statements: search “ehow how to write a speech transitional
2. Introductions—These videos are generally good for flipped or online classes:
Ehow video on introductions, including credibility: search “ehow how to write a speech
3. Conclusions—These videos are generally good for flipped or online classes:
This video designed for English language learners gives a good explanation of how to signal a