Components of a Speech

1. Components of a Speech

A speech is more than simply an essay read aloud. Listening to a speaker is inherently different from reading a page, and public speakers should keep that difference in mind as they prepare their work.

A traditional academic essay consists of an introduction, a body with alternating concrete details and commentary, and a conclusion. The role of the introduction and conclusion are similar in speeches and essays, but the "body" is a different matter. In a speech, you need to focus on your main points quickly and concisely up front, whereas in a traditional academic essay, you may spend more time including details and proof leading up to your main point.

Break free of the essay mindset, and try to think of a speech as the sum of four components:

• Body (Main Points)
• Introduction
• Conclusion
• Transitions

1a. Introduction

"Begin at the beginning." While this might be a line from the fantastical world of Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland, it's an excellent piece of advice when thinking about the introduction to your speech. The introduction is the first part of your speech that will ultimately set the tone for the rest of your speech. It is sometimes referred to as your opening.

The introduction should get the audience's attention, describe the topic, state the thesis or key message, and give an overview of the speech and its main points. With the introduction, you have the power to capture your audience's attention and interest while simultaneously giving them an understanding of what they're about to hear for the next five, ten, or even sixty minutes. Open with a detailed map of your speech—giving good directions in the beginning will save your audience from getting lost along the way.

An introduction can make or break a speech because if you can't capture your audience's attention right at the beginning, how will they possibly remain interested for the duration of your speech?

big idea

Your opening sets the tone for your speech. Here are some functions of an effective opening:

• Capturing your audience’s attention. When crafting your speech, you'll want to select an attention-getter to use in your introduction to instantly capture your audience's attention right from the beginning. There are a variety of attention-getting techniques you can use, including humor, sharing an anecdote or quotation, or referencing historical or current events. Using references is a simple and effective way to grab your audience's attention. You may refer to the event at which you're speaking or share a personal reference to the topic about which you're speaking. It's important to remember that you want to select an attention-getter that is appropriate to your topic, your audience, and the venue or occasion at which you are speaking.
• Stating your purpose. When beginning your speech and as you capture your audience's attention, you'll want to express exactly why they should listen to you. You may be giving a speech arguing a certain point. You might be giving an informational speech about a specific topic. Your speech could even be delivered at a special event such as an awards banquet, wedding, or political event. Regardless of the context of your speech, it is important to establish the purpose of your speech to your audience so your audience knows why they should listen to you. Your introduction is not just an introduction to your topic but an introduction of who you are and why you are the appropriate individual to speak about your subject. In some speeches, you may be introduced by someone who will introduce you to your audience. If not, it's important to establish your credibility and authority as the speech-giver to your audience.
• Outlining your agenda. It is helpful for your audience to know what you plan to speak about. Use your introduction to share your train of thought with your audience. You don't have to break your speech organization down into minute detail; that's what the body of your speech will accomplish. Give your audience an overview of your main points so they know what to expect as you continue your speech.

So, how do you start writing your introduction?

step by step

1. Write your introduction last. As counterintuitive as this may seem, you want to write your introduction last. Since the introduction is often used as an outline for the key points of your speech, it's helpful to have written the entire speech before you distill it into its major points and arguments. Once your entire speech is written, minus your introduction, it's much easier to see which points emerge as your major points.
2. Write your introduction word for word. While extemporaneous speeches don't give you this kind of freedom, writing your introduction verbatim, or word for word, is vital for any prepared remarks. Writing it down word for word lets you quickly see if you've left out any of your major points as you set up your speech outline. You can also see if you have the right attention-getter suitable to your topic, audience, and venue. Finally, since your introduction sets the tone for the rest of your speech, preparing it word for word allows you to begin your speech with confidence.

terms to know

Introduction

The first part of your speech, also known as the opening.

Anecdote

An account or story which supports an argument but is not supported by scientific or statistical analysis.

1b. Body and Main Points

Once you've captured your audience's attention with your opening, it's time to move into the “meat and potatoes” of your speech: the body. The body should take up about three-quarters of your speech time since this is where you will detail your main points.

Thinking of the body as containing “main points” can help speakers remember to keep it simple. A restless audience may not have patience for the predictable, orderly progression of concrete details and commentary that is typical in the body of an academic essay. Above all, communicate a few important points!

Here is a simple process for writing the body of your speech:

step by step

1. Establish your purpose. In Unit 2, you learned three general reasons you might be giving a speech: to inform, to persuade, or some combination of the two. Each of these purposes requires a slightly different approach to successfully communicate its objectives to an audience. Once you've established your purpose, you can formulate a strategy for achieving that purpose with your main points. To illustrate each main point, you will need to use a series of examples.
2. Determine your main points. Once your purpose is established, it's time to decide what main points you will use to achieve that purpose. You'll want to start by brainstorming a list of all possible main points to support your purpose. Once you've completed this list, begin to assign them weights and priorities. Consider which points more effectively communicate your purpose than others. You may want to nest some points under others, creating a natural hierarchy of main points and sub-points. Equally important is determining exactly what does not belong in your speech or is irrelevant to your subject. Ultimately, you'll want to boil down your main points to no more than three or four points. While this may seem minimalistic, know that your audience will only be able to remember so much, and you don't want to overwhelm them with too much information. Three or four main points allow you to develop complete arguments to support your purpose while enabling your audience to follow your logic.
3. Decide how you will tell your story. You'll want compelling evidence to support each speech's main point. This evidence can be from researched data, facts and figures, or personal anecdotes and references. You may cite quotations and historical or current events to bolster your arguments further. Depending on your subject, audience, and venue, humor may also be appropriate to weave throughout your speech. If the purpose of your speech is to inform, you will rely heavily on data, statistics, and research to illustrate your points. You may even use an accompanying presentation, video, chart, or images to help support your purpose. If the purpose of your speech is to persuade, you may find yourself using a combination of research and anecdotes to get your points across. You may also use accompanying media to illustrate your points; however, your data should be tailored to argue your particular case best. This is not to say that you should manipulate your data; rather, present only the information your audience needs to see and hear to support whatever argument you are trying to make. No matter the purpose or order of your main points, it's important that you remember to stick to the outline of your speech. If you begin to wander off-topic by sharing too many anecdotes or presenting extraneous data, your audience may be unable to keep up, and you will quickly begin to lose their interest.
4. Write the body of your speech. Once you've brainstormed and refined the main points of your speech, you can begin to write the body of your speech. The easiest strategy is to outline your main points and list the supporting evidence you'll provide for each main point. Depending on how comfortable you are with memorization, this may be all you need when you get up in front of your audience. Many professional speakers do not rely on anything other than a brief outline of their speech, either memorizing what they plan to say in advance or simply speaking extemporaneously with only a basic guide. If this is one of your first speeches, and the situation allows, you may want to write your complete body word for word.

1c. Conclusion

Your conclusion is delivered at the end of the speech and is often what most people remember immediately after a speech has ended. It should summarize the main points and repeat your key message or thesis. Remember that many people struggle with auditory learning and have trouble focusing on spoken words.

Your listeners may not put everything together on their own, so you should make it easier for them by summarizing your argument and reviewing central ideas in the conclusion. As important as your introduction is for grabbing the audience's attention, the conclusion is doubly important as it leaves the audience with a lasting impression.

big idea

Leave a lasting impression! If your body is the meat and potatoes of your speech, then the conclusion is the icing on the cake.

So, what do you need to accomplish with your conclusion?

• Summarize your main points. The purpose of the conclusion is to summarize your main points and to prepare the audience for the end of your speech. You'll want to recapture the essence of your speech: your main points and the purpose of why you spoke. It is imperative to remember that the conclusion of your speech is not the time to introduce new points or new supporting evidence; doing so will only confuse the audience. Try to think of your conclusion like tying a bow or a ribbon: It's the final touch that makes your project stand out.
• Paraphrase. While summarizing your main points is important, be wary of simply repeating your main points word for word. You'll want to paraphrase your main points rather than directly repeat them from your speech's body. Instead, paraphrasing allows you to capture the essence of your speech, unlike rote repetition of identical sentences you may have spoken just minutes earlier.
• End on a high note. Your conclusion is the last thing your audience hears from you. Just as an introduction can make or break a speech, you always want to end your speech on a high note with something memorable. The conclusion is where you'll insert your takeaway message: What do you want the audience to remember after you've finished speaking? What do you want them to recall in the days or weeks after your speech? To create a memorable ending, you may want to share a quotation or anecdote. It's important to remain relatable and credible to the audience up until your final word, so be sure to craft your conclusion in a way that is still appropriate to the topic, audience, and venue.

step by step

1. Review and rephrase. Review your speech's body and ensure that you've touched upon all the main points you wish to discuss, then rephrase those main points in your conclusion. Determine the take-home message that you want to leave with your audience and either include it word for word in your conclusion or use it as a guiding theme for how you'll end your speech. If you have any final anecdotes or quotations to share that either drive home a particular point or capture the theme of your speech, include them here.
2. Include a trigger phrase. While there is no set time or sentence limit for your conclusion, ensure you don't finish your speech so suddenly that your audience is caught off guard when the speech ends. Using trigger phrases such as "in conclusion" or "in summary" signifies to your audience that the speech is about to end and that they should pay special attention to your final thoughts.

term to know

Summarize

To give a recapitulation of the salient facts; to recapitulate or review.

1d. Transitions

As you craft your speech, you must transition from one point to the next to fully articulate your purpose or objectives. When read aloud, your speech should flow smoothly from the introduction to the body, from main point to main point, and then finally into your conclusion. Transitions are essential to help your audience follow along your line of reasoning.

A transition is a change or shift from one topic to another. It may be surprising that transitions are one of the four key components of a speech. Academic writers think of transitions as important stylistic elements rather than essential building blocks.

However, transitions are crucial for public speakers since speakers need to compensate for the loss of visual formatting. On a written page, formatting provides a helpful road map: The reader sees topic headings, paragraph breaks, and other visual cues that signal transitions naturally.

big idea

Transitions help you (and your audience) to see the flow of your ideas more clearly.

key concept

There are different types of transitions often used in speeches, including:

• Temporal: Using words like "before" and "after."
• Equality: Highlighting points of equal importance, like "in addition" or "moreover."
• Causality: Using words that show cause and effect.
• Compare and contrast: Using words and phrases that compare one part of the speech to the next, like "contrarily" or "on the other hand."
• Introductions and summaries: These transitions let listeners know what a person will be speaking about and offer a way to understand the important parts of a speech.

Speakers can replicate these cues and signal transitions using visual aids and body language. Still, it will take more conscious effort than simply hitting "enter" to create a paragraph break. Speakers can emphasize transition points with visual aids, body language, vocal delivery, and transitional words and phrases.

Visual aids such as slides and handouts are a great way to guide the audience through your transitions. A slide or handout with topic headings printed on it is a good road map for a speech, preparing the audience for any twists and turns that may come up.

Here are a few tips for writing your transitions.

• Use a smooth segue. To move from one point into the next, you'll want to segue into your new point. Sometimes your points may share similar themes or concepts—order your points in such a way as to capitalize on those similarities.
• Present the opposing view. You can also use opposition to present the main opposing points. Suppose you have multiple pieces of supporting evidence. In that case, you may need to transition between examples so your audience knows you are furthering a point with another model, anecdote, or set of researched data.
• Use trigger words. However you decide to transition, you'll want to use triggering keywords that let your audience know you're moving on to a new point. Ordinal words like "next," "second,” and "third" give your audience the heads up that you're about to proceed in a new or continued direction of thought.

Here’s a process you can consider when writing your transitions.

step by step

1. Prioritize and sort main points. After you have identified your main points and outlined what evidence you'll use to support them, begin to prioritize and sort your main points, so they follow in the most logical order.
2. Identify transitions. From there, you'll be able to pinpoint how you'll want to transition your speech from one point to the next. Try to think of transitions as a way to connect the dots of your speech's purpose.

terms to know

Transition

The process of change from one form, state, style, or place to another.

Segue

The process of change from one form, state, style, or place to another.

2. Building a Speech: Starting With an Outline

It is always a good idea to make an outline before you begin writing a speech. An outline is a structural plan that lists main points, summarizes claims, and serves as a guide for the writing process. Working from an outline can help you organize your speech and put supporting elements, such as definitions and supporting evidence, in order.

Some outlines are minimal, providing a quick sketch of a speech's main points. Other outlines are very detailed, filling in a skeleton of topic headings with topic sentences, pieces of evidence, and transitions.

Many students are familiar with outlining techniques from academic writing classes. Outlining a speech is similar, but there is one key difference: Speechwriters can use the outlining process to create prompts to aid with delivering the speech. Some speakers like to use handwritten notes, and others use cue cards; still others read from a printed script, and some experienced speakers don't use any prompts at all.

Ideally, with practice, you will avoid reading a script word for word; burying your face in paper for the entirety of the speech will limit your ability to engage the audience. However, minimal prompts such as cue cards and outline-style notes may help you stay on topic and remember the main points. Whether or not you plan to use prompts, creating an outline is a great way to refine your argument—and you can always ignore it once you begin writing.

term to know

Outline

A list used to present the main points or topics of a given subject, often used as a rough draft or summary of the content of a document.

2a. Brainstorming

Many speakers like to brainstorm before making an outline. Brainstorming, which involves techniques such as creating "idea maps" or flowcharts that connect ideas and evidence, is less formal and structured than outlining.

It is a great place to begin if you have a hard time settling on a definite plan for your speech.

2b. Topic Outline

A topic outline is a hierarchical list of a speech's main points. Topic outlines tend to use keywords and short phrases rather than complete sentences.

A topic outline is fragmentary—it serves as a prompt rather than a draft of material to use in the actual speech.

term to know

Topic Outline

A topic outline is a hierarchical list of a speech's main points. Topic outlines use keywords and short phrases rather than complete sentences.

2c. Sentence Outline

A sentence outline expresses the central ideas of a speech in complete sentences.

Sentence outlines are more detailed than topic outlines but less detailed than first drafts.

term to know

Sentence Outline

A sentence outline expresses the central ideas of a speech in complete sentences.

3. Organizing Your Speech

Now that you have done some research, it’s time to organize your speech.

You did keep all of your notes centrally collected and easily accessible, right? If you put all of your research notes and thoughts onto notecards, it is particularly helpful to lay them out in front of you and begin to organize your points and sub-points in ways that make the most logical sense.

In Unit 2, we discussed the importance of knowing your purpose and audience. How you organize your speech will depend on your purpose, your audience, and the message you want to get across. If you’re giving a persuasive speech, you will need to organize your content based on how your audience may react. Are they open to your message, or are they resistant?

If you are giving an informative speech, you need to consider what your audience already knows, what they don’t know, and what they need to know.

Your thesis is what you want the audience to take away from your speech. When composing your thesis, consider and answer the following questions:

• What is the primary message you want the audience to take away from your speech?
• What do they already know about your topic? What don’t they know?
• What is their viewpoint? Will they be receptive? Indifferent? Resistant?
• What’s in it for them? Why should they care?
• What other opinions have been expressed about your topic?
• Are there any cultural or societal issues you need to consider?

term to know

Thesis

A concise summary of the argument or main points, usually one to three sentences long, also referred to as a speech’s key message or primary message.

3a. Establish a Timeline

There are several ways to organize an informational speech. One way is to establish a timeline.

Depending on your subject and the point you are attempting to make, it might make sense to order your research and points in chronological order.

EXAMPLE

If you are giving a speech on the rise and fall of the Roman Empire, it makes sense to start with its rise, and end with its fall.

Outlining your speech as a series of chronological events or points allows your audience to follow along a linear timeline for an easy understanding of your subject matter.

term to know

Chronological

In order of time from the earliest to the latest.

3b. Playing Devil's Advocate

If your speech is persuasive, it’s crucial to take a step back and play devil’s advocate—that is, take a look at your argument from the opposing viewpoint.

By considering all sides of your argument, you will bolster your case by preparing for all possible objections and rebuttals to the claims you intend to make in your speech.

term to know

Rebut

To deny the truth of something, especially by presenting arguments that disprove it.

3c. The Broad and the Specific

If you have a receptive audience, you can present your big idea first and then support it with sub-points that support or explain the idea. For example, you may present your solution to a problem and then present the proof.

However, if you have a resistant audience, you may need to start with supporting points that logically lead them to understand and accept your solution or big idea.