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Chapter 14
Composing Your Speech
CHAPTER OUTCOMES
In this chapter, students will learn:
• How to develop their speech theses
• Ways to identify and arrange their speeches’ main points
CHAPTER OUTLINE
• Composing is the process of determining your speech thesis, main points, and proper arrangement.
DEVELOPING
YOUR
SPEECH
THESIS
At this point in your speech preparation, you’ve spent considerable time thinking about your audience,
narrowing your topic, and finding quality information to use in your presentation. Now it’s time to begin
• The speech thesis is one complete sentence that identifies the central idea of your presentation for
your audience.
o This statement is the foundation for composing your speech; everything, from the points you
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o
To be compelling, it should answer the question: What is the overall point or position I want to
convey to my audience?
• A good speech thesis meets three requirements:
1. It evolves from your specific purpose statement. You adapt the idea based on what you discover
during your research and to be more specific to your actual speech.
• Although the speech thesis and specific purpose may seem similar, the important difference is that the
speech thesis is stated directly during the introduction of your presentation, while the specific purpose
guides your research.
IDENTIFYING AND SUPPORTING YOUR MAIN POINTS
The speech thesis reflects your point of view or position on the topic. But simply stating your thesis isn’t
enough; you need evidence to back up your ideas. You do this by identifying your main points and providing
appropriate supporting materials. Without such evidence, it is hard to build credibility with your audience.
With your speech thesis drafted, you now begin to structure your speech and determine what you will say
in each of its three parts:
1. Introduction: You lay the groundwork for your speech by connecting with your audience,
disclosing your speech thesis, establishing your credibility, and previewing your main points.
IDENTIFYING YOUR MAIN POINTS
• The main points of your speech are the key statements or principles that support your speech thesis
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thesis statement is true. Identifying and supporting your main points will help you figure out what to
say in your introduction and conclusion.
• Identify your main points by:
o
Asking yourself what essential information is necessary to support your thesis.
• When developing main points, remember these four guidelines:
1. A speech should contain a small number of main points, usually two to five. Keep your
information manageable, making it easier for listeners to digest your speech.
2. Each main point must support your thesis statement. Do not distract from your speech thesis by
including a point that is unrelated to it. A focused presentation increases your chances of keeping
the audience’s attention.
SUPPORTING YOUR MAIN POINTS
• All your main points and subpoints require supporting materials to clarify the ideas and make them
memorable for your listeners.
o
These include definitions, statistics, examples, and testimony.
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o How familiar is your audience with your topic?
o Will they need terms defined or other background information?
• Let’s look more closely at the four types of supporting material:
Definitions
• Definitions need to be considered when composing your speech because you may have to define
terms for your listeners. Don’t forget that differences in language use can cause misunderstandings.
o Connotative meanings are the meanings you associate with words based on your life experiences;
you can’t assume all members of your audience will share those references.
o
During your audience analysis, get a realistic sense of terms or concepts you may need to define
so you can provide them with all the information they need but not waste time defining words
they already know.
Statistics
• Statistics are numbers that summarize a formal observation about a phenomenon and can help you
make a compelling point. When using statistics, keep a few things in mind:
o
Think about using a visual chart or graph to summarize statistical information. “Seeing” the
numbers in addition to hearing them will help your audience make sense of them.
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Examples
• Examples or specific references that illustrate ideas can make your main points more vivid and clear.
o Real examples are drawn from actual events or occurrences.
o
An analogy is a special type of example that compares something that is familiar to your
audience with something that is unfamiliar to them but that you want them to understand. They
are useful for illustrating a particularly difficult main point. If you use an analogy, be sure that the
Testimony
• Testimony refers to relying on the words or experience of others and is a common way that speakers
support main points.
o
Speeches incorporate two types of testimony.
1. Expert testimony comes from those who, by way of their academic study, work experience, or
research, have special knowledge about your topic.
2. Layperson testimony is derived from those who have personal experience with the topic.
o
Testimony can be presented through a direct quotation, or the exact words of a person. You have
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o
Testimony can also be presented by paraphrasing, a summary of another person’s words or
experience. This is useful when the original words are too complicated, too long, or too confusing
ORGANIZING
YOUR
SPEECH
Considering all the time and energy you put into finding supporting materials for your speech, you want
your audience to get the most out of it. One of the best ways to do that is to clearly organize your speech.
This will help audience members understand your points and stay engaged while listening.
SELECTING AN ORGANIZATIONAL PATTERN
• For your audience to follow the development of your speech thesis, you need to arrange your main
points into a logical pattern. There are five common organizational patterns:
Topical
• Use this pattern when your main points can be organized into categories or subtopics. You can arrange
Chronological
• Use this pattern when your main points suggest a time sequence or a series of steps. Speeches about a
Spatial
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Cause-effect
• This pattern enables you to show how events or forces will lead to specific outcomes.
Problem-solution
• This pattern helps you motivate listeners to take action to address a challenge by describing a problem
USING CONNECTIVES
• Connectives are words and phrases that link your ideas together to help you move from one idea to
the next. Connectives help your audience accurately receive and understand your speech because they
show how your ideas are related. Write connective phrases into the outline of your speech because
Internal Previews
• Internal previews are statements that allow you to provide your listeners with a first look at the
information you’re about to cover. They let your audience in on what you are going to tell them
Internal Summaries
• Internal summaries provide a short review of information you’ve discussed within a section of the
speech. This connective is especially useful when you have covered a main point with multiple
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Transitional Phrases
• Transitional phrases are used when you want to indicate that you’re shifting to another point or
idea. These phrases provide a verbal signal that you are moving on and can prevent your audience
from getting lost when you begin to make a different point.
Signposts
KEEPING LISTENERS ENGAGED
• It is easy for your audience to get distracted by other people or their phones, or their minds can
simply start to wander. To combat such obstacles, try to present information in a way that stimulates
your listeners’ senses and provides new or unexpected ideas.
• When planning your speech, think about ways to keep your audience engaged. Some suggestions
include the following:
o Use appropriate humor. A funny story or joke invites attention and is memorable. But use humor
sparingly, and make it relevant. Never use humor that is obscene, racist, sexist, or insulting to any
group to avoid offending your audience.
o
Integrate presentation aids. Your audience will pay the most attention to what they see. Consider
how charts, graphs, images, videos, animations, and other materials can be brought into your
presentation to support a point.
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INTRODUCING AND CONCLUDING YOUR SPEECH
How your speech begins and ends can make or break its success. Your introduction is your chance to
grab your audience’s attention. Your conclusion has the final impact on how your audience responds to
your overall message.
INTRODUCING YOUR SPEECH
Gain Listeners’ Attention
• Your introduction tells the audience what type of speech you are going to give. If you start your
speech with overused phrases such as “Hi, my name is . . . and today I’m going to talk about . . . ,”
• Here are some ways to gain the listener’s attention:
o Ask a real question. Posing a real question makes your speech interactive by involving your
audience. Exercise caution if you encourage verbal responses, because lengthy answers will cut
significantly into your speech time. Be prepared to step in and cut off responses if things get out
of hand.
o
Make a startling or suspenseful statement. Start with a fact or statistic that raises your listeners’
curiosity or challenges their worldview.
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o Use a brief quotation. Alert your audience to the speech’s theme and grab their attention with a
relevant quote.
Disclose Your Speech Thesis
• After grabbing your audience’s attention, you reveal the subject matter of your speech by clearly
Establish Credibility
• As you introduce a speech, the audience may wonder about your qualifications or experience with the
Connect to Listeners’ Needs and Interests
• People pay more attention to a speech when they think the topic is relevant to their needs and
concerns. But it’s not always apparent to your listeners how they can benefit from listening to your
speech, so it is important to clearly state “what’s in it for them” during your introduction.
Preview Your Main Points
CONCLUDING YOUR SPEECH
• Your conclusion indicates that you have finished presenting your main points and are approaching the
end of your speech. Plan your conclusion carefully—it’s your last
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chance to make sure your audience understands your main points. An effective conclusion signals the
end of your speech, summarizes your main points, and leaves a memorable impact on your audience.
Signal the End
• Provide your listeners with a signpost or transition. Simple phrases like “In summary” or “Before I
Summarize Your Main Points
• Quickly review your main points to help your audience remember and understand them. This is only a
Have a Memorable Impact
• Your parting words should also be memorable. Some of the same strategies used to gain listeners’
attention also work for closing your speech. Another possibility is to introduce your presentation by
PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER: SPEECH OUTLINES
The end result of step 3: composing is a written outline. All the time you devote to thinking about your
topic, researching it, writing a thesis, drafting your main points, and organizing your ideas is reflected in
written outlines that you will use in delivering your speech.
• The final part of step 3 is to develop your written outlines, which include the following:
o A preparation outline, which details your presentation’s overall structure. Similar to outlines for
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o A delivery outline, which helps you keep track of your ideas while you’re actually presenting
your speech to an audience.
PREPARATION OUTLINE
• Your preparation outline details your speech’s introduction, body, and conclusion. It also lists the
references you used to develop your speech and your specific purpose and speech thesis statements.
• You may make several drafts as you practice your speech and add or delete information as needed, so
be sure it reflects your latest thoughts about the speech’s structure. You can find an example of a
preparation outline on pages 364–367 in your text.
• When creating your preparation outline, keep the following principles in mind:
o Identify each main point using one complete sentence. This forces you to determine the best way
to communicate each point.
o
Make certain that all subpoints support the main point they sit under. Known as the principle of
subordination, this practice ensures that you’re making valid arguments and that your claims are
well supported and logical.
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o Include a works-cited or references section at the end of your outline. This should encompass all
the information you’ll cite in your speech as well as sources you consulted while preparing the
speech.
DELIVERY OUTLINE
• When you prepare your delivery outline, follow these guidelines:
o
Write it using keywords or phrases. To jog your memory while you’re presenting, include only
words or phrases that trigger the larger ideas you want to convey.
o
Type your notes, and use a font that is large enough for you to read easily. If you must handwrite
your notes, make sure your writing is legible. You don’t want your audience to see you struggling
to read your own notes.
CLASS DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. Should a speaker’s organizational pattern be clear to an audience? Why or why not?
• Discuss with students how a clear organizational pattern helps both the speaker and the audience.
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2. What is the difference between a preparation outline and a delivery outline? Why do you need
both?
• Review the importance of both types of outlines with students. They may be tempted to shortcut
this process in preparing their speech. Ask students to discuss what could go wrong with their
3. What should be your three goals when preparing an effective conclusion to your speech? Why
is it important to plan your conclusion carefully?
• Discuss the importance of being prepared for the conclusion. Ask students to think about how
4. One of the ways you can engage an audience is to use appropriate humor. How would you
define appropriate humor? What factors should you consider before using humor in a speech?
• Discuss the appropriate use of humor in a speech and emphasize the importance of using it
sparingly. Ask students to discuss how they should respond if they use humor and no one laughs.
5. What is a main point? What are the four things to remember when developing your main
points? How should you support your main points in your speech?
• Review the guidelines for developing your main points and the ways to support them. Ask
CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES
1.
There Must Be a Thousand Creative Ways
Goal: To encourage students to be creative with introductions and conclusions.
Time: 60 minutes.
1. Select a topic. The more boring or silly the better.
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3. Discuss briefly the importance of being creative when you develop an introduction and
conclusion for a speech.
5. Give the pairs 15 or 20 minutes to brainstorm their ideas. Allow them to use media for research,
but not in their presentations.
7. Have the class vote on the most creative attention grabbers for the introduction and conclusion
and award a small prize.
2. Exploring Organizational Styles
Goal: To allow students time to explore the five organizational styles and what type of topic works
best with each.
Time: 30 minutes
1. Divide the class into groups of three or four.
3. Once they have completed the exercise, discuss their results. Which style did they feel fit best
with their topic? Could they use another style with the same topic?
3. Impromptu Openings
Goal: To give students an opportunity to practice organizing and delivering introductions.
Time: 45 minutes
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2. Assign each student a topic.
4. Give students 10 or 15 minutes to compose and organize an introduction for their assigned topic.
Encourage them to be creative! Stress the importance of structure over accuracy at this point.
Having fun with the topic is great as long as they understand the desired structure.
4. Outline It Puzzle
Goal: To give students an opportunity to become familiar with the format used in outlining.
Time: 30 minutes
1. Select a copy of a speech outline. You can use the one provided in the text or one of your choice.
2. Make five copies and cut out each sentence from the outline and place them in an envelope.
5. Do I Really Need Two Outlines?
Goal: To help students understand the importance of effective delivery outlines.
Time: 45 minutes
1. Make copies of a speech manuscript of your choice.
2. Divide the class into groups of four or five.
3. Review the guidelines for preparing an effective preparation and delivery outline.
4. Have students work together to use the provided manuscript to develop both types of outlines.
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MEDIA RESOURCES
1. KP’s Speech Class: Ways to Organize a Speech
This nine-minute video presented by educator Krista Price discusses effective ways to organize a
2.
Great Openings and Closings
Deborah Grayson Riegel, professional speaker and speech instructor, discusses how to prepare effective
3. University of Pittsburgh: Public Speaking
For additional student resources on composing speeches, have students visit the University of
4. The History Channel: Speeches & Audio
To inspire students on the power of famous well-organized speeches, have students visit the History
5.
Best Film Speeches and Monologues
The Best Film Speeches and Monologues website provides audio and written transcripts for many of