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Chapter Eight: Introductions and Conclusions
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Chapter Goals
Chapter 8 introduces students to the different objectives a speaker should accomplish in the introduction
and conclusion of a speech. Students should have an understanding of the following goals as they reach the
end of this chapter:
• To describe the four functions of an effective introduction
• To prepare a compelling introduction
Chapter Outline
I. The introduction. (pg. 158).
a. Catch the audience’s attention.
i. The most important task is to get the audience to listen to you, to be intrigued,
curious, and eager to hear more about your topic.
ii. Pique your audience’s curiosity and show them how the topic relates to them.
b. Reveal the topic of your speech.
i. In revealing your topic, you let the audience know the subject of the speech.
c. Establish your credibility.
i. In your introduction, communicate that you have considerable knowledge about
the topic.
ii. Do not lie or mislead the audience about your qualifications.
d. Preview your speech.
i. Preview. Brief overview in the introduction of a speech of each of the main
points in the speech.
II. Preparing a compelling introduction. (pgs. 160-167)
a. Ask a question.
i. Rhetorical question. Question, used for effect, that an audience is not supposed
to answer out loud, but rather in their own mind.
ii. Speakers also can solicit answers to their opening questions directly from their
audience.
b. Tell a story.
c. Recite a quotation or a poem.
i. Quotations bring someone else’s words into your speech and lend it the
credibility of someone more famous or knowledgeable than you are.
ii. Quotations and poems teach lessons or illustrate perspectives that are relevant to
d. Give a demonstration.
i. Demonstrations of your topic capture audience’s interest and makes them want to
hear or see more.
e. Make an intriguing or startling statement.
i. Startling statements catch the audience’s attention, but use caution so as not to
offend an audience.
ii. The statement should invite an audience to listen, not shut down communication.
f. State the importance of the topic.
i. When you state the importance of the topic, you tell the audience why they
should listen.
ii. Speakers can show that although a certain practice or phenomenon is uncommon,
it has a significant impact.
g. Share your expertise.
h. State what’s to come.
i. When a speaker previews a speech, they give their audience an overview of the
main points.
ii. This helps the audience follow the ideas in the speech.
iii. The best previews are brief; they set the audience up for what’s to come without
too much detail.
i. Tips for your introduction.
i. Look for introductory materials as you do your research.
III. The conclusion is the final contact a speaker has with his or her audience and thus the last
impression the audience has of the speaker. (pg. 168).
a. End your speech.
i. When you have concluded your final main point, use a shift in delivery to signal
to your audience that you are about to wrap up.
ii. Use a clear transition.
b. Reinforce your thesis statement.
i. A speaker reminds the audience of the core idea behind the descriptions and
IV. Preparing a compelling conclusion. (pgs. 169-170).
a. Summarize your main points.
A summary is a concise restatement of the main points at the end of a speech.
i. The summary can be used to review ideas and remind the audience about what’s
important in the speech.
b. Answer your introductory question.
i. If a speaker begins the speech with a question, they can answer that question in
the conclusion.
ii. This technique reminds an audience of what they have learned in the speech.
c. Refer back to the introduction.
i. If a speaker opens with a word, phrase, or idea, they can return to it in the
conclusion.
ii. This technique is usually combined with other techniques for conclusions, such
as summarizing the main points.
d. Recite a quotation.
i. A concluding quotation can come from someone cited in the speech.
End of Chapter Activities and Discussion Questions
The following questions can be found at the end of Chapter 8.
Review Questions and Activities
1. Name eight different techniques for catching the attention of the audience and revealing the topic of a
1. Ask a question.
3. Recite a quotation or a poem.
5. Make an intriguing or startling statement.
7. Share your expertise.
8. State what’s to come.
2. Why should speakers establish their credibility and preview the main points of a speech? Are these
components of an introduction important?
3. Suppose you have been asked to give a speech on the history of bubble gum. How would you establish
your credibility on this topic? How creative do you think you could be in introducing this topic? Give
4. Name the four different techniques for concluding a speech. Identify the strengths and weaknesses of
each one.
The four techniques for concluding a speech are:
2. Be creative.
4. Don’t leave the conclusion to chance.
Students may be able to identify the four techniques, but they may not be able to remember the strengths
5. In class, write a possible speech topic on a slip of paper and trade that paper with another student. Now
write an introduction and a conclusion for a speech on that topic using the techniques discussed in this
chapter. Present your introduction and conclusion to the class for feedback on each of their components.
Web Activities
1. Starting with a Quotation
Purpose: To identify quotations that could be used in the introduction to a speech.
Directions: The Quotations Page is the oldest quotation site on the Internet with 26,000 quotations from
over 31,000 authors and a forum section to answer questions about quotations. Go to
would the quotation set for the speech? Is the quotation humorous or serious? Assess the credibility of
the speaker of the quotation. Is this someone you would be wise to use in your speech? How does the
quotation relate to your topic?
2. Amusing Facts on Google
you browse through the site, what facts might you use to help in the introduction of your speech? Which
facts might be helpful to conclude your speech?
Students are consistently challenged by creating effective attention getters in their introduction.
Interactive Student and Professional Speech Videos in MindTap
1. Video Clip 1: Student Speech: Organization of Main Points
Watch Cindy’s speech about the proper way to fold a flag. What are her main points? What are her
subpoints? What organizational pattern does she use? How effective is this pattern for her particular
topic?
Show this video clip in class and have students respond to the questions asked here. Remind students
that this speech was given by a student taking her first public speaking course, just like them, rather
2. Video Clip 2: Student Speech, Jeff Malcolm, Chronological Organization
Watch how Jeff Malcolm uses a chronological pattern of organization in his speech. What are his main
points? Is it easy to follow his organization? What are the advantages of using this pattern? What are
the disadvantages?
Show this video in class and have students respond to the questions asked here. It is often helpful for
students to see examples of the different patterns of organization. You may also want to generate more
Additional Exercises and Resources
1. The Speech Introduction
introductions. Compare the tips on the website with the advice given in this book. What additional tips
does the author of the article suggest? Which of these tips do you think reflects the goals of public
speaking that have been discussed in the text? Is there any advice on this page you believe would hinder
your dialogue with an audience?
2. A Mini Group Speech
Usually, introductions and conclusions are covered last when preparing students for their first speech.
So, this is an activity you can use after lecturing about introductions and conclusions that asks students
to pull all the parts of a speech together. Place students in groups and have students create a mini-speech
on a topic of their choice. Direct them to consider the following: a clear and compelling introduction,
a well-organized body, and a clear and compelling conclusion. Have the groups designate a “speaker”
who will deliver the speech. After about 20 minutes, have each group’s “speaker” actually give the
speech written by the group. After each speaker has spoken, have the class “critique” the speech. Did
the “speaker” accomplish every goal in the introduction and conclusion? Was the body of the speech
well organized? Did the conclusion incorporate the two components of a strong conclusion?
3. Writing an Introduction in Different Ways
Divide the class into groups of 4 students each. Give all the groups the same topic, or give half of the
groups one topic and the other half another topic. Then, give each group different “techniques for
preparing compelling introductions.” For instance, one group might get “demonstration” another group
4. Writing a Conclusion in Different Ways
Do the same as in number 2 above, but this time have the different groups focus on a conclusion.
Supplemental Bibliography
Brake, Mike. “9 Steps to Effective Speech-Writing.” Writer’s Digest, 79 (July 1999): 40-43.
Emphasizes the need to close the speech “with a bang.” A great handout or resource for lecture and
discussion.
Detz, Joan. How to Write and Give a Speech: A Practical Guide for Executives, PR People, Managers,
Fund-Raisers, Politicians, Educators, and Anyone Who Has to Make Every Word Count. New
York: St. Martin’s Press, 1984.
Chapter 5 includes information on writing speech introductions and conclusions. For both, several
Dowis, Richard. The Lost Art of the Great Speech: How to Write It, How to Deliver It. New York:
AMACOM, 2000.
Chapter 5, “Beginning Well,” and Chapter 13, “Closing the Speech,” are both valuable tools in that
Ehrlich, Henry. Writing Effective Speeches. New York: Paragon House, 1992.
George L. Morrisey, Thomas L. Sechrest, and Wendy B. Warman. Loud and Clear: How to Prepare
and Deliver Effective Business and Technical Presentations, 4th ed. Reading, MA.: Addison-
Wesley, 1997.
This text offers brief but helpful information. Chapter 5 explains the importance of both
