Chapter 9 - Organizing the Body of the Speech
Why are stock phrases less effective in speeches than connectives are?
Stock phrases distract listeners. Stock phrases make the speech seem uncoordinated and disjointed.
Because main points are the information that you most want your audience to learn, you need to
select them carefully.
A speaker who combines two ideas into one main point is not following the guideline for keeping main points
separate.
A word or phrase that indicates when a speaker has completed one thought and is moving to another is called a(n)
transition.
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.
Harry is outlining a speech about the need for an intern network at his college, and he has calculated the proportion of the speech taken by each main point. Which strategy would most benefit his outline? I. An intern network for college students increases success after graduation and it helps a college be competitive with other colleges with intern networks. 70% II. An intern network can be established through contacts with alumni. 30%
Keep main points separate.
Which of the following does an internal summary do?
Reminds listeners of what they just heard.
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? Multiple choice question.
They use parallel wording.
Supporting materials should be well-organized and directly relevant to the ______ that they are supporting.
main points
Connectives help join one thought to another in a speech and include which of the following?
Signposts Transitions Internal summaries Internal previews
How many main points should classroom speeches contain?
2 to 5
Which organizational pattern would be most effective for arranging the main points of a speech that describes five types of competitive gymnastics events?
Topical
Why is important for a speech to be well organized?
Unlike reading a text, the audience cannot reread parts to better understand the message. The speaker's coherence affects the listener's perception of the speech.
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
The problem-solution pattern of organization for ordering main points is primarily used for ______ speeches.
persuasive
A speech about the four major factors to consider when choosing a cell phone would most likely be arranged in ______ order.
topical
The three things that determine the most strategic order for the main points of a speech are the topic, the purpose, and
the audience.
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. For centuries, olives have been turned into cooking oil.
Wade has created a list of main points for his speech about how to increase involvement in his college's student government. Which points follow the tip to keep main points separate?
Put up flyers where students can see them, such as in the student union. Establish more incentives for students to participate. Advertise about the student government in the college newspaper.
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.
Which of the following statements is an example of an effective internal preview?
In discussing why buying local is a good choice, we'll look first at how it benefits the environment and second at its benefits for the economy.
Which of the following is true of parallel wording?
It helps your main points stand out from the rest of your speech. It makes your set of main points easier to understand. It makes your set of main points easier to remember.
Assume the first two main points of your speech are "Online advertising can reduce marketing costs," and "Online advertising can be changed quickly." Which of the following examples would be an example of your third point in parallel form?
Online advertising can reach a wide audience.
Which of the following are always stated in a transition?
The idea the speaker is about to start discussing. The idea the speaker has just finished discussing.
Which of the following are true of signposts?
They are frequently just numbers. They are brief statements that indicate exactly where you are in a speech.
John is giving a process speech about the steps in baking an apple pie. Because he wants to talk about the steps in the order in which they need to be completed, he should use Multiple choice question.
chronological order.
Assume that your specific purpose statement is "to inform my audience about leadership of the executive, legislative, and judicial branches of the Federal government." Which of the following would most likely be the main points of your speech?
~The executive branch of the Federal government is headed by the president, who is responsible for carrying out federal laws. ~The judicial branch of the Federal government is headed by the Supreme Court and is responsible for interpreting the constitution and reviewing laws. ~The legislative branch of the Federal government is headed by Congress, which includes the House of Representatives and the Senate.
Which three of the following are most important to consider when deciding the order of main points in your speech?
your audience your purpose your topic
Keisha is giving a speech on the planets in the solar system, starting with the planet closest to the sun and ending with the farthest. Which organizational pattern is she using?
Spatial order
An internal preview
lets the audience know with some detail what the speaker will discuss next. works just like a preview statement in a speech introduction but in the body of the speech.
Henri is giving a speech on exhibits at the local zoo and wants to discuss the exhibits in the order readers would see them if they were to follow the main path through the zoo. Henri will be using ______ order for his speech organization.
spatial
In order for an audience to be able to follow the progression of the ideas in your speech from beginning to end, you need to use
statistics.
What type of organizational pattern would you be using if you presented a speech in which the first main point covers things that contribute to diabetes, and the second and final main point describes the effects of the disease?
Causal
Which organizational pattern first looks at factors that result in an event, then looks at the effects of the event?
Causal
In which method of speech arrangement does a speaker narrate a series of events in the order in which they occurred?
Chronological order
Alexi's speech is intended to convince his listeners that he should be elected vice president of his class. Based on the breakdown of the time devoted to his main points, which of the following would fix the imbalance? I. I have a wide range of experience in organizations and student government. 20% II. Previous vice presidents have been less involved in actual change. 15% III. I want to increase the number of student parking spaces and increase funding for campus clubs. 65%
Increasing the time on spent on points I and II by 15% each and decreasing the time spent on point III by 30%.
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
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
When you are giving a speech and say, "My second point is," which of the following are you using?
A signpost
What are the primary strategies for preparing main points in speeches?
Use parallel wording to improve comprehension. Balance the time dedicated to each point. Create independent points for clarity.