Tribute Speech
For your first “major” speech of the year, you will be writing a speech on the person
whom you most admire. This person is someone who has affected your life in a very
important way—someone who you look up to and try to emulate. The main purpose of
the speech is to teach you how to write an effective speech that has the following points:
 Attention getter: One of the five types we discuss
 Transition: Connect attention getter to thesis
 Thesis: main idea of the speech: “The most admirable person in my life is
___________ because (Preview: list three reason).
 Specific details/Concrete Detail: Illustrate your main points
 Commentary/Explanation of the main points
 Conclusion with a final appeal to the audience
This particular speech will also look at the following aspects of a good speech:
volume and eye contact.
You will be graded on both of these aspects, so make sure you are making eye contact
with the audience and that you’re speaking in a loud, clear voice.
This speech will be worth 60 points.
The speech should last between 2 and 4 minutes. TIMING WILL BE GRADED.
You may use 3x5 note cards with an outline of the major points of your speech.
Tips to remember:
 It’s probably a good idea to choose someone that you know or at least know a lot
about. You will need to use specific examples to underscore your main points.
 Please make sure that your outline follows the correct form. Your speech must
have all of the parts we have discussed or you will lose points!
 Introduction—This needs to introduce yourself, the topic, the importance of a
tribute to this person, and your thesis statement.
 Body—This should describe all three (or more) reasons in your thesis statement
with specific examples and ideas. Each reason should have a strong topic
sentence and a real-life example to prove your point.
 Conclusion—you need to restate your thesis and have a strong “clincher” that
impresses your audience. Finally, you’ll need to thank the audience for their
attention and time.
 You may wish to use a visual aide for this speech, but it is not required.
 Practice your speech OUT LOUD so that you can get used to projecting to a large
room and to make sure your time is not too short or too long. Also, work to make
eye contact with your audience by practicing at looking up from your notes.
Parents make great audience members when practicing at home!
 Practice ,
Practice,
Practice!