Arranging Speech Points Using a Spatial Pattern

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When speaking about the physical arrangement of a place, an object, or an event, logic suggests that the main points can be arranged in order of their physical proximity or direction relative to one another. This calls for a spatial pattern of arrangement. For example, you can select a spatial arrangement when your speech provides the audience with a “tour” of a particular place:

THESIS STATEMENT: El Morro National Monument in New Mexico is captivating for its variety of natural and historical landmarks.
MAIN POINTS:
  1. Visitors first encounter an abundant variety of plant life native to the high-country desert.
  2. Soon visitors come upon an age-old watering hole that has receded beneath the 200-foot cliffs.
  3. Beyond are the famous cliff carvings made by hundreds of travelers over several centuries of exploration in the Southwest.

In a speech describing a geothermal heating and cooling company’s market growth across regions of the country, a speaker might use the spatial arrangement as follows:

THESIS STATEMENT: Sales of geothermal systems have grown in every region of the country.
MAIN POINTS:
  1. Sales are strongest in the Eastern Zone.
  2. Sales are growing at a rate of 10 percent quarterly in the Central Zone.
  3. Sales are up slightly in the Mountain Zone.