The Art of Public Speaking: Chapter 9
Transitions, internal previews, internal summaries, and signposts
help connect one thought to another in a speech.
A speaker says, "Next, we will look at three important Civil War battles that took place in Tennessee. These are Shiloh, Nashville, and Franklin." This is an example of a(n)
internal preview
Alexa is writing a speech about four types of storms. What tip for writing main points did she forget to use in setting up the main points below? I. Hurricanes and tornadoes are storms with strong winds, but hurricanes occur along coastlines. II. Hailstorms are thunderstorms with strong updrafts. III. Ice storms are storms in which the air temperature is near freezing.
keep main points separate
When a speech uses ______ order, it is divided into two main parts. The first of these parts discusses the existence of an issue, while the second proposes a way to fix the issue.
problem-solution
An internal preview
works just like a preview statement in a speech introduction but in the body of the speech. and lets the audience know with some detail what the speaker will discuss next.
Which of the following is an example of an effective signpost?
"First, I will discuss what fracking is."
Which of the following is an example of an effective internal summary?
"In short, olives are native to the Mediterranean region but have since spread all around the world."
What are the primary strategies for preparing main points in speeches?
1. Balance the time dedicated to each point. 2. Use parallel wording to improve comprehension. 3. Create independent points for clarity.
1. Keep main points separate 2. Write main points with parallel wording 3. Balance coverage of main points
1. I. The city should fund youth sports programs and advertise sports camps in schools. (60%) II. The charges for local sports programs should be reduced. (40%) 2. I. First, we need to recruit volunteers to collect signatures. (50%) II. Training volunteers to collect signatures is the second step. (50%) 3. I. Sales have increased with the release of our new product. (20%) II. Hiring new employees has allowed us to meet greater demand. (80%)
Erika is writing a speech to persuade her audience that pollution resulting from discarded single-use bags can be reduced by individual and legislative action. Which of the following are potential solutions to the amount of pollution resulting from single-use bags?
1. State lawmakers should consider adding taxes to single-use bags. 2.Consumers should bring reusable bags to the store to carry groceries. 3. City- or state-wide bans of single-use bags would discourage business owners from stocking them.
A word or phrase that indicates when a speaker has completed one thought and is moving to another is called a(n)
transition
A statement in the body of the speech that reminds listeners of the preceding point or points of the speech is called
an internal summary
A speech about the causes and effects of earthquakes would most likely be organized in ______ order.
casual
A speech about the four major factors to consider when choosing a cell phone would most likely be arranged in ______ order.
topical
How many main points should classroom speeches contain?
2 to 5
Which of the following does an internal summary do?
Reminds listeners of what they just heard.
Which three of the following are most important to consider when deciding the order of main points in your speech?
1. audience 2. topic 3. purpose
Why should a speaker strive to balance the amount of time devoted to main points?
Because main points are important and speakers should be sure they all receive enough emphasis.
Jian speaks about the failure of the South Fork Dam in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, in the late 1800s. His first main point discusses how the dam's failure impacted the local communities. His second main point discusses the factors leading to the dam's failure: heavy rains and poor upkeep. Jian's speech is organized in which order?
Casual order
Jacinta will be giving a speech about the Battle of Bunker Hill. She plans to present her points by starting with a discussion of the events leading up to the battle and end by talking about events that happened immediately after the battle. What method is Jacinta using to organize her speech?
Chronological order
Kendra is giving a speech on the city of Denver. Her first main point is "Denver is full of fun things to do and see." Which of the following would be appropriate support for this main point?
Denver's 16th Street Mall is lined with restaurants and shops for browsing. and Denver's Botanic Gardens hosts events and lectures.
Renee is writing a speech about threats to the global elephant population. How would you best combine her two related main points below? I. Elephants are endangered animals. II. Habitat loss and the ivory trade threaten the elephant population.
Habitat loss and the ivory trade have caused elephants to become endangered.
While working on the body of the speech, you realize that the process you have just discussed is complex, so you decide to review the steps of the process before going to your next point. What type of connective would you likely add?
Internal Summary
What is the most important reason for limiting main points?
It is hard to adequately develop numerous main points in a short speech.
If your main point is "Olives have a long history as a staple in the human diet," which of the following would be appropriate supporting points?
Olives have been eaten in Crete since at least 3,000 BCE. and For centuries, olives have been turned into cooking oil.
Which of the following main points use parallel wording with the first main point "Origami is the Japanese art of paper folding"?
Origami includes many popular designs, such as paper cranes. and Origami is usually done with a type of paper called kami.
Ann gave 10% of her time to Point I, 15% of her time to Point II, and 75% of her time to Point III. What does this division indicate?
Point I and Point II may not need to be main points. and Ann's main points are not balanced.
Which of the following are always stated in a transition?
The idea the speaker has just finished discussing. and The idea the speaker is about to start discussing.
Connectives help join one thought to another in a speech and include which of the following?
Transitions Internal summaries Internal previews Signposts
Following the strategy of keeping main points separate, Misha recognizes that he needs to divide the main point below to make two separate main points. If he chooses to make one of the main points "Donating a share of our profits to environmental agencies would improve our environmentally friendly image," which of the following would be the best choice for the other main point? Donating a share of our products' profits to environmental agencies would aid our environmentally friendly image, as would adding labels that we support environmental agencies.
Using labels naming the agencies we support would inform the consumer of our policy.
Supporting materials should be well-organized and directly relevant to the ______ that they are supporting.
main points
The problem-solution pattern of organization for ordering main points is primarily used for ______ speeches.
persuasive
Brief statements that help listeners follow your ideas by indicating exactly where you are in the speech are called
signposts
Select the pattern best suited for a speech with this specific purpose: "To inform my audience about the three layers of human skin, starting with the top."
spatial
The three things that determine the most strategic order for the main points of a speech are the topic, the purpose, and
the audience
In a speech about exercise, Louis developed three main points: I. Exercise benefits physical health. II. Exercise benefits mental health. III. Exercise benefits sleep patterns. Which of the following best describes the way Louis wrote the main points?
they use parallel wording
Which organizational pattern would be most effective for arranging the main points of a speech that describes five types of competitive gymnastics events?
topical
Peter has divided his speech topic, physical fitness, into three subtopics: strength, endurance, and flexibility. Which method of speech organization is this an example of?
topical order
