Parts of a Speech

A speech structure is simple, composed of just three general parts: an introduction, a body, and a conclusion. The introduction establishes the purpose of the speech and shows its relevance to the audience (see Chapter 14). It lets listeners know where the speaker is taking them. The body of the speech presents main points that are intended to fulfill the speech purpose. Main points are developed with various kinds of supporting material to fulfill this purpose. The conclusion ties the purpose and the main points together (see Chapter 15). It brings closure to the speech by restating the purpose and reiterating why it is relevant to the audience, and by leaving audience members with something to think about. In essence, the introduction tells listeners where they are going, the body takes them there, and the conclusion lets them know that they have arrived.

Main points express the key ideas and major themes of the speech. Their function is to represent each of the main elements or claims being made in support of the speech thesis. The first step in creating main points is to identify the central ideas and themes of the speech. What are the most important ideas you want to convey? What is the thesis? What key ideas emerge from your research? What ideas can you demonstrate with supporting material? Each of these ideas or claims should be expressed as a main point.

Use the Purpose and Thesis Statements as Guides

You can use the specific purpose and thesis statements as reference points to help generate main points. As discussed in Chapter 7, the specific purpose statement expresses what you want the audience to learn or do as a result of your speech. Formulating it in your mind allows you to articulate precisely what you want the speech to accomplish (without stating it directly in the speech itself). The thesis statement (which is stated in the speech, in your introduction) expresses the central idea of the speech, concisely laying out what it is about. Main points should flow directly from your speech purpose and thesis, as in the following example:

SPECIFIC PURPOSE: (what you want the audience to learn or do as a result of your speech; not stated in speech itself): To show my audience, through a series of easy steps, how to perform meditation.
THESIS: (the central idea of the speech; thesis is expressed in speech): When performed correctly, meditation is an effective and easy way to reduce stress.

Main Points

  1. The first step of meditation is “positioning.”
  2. The second step of meditation is “breathing.”
  3. The third step of meditation is “relaxation.”

DO THE SPEECH POINTS ILLUSTRATE OR PROVE THE THESIS?

  1. ____ 1. Are the most important ideas in your speech expressed in the main points?
  2. ____ 2. Are any key ideas implied by your thesis not addressed by main points?
  3. ____ 3. Does each supporting point offer sufficient evidence for the corresponding main point?
  4. ____ 4. Do your supporting points reflect a variety of appropriate supporting material, such as examples, narratives, testimony, and facts and statistics?

Restrict the Number of Main Points

Research has shown that many audiences can comfortably take in only between two and seven main points. For most speeches, and especially those delivered in the classroom, between two and five main points should be sufficient.4 As a rule, the fewer main points in a speech, the greater are the odds that you will keep your listeners’ attention. Importantly, listeners have the best recall of points made at the beginning of a speech, a phenomenon termed the primacy effect, and at the end of a speech (the recency effect) than of those made in between (unless the ideas made in between are far more striking than the others).5 Thus, if it is especially important that listeners remember certain ideas, introduce those ideas near the beginning of the speech and reiterate them at the conclusion.

If you find you have too many main points while organizing your speech, consider whether your topic is sufficiently narrow (see Chapter 7). If the problem does not lie in an overly broad topic, review your main and supporting points for proper subordination (see "Use Supporting Points to Substantiate Your Claims" for a discussion on these topics).

Restrict Each Main Point to a Single Idea

A main point should not introduce more than one idea. If it does, split it into two (or more) main points:

Incorrect

  1. West Texas has its own Grand Canyon, and South Texas has its own desert.

Correct

  1. West Texas boasts its own Grand Canyon.
  2. South Texas boasts its own desert.

The main points should be mutually exclusive of one another. If they are not, consider whether a main point more properly serves as a subpoint.

Express each main point as a declarative sentence (one that states a fact or argument). This emphasizes the point and alerts audience members to the main thrusts of your speech. For example, if one of your main points is that children need more vitamin D, you should clearly state, “According to the nation’s leading pediatricians, children from infants to teens should consume more vitamin D.” In addition, as shown in the following example, state your main points (and supporting points, see "Restrict the Number of Main Points") in parallel form—that is, in similar grammatical form and style. (See "Choose Language That Creates a Lasting Impression" for a discussion of parallelism.) This strategy helps listeners understand and retain the points (by providing consistency) and lends power and elegance to your words.

THESIS STATEMENT: The Group of Eight (G8) of the world’s leading industrial nations should take stronger steps at its next summit to reduce carbon dioxide emissions linked to global warming.

Incorrect

  1. The United States must adopt new stricter policies to reduce carbon dioxide emissions.
  2. Canada failed to adopt a sound global-warming policy.
  3. Switzerland didn’t do anything either.

Correct

  1. The United States must adopt stricter policies to reduce carbon dioxide emissions.
  2. Canada must readdress the question of carbon dioxide emissions in its next session of parliament.
  3. Switzerland must reevaluate its position on carbon dioxide emissions in its next plenary session.