66
CHAPTER 7 ORGANIZATION
CHAPTER 7 SUMMARY
Chapter 7 describes the elements and functions of the three basic parts of a speech: introduction, body,
and conclusion. Structural tools of transitions, internal previews, and organizational patterns for main
points are explained. Choices pertaining to ordering ideas and supporting material are presented, and
outlining as a speech composition tool is discussed.
CHAPTER 7 OUTLINE
I. Introduction: Getting organized
A. Organizing = choose structure for ideas
1. Coherent like written document
2. Can be delivered in conversational way
B. Organization advantages
1. Allow audience to follow logical progression of speech
2. Facilitate audience remembering your ideas
C. Different organization= different effects
1. Add to clarity
2. Improve ethos
3. Make info more digestible and useful
II. Basic three-part structure
A. Choices have implications
1. How to present the case
2. How audience responds to speech
B. Audience and expectations = driving force in choices
1. Structure and persuasion (Remix)
III. Introduction
A. First section of speech
1. Topic
2. Thesis
3. Preview
4. Meets communications needs
a. Who is speaker
B. Functions of effective introduction
67
1. Get audience attention
C. Elements of the introduction
1. Narration (story)
2. Thesis
a. What makes a good thesis statement? (FAQ)
b. Clearly state subject matter and/or argument
c. One-sentence statement of main point
d. Hinge point for everything else in speech
3. Preview
a. Thumbnail outline of speech
b. Signposting
i. Road map for listeners
ii. Classically, division of points
c. Based on 2 to 3 main arguments in body of speech
IV. Body
A. Core of speech
1. Bulk of arguments and evidence presented
B. Two goals
1. Attention getter
2. Understandability
C. Functions of body of speech
1. Development of 2 to 3 main points
2. Arguments for and against thesis
3. Supporting materials
D. Points
1. 2 to 3, no more than 4 to 5
E. Transitions
1. Words, phrases, sentences that link sections/points
2. Signal movement
a. Tell audience where you are in speech
b. Show underlying logic of speech structure
3. Provide redundancy needed in oral communications
68
a. Parallel relationship
b. Contrast
c. Reason for another
F. Internal previews
B. Good final impression
C. Functions of conclusion
1. Include restating your major points, making yourself clear, and creating a final impression
D. Elements of conclusion
1. Review major points
a. Parallel preview
2. Restate thesis
a. Parallel thesis
b. State it more fully
3. Peroration
a. Sense of finality and completion
b. One last emotional appeal
VI. Patterns of organization
A. Except for special occasion speeches (separate issue)
B. Often patterns of argument
1. Making best choices about presenting case/info
2. Organization impacts
a. Way to present a case to the audience
b. Way audience thinks about topic
C. Chronological
1. Time-related sequence
a. Historical development
b. Past-present-future
c. Step-by-step
2. Advantages
a. Strong narrative
b. Demonstration of grasp of topic
69
1. Organizes points by location in space (global, local, or personal)
a. Geography
2. Advantages
3. Disadvantages
a. Difficulty in maintaining audience interest
b. Too much of a stretch to match speech info to space
c. Preconceived opinions
d. Lack of familiarity with locations
E. Cause and effect
1. Origin or cause of condition and ways it manifests
2. Suited to speeches with specific goals
a. Understanding
3. Advantages
4. Disadvantages
a. Audience might disagree with one element
b. Speaker can lose sight of larger picture
c. Audience might feel there is little they can do
F. Problem-solution
1. Organization of points with specific descriptions
a. Problem
b. Possible solution
c. Action for audience
2. Suited to specific types of speeches
a. New policy
b. Specific course of action
3. Advantages
a. Natural response of audience to want solution once problem identified
G. Topical pattern
70
1. Relates points to topic
2. One of most difficult organizational types
3. Success dependent
a. Range and limitations of subject
b. Purpose of speech
c. Characteristics of audience
4. Not necessarily random list
a. Parts-to-whole
a. Asks most of audience
1. Work harder to engage
2. Organization not intuitively obvious = harder to remember
b. Must keep it interesting
VII. Monroe’s Motivated Sequence
A. Combines parts of other organizational patters
1. Explicitly persuasive structure
2. Elaborated version of problem-solution
3. Tight focus on audience at each step
4. Help audience to do something (Remix)
B. Five steps
1. Attention
a. Many functions of intro
2. Need
a. Corresponds to problem section
b. Evidence
3. Satisfaction
4. Visualization
a. Corresponds to need step
5. Action
a. Conclusion
71
d. Set up conditions for people to take action
C. Advantages
1. Good for concrete topic for persuasive speech
1. Not good fit for all persuasive topics
a. Raise awareness
b. Seek general changes in attitude
2. Not good fit if topic is broad
3. Not good fit if no here-and-now action
E. Can combine organizational patterns
1. For each main point
2. For each subpoint
4. Advantages
a. Flexibility
b. Adapt to audience and topic
5. Disadvantages
a. Demands time and effort from speaker and audience
b. More time required to set up and deliver
c. Caution that not too complex (e.g., can take notes, reproduce outline)
F. Choosing order of points
1. Self-evident in some organizations
a. Problem-solution
b. Chronological
VIII. Arranging supporting materials
A. Supporting evidence appears with claims being supported
B. Five principles on best place for evidence
1. Highlight best quotes, facts, figures, research in prominent place
a. Avoid middle of speech
2. Avoid long strings of same type of evidence
3. Follow numbers or data-heavy evidence with explanation
4. Vary types of evidence
5. Give opposition a fair but brief hearing
1. Objectify speech
72
2. Memory aid
3. Easier to revise and rearrange info
4. Starting point for speaking notes
B. Outline structure
1. As short as can be
2. Coordinate points
a. Same hierarchical levels
3. Subordinate points
4. Indicate levels with number/letter and indent
C. Preparation and delivery outlines
1. If extemporaneous, outline is substitute for manuscript during prep
2. Shortest possible notes (outline or notecards)
3. Uses of outlines
a. Working or research outline (loop for iterations)
b. Speak from outline during speech
i. Print large enough
READING TARGET FOR CHAPTER 7
This is the instructor-assigned goal for students to consider in their writing, discussion, and individual
reflections:
Read the chapter to construct an outline that records your choices about organization,
structure, and supporting material.
LEARNING ACTIVITIES FOR CHAPTER 7
General strategies and techniques
Use the Questions for Review and Questions for Discussion at the end of Chapter 7 as prompts
for writing or discussion (in class, online, before and after class).
Use the Try It activities in the chapter as the basis for points of discussion, in-class activities, or
assigned work outside of class.
Chapter learning objective: Identify the three main parts of a speech and their
functions
73
Reaction to disorganized speech. Ask students to write or discuss (with a partner, in small groups,
or as a whole class) how they respond when they have to listen to someone talking in a
disorganized manner. How do they feel about the speaker? How do they feel about the content?
What is their energy level? What is their capability to concentrate and attend to the message?
Speech expectations. Brainstorm, and generate a list of what the students expect from
classroom speeches. Assign students to use this list to guide a written self-reflection for the first
speech delivered after the list has been created.
Different beginnings and endings. As a class, draft a thesis and two main points for a speech
about someone from campus or the public sphere whom the group admires. In small groups,
with partners, or individually, write a narration and peroration for the speech.
Chapter learning objective: Master the use of previews, internal previews, and
transitions
Peer review the structure. Assign preparation outlines that are due before the in-class speeches,
and ask students to include transitional statements and internal previews in the outline. Tell
students to peer-review the outlines (directing their attention to the preview, transitions, and
internal previews) to provide feedback on clarity and accuracy (good match with speech
content).
Identify the relationship. Use student preparation outlines, or provide some transition
statements and ask students to identify the relationships that the transitions depict (similarity,
part-whole, consequence, contrast, whole-part, series).
Chapter learning objective: Describe the patterns of organization and their
advantages and disadvantages
Pattern examples. Assign each of the organization patterns listed in the text to a small group.
Ask the students to write two to three thesis statements for different topics that fit with the
assigned pattern. Tell the groups to share their examples with the class.
Favorite organizational pattern. Ask students to identify (in writing or discussion) their favorite
organizational pattern when they are listeners and to explain why they enjoy it. This activity can
be based on a speech that they heard or on their personal preference for information.
74
the students share the outline content with a small group or the entire class, and ask the
listeners to identify the organizational pattern used.
Try It (choosing an organizational pattern for your topic). Think about a favorite topic from a
speech you have given or heard. Generate two to three ways that it could be organized, using
the different patterns discussed in the text.
Chapter learning objective: Choose main points and their order
Adapting order for audience need. For some speaking topics or situations, recency (best
material last) is not the most effective choice. The textbook provides the example of speaking
about conceal-carry gun laws and the audience fear of harm. Ask students to work in groups to
identify additional topics that might not match recency as the best choice and to be able to
explain why not.
Chapter learning objective: Justify choices of supporting material and their
placement in your speech
Deconstruct support. Provide a sample speech outline (from the publisher) or a short news
article. Ask the students to read the document and mark the evidence used as support. Discuss
evidence based on the principles discussed in the text.
Chapter learning objective: Construct clear and useful outlines
Be sure to specify the requirements for speech outlines in your class. Spend some time
describing and defining what students should include in their outlines and even what they may
omit.
Share the outline grading rubric or checklist that you will use, and encourage students to use it
as a guide. Ask students to use the rubric to grade a sample outline that you provide (or a peer’s
MINDTAP AND CENGAGE RESOURCES FOR CHAPTER 7
Chapter 7 support materials in MindTap include the following:
Quiz questions that reinforce student learning and understanding
Observe—Watch a speech to gain insights into public speaking concepts.
75
GLOSSARY OF TERMS FOR CHAPTER 7
Body: middle section of the speech, which includes the bulk of arguments and evidence
Cause and effect organization: orders the points by origins or causes of a condition and the ways
in which they manifest themselves
Chronological organization: orders ideas in a time-related sequence
Organization: the logical progression of your speech
Peroration: final summary of your position that provides a sense of finality (not a list of main points,
but rather a final appeal for your argument)
Preview: thumbnail outline of the speech’s major divisions or
points
Primacy: strongest arguments come first
Problem-solution organization: examines the symptoms of the problem, suggests a solution,
and proposes an audience action step
Recency: strongest arguments are last, remaining the most recent in the minds of the audience
Review: a restatement of a speech’s major points in the conclusion
Restatement of the thesis: the second element in the speech’s conclusion, which elaborates
on the thesis statement in the introduction
Spatial organization: orders points by location in space
Subordinate points: Definition: points supporting a main point