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CMNS 101 Fundamentals of Communication

Public Speaking Research Guide

Writing an Outline: Main Points and Sub-Points

A well-organized speech outline keeps you on track with your message, helps the audience follow your arguments, and strengthens the coherence of your presentation. This section will teach you how to organize your main points and subpoints in a speech outline.  

Main Points  

  • Identify the primary ideas or arguments in your speech.  
  • Make sure each main point supports your thesis and speech purpose.  
  • Example:  
  • Main Point 1: Causes of Deforestation  
  • Main Point 2: Environmental Effects of Deforestation  

Subpoints  

  • Each main point should include at least 2 subpoints that provide evidence or supporting materials. Add your research in this section, including facts, statistics, narratives, etc., and cite your sources with in-text citations.  
  • Subpoints should be indented from the main points to demonstrate parallel structure.   
  • Example:   
  • Main Point 1: Causes of Deforestation  
  • Subpoint 1: Agricultural Expansion  
  • Subpoint 2: Logging Activities  
  • Subpoint 3: Urbanization  
  • Main Point 2: Environmental Effects of Deforestation  
  • Subpoint 1: Loss of Biodiversity  
  • Subpoint 2: Disruption of the Water Cycle