How to Write A Speech
The Four Part Introduction
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1) Attention Getter: The first words you say in
your speech meant to “grab” your audience’s
attention.
2) Linking Statement: The phrase or sentence that
comes between the attention getter and the thesis
statement and logically connects the two.
3) Thesis Statement: The sentence that presents
exactly what your speech will be about.
4) Preview Statement: The statement at the end
of your introduction that presents an overview of the
major areas, main ideas, or main points that will be
discussed in the body of your speech.
Five Common Attention
Getters
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1) Asking
Questions
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4) Giving a
Quotation
2) Making
References
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5) Telling a Story
3) Making a
Startling Statement
The Linking Statement
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This part of the introduction is most
often overlooked, or omitted when
preparing a speech.
Its value is that it offers an explanation
for, or answer to, the attention getter.
The link must “connect” the attention
getter to the thesis statement.
The Specific Purpose Statement
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You must know this statement before you can
write your thesis.
You never “say” the specific purpose
statement aloud in your speech.
The specific purpose statement begins with
the words “I want to…”
It must include the purpose of the speech,
who the audience is, and the topic.
The specific purpose statement is typed
under the title of the speech and before the
introduction on the speech outline.
The Thesis Statement
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This sentence is the focus of what your
whole speech is about.
It must never be vague or unclear.
It should state your specific topic and
the goal of your speech clearly.
Do not begin the thesis with the words,
“I”, “You”, or “We”.
The Preview Statement
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This sentence follows the thesis statement
and gives an overview of the major areas
that will be discussed in the body of the
speech.
For this speech, you may have 3, 4 or 5 main
points, main ideas, or main headings.
The preview helps make the body of the
speech easier for the audience to follow.
Transitions
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After the introduction is complete you
must write a transition to move the
speech on to the first main point.
Transitions are typed inside parenthesis
using capital letters and appropriate
end marks.
There will be the same number of
transitions as there are main points.
The Body
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The body is the most important part of your speech.
It must use a clear organizational pattern and be in
outline form.
Main headings or main points are indicated by Roman
numerals.
Supporting materials are identified using capital letters.
Details go one step further and are indicated by
numbers.
At the end of each main point, a transition must be
typed before the next main point begins.
The Body
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If there are three main points in your preview
statement, there will be three transitions, and
three Roman numerals in the body of the
speech.
These numbers will always match!!
Remember, in an outline, IF there is an “A”,
there will ALWAYS be a “B”. IF there is a “1”,
there will ALWAYS be a “2”.
The Conclusion
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Remember, there is no transition before the
conclusion.
The conclusion has three parts.
The first part is the Summary Statement: In
the Summary Statement, the speaker will
restate, one last time, the topic and the 3, 4
or 5 main points as a final reminder to the
audience of what the speech was about.
The Conclusion
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The second part of the conclusion is the
Recommendation or Action Plan: Here the
speaker gives the audience some advice
about where they can get more information
about the topic.
The third part of the conclusion is the Final
Clincher: The speaker should always end the
speech with a memorable final impression. It
can be another type of attention getter, such
as a good quote, a story or a question.
Remember: Always finish STRONG!!
Works Cited
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You must have three sources for this
speech.
One source must be a published book.
The other two sources may be from the
Internet, magazine articles, or nonfiction television shows.
Sources must be cited according to
appropriate MLA citation.