A Study Tool

• Identify your main points, the central claims that support your specific speech purpose and your thesis statement (p. 368).
• Subpoints support your main points using all of the statistics, stories, and other forms of research you discovered on your topic (pp. 369–370).

• A chronological pattern presents main points in a systematic, time-related fashion (!!pp. 370–371).
• A topical pattern is based on categories, such as person, place, thing, or process (p. 371). The primacy-recency effect argues that audiences are most likely to remember what comes at the beginning and end of messages (p. 371).
• A spatial pattern arranges points according to physical proximity or direction from one to the next (p. 371).
• The problem-solution pattern first presents an obstacle and then suggestions for overcoming it (p. 371).
• The cause-effect pattern moves from the cause of a phenomenon to the results or vice versa (pp. 372–373).
• The narrative pattern uses a story line to tie points together (p. 373).
• The motivated sequence pattern uses a five-step plan to motivate listeners: attention, need, satisfaction, visualization, and action (p. 373).

• Build strong transitions, sentences that connect the points so that topics flow naturally (pp. 373–374).
• Use signposts, key words or phrases that signify transitions (p. 375).
• Internal previews prime the audience for the content immediately ahead (p. 375).
• Internal summaries crystallize points in one section before moving on (p. 375).

• Consider your audience when you choose your words (p. 376).
• Use simple, unambiguous words (pp. 376–377).
• Be concise (p. 376).
• Use vivid language (p. 377).
• Use repetition, allusion, similes, and metaphors to make a lasting impression (pp. 377–379).

• Grab listeners’ attention with surprise, a good story, a quote, a question, or humor (pp. 379–381).
• Introduce your purpose and thesis (p. 382).
• Preview your main points to provide a mental outline for your audience (p. 382).
• Establish a relationship with the audience (p. 382).

• Signal the end to ask for listeners’ full attention, and wrap up quickly (p. 383).
• Reiterate your topic, purpose, and main points (p. 383).
• Make a final impact with a memorable closing quote, statement, question, or story (pp. 383–385).
• Challenge the audience to respond with a call to action—what you hope they will do in response to the speech (p. 385).

• The outline puts the hierarchy of points into a text format (pp. 386–387).
• The hierarchy of points for a strong outline will show each point supported by two or more subpoints (p. 387).
• There are three essential styles of outlines (from most detailed to sparest): sentence outline, phrase outline, and key-word outline (pp. 390–391).
• Write a preparation outline (or working outline) to organize and develop your speech (p. 391).
• The speaking outline (or delivery outline) is your final speech plan (p. 391).
• Add delivery cues, brief reminders about important information, to your speaking outline (p. 393).
• Oral citations, references to source materials to be included in your narrative, should also be in your speaking outline (pp. 393–394).