Organizing and Outlining
Chapter 11
Main Points, Supporting Points,
and Transitions
Main points express the key ideas and major
themes of the speech.
 Using purpose and thesis statements as
guide posts.

– Specific purpose statement expresses the goal
of the speech.
– Thesis statement expresses the theme or central
idea of the speech.

Some stats about main points.
– Audiences listen to only 2-7 at one time.
– They remember only those made in beginning and end
of speech.


A main point should only introduce one idea.
They should also be stated in parallel form
– Points should be stated in similar grammatical form and
style.

Always express your main points as declarative
sentences.
Supporting Points
supporting material or evidence used to
justify the main points and lead your
audience to accept the purpose of your
speech.
 They are subordinate to main points.

Principles of Organizing Main
and Supporting Points

Unity
– Avoid tangents, or moving off topic.

Coherence
– Refers to clarity and logical consistency.
– Do not jump around to different parts of the
speech.
– Principle of coordination and subordination

Balance
– Give equal weight to each point you make.
Transitions: Giving Direction to
the Speech


Transitions defined
Types of transitions
– Full-sentence transitions
– Rhetorical questions
• “Will contests be too
expensive? Well, actually…”
– Internal Preview
• Dayane Souza has overcome
many difficulties, and
throughout all of this she has
still managed to complete a
master’s degree, work a full
time job, and care for a family.
• “Next, let’s look at exactly
what sales contests can do for
us.”
– Signposts
• Next,… First,… We now
turn… finally,…
– Internal Summary
– Restate-forecast form
• “Now that we’ve established a
need for sales contests, let’s
look at what sales contests can
do for us.”
• It should be clear that an
education is very important in
today’s society. Now,
employers are even looking to
hire only individuals with
masters degrees and beyond.
Arranging Speech Points
Topically

Topical pattern of arrangement
• I. Cultural variety
• II. Economy
• III. Recreational Activities
– This type of arrangement gives speaker greatest
freedom to structure main points according to
the audience’s interests.
Arranging Speech Points
Chronologically

Chronological pattern of arrangement
– Needs a time ordered sequence of events.
Thesis statement:
Main Points: I.
II.
III.
Arranging Speech Points Using a
Spatial Pattern

A spatial pattern of arrangement
– When your speech provides the audience with a
“tour” of a particular place.
• Thesis statement: El Morro National Monument in
New Mexico is captivating for its variety of natural
and historical landmarks.
– I. Visitors first see an abundant variety of plant life native
to the high-country desert.
– II. Soon visitors come upon an age-old watering hole that
has receded beneath the 200-foot cliffs.
Arranging Speech Points Using
a Causal Pattern

Causal (cause-effect)  Multiple causes for a
pattern of arrangement single Effect: reasons
students drop out of
– Cause
college
– Effect
– Cause 1 (lack of funds)
– Cause 2 (unsatisfactory
social life)
– Cause 3 (unsatisfactory
academic performance)
– Effect (drop out of
college)
Arranging Speech Points Using a
Problem-Solution Pattern

Problem-solution pattern of arrangement
– Two main points used:
• Problem (define what it is)
• Solution (offer a way to overcome the problem)
– More than two main points:
• The nature of the problem (identify its causes,
incidence, etc.)
• Effects of the problem (explain why it’s a problem, for
whom, etc.)
• Unsatisfactory solutions (discuss those that have not
worked)
• Proposed solution (explain why it’s expected to work)
Alternative Patterns of
Organization

Narrative Pattern of
Arrangement
– Speech consists of a
story or a series of
short stories, complete
with characters,
settings, and a plot.

Circle Pattern of
Arrangement
– To demonstrate how
one idea leads to
another and then
another, all of which
lead back to the speech
thesis.
Types of Outline Formats

Working outline
– Preparation or rough outline

Speaking outline
– Delivery outline, the one you will use when
practicing and presenting your speech.
Steps in Organizing and
Outlining the Speech
Create the main speech points
Note any obvious subpoints
Select an organizational pattern
Flesh out the main points with subpoints
(supporting Material)
Create a working outline using full sentences
Transfer the working outline to a speaking outline using
phrases or key words
Types of Outlines

Sentence Outlines

– Each main and supporting point is
stated in sentence form as a full
declarative sentence.
– Usually used when:
• Speaker is inexperienced
• When the issue is highly
controversial or emotion- laden
for listeners.
• When the material is highly
technical and exact sentence
structure is critical
• When a good deal of material
relies on quotations and facts
from another source.
Phrase Outlines
– Uses a partial construction
of the sentence form of each
point.

Key-Word Outlines
– Uses the smallest possible
units of understanding
associated with a specific
point to outline the main
and supporting points.