Learn from a master! (a) Before you start planning your speech, study the techniques used by Prime Minister William Pitt. He was regarded as one of the best speech writers and speech makers of his time. Look at Extract 1. How does Pitt provide a powerful opening to the speech? Pitt knew how to play on the feelings of his audience. He includes EMOTIVE words and phrases to make the speech more powerful. What impact does the word ‘tearing’ have in extract 1? Imagine he had said ‘moving’ instead. Why would this be less powerful? Hand out the copies of Pitt’s speech. They should read the extracts aloud. Do extract 1 for them.

Learn from a master! You may recognise some techniques because you have used them in your English lessons. Label them on your copy of the speech. R- Rhetorical questions. Questions that do not require an answer but make the audience think about an issue H – Hyperbole. Exaggerating something. E – Emotive language. Making the audience feel something. (In this case it is guilt.) T – Triples. Clusters of three phrases or words to emphasise a point. O – Opinion. R – Repetition of the same word or phrase for emphasis. I – Involving the audience with words like ‘we’, ‘us’ and ‘you’. C – Comment / facts from experts (witnesses etc) They should be more than familiar with these but you may need to find a couple together as a class. One has already been done on the worksheet. They should do the other in he same way and using a ruler.

R- Rhetorical questions R- Rhetorical questions. Questions that do not require an answer but make the audience think about an issue H – Hyperbole. Exaggerating something. E – Emotive language. Making the audience feel something. (In this case it is guilt.) T – Triples. Clusters of three phrases or words to emphasise a point. O – Opinion. R – Repetition of the same word or phrase for emphasis. I – Involving the audience with words like ‘we’, ‘us’ and ‘you’. C – Comment / facts from experts (witnesses etc) Extract 3 But the evil does not stop here. Do you think nothing of the ruin and the miseries in which so many individuals, still remaining in Africa, are involved as a consequence of carrying off so many people? Do you think nothing of their families left behind? Of the connections broken? Of the friendships, attachments and relationships that are burst asunder? Do you think nothing of the miseries that are felt from generation to generation?

destroying diabolical innocent treacherous inhumane abusing malicious hideous heartless atrocious disgraceful nightmare filthy sickening murder horrifying vile guilt shocking unfair cruel selfish conscience disgusting horrific evil criminal abuse despicable callous terrible ruin torment misery brutal grief torture suffering