In this lesson, you will learn how to effectively introduce your topic, thesis, and main points. Public speakers should introduce a topic and state a thesis (or purpose) as soon as possible. After the attention-grabbing opening, there is only a small window of time in which to convince the audience that you have something useful to say. Specifically, this lesson will cover:
1. Introduction
1a. Introducing the Topic
When introducing your topic to your audience, you should:
- Name your topic.
- Explain the topic at a level that is appropriate for your audience.
- Define key concepts.
- Explain how the topic relates to your listeners and remind them of their stake in the matter.
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- Topic
- Subject; theme; a category or general area of interest.
1b. Introducing the Thesis
Make your initial thesis statement (or the statement of purpose in an informative speech) short and sweet.
Remember: The thesis statement should summarize your argument in one to three sentences.
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- 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.
1c. Introducing the Main Points
Before your introduction is finished, give the audience an overview of your main points.
It may help to refer to your outline, which should provide a concise list of your main points in order.
Translate that list into complete sentences, and voila! You will have a good overview.
2. Example: Topic, Thesis, and Main Points
Here is a brief example of the beginning of a speech in which the topic, thesis, and main points are introduced.
Vitamin D deficiency may be the hottest topic in nutrition today. Scientists are flooding academic journals, fashion magazines, and talk shows with arguments about all things “D,” ranging from sunscreen to supplements.
No one is disputing its importance: Vitamin D helps with calcium absorption, promotes bone health, boosts immunity, and reduces inflammation. That is why recent studies estimating that 10% to 75% of Americans are deficient in vitamin D are so scary.
Hold on—10% to 75%? That range is huge!
In order to discover the extent of the problem, we need to take a closer look at those numbers—and that is exactly what we will do in this presentation. I have prepared a chronological overview and analysis of methodologies for measuring vitamin D levels in the U.S. population, beginning with a study conducted at this university.
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Can you identify the topic, thesis, and main points of the speech?The speech will introduce the topic (vitamin D) by explaining the importance of vitamin D and its relevance to the audience. Then, the speech states the purpose of the presentation: to investigate the improbably wide range of deficiency rate estimates from different studies. The thesis of the speech is that vitamin D deficiency is alarmingly common. Finally, the main points are outlined: an overview and analysis of vitamin D levels in the U.S. population based on a research study.
In this lesson, you learned that you should describe the scope of your speech when you introduce your topic. State your thesis clearly and with an emphasis in one to three sentences. Provide an overview of your main points before you launch into the body of the speech. You also looked at an example of a topic, thesis, and main points in action. An analysis of this example demonstrated how the introduction made the topic relevant to the audience.
