PARTS OF A SPEECH
I.
II.
III.
Introduction (Attention Getters –
Part 1)
Body
Conclusion
SPEECH INTRODUCTIONS
Introduction MUST contain:
 Attention Getter
 Thesis
 Audience Relevance
 Credibility
First part of every speech.
Write in a COMPLETE PARAGRAPH
It’s often written after the body of the speech.
You MUST Label all parts to prove you know
they are there.
Purpose of Attention Getters
Get your audience’s attention - Hook them!
 Gain contact with the audience

Get attention

Arouse interest
More interested = Better listening =
Greater speaker impact!
Types of Attention Getters
Quotations - #1
 Use of a direct quote said by someone of
importance or whose words are worthy,
insightful and relative to the topic.
 Cite the speaker of the quote in the
introduction and in your outline (we will
cover this more later)
Examples of quotations
H.G. Wells once said, “The past is but the beginning
of a beginning.”
(thinkexist.com/quotes/h._g._wells)
In the words of JFK “Ask not what your country can
do for you, but what you can do for your country.”
(www.brainyquote.com/)
Attention Getter #2
Startling Statements

Uses a startling, shocking statistic or makes some
bold statement to catch people’s attention.
Examples:
 More than 3,800 young drivers ages 15-20 are
killed every year.
 More than 326,000 young drivers are injured
every year.
(http://www.tdot.state.tn.us/wzsafety)
Attention Getter #3
Challenging questions/Series of rhetorical
questions
 These are questions not meant to be answered
 They stimulate your audience to think about
your topic
 Examples:
 How many of you…
 What would you do if…
Attention Getter #4
HUMOR

Tell an appropriate joke or humorous story
Must relate to the subject
 In good taste (appropriate to the classroom)
 Not offensive
 When in doubt-DON’T!
 Make sure it is funny to everyone!

Attention Getter #5
Attention Capturing Incident

Might be a personal experience
“This morning I saw......”

Might be a story (anecdote or narrative)
 ANECDOTE-A personal story, often humorous,
that draws the audience in. It may even be an
experience they can relate to, therefore grabbing
their interest.

NARRATIVE A story relative to the topic that
may not be a personal experience.
Attention Getter #6
Visual/Audio Aid (picture, chart, music)

Must relate to subject

Must be held up, displayed, or played to class

Must be reinforced by first words: Explain
connection to topic.

Do not pass visual aids around
Attention Getter #7, #8, & #9
7. Immediate issue or challenge or reference
to a recent event (i.e. health care reform)
8. Personal reference or greeting - Refer to
occasion (honoring/remembering someone, holidays, etc.
used for Special Occasion speeches).
9. Suspense: Withhold your topic for a
minute or two and make the audience
think about what it might be.
PRACTICE ACTIVITY:
Purpose statements & Attention Getters
Use your Personal Experience Topic
 Write your general purpose (to inform or to
entertain)
 Write a specific purpose statement (To…)
 Choose three different types of attention
getters and write out three potential
attention-getters for your personal
experience speech topic (label each).

PRACTICE ACTIVITY:
Purpose statements & Attention Getters
1. Choose one of the following topics.
Study Habits
Shoe Selection
Video Games
The Golden Rule
Road Rage
Money
Pet Care
Pollution
(It is likely, but not required, that you will have to narrow your general topic down to some
more specific element of the overall topic in order to create a truly useful or interesting
attention-getter.)
2. Choose a General Purpose
3. Write a specific purpose statement: To….
4. Select three types of attention-getting techniques and write out a potential attention-getter
for your practice topic using the correct format for each of the three techniques you have
selected.