COMM 1071 Lecture Notes - Lecture 7: Thesis Statement
Ch. 7:Organizing the Speech Body
Organizing Main Points
• Organizing- the process of arranging your speech material
• Action Steps:
o Identify and organize 2-4 main points
o Construct a thesis statement
o Develop your main points, and create transitions between them
o Outline the speech body (including transitions)
• Difference between a successful 5 or 25 minute speech is not the # of main
points, but the extent to which each one is developed with supporting
material
Identify Main Point Ideas
1. List the ideas you believe relate to your specific goal
2. Eliminate ideas that you believe this audience already understands
3. Eliminate any ideas that might be too complicated or too broad for this
audience to comprehend in the time allotted
4. Check to see if some of the ideas can be grouped together under a broader
them
5. From the ideas that remain, choose 2-4 that will help you accomplish your
specific speech goal
Word Main Points
• Now you can begin to shape each point into a main idea
• Preparation outline- a first draft speech outline that identifies main points
but does not specify clearly how each is related to the speech goal
• Is the relationship between each main point statement and the goals
statement clearly specified?
• Are the main points parallel in structure?
o Parallel- wording that follows the same structural pattern, often using
the same introductory words
Select a Main Points Pattern
1. Time order- sequential or chronological, arranges main points in chorological
sequence or by steps in a process
a. First… Second…Third
2. Narrative Order- conveys ideas through a story or series of stories,
storytelling
a. First…Next…Finally
3. Topical Order- arranges the main points using some logical relationship
among them, general to specific
a. One method.. A second method… A third method…
4. Logical Reasons Order- organizing the main points o a persuasive speech by
the reasons that support the speech goal
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