Selecting an Organizational Pattern

For your audience to follow the development of your speech thesis, you need to arrange your main points into a logical pattern. There are five common organizational patterns: topical, chronological, spatial, cause-effect, and problem-solution.

Topical. Use a topical pattern when your main points can be organized into categories or subtopics. You can arrange the topics in any order—such as least to most important, most to least common, or type (e.g., types of movies: comedy, drama, action, adventure, documentary). Just be sure your order is logical and supports your thesis statement. For example, in a speech about composing photographs with a smartphone, you could arrange your main points from the most simple to the most complex techniques:

Speech thesis: Keeping three techniques in mind will help you compose beautiful photographs with your smartphone.

Main points:

  1. Ensure that your phone is steady.

  2. Apply the rule of thirds in framing shots.

  3. Find the leading lines in your shots.

Chronological. When your main points suggest a time sequence or a series of steps, you can organize them using a chronological pattern. Speeches about a process or how to do or make something often use this pattern:

Speech thesis: Scholar Steve Duck’s model of relationship dissolution demonstrates that a relationship breakup involves more than just saying “good-bye.”

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Main points:

  1. The intrapsychic phase involves thinking about your dissatisfaction.

  2. The dyadic phase happens when you discuss your dissatisfaction with your partner.

  3. The social phase occurs when partners inform immediate family and friends about the relationship breakup.

  4. The grave-dressing phase consists of the attributions partners make about why the relationship ended.

Spatial. The spatial pattern shows listeners how things are related within a physical space. For example, if you were briefing a group on packing a backpack for a hiking trip, you might arrange the main points in the following way:

Speech thesis: Properly packing your backpack will give you easy access to your gear and provide you with maximum comfort on your hike.

Main points:

  1. Spread out your gear to determine size and weight of items.

  2. Pack the bottom of your pack with gear that will be needed once you reach your destination.

  3. Maintain proper balance to your backpack by placing heavier items at the center.

  4. Place essential items at the top of the backpack for easy access while you’re on the trail.

Cause-effect. The cause-effect pattern enables you to show how events or forces will lead to (or did lead to) specific outcomes:

Speech thesis: Establishing and maintaining a home garden can benefit your well-being.

Main points:

  1. Creating and tending to a home garden involves physical exercise that burns calories.

  2. Retreating to work in a home garden helps relieve mental stress.

  3. Sharing the products of your home garden builds social connections with others.

Problem-solution. The problem-solution pattern helps you motivate listeners to take action to address a challenge. In this arrangement, you describe a problem and then present a solution:

Speech thesis: Getting an annual health screening as a college student can save your life.

Main points:

  1. Many common diseases affect college students.

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  2. The failure to diagnose a treatable disease early can lead to bigger problems.

  3. Annual health screenings have the power to detect problems, making them easier to treat.