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CMNS 101 Fundamentals of Communication

Public Speaking Research Guide

Writing an Outline

An outline could be described as the nuts and bolts of the speech – it helps hold everything together. Every effective speech has been planned to make sense – that's the appeal of logos. Presenting a speech has some similarities to telling a story – the speaker needs to lead the audience along, helping them to get a grasp of both the big ideas and the small points along the way. Thus, as a whole, the speech needs to be coherent and have some consistency for the audience to have the best chance of following along. There are creative choices that can be made in the speech writing process, but for our purposes (and for people who are just starting out giving speeches), the structure of a speech is typically split into three main sections – introduction, body, and conclusion. Keep in mind that you are writing an outline, not an essay: be sure to use the proper format as required by your instructor. This section will guide you along the way to making an effective speech outline.

 

Introduction 

Main Points and Sub-Headings

Transitions

Conclusion

Organizational Strategies

Persuasive Speech Structure