How to Write A Speech

The Four Part Introduction 1) Attention Getter: The first words you say in your speech meant to “grab” your audience’s attention. 2) Linking Statement: The phrase or sentence that comes between the attention getter and the thesis statement and logically connects the two. 3) Thesis Statement: The sentence that presents exactly what your speech will be about. 4) Preview Statement: The statement at the end of your introduction that presents an overview of the major areas, main ideas, or main points that will be discussed in the body of your speech.

Five Common Attention Getters 1) Asking Questions 2) Making References 3) Making a Startling Statement 4) Giving a Quotation 5) Telling a Story

The Linking Statement This part of the introduction is most often overlooked, or omitted when preparing a speech. Its value is that it offers an explanation for, or answer to, the attention getter. The link must “connect” the attention getter to the thesis statement.

The Specific Purpose Statement You must know this statement before you can write your thesis. You never “say” the specific purpose statement aloud in your speech. The specific purpose statement begins with the words “I want to…” It must include the purpose of the speech, who the audience is, and the topic. The specific purpose statement is typed under the title of the speech and before the introduction on the speech outline.

The Thesis Statement This sentence is the focus of what your whole speech is about. It must never be vague or unclear. It should state your specific topic and the goal of your speech clearly. Do not begin the thesis with the words, “I”, “You”, or “We”.

The Preview Statement This sentence follows the thesis statement and gives an overview of the major areas that will be discussed in the body of the speech. For this speech, you may have 3, 4 or 5 main points, main ideas, or main headings. The preview helps make the body of the speech easier for the audience to follow.

Transitions After the introduction is complete you must write a transition to move the speech on to the first main point. Transitions are typed inside parenthesis using capital letters and appropriate end marks. There will be the same number of transitions as there are main points.

The Body The body is the most important part of your speech. It must use a clear organizational pattern and be in outline form. Main headings or main points are indicated by Roman numerals. Supporting materials are identified using capital letters. Details go one step further and are indicated by numbers. At the end of each main point, a transition must be typed before the next main point begins.

The Body If there are three main points in your preview statement, there will be three transitions, and three Roman numerals in the body of the speech. These numbers will always match!! Remember, in an outline, IF there is an “A”, there will ALWAYS be a “B”. IF there is a “1”, there will ALWAYS be a “2”.

The Conclusion Remember, there is no transition before the conclusion. The conclusion has three parts. The first part is the Summary Statement: In the Summary Statement, the speaker will restate, one last time, the topic and the 3, 4 or 5 main points as a final reminder to the audience of what the speech was about.

The Conclusion The second part of the conclusion is the Recommendation or Action Plan: Here the speaker gives the audience some advice about where they can get more information about the topic. The third part of the conclusion is the Final Clincher: The speaker should always end the speech with a memorable final impression. It can be another type of attention getter, such as a good quote, a story or a question. Remember: Always finish STRONG!!

Works Cited You must have three sources for this speech. One source must be a published book. The other two sources may be from the Internet, magazine articles, or non- fiction television shows. Sources must be cited according to appropriate MLA citation.