Formal Outline Guidelines
Turn in a formal complete sentence outline the day of your
Type and print your formal complete sentence outline.
Don’t forget!!!The Formal Outline should be written in complete sentences.
My Formal Outline is due the day that I speak.
Date:
Label the parts!
Title
Specific Purpose: I want to inform my audience . . . .
Central Idea:
Introduction (label the parts of the speech)
Write out in paragraph form
Attention getter or capture statement (3 to 5 Lines)
( Link -- attention getter to topic. Relevance of topic – create
interest/relevance of your topic to this audience. Build a bridge that
connects your topic to the audience.) (2 to 5 lines)
Encourage Audience – Why do we care?
Establish Credibility
Central Idea
Preview main ideas of body.
(How will I effectively transition from the intro into my first main idea?)
Transition
Body:
Only one idea per division – no paragraphing please
I.
Main Idea (write your outline as you would speak! Write in
complete sentences)
A. Subordinating Idea
1. Supporting detail
2. Supporting detail
B. Subordinating Idea
1. Supporting Detail
2. Supporting Detail
(Transition)
(show the relationship of ideas through indentation and alignment.)
II.
Main Idea
A. Subordinating Idea
1. Supporting Detail
2. Supporting Detail
B. Subordinating Detail
1. Supporting Detail
2. Supporting Detail
a. (use lower cap letters to show further development of
supporting details)
b.
(The body of your speech should have at least this much development)
Transition
Conclusion
Write in paragraph
Summarize major ideas
Create a final impression
Close with a clincher (deliver with confidence and energy!
(hold final moment)
Sources are not necessary or required for your
Demonstration/Process speech; unless you choose to add an
outside source
Include at the bottom of your outline your three outside sources
Notes
Example:
Bruce Perry, Macolm: The Life of a Man Who Changed Black America
(Tarrytown, N.Y.: Penguin Books, 1991)
A word of caution avoid paraphrasing your source without citing it.
The only time that you can do this is when the information falls into the
common knowledge category.
To present -- transform your formal outline into a speaking outline on note
cards – your speaking outline should still show the relationship between
your main ideas, subordinating ideas, and your support details.
A speaking outline uses key words and phrases – and also will help you to
transition. If you are quoting or citing a source – which you should do three
times in this speech – that should be on a notecard to.
Checklist:
Title
Specific Purpose
Thesis
Intro
Are my main ideas worded vividly
Did I fully subordinate my main ideas
Variety of supporting detail.
Cite three sources
Create notes for the outside sources that I used
Clear Organizational pattern
Complete sentences
Conclusion