From Topic and Purpose to Thesis Statement
After narrowing your topic and forming a specific purpose, your next step is to formulate a thesis statement. The thesis statement (also called the central idea) is the theme of the speech stated as a single declarative sentence that concisely expresses what the speech will attempt to support from the speaker’s point of view. Much like a backbone, it serves to connect all the parts of the speech. The main points, the supporting material, and the conclusion all emanate from and relate to the thesis.
The thesis statement and the specific purpose are closely linked. Both state the speech topic, but do so in different forms. The specific purpose describes in action form what outcome you want to achieve with the speech. The thesis statement concisely declares, in a single idea, what the speech is about. By clearly stating your speech thesis (what it’s about), you set in your mind exactly what outcome you want to accomplish (the specific purpose).
Postpone Development of Main Points
The thesis statement conveys the central idea or core assumption about the topic (see Figure 7.2). It offers your perspective on the topic. For instance, the thesis statement “Three major events caused the United States to go to war in 1941” expresses your view that three factors played a part in the U.S. entry into World War II. The speech is then developed from this thesis, presenting facts and evidence to support it. Thus, you should postpone the development of main points and supporting material until you have correctly formulated the specific purpose and thesis statement (see Chapter 11).
The nature of the thesis statement varies according to the speech purpose. In a persuasive speech, your comment on the speech as stated in the thesis represents what you are going to prove in the address. All the main points in the speech are arguments that develop this position.
ETHICALLY SPEAKING
Ethical Considerations in Selecting a Topic and Purpose
Respect for your audience members and adaptation to their needs and interests should always guide your topic choices. What makes a speech ethical or unethical depends on how it empowers the audience to think or act. In other words, ethical considerations begin with your speech purpose. Speakers who select persuasive purposes should be particularly careful; under pressure to sway an audience, some speakers may be tempted to tamper with the truth. As you review your speech goal, consider the following:
- Have you deliberately distorted information to achieve a desired result?
- Is it your intent to deceive?
- Do you try to coerce the audience into thinking or acting in a certain way?
- Have you knowingly tried to appeal to harmful biases?
Although few hard-and-fast rules exist when it comes to ethical guidelines for selecting topics, some areas are clearly off-limits—at least in U.S. culture:
- The topic shows an audience how to perform actions prohibited by law.
- The topic provides audience members with information that may result in their physical or psychological harm.
- The topic humiliates or degrades the fundamental values of an audience’s culture, religion, or political system.
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Example 1
| GENERAL PURPOSE: | To persuade |
| SPECIFIC PURPOSE: | To persuade the audience to raise money on behalf of green charities |
| THESIS: | A donation to a member organization of green charities is an investment in a sustainable environment. |
Example 2
| SPECIFIC PURPOSE: | To persuade the audience that abstinence is the way to avoid the harm alcohol can cause |
| THESIS: | Abstinence is the best way to avoid the harm alcohol can cause. |
Example 3
| SPEECH TOPIC: | Service learning courses |
| GENERAL SPEECH PURPOSE: | To persuade |
| SPECIFIC SPEECH PURPOSE: | To persuade my audience that service learning courses are beneficial |
| THESIS STATEMENT: | To prepare for a difficult job market and enhance your résumé while making a significant difference for other people, you should take one or more service learning courses. |
Notice that in each case, after you read the thesis you find yourself asking “Why?” or thinking “Prove it!” This will be accomplished by the evidence you give in the main points (see Chapter 11).
The thesis statement in an informative speech conveys the scope of the topic, the steps associated with the topic, or the underlying elements of the topic. It describes what the audience will learn.
Example 1
| SPEECH TOPIC: | Blogs |
| GENERAL SPEECH PURPOSE: | To inform |
| SPECIFIC SPEECH PURPOSE: | To inform my audience of three benefits of keeping a blog |
| THESIS STATEMENT: | Maintaining a blog provides the opportunity to practice writing, a means of networking with others who share similar interests, and the chance to develop basic website management skills. |
Example 2
| GENERAL PURPOSE: | To inform |
| SPECIFIC PURPOSE: | To enable audience members to invest their money properly |
| THESIS: | You can invest wisely in the stock market in just three steps. |
Use the Thesis Statement to Guide Your Speech Preparation
The point of creating a thesis statement is to help you identify precisely what your speech is about. As you develop the speech, use the thesis to keep yourself on track. Depicted as the inner core of a cylinder, as in Figure 7.2, the thesis is a straight and narrow path to follow from when you first state it to when you reach your last point and fulfill the speech purpose. As you research materials, review them in the light of whether they contribute to the thesis or stray from it. When you actually draft your speech, work your thesis statement into it and restate it where appropriate. Doing so will encourage your audience to understand and accept your message.
Make the Thesis Statement Relevant and Motivating
As you revise drafts of your speech, try to express the thesis statement so that it will motivate the audience to listen. In many cases, creating a relevant thesis can be accomplished quite easily by adding a few key words or phrases. You can preface an informative thesis statement with a phrase such as “Few of us know” or “Contrary to popular belief” or “Have you ever.” A persuasive thesis statement can also be adapted to establish relevance for the audience. Phrases such as “As most of you know” or “As informed members of the community” or “As concerned adults” can attract listeners’ attention and interest and help them see the topic’s relevance.
The exact phrasing or rewording of your thesis statement depends on the audience to whom you are speaking. Once you gain some information about your audience members, you won’t have trouble making the topic relevant for them.
FORMULATING THE THESIS STATEMENT
Does my thesis statement sum up in a single sentence what my speech is about?
- Is it restricted to a single idea?
- Is it in the form of a complete declarative sentence?
- Is it stated in a way that is relevant to the audience?