Printed Page 11
Next, compose a thesis statement that clearly expresses the central idea of your speech. While the specific purpose focuses your attention on what you want to achieve with the speech, the thesis statement concisely communicates to your audience, in a single sentence, what the speech is about:
| GENERAL PURPOSE: | To inform |
| SPECIFIC PURPOSE: | To inform my audience about the crucial role played by the nitrogen cycle in preserving biodiversity and maintaining healthy ecosystems. |
| THESIS STATEMENT: | Excessive nitrogen additions to the nitrogen cycle from human activities such as crop fertilization and burning of fossil fuels pose serious threats to plant and animal life. |
Wherever you are in the planning stage, always refer to the thesis statement to make sure that you are on track to illustrate or prove the central idea of your speech.