Chapter 11
Organizing Your Speech
Organizing Your Speech
• #1B- UCLA’s Higher Education Research Institute found that over
30% of all students who entered college need study and organizational
skills.
• #16T/F- You will learn more if you study with a direction or logical
sequencing in mind.
• This is also true with speeches since audience’s will understand more
if your speech is well organized.
The Introduction
• #2B- Your speech should be organized into 3 distinct parts.
• #3B- You should begin with a well-thought introduction.
• #4B- For many, the toughest part of a speech, psychologically, is the
beginning.
• #5B- A good introduction can “make or break” you because it sets the
tone for the speech.
• #6B- The first words you say to the audience must make them want to
listen.
• #1IC- The four goals of an introduction are getting the audience’s
attention, linking the attention getter to the thesis statement, stating a
thesis statement, and previewing the speech’s contents.
The Introduction
• The first step in the introduction is choosing an attention-getter.
• #2IC- In picking an attention-getter, you should pick what works for
you and choose what feels comfortable to you.
• #17T/F- You should not use humor or a funny start in your speech. A
humorous approach can backfire.
• #3IC- The five types of attention-getters are asking questions, making
a reference, saying a startling statement, saying a quotation, or telling
a story.
• #7B- Asking your audience a question fires up their curiosity and
makes them active participants in your speech.
• A rhetorical question is a question that the audience answers silently
in their head. This the best type of question to ask.
• Beware of asking the audience to answer aloud since your never know
what someone will say.
The Introduction
• Making a reference means referring to people in the audience or
surroundings to try to become comfortable and conversational with
your audience.
• #18T/F- Appropriate references can allow you to work well with your
audience.
• #19T/F- It is not all right to make a casual reference to someone in the
audience whom you barely know.
• A startling statement tries to shock your audience into paying
attention.
• #20T/F- It is possible to offend someone with a startling attentiongetter.
• #21T/F- The audience will not forgive something that is in bad taste.
The Introduction
• #4IC- A quotation is a good way to begin a speech because it add style
and sophistication to a speech, and there are a lot of quotations from
which to choose.
• #22T/F- Quotations can add style and sophistication to speeches.
• #23T/F- Good quotations are very easy to find because there are so
many.
• #24T/F- You do need to tell your audience why a quotation’s author is
noteworthy.
• #25T/F- Your quotation does not have to be serious or old to impress
your audience.
• You can quote your mom or dad if it applies to your speech.
The Introduction
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Telling a story is one of the most popular attention-getters.
A narrative is just a story.
#26T/F- Keep opening stories short and to the point.
Don’t get so caught up in your story that you lose sight of the purpose
of your speech.
• Stories do not have to be personal. They can be interesting accounts
about other people, places, events, and so on.
The Introduction
• The link is the bridge between your attention-getter and your thesis
statement.
• #27T/F- Student often overlook the link in the introduction.
• The thesis statement states the overall purpose of the speech.
• #28T/F- It is never all right to keep the audience wondering what the
speech is about. The thesis statement should tell the audience your
exact point.
• #29T/F- Let the audience recognize the thesis by signaling it boldly.
• The preview statement is usually one sentence at the end of the
introduction that gives the audience an overview of the major areas
that will be discussed in the speech.
The Body
• The body of the speech is the heart of the presentation.
• #5IC- The two ways to make the body of your speech clear and
convincing is to outline your speech and to use an organizational
pattern.
• An outline is the speaker’s map. It is the way you give your speech
organization and direction.
• The top line of your outline is a purpose statement.
• The purpose statement is similar to the thesis statement since it states
both your topic of your speech and your purpose for speaking.
• #30T/F- Everything else in the speech should relate to the purpose
statement.
Outlining Your Speech
• Main headings on your outline are the major divisions, areas, or
arguments of your purpose statement that are represented by Roman
numerals. (ie. I, II, III)
• Supporting materials on your outline reinforce your main headings.
• #31T/F- Supporting materials are identified in your outline by capital
letters.
• Supporting materials do not have to be written out in detail.
Outlining Your Speech
• #32T/F- Do not write out your outline word for word just as you will
deliver the speech.
• Details on your outline break down the supporting materials to
pinpoint accuracy. Details are represented by regular numbers.
• #33T/F- It is not a good idea to subdivide your details of your outline.
• #34T/F- Indentation in an outline indicates the subordination of ideas.
• #35T/F- No parts of an outline will contain only one item.
• Be sure to have transitions in your speech such as first, second, and
third.
Organizational Patterns
• Organizational patterns are different ways that you can present your
information.
• #8B- Just as there are often several roads that lead to a location, there
are several organizational patterns to use in organizing your speech.
• #6IC The following are the five possible organizational patterns:
– Chronological pattern- information in order of time,
– Spatial pattern- information in order of space,
– Problem/solution pattern- problems are followed by solutions,
– Cause/effect pattern- causes followed by effects, and
– Climatic pattern- information arranged in order of importance.
• #9B- The main headings in a cause and effect outline will often be
causes and effects.
• #36T/F- It is possible to have a chronological pattern that advances
climatically.
Organizational Patterns
• In the problem/solution pattern, solutions can take three different
approaches.
• #11B- A policy solution asks your audience to write the president or a
congressman, to start a drive, or to rally as a group.
• #12B- An attitudinal solution asks your audience to change or
strengthen their mental state regarding an issue.
• #13B- The awareness solution reminds your audience to be conscious
of what they have heard and possibly implement it in their own hands.
• #9IC- The three categories for solutions and action steps include the
policy solution that calls for governmental change, the attitudinal
solution that calls for a change in attitude, and the awareness solution
that calls for people to be more aware.
The Conclusion
• In a speech, you should “tell ‘em what you’re going to tell ‘em, tell
‘em, and then tell ‘em what you told ‘em.”
• #7IC- The three goals of a conclusion are summarizing, calling for
action, and making a final appeal.
• #10B- The first part of your conclusion is usually the summary.
• #8IC- Some hints for writing a good conclusion include pointing out
main headings and not being too lengthy or repetitive.
• #14B- Your final statement ends your speech, clinches your argument,
and makes a memorable final impression.
• #15B – You might consider ending the same way that you started the
speech by getting back to your beginning attention-getter.