Organizing Fact Claims

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If you’re planning to make a fact claim, you will be seeking to prove that something is true or false. In this type of persuasive speech, consider using a causal, comparison, or categorical pattern, depending on the main points you’ll be presenting.

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Causal Pattern. Many fact claims argue that one thing causes another. If this describes your fact claim, a causal pattern is ideal. To illustrate, here is how a presenter might organize a speech claiming that fast food causes health problems:

THESIS

Fast-food restaurants are a significant cause of health problems in the United States.

MAIN POINTS

  1. Low prices encourage frequent fast-food consumption.
  2. Fast-food meals are high in fat and calories.
  3. High-fat, high-calorie foods cause obesity, diabetes, and heart disease.

Comparison Pattern. When you want to claim that two situations are similar or different, a comparison pattern can help you support that claim. Here is an example of how this pattern could be used to persuade classmates that a campus smoking ban caused a decrease in smoking and exposure to smoke compared to the previous policy, which allowed outdoor smoking on campus:25

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THESIS

The campus smoking ban decreased smoking and exposure to secondhand smoke.

MAIN POINTS

  1. Under the new policy, student attitudes about smoking became more negative.
  2. Under the new policy, students were exposed to less secondhand smoke.
  3. Under the new policy, the rate of smoking by students declined.

Categorical Pattern. Sometimes each main point in your speech will reflect a different reason why you believe your fact claim to be true. In this case, you can use a categorical pattern to organize your presentation. Consider the following example from a speech intended to convince listeners that climate change is actually happening:

THESIS

The earth is experiencing climate change.

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MAIN POINTS

  1. The changes in ocean temperature are consistent with computer models of climate change.
  2. Extreme weather is on the rise.
  3. Glaciers on every continent are contracting.
  4. Coral reefs are disintegrating.