WRITING A SPEECH- 5 ESSENTIAL COMPONENTS
1. Subject- choose something you are interested in- something about which you
can convey sincerity and appear as if you desire to speak.
2. Organization/introduction- it is essential that the audience can follow you. A
speech must have an introduction with a clear attention getter, a relation to the
audience, and most important, a clear statement of intent- a thesis.
3. Organization/body- there are several ways to organize how you are going to
speak on a topic: spatial, chronological, cause and effect, problem solution. It
is not super important which you choose. It is just important that you do
choose some logical organization for the body of the speech. This will allow the
audience to follow you more easily.
4. Organization/conclusion- don’t forget the ending of the speech. It’s a simple
recap of the thesis, summary of the points, and a closing remark. A conclusion
doesn’t bring up new information. Adding humor or creativity is always a
welcome touch. Most important you should have a clear conclusion or ending
to the speech.
5. YOU! What makes a good speech great is the person giving it. It doesn’t take
much effort to add a little humor, add a personal story, or create a cool visual
to take the speech to the “next level,” and the benefit of doing so is huge. Not
only will you make the speech better for the audience, you will feel better
delivering it as well.
INFORMATIVE SPEECH ORGANIZATION
PATTERNS
Spatial- divide up the subtopics by space
Chronological- subtopics are divided by times of events
Topical- subtopics can be splint into categories
Cause/effect- explain the topic’s cause and the effect
Problem/solution- state the problem then persuade a solution
Historical/tutorial- history, symbolism, modern day significance
Broad Topic: Fashion
Better topics: Teen Fashion, MN Fashion, Fashion at Tech
Organization: Spatial
Teen Fashion in China, Europe and the United States
Teen Fashion in the East Coast, Midwest and West Coast
Teen Fashion in Portugal, Germany, and the Netherlands
Organization: Chronological
MN Fashion in the 20’s, 60’s, 80’s and today
Tech Fashion in 1917, 1967, and 2017
Organization: Cause and Effect
Teen Fashion in the U.S. as influenced by rock stars of the 50’s, 80’s, 00’s
Teen Fashion and its link to eating disorders (persuasive?)
World influence on U.S. fashion
ORGANIZING A SPEECH- EXAMPLE

Music
(narrow topic = little known instruments)
Spatial- highlight different countries’ instruments (Bawu of China,
Bandura Ukraine, Indonesian Ganjur)
Chronological- use rock music of the 50’s 80’s and 00’s and
demonstrate unique instruments used in this genre
Topical- choose three unique percussion instruments and explain them
Cause-Effect- Explain how the Mandolin led to the sound in American
country music we know today
History/Symbolism/Relevance- Bach’s lute harpsichord