chapter nine

Tips for preparing main points

1) Keep Main Points Separate. 2) Try to Use the Same Pattern of Wording for Main Points. 3) Balance the Amount of Time Devoted to Main Points

Strategic order of main points

1. chronological order 2. spatial order 3. causal order 4. problem-solution order 5. topical order

four types of speech connective

1. transitions 2. internal previews 3. internal summaries 4. signposts

Number of main points

2-5 points

main points

Central features of the speech

supporting materials

The materials used to support a speaker's ideas. The three major kinds of supporting materials are examples, statistics, and testimony.

problem-solution order

a method of speech organization in which the first main point deals with the existence of a problem and the second main point presents a solution to the problem

topical order

a method of speech organization in which the main points divide the topic into logical and consistent subtopics

spatial order

a method of speech organization in which the main points follow a directional pattern

chronological order

a method of speech organization in which the main points follow a time pattern

causal order

a method of speech organization in which the main points show a cause-effect relationship

internal previews

a statement in the body of the speech that lets the audience know what the speaker is going to discuss next

internal summaries

a statement in the body of the speech that summarizes the speaker's preceding point or points

signpost

a very brief statement that indicates where a speaker is in the speech or that focuses attention on key ideas

Connective

a word or phrase that connects the ideas of a speech and indicates the relationship between them

transition

a word or phrase that indicates when a speaker has finished one thought and is moving on to another

speech organization is closely related to

critical thinking

process of organizing the body of a speech starts with

determining main points

main points should

focus on a single idea, be worded clearly, and receive enough emphasis to be clear and convincing

first step of developing a strong sense of speech organization

gain command of three basic parts of speech - introduction, body, conclusion - and the strategic role of each

body

longest and most important part of a speech

strategic organization

putting a speech together in a particular way to achieve a particular result with a particular audience

organization allows you and your listeners to

see what ideas you have and to put mental hands on the most important ones