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Speech And Debate

Speech Writing

Last updated on: Feb 9, 2023

How to Write a Speech - Outline With Example

By: Cordon J.

Reviewed By: Rylee W.

Published on: Sep 8, 2020

Giving a speech for a class, event or work can be nerve-wracking. However, writing an effective speech can boost your confidence level.

A speech is an effective medium to communicate your message and speech writing is a skill that has its advantages even if you are a student or a professional.

With careful planning and paying attention to small details, you can write a speech that will inform, persuade, entertain or motivate the people you are writing for.

If this is your first speech. Take all the time you need.

Like other skills, you can learn speech writing too.

Give yourself enough time to write and practice it several times for the best possible results.

On this Page

You have a message that you want people to hear or you are preparing a speech for a particular situation such as a commemorative speech.

No matter what the case, it is important to ensure that the speech is well structured or else you will fail to deliver your effective message. And you don’t want that, do you?

You can also explore our complete guide to write a commemorative speech . Make sure to give the article a thorough read.

How to Create a Speech Outline?

Want to write a speech your audience will remember? A speech outline is a thing you should start with.

‘How to write a speech outline?’

A speech outline is very important in helping you sound more authoritative and in control. As you write your speech outline you will have to focus on how you will introduce yourself, your topic, and the points that you will be going to cover.

A speech outline will save a lot of your time and will help you organize your thoughts. It will make sure the speech is following a proper structure and format.

Before you start writing your own speech you need to know:

WHO you are writing the speech for
WHAT the speech will be going to cover
HOW long it needs to be e.g if it is a 5-minute speech (then how many words in a 5-minute speech)

These speech tips will help you get on the right track from the start. Here is an example of how you can craft a speech outline.

Preparation

Choose your topic and the main points that your speech will cover. Know your audience and get to know what they are looking for. Pay attention to their needs
Define the purpose of the speech and properly organize it

Introduction

A strong statement to grab the reader’s attention
Refine the thesis statement
State something that establishes credibility
Provide your main idea and include some supporting statements.
Examples and further details (if needed)
Summarize the main points of the speech
Closing statement
Call to action

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How to Write an Effective Speech?

‘How to write a graduation speech?’

‘How to write a speech for school?’

‘How to write a speech about yourself?’

Get your answers in the below sections.

Just like essays, the speech also follows three sections: Introduction, the main body, and conclusion.

However, unlike essays, a speech must be written to be heard as opposed to just being read. It is important to write a speech in a way that can grab the reader’s attention and helps in painting a mental image.

It is the opening statement of a speech. It is important to know how to start a speech that can grab the attention of the audience.

‘How to write a speech introduction?’

It should include a hook-grabber statement about your topic. It should end with a strong transition from a big idea of the introduction to the main body of the essay. Some great ways to begin your speech are, to begin with, a rhetorical question, a quote, or another strong statement.

Make sure the introduction is not more than one paragraph. This will ensure you do not spend much time on the background before getting to the main idea of the topic.

The introduction is a great chance to make sure your opening is memorable as this is the point when your audience will make up their mind about you.

The Main body

The majority of the speech should be spent presenting your thesis statement and supporting ideas in an organized way.

Avoid rambling as it will immediately lose your audience’s attention. No need to share everything, instead pick some points and stick to them throughout your speech.

Organize your points in a logical manner so they support and build on each other. Add as many points as needed to support the overall message of your speech.

State each point clearly and provide all the required information, facts, statistics, and evidence, to clarify each of your points.

It is a good idea to include your personal experiences to make your speech more interesting and memorable.

Another important thing to be kept in mind is the use of transition. The purpose of adding transition words is to improve the overall flow of the information and help the reader to understand the speech structure. Words like next, then, after, before, at that moment, etc. are the most commonly used transition words to make the whole writing less choppy and more interesting.

The conclusion should restate and summarize all the main points of the speech. Because the audience will most likely remember what they have heard last. Beautifully wrap up the whole speech and give something for the audience to think about.

For an extra element, close your speech by restating the introduction statement so it feels like a complete package.

A good approach to conclude your speech is to introduce a call to action. Encourage your audience to participate in the solution to the problem that you are discussing. Give your audience some direction on how they can participate.

Practice and more practice is key to a great speech so it is important that you read your speech and listen to yourself. When writing, take care of the required length also.

Speech Topics - Engaging Topics to Choose From

You feel relief when your teacher says you are free to choose your speech topic. Feel free to write about anything you want. The problem is students still feel stuck in choosing an effective speech topic. If you are one of them, here is a list of the best speech ideas to help you get through the process.

What role do cats play in human’s lives
How to improve communication disorders
World’s fastest-growing country
Today’s world pollution rate
How to improve interpersonal skills
Are paper books better than e-books
Should the death penalty be abolished
Should prisoners be allowed to vote
Should voting be made compulsory
Is it better to live together before marriage

These are some of the interesting topics that you can consider. However, if you are still not sure about the topic of your speech, you can explore our article on informative speech topics and pick any of your choices.

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Speech Example

Stressing over on how to write a good speech? Speech examples are sure to be your best friend for effective speech writing and its effortless delivery.

Here is a sample speech example to help you get through your own speech writing process. Explore this example and get the answer on how to give a good speech.

Get Professional Help for Your Speech

If you are good at public speaking but lack writing skills or you do not have enough time to follow the mentioned points and write a speech, don't worry.

You can always contact us at 5StarEssays.com.

We have a highly qualified and amazing team of expert writers who can help you if you want to buy speeches online with high-quality content.

Contact our " write my essay " service with your requirements. Our essay writer will provide you with quality material that your audience will remember for a long time.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best introduction for a speech.

The best way to open a speech’s introduction is, to begin with, a story. Tell an inspiring story to your audience and connect it with your personal narrative.

What is the first step of speech writing?

The first step of writing a speech is to choose a topic. Choosing a good topic is important to have an engaging and great speech.

What are the five steps in speech writing?

Here are the five steps involved in writing a speech.

Choose a topic.
Investigate your audience.
Built an outline.
Rehearse the speech.
Revise and finalize.

What are the types of speech delivery?

Here are the types of speech delivery.

Extemporaneous

What are the two P’s required for good speech delivery?

The two P’s required for proper speech delivery are Preparation and Practice.

Cordon. is a published author and writing specialist. He has worked in the publishing industry for many years, providing writing services and digital content. His own writing career began with a focus on literature and linguistics, which he continues to pursue. Cordon is an engaging and professional individual, always looking to help others achieve their goals.

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Keep reading.

Informative Speech Topics - Interesting Ideas By Experts

Commemorative Speech: Guide to Craft an Engaging Speech

Persuasive Speech Topics - 150+ Topics for Students

50+ Demonstration Speech Ideas for Your Next Great Speech

Impromptu Speech Topics - 150+ Interesting Ideas

Debate Topics (2024) - Top 200+ Compelling Topics

100+ Motivational Speech Topics for an Inspirational Speech

Extemporaneous Speech - How to Write One Successfully?

Graduation Speech - Write Your Best Graduation Speech

How to write a speech that your audience remembers

Confident-woman-giving-a-conference-with-a-digital-presentation-how-to-give-a-speech

Whether in a work meeting or at an investor panel, you might give a speech at some point. And no matter how excited you are about the opportunity, the experience can be nerve-wracking .

But feeling butterflies doesn’t mean you can’t give a great speech. With the proper preparation and a clear outline, apprehensive public speakers and natural wordsmiths alike can write and present a compelling message. Here’s how to write a good speech you’ll be proud to deliver.

What is good speech writing?

Good speech writing is the art of crafting words and ideas into a compelling, coherent, and memorable message that resonates with the audience. Here are some key elements of great speech writing:

It begins with clearly understanding the speech's purpose and the audience it seeks to engage.
A well-written speech clearly conveys its central message, ensuring that the audience understands and retains the key points.
It is structured thoughtfully, with a captivating opening, a well-organized body, and a conclusion that reinforces the main message.
Good speech writing embraces the power of engaging content, weaving in stories, examples, and relatable anecdotes to connect with the audience on both intellectual and emotional levels.

Ultimately, it is the combination of these elements, along with the authenticity and delivery of the speaker , that transforms words on a page into a powerful and impactful spoken narrative.

What makes a good speech?

A great speech includes several key qualities, but three fundamental elements make a speech truly effective:

Clarity and purpose

Remembering the audience, cohesive structure.

While other important factors make a speech a home run, these three elements are essential for writing an effective speech.

The main elements of a good speech

The main elements of a speech typically include:

Introduction: The introduction sets the stage for your speech and grabs the audience's attention. It should include a hook or attention-grabbing opening, introduce the topic, and provide an overview of what will be covered.
Opening/captivating statement: This is a strong statement that immediately engages the audience and creates curiosity about the speech topics.
Thesis statement/central idea: The thesis statement or central idea is a concise statement that summarizes the main point or argument of your speech. It serves as a roadmap for the audience to understand what your speech is about.
Body: The body of the speech is where you elaborate on your main points or arguments. Each point is typically supported by evidence, examples, statistics, or anecdotes. The body should be organized logically and coherently, with smooth transitions between the main points.
Supporting evidence: This includes facts, data, research findings, expert opinions, or personal stories that support and strengthen your main points. Well-chosen and credible evidence enhances the persuasive power of your speech.
Transitions: Transitions are phrases or statements that connect different parts of your speech, guiding the audience from one idea to the next. Effective transitions signal the shifts in topics or ideas and help maintain a smooth flow throughout the speech.
Counterarguments and rebuttals (if applicable): If your speech involves addressing opposing viewpoints or counterarguments, you should acknowledge and address them. Presenting counterarguments makes your speech more persuasive and demonstrates critical thinking.
Conclusion: The conclusion is the final part of your speech and should bring your message to a satisfying close. Summarize your main points, restate your thesis statement, and leave the audience with a memorable closing thought or call to action.
Closing statement: This is the final statement that leaves a lasting impression and reinforces the main message of your speech. It can be a call to action, a thought-provoking question, a powerful quote, or a memorable anecdote.
Delivery and presentation: How you deliver your speech is also an essential element to consider. Pay attention to your tone, body language, eye contact , voice modulation, and timing. Practice and rehearse your speech, and try using the 7-38-55 rule to ensure confident and effective delivery.

While the order and emphasis of these elements may vary depending on the type of speech and audience, these elements provide a framework for organizing and delivering a successful speech.

Man-holding-microphone-at-panel-while-talking--how-to-give-a-speech

How to structure a good speech

You know what message you want to transmit, who you’re delivering it to, and even how you want to say it. But you need to know how to start, develop, and close a speech before writing it.

Think of a speech like an essay. It should have an introduction, conclusion, and body sections in between. This places ideas in a logical order that the audience can better understand and follow them. Learning how to make a speech with an outline gives your storytelling the scaffolding it needs to get its point across.

Here’s a general speech structure to guide your writing process:

Explanation 1
Explanation 2
Explanation 3

How to write a compelling speech opener

Some research shows that engaged audiences pay attention for only 15 to 20 minutes at a time. Other estimates are even lower, citing that people stop listening intently in fewer than 10 minutes . If you make a good first impression at the beginning of your speech, you have a better chance of interesting your audience through the middle when attention spans fade.

Implementing the INTRO model can help grab and keep your audience’s attention as soon as you start speaking. This acronym stands for interest, need, timing, roadmap, and objectives, and it represents the key points you should hit in an opening.

Here’s what to include for each of these points:

Interest : Introduce yourself or your topic concisely and speak with confidence . Write a compelling opening statement using relevant data or an anecdote that the audience can relate to.
Needs : The audience is listening to you because they have something to learn. If you’re pitching a new app idea to a panel of investors, those potential partners want to discover more about your product and what they can earn from it. Read the room and gently remind them of the purpose of your speech.
Timing : When appropriate, let your audience know how long you’ll speak. This lets listeners set expectations and keep tabs on their own attention span. If a weary audience member knows you’ll talk for 40 minutes, they can better manage their energy as that time goes on.
Routemap : Give a brief overview of the three main points you’ll cover in your speech. If an audience member’s attention starts to drop off and they miss a few sentences, they can more easily get their bearings if they know the general outline of the presentation.
Objectives : Tell the audience what you hope to achieve, encouraging them to listen to the end for the payout.

Writing the middle of a speech

The body of your speech is the most information-dense section. Facts, visual aids, PowerPoints — all this information meets an audience with a waning attention span. Sticking to the speech structure gives your message focus and keeps you from going off track, making everything you say as useful as possible.

Limit the middle of your speech to three points, and support them with no more than three explanations. Following this model organizes your thoughts and prevents you from offering more information than the audience can retain.

Using this section of the speech to make your presentation interactive can add interest and engage your audience. Try including a video or demonstration to break the monotony. A quick poll or survey also keeps the audience on their toes.

Wrapping the speech up

To you, restating your points at the end can feel repetitive and dull. You’ve practiced countless times and heard it all before. But repetition aids memory and learning , helping your audience retain what you’ve told them. Use your speech’s conclusion to summarize the main points with a few short sentences.

Try to end on a memorable note, like posing a motivational quote or a thoughtful question the audience can contemplate once they leave. In proposal or pitch-style speeches, consider landing on a call to action (CTA) that invites your audience to take the next step.

People-clapping-after-coworker-gave-a-speech-how-to-give-a-speech

How to write a good speech

If public speaking gives you the jitters, you’re not alone. Roughly 80% of the population feels nervous before giving a speech, and another 10% percent experiences intense anxiety and sometimes even panic.

The fear of failure can cause procrastination and can cause you to put off your speechwriting process until the last minute. Finding the right words takes time and preparation, and if you’re already feeling nervous, starting from a blank page might seem even harder.

But putting in the effort despite your stress is worth it. Presenting a speech you worked hard on fosters authenticity and connects you to the subject matter, which can help your audience understand your points better. Human connection is all about honesty and vulnerability, and if you want to connect to the people you’re speaking to, they should see that in you.

1. Identify your objectives and target audience

Before diving into the writing process, find healthy coping strategies to help you stop worrying . Then you can define your speech’s purpose, think about your target audience, and start identifying your objectives. Here are some questions to ask yourself and ground your thinking :

What purpose do I want my speech to achieve?
What would it mean to me if I achieved the speech’s purpose?
What audience am I writing for?
What do I know about my audience?
What values do I want to transmit?
If the audience remembers one take-home message, what should it be?
What do I want my audience to feel, think, or do after I finish speaking?
What parts of my message could be confusing and require further explanation?

2. Know your audience

Understanding your audience is crucial for tailoring your speech effectively. Consider the demographics of your audience, their interests, and their expectations. For instance, if you're addressing a group of healthcare professionals, you'll want to use medical terminology and data that resonate with them. Conversely, if your audience is a group of young students, you'd adjust your content to be more relatable to their experiences and interests.

3. Choose a clear message

Your message should be the central idea that you want your audience to take away from your speech. Let's say you're giving a speech on climate change. Your clear message might be something like, "Individual actions can make a significant impact on mitigating climate change." Throughout your speech, all your points and examples should support this central message, reinforcing it for your audience.

4. Structure your speech

Organizing your speech properly keeps your audience engaged and helps them follow your ideas. The introduction should grab your audience's attention and introduce the topic. For example, if you're discussing space exploration, you could start with a fascinating fact about a recent space mission. In the body, you'd present your main points logically, such as the history of space exploration, its scientific significance, and future prospects. Finally, in the conclusion, you'd summarize your key points and reiterate the importance of space exploration in advancing human knowledge.

5. Use engaging content for clarity

Engaging content includes stories, anecdotes, statistics, and examples that illustrate your main points. For instance, if you're giving a speech about the importance of reading, you might share a personal story about how a particular book changed your perspective. You could also include statistics on the benefits of reading, such as improved cognitive abilities and empathy.

6. Maintain clarity and simplicity

It's essential to communicate your ideas clearly. Avoid using overly technical jargon or complex language that might confuse your audience. For example, if you're discussing a medical breakthrough with a non-medical audience, explain complex terms in simple, understandable language.

7. Practice and rehearse

Practice is key to delivering a great speech. Rehearse multiple times to refine your delivery, timing, and tone. Consider using a mirror or recording yourself to observe your body language and gestures. For instance, if you're giving a motivational speech, practice your gestures and expressions to convey enthusiasm and confidence.

8. Consider nonverbal communication

Your body language, tone of voice, and gestures should align with your message . If you're delivering a speech on leadership, maintain strong eye contact to convey authority and connection with your audience. A steady pace and varied tone can also enhance your speech's impact.

9. Engage your audience

Engaging your audience keeps them interested and attentive. Encourage interaction by asking thought-provoking questions or sharing relatable anecdotes. If you're giving a speech on teamwork, ask the audience to recall a time when teamwork led to a successful outcome, fostering engagement and connection.

10. Prepare for Q&A

Anticipate potential questions or objections your audience might have and prepare concise, well-informed responses. If you're delivering a speech on a controversial topic, such as healthcare reform, be ready to address common concerns, like the impact on healthcare costs or access to services, during the Q&A session.

By following these steps and incorporating examples that align with your specific speech topic and purpose, you can craft and deliver a compelling and impactful speech that resonates with your audience.

Woman-at-home-doing-research-in-her-laptop-how-to-give-a-speech

Tools for writing a great speech

There are several helpful tools available for speechwriting, both technological and communication-related. Here are a few examples:

Word processing software: Tools like Microsoft Word, Google Docs, or other word processors provide a user-friendly environment for writing and editing speeches. They offer features like spell-checking, grammar correction, formatting options, and easy revision tracking.
Presentation software: Software such as Microsoft PowerPoint or Google Slides is useful when creating visual aids to accompany your speech. These tools allow you to create engaging slideshows with text, images, charts, and videos to enhance your presentation.
Speechwriting Templates: Online platforms or software offer pre-designed templates specifically for speechwriting. These templates provide guidance on structuring your speech and may include prompts for different sections like introductions, main points, and conclusions.
Rhetorical devices and figures of speech: Rhetorical tools such as metaphors, similes, alliteration, and parallelism can add impact and persuasion to your speech. Resources like books, websites, or academic papers detailing various rhetorical devices can help you incorporate them effectively.
Speechwriting apps: Mobile apps designed specifically for speechwriting can be helpful in organizing your thoughts, creating outlines, and composing a speech. These apps often provide features like voice recording, note-taking, and virtual prompts to keep you on track.
Grammar and style checkers: Online tools or plugins like Grammarly or Hemingway Editor help improve the clarity and readability of your speech by checking for grammar, spelling, and style errors. They provide suggestions for sentence structure, word choice, and overall tone.
Thesaurus and dictionary: Online or offline resources such as thesauruses and dictionaries help expand your vocabulary and find alternative words or phrases to express your ideas more effectively. They can also clarify meanings or provide context for unfamiliar terms.
Online speechwriting communities: Joining online forums or communities focused on speechwriting can be beneficial for getting feedback, sharing ideas, and learning from experienced speechwriters. It's an opportunity to connect with like-minded individuals and improve your public speaking skills through collaboration.

Remember, while these tools can assist in the speechwriting process, it's essential to use them thoughtfully and adapt them to your specific needs and style. The most important aspect of speechwriting remains the creativity, authenticity, and connection with your audience that you bring to your speech.

Man-holding-microphone-while-speaking-in-public-how-to-give-a-speech

5 tips for writing a speech

Behind every great speech is an excellent idea and a speaker who refined it. But a successful speech is about more than the initial words on the page, and there are a few more things you can do to help it land.

Here are five more tips for writing and practicing your speech:

1. Structure first, write second

If you start the writing process before organizing your thoughts, you may have to re-order, cut, and scrap the sentences you worked hard on. Save yourself some time by using a speech structure, like the one above, to order your talking points first. This can also help you identify unclear points or moments that disrupt your flow.

2. Do your homework

Data strengthens your argument with a scientific edge. Research your topic with an eye for attention-grabbing statistics, or look for findings you can use to support each point. If you’re pitching a product or service, pull information from company metrics that demonstrate past or potential successes.

Audience members will likely have questions, so learn all talking points inside and out. If you tell investors that your product will provide 12% returns, for example, come prepared with projections that support that statement.

3. Sound like yourself

Memorable speakers have distinct voices. Think of Martin Luther King Jr’s urgent, inspiring timbre or Oprah’s empathetic, personal tone . Establish your voice — one that aligns with your personality and values — and stick with it. If you’re a motivational speaker, keep your tone upbeat to inspire your audience . If you’re the CEO of a startup, try sounding assured but approachable.

4. Practice

As you practice a speech, you become more confident , gain a better handle on the material, and learn the outline so well that unexpected questions are less likely to trip you up. Practice in front of a colleague or friend for honest feedback about what you could change, and speak in front of the mirror to tweak your nonverbal communication and body language .

5. Remember to breathe

When you’re stressed, you breathe more rapidly . It can be challenging to talk normally when you can’t regulate your breath. Before your presentation, try some mindful breathing exercises so that when the day comes, you already have strategies that will calm you down and remain present . This can also help you control your voice and avoid speaking too quickly.

How to ghostwrite a great speech for someone else

Ghostwriting a speech requires a unique set of skills, as you're essentially writing a piece that will be delivered by someone else. Here are some tips on how to effectively ghostwrite a speech:

Understand the speaker's voice and style : Begin by thoroughly understanding the speaker's personality, speaking style, and preferences. This includes their tone, humor, and any personal anecdotes they may want to include.
Interview the speaker : Have a detailed conversation with the speaker to gather information about their speech's purpose, target audience, key messages, and any specific points they want to emphasize. Ask for personal stories or examples they may want to include.
Research thoroughly : Research the topic to ensure you have a strong foundation of knowledge. This helps you craft a well-informed and credible speech.
Create an outline : Develop a clear outline that includes the introduction, main points, supporting evidence, and a conclusion. Share this outline with the speaker for their input and approval.
Write in the speaker's voice : While crafting the speech, maintain the speaker's voice and style. Use language and phrasing that feel natural to them. If they have a particular way of expressing ideas, incorporate that into the speech.
Craft a captivating opening : Begin the speech with a compelling opening that grabs the audience's attention. This could be a relevant quote, an interesting fact, a personal anecdote, or a thought-provoking question.
Organize content logically : Ensure the speech flows logically, with each point building on the previous one. Use transitions to guide the audience from one idea to the next smoothly.
Incorporate engaging stories and examples : Include anecdotes, stories, and real-life examples that illustrate key points and make the speech relatable and memorable.
Edit and revise : Edit the speech carefully for clarity, grammar, and coherence. Ensure the speech is the right length and aligns with the speaker's time constraints.
Seek feedback : Share drafts of the speech with the speaker for their feedback and revisions. They may have specific changes or additions they'd like to make.
Practice delivery : If possible, work with the speaker on their delivery. Practice the speech together, allowing the speaker to become familiar with the content and your writing style.
Maintain confidentiality : As a ghostwriter, it's essential to respect the confidentiality and anonymity of the work. Do not disclose that you wrote the speech unless you have the speaker's permission to do so.
Be flexible : Be open to making changes and revisions as per the speaker's preferences. Your goal is to make them look good and effectively convey their message.
Meet deadlines : Stick to agreed-upon deadlines for drafts and revisions. Punctuality and reliability are essential in ghostwriting.
Provide support : Support the speaker during their preparation and rehearsal process. This can include helping with cue cards, speech notes, or any other materials they need.

Remember that successful ghostwriting is about capturing the essence of the speaker while delivering a well-structured and engaging speech. Collaboration, communication, and adaptability are key to achieving this.

Give your best speech yet

Learn how to make a speech that’ll hold an audience’s attention by structuring your thoughts and practicing frequently. Put the effort into writing and preparing your content, and aim to improve your breathing, eye contact , and body language as you practice. The more you work on your speech, the more confident you’ll become.

The energy you invest in writing an effective speech will help your audience remember and connect to every concept. Remember: some life-changing philosophies have come from good speeches, so give your words a chance to resonate with others. You might even change their thinking.

Boost your speech skills

Enhance your public speaking with personalized coaching tailored to your needs

Elizabeth Perry, ACC

Elizabeth Perry is a Coach Community Manager at BetterUp. She uses strategic engagement strategies to cultivate a learning community across a global network of Coaches through in-person and virtual experiences, technology-enabled platforms, and strategic coaching industry partnerships. With over 3 years of coaching experience and a certification in transformative leadership and life coaching from Sofia University, Elizabeth leverages transpersonal psychology expertise to help coaches and clients gain awareness of their behavioral and thought patterns, discover their purpose and passions, and elevate their potential. She is a lifelong student of psychology, personal growth, and human potential as well as an ICF-certified ACC transpersonal life and leadership Coach.

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How to Write a Speech: Top Tips

By Ashleigh Ferguson

9 engaging speech writing tips, what are the different speech types , how to find help writing a speech.

A great speech is impactful and engaging. It should eloquently and clearly express your ideas.

Whatever the topic, a good speech should showcase your authority on a topic and demonstrate excellent communication and leadership skills.

Many people don't know how to write a speech, so the process seems daunting. But there are a few best practices and tips that can make the writing process easier.

In this article, we’ll discuss some best practices to help you write an effective speech that engages and captures your audience.

Public speaking can be nerve-racking. However, having a well-written speech can decrease some of that anxiety.

Even if you’ve never written a speech before, there are still best practices you can follow.

An engaging speech should be clear, to the point, and follow a logical order. But how do you ensure your speech follows these criteria? Follow these nine engaging speech writing tips.

Know Your Audience

Analyze your target audience to improve the effectiveness of your speech because different audiences will have different expectations.

Consider your audience’s age, level of understanding, attitudes, and what they expect to take away from your speech, then tailor your message accordingly.

For example, if your audience members are teenagers, it’s unlikely that references to the ’70s will be effective.

Start With a Clear Purpose

Decide on the main point of your speech, and make sure all your content supports that point. Choose a topic that fits the following criteria:

A topic that is relevant to your audience

A topic you’re excited about

A topic you have reasonable knowledge about

Organize Your Ideas

Use a speech outline to organize your thoughts and ideas logically.

Identify the introduction, body, and conclusion of your speech to help you stay focused and make your speech easier to follow.

Use Strong, Clear Language

Choose your words carefully, and use simple language that is easy to understand. Avoid jargon or technical terms that your audience may not be familiar with.

Again, your word choice will depend on your audience. For example, you’ll want to steer clear of slang when speaking to an older, conservative crowd.

Use Transitions

Speech transitions are words and phrases that allow you to move smoothly from one point to another. Use transitional words and phrases like “besides” to help your audience follow your thought process and understand how your points are connected.

Add Variety to Speech

A speech that is monotonous or lacks variety may cause your audience to lose interest.

Including a variety of elements in your speech, such as anecdotes, examples, and visual aids, can help keep your audience engaged and interested.

Practice, Practice, Practice

Practice your speech out loud to ensure it flows well and you’re comfortable with the material. Read your speech in front of the mirror or before someone you trust to give you critical feedback. Note the points for improvement, and incorporate them into how you deliver your speech.

End With a Strong Conclusion

How would you like to leave your audience members: inspired, informed, or mesmerized? Aim to end your speech on a high note. Summarize your main points, and leave your audience with a memorable takeaway.

Edit and Revise

Proofread and revise your speech to ensure it’s well written and error free. Use a grammar checker, such as ProWritingAid, to correct any grammar issues. You’ll also get suggestions on how to improve your sentence structures and transitions.

How to Write a Good Speech Introduction

The introduction can make or break your speech. It’s where you grab your audience’s attention to keep them engaged and state the purpose of your speech.

An introduction also gives you the opportunity to establish your credibility. You should aim to give your audience a reason to listen to the rest of the speech rather than tuning out.

Here are some tips on how to create a positive first impression.

Start With a Hook

Begin your introduction with a hook that will grab your audience’s attention and make them want to listen. There are several options for a hook:

A statistic

A personal anecdote

Reference to a current or historical event

When thinking of an attention grabber, consider how appropriate and relevant it is to your audience and the purpose of the speech. For example, if you’re giving a speech to an older audience, you can make a historical reference that they can easily relate to.

Provide Context

Provide context by giving your audience some background information about the topic of your speech. This will help them understand the importance of what you are talking about and why they should care.

State Your Thesis

Clearly and concisely state the main point or purpose of your speech. Your thesis should be easy to follow and clearly outline the main argument and your stance. This will give your audience a clear understanding of what they can expect to learn from your presentation.

Preview Your Main Points

Give your audience a sense of the structure of your speech by briefly outlining the key points or arguments you will be making. They’ll know what to expect, and your speech will be easier to follow.

Keep It Short

Your introduction should be concise and to the point, so don’t spend too much time on it. It’s important to keep your speech brief, and avoid including unnecessary or unrelated information.

The goal is to engage and interest your audience, not bore them, so aim for a few well-chosen words rather than a lengthy introduction. Aim for your introduction to be about 10-15% of the total length of your speech.

A speech is just like any other piece of writing. You’ll need to identify your purpose, audience, and intention and then write accordingly. There are many types of speeches, and each type has its own expectations.

Let’s look at some of the most popular speeches and how to write them.

How to Write a Short Speech

Short speeches may be the most tedious to write because of how condensed and concise the information has to be. However, if you ever have to give a farewell, birthday tribute, or just a quick welcome, there are still some tips available to make your speech great.

Start by identifying your topic, title, and the purpose of your speech, which will set the foundation of your outline. Then, determine the main points of your speech; keep it short with two to three points. Remember, a short speech is typically less than ten minutes long, so keep your points concise and to the point.

Since you have limited time to make the most impact, incorporate powerful words or other engaging elements. For example, you could throw out a thought-provoking question or anecdote, which will grab your audience’s attention and keep them engaged.

Finally, once you’ve written your speech, review it for brevity and clarity.

Be confident about grammar

Check every email, essay, or story for grammar mistakes. Fix them before you press send.

How to Write a Presentation Speech

A presentation speech is used to inform, persuade, explain, or demonstrate a particular topic.

Presentation speeches are well structured and follow a logical flow. They have an introduction, body, and conclusion. Use transition words and phrases to help your speech flow smoothly and prevent it from appearing disjointed.

You can use ProWritingAid to organize your speech and make it even clearer. ProWritingAid’s transition report will show you whether you’re using transitions effectively in your speech.

How to Write a Debate Speech

A debate is a formal argument on a particular topic. Debate speeches are persuasive since the aim is to convince the audience to agree with a stance.

Like most other speeches, a debate speech also follows the introduction, body, conclusion outline. This format helps the audience follow the speaker’s point in a linear and logical way.

When writing your introduction, clarify your stance so it’s clear to the audience. Anyone reading or listening to your speech shouldn’t have any doubt about your position on the topic. Take some time to prepare a solid opener, which can be an interesting fact, a personal story, or even a powerful quote.

The introduction also gives you the opportunity to explain terms your audience will need to understand throughout the speech. You should also provide an overview of your main points, but don’t spend long divulging too much.

Each body paragraph should cover a main point, whether that’s a key idea or a main claim, and each paragraph should begin with a topic sentence. The topic sentence is an initial sentence that summarizes the idea being presented.

Your conclusion should be a simple and clear reiteration of the points you made in the thesis statement and body paragraphs. Add an attention-grabbing element to leave a lasting impression on your audience.

Remember to use strong and emotive language throughout your speech, which makes it more likely for your audience to feel emotionally connected to your stance.

Always use transition words and phrases to maintain a logical flow between your arguments. Finally, edit and proofread your work for any potential grammar, punctuation, or spelling mistakes.

How to Write an Elevator Speech

An elevator speech is a brief speech that’s used to pitch a product, service, expertise, or credentials.

You have 30–60 seconds to persuade someone to act how you’d like: the same time as a quick elevator ride.

An effective elevator speech should contain an introduction, a clear value proposition, and a strong conclusion.

Your introduction should be polite and clear. Briefly explain who you are, what you do, and what you are offering. For example, if you’re pitching your expertise, condense your background into two sentences. Include things that will make your audience remember you.

End your speech with what you want to achieve. What are you trying to accomplish with this speech? Perhaps it’s a job opportunity, a follow-up meeting, or an internship.

Once you’ve written your speech, be sure to revise it for brevity. Then practice and record yourself to ensure you don’t go over the time limit.

Writing a good speech takes time, but these tips are a good start to improving your speech-writing process. If you encounter writer’s block, look up popular speeches for inspiration. Ask someone you trust to give you feedback once you’ve written your speech.

Finally, while ProWritingAid can’t write your speech for you, it can help you write in a cohesive and logical manner. It highlights any grammar, spelling, and punctuation issues. It also shows you suggestions on how to improve your sentence structure, transition, pacing, and readability, so your next speech can be impactful and memorable.

Ashleigh Ferguson

Ashleigh Ferguson is a Copywriter on the ProWritingAid Team. With an affinity for learning new things, you can always count on her to know some random fact. She’s a self-proclaimed ‘Fix-it Felix’ and a newly minted ‘candle lady’.

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Education and Communications
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Public Speaking
Speechwriting

How to Write a Speech

Last Updated: June 24, 2024 Fact Checked

This article was co-authored by Patrick Muñoz . Patrick is an internationally recognized Voice & Speech Coach, focusing on public speaking, vocal power, accent and dialects, accent reduction, voiceover, acting and speech therapy. He has worked with clients such as Penelope Cruz, Eva Longoria, and Roselyn Sanchez. He was voted LA's Favorite Voice and Dialect Coach by BACKSTAGE, is the voice and speech coach for Disney and Turner Classic Movies, and is a member of Voice and Speech Trainers Association. There are 7 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 2,979,937 times.

Giving an original speech for a class, event, or work presentation can be nerve-wracking. However, writing an effective speech can help to bolster your confidence. With careful planning and an eye for detail, you can write a speech that will inform, persuade, motivate, or entertain! Give yourself plenty of time to craft your speech and practice it several times for best results.

Sample Speeches

Drafting an Effective Speech

If you are writing a speech for a class, make sure to check with your teacher to get details about the number and acceptable types of sources.

If you are writing an informative or persuasive speech, then plan to arrange your speech with a problem and solution structure. Start the speech by talking about what is wrong, then explain how to fix the problem in the second half of your speech. [4] X Research source

Tip : Keep in mind that you can always refine your outline later or as you draft your speech. Include all of the information that seems relevant now with the expectation that you will likely need to pare it down later.

Step 3 Choose a hook to grab the audience’s attention right away.

For example, if you are writing a motivational speech about weight loss, then you might say something like, “Five years ago, I could not walk up a flight of stairs without needing to take a break halfway up.”
If you hope to persuade audience members to reduce their use of fossil fuels, then you might start off by saying, “Gas-powered vehicles are the reason why global warming is threatening to destroy our planet.”

Step 4 Connect your topic to a larger issue to give background information.

For example, if you are giving a speech on increasing funding for Alzheimer’s research, it would be helpful to provide information on how common Alzheimer’s disease is and how it affects families. You could accomplish this with a combination of a statistic and an anecdote.

Tip: Keep your introduction less than 1 paragraph or 1 double-spaced page long. This will help to ensure that you do not spend too much time on the context and background before getting to the meat of your topic. [7] X Research source

Step 5 Address each of your main points in a logical order.

For example, in a speech about ending animal testing for cosmetics, you might start with a point about how animal testing is cruel, then explain that it is unnecessary, and then talk about the alternatives to animal testing that make it obsolete.

Step 6 Introduce new topics and summarize material you have already covered.

For example, if you are about to cover the concept of delayed onset muscle soreness (also known as DOMS), then explain what it is in a nutshell first, then go into more detail about it and how it relates to your point, then end that section of your speech with a brief summary of the main point you are trying to make.

Step 7 Include transitions to guide your audience through your speech.

In that moment
The following week

Step 8 Conclude your speech with a call-to-action.

For example, if you have just described the effects of global warming on the polar bear population, conclude your speech by telling your audience about non-profit organizations that are working to protect the environment and the polar bear population.
If you have just shared your weight loss story to motivate your audience, tell them what they can do to start their own weight loss journey and share resources that you found helpful.

Making Your Speech More Engaging

Step 1 Keep your words and sentences short and simple.

For example, instead of saying, “Achieving and maintaining a healthy body weight is the pinnacle of human existence because it enables you to accomplish physical feats that boost your confidence and give you a sense of accomplishment,” say, “A healthy body weight allows you to do more physically, and this may make you happier overall.”
Keep in mind that it is also important to vary your sentence structure. You can include a longer sentence once or twice per page to add variety to your speech. Just avoid using lots of long sentences in your speech. [15] X Research source

Step 2 Favor nouns over pronouns for clarity.

For example, if you are giving a speech for a group of sales associates who are trying to increase sales of a new product called “Synergy,” then you might repeat a simple phrase to that effect, such as “Tell your customers about Synergy,” or you could simply say, “Synergy” a few times during your speech to remind your audience of this product.
If you are writing a motivational speech about how running can help people to overcome emotional hurdles, then you might repeat a phrase in your speech to emphasize this idea, such as, “Run through the pain.”

Step 4 Limit statistics and quotes to avoid overwhelming your audience.

For example, if you are giving a speech about moose mating patterns, 2 numbers that show the decline in the moose population over a 50 year period may be a striking addition to your speech. However, sharing a complex set of moose population statistics would be less compelling and possibly even confusing to your audience.
Choose quotes that are easy to follow and make sure that you explain how each quote you use supports to your argument. Try to stick with quotes that use simple language and take up no more than 2 lines on your page.

Step 5 Maintain an appropriate tone throughout your speech.

For example, when describing your love of food in a motivational speech about becoming a chef, you might decide to include a joke and say something like, “I always wanted to become a chef, ever since I was a little kid and I discovered that people actually make donuts and they don’t just randomly fall from the sky.”

Step 6 Provide visual aids if you are allowed.

Avoid relying on the slides to make the speech for you. You will still need to deliver your speech in an engaging manner. Only use the slides as a complement to your words.

Step 7 Practice and check for weak spots that you can improve.

Make sure to read your speech out loud when you review it! This will help you to determine if it sounds natural and if there are any awkward sections that you can cut, smooth out, or explain more clearly. [22] X Research source

Expert Q&A

Reader Videos

↑ http://teacher.scholastic.com/writewit/speech/tips.htm
↑ Patrick Muñoz. Voice & Speech Coach. Expert Interview. 12 November 2019.
↑ https://www.write-out-loud.com/howtowritespeech.html
↑ https://www.academicwritingsuccess.com/7-sensational-essay-hooks/
↑ https://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/speeches/
↑ https://www.unr.edu/writing-speaking-center/student-resources/writing-speaking-resources/speech-introductions
↑ https://pac.org/content/speechwriting-101-writing-effective-speech

About This Article

To write a speech, start off with an attention-grabbing statement, like "Before I begin my speech, I have something important to say." Once you've gotten everyone's attention, move on to your strongest argument or point first since that's what audiences will remember the most. Use transitions throughout your speech, like "This brings us back to the bigger picture," so the audience doesn't get lost. To conclude your speech, restate the key points and leave your audience with a question or something to think about. To learn how to edit your first draft, scroll down! Did this summary help you? Yes No

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How to Write a Speech Essay

What Is the Credibility Statement in Writing?

A speech essay is an essay you’re writing to yourself that organizes your thoughts as to what you will say in the speech you’ll deliver. This speech essay is an important preparatory step toward delivering your speech, because you're organizing your thoughts around the dynamic delivery of a speech to an audience and not around a written essay that simply lies on the page. It is this essential distinction that makes the speech essay different from other essays you research and write in class.

Identify the type of speech you will deliver. Know if you will be giving a persuasive speech, an informative speech, a how-to speech, or an analytical or narrative speech. Each type has a different purpose: A persuasive speech tries to convince the audience to accept an idea or take action; an informative speech provides information; a how-to speech explains the steps involved in a process; an analytical speech examines a concept or process; and a narrative speech tells a story.

Determine the goal of the speech. Most speeches have a general goal and a specific goal. The general goal is the basic intent of the speech. For example, decide whether the general goal of the speech is intended to entertain, inform or persuade. The specific goal is a statement that identifies the exact response you hope to obtain from the audience. For example, “I would like the audience to take action to help stop animal experimentation from pharmaceutical and cosmetic companies.”

Conduct the necessary research. You can use your own knowledge and experience when writing the essay. In fact, sharing a personal experience often “touches” the audience because people relate to what you have experienced. Research adds credibility and, of course, research is absolutely necessary if you include statistics, percentages, facts or quotations. Credible sources include publications, websites such as those that end in .org, .edu, .biz and some but not all .com sites and individuals who possess specialized knowledge.

Write the introduction. The introduction has five goals: To get the audience’s attention, to create a bond of goodwill with listeners, to set the tone, to establish the speaker’s credibility and to provide a lead-in to the content, according to Rudolph Verderber and Kathleen Verderber, co-authors of “The Challenge of Effective Speaking.” Introductions can make a startling statement, ask a rhetorical question, tell a relevant story, refer to the audience’s personal experience or use a thought-provoking quotation.

Develop the body. When writing the body -- which is the “meat and potatoes” of the essay – present the main points and subpoints in logical order. You can use topic order or arrange points by categories or divisions. This is the most common order of arrangement for speeches, according to Verderber and Verderber. Time order organizes points chronologically and is most effective for detailing steps in a process or relating a story. Another option is the logical-reasons order, which organizes points by the reasons that support the speaker’s goal and is especially appropriate for persuasive topics.

Write the conclusion. The easiest way to conclude is to restate the main points, but according to Stephen Lucas, author of “The Art of Public Speaking,” you should “conclude with a bang, not a whimper." Conclude with a brief but thought-provoking quotation, make a dramatic statement, pose a provocative question or refer back to the ideas presented in the introduction. Many accomplished orators combine two or more of these methods in their conclusions, so don’t be afraid to experiment.

How to Write a Speech Running for City Council

How to Set Up a Rhetorical Analysis

How to Write an Invocation Speech

How to structure a presentation.

How to Write a Rhetoric Speech

How to Write a Critical Analysis of a Speech

How to Write an Outline for a Narrative Speech

How to Do a Acknowledgement Speech

“The Art of Public Speaking: Sixth Edition”; Stephen E. Lucas; 1998
“The Challenge of Effective Speaking: Twelfth Edition”; Rudolph F. Verderber and Kathleen S. Verderber; 2003
Mount Holyoke College.edu: Differences Between Oral and Written Communication

A college instructor for more than 14 years, Carol Rzadkiewicz earned a Master of Arts from the University of West Georgia. She is also a freelance writer and author of three published novels, and her work has appeared in such print publications as “Predicate Magazine” and “The New Review."

Daily Writing Tips

How to write a speech.

Writing a speech and producing an essay have much in common, of course, because the one is merely a spoken form of the other, but keep in mind the unique features that distinguish a presentation delivered with your voice and one that others read.

1. Plan your speech according to the occasion, considering the event, the audience, the tone of the speech (somber, serious, informal, humorous, and so on), and its duration.

2. Identify the message or theme of the speech, and how you will approach it.

3. Craft an effective opening that gets your audience’s attention, employing an anecdote, a joke, a quotation, or a thought-provoking question or assertion. You should be able to express your introduction in about thirty seconds or less.

4. Outline a handful of points to cover, just as you would when writing a persuasive or informative essay; after all, again, a speech is a spoken essay.

5. Organize the points so that they support and build on each other, and add or omit points as necessary to support your overall message or theme and to fit into your time limit.

6. Work on your transition from point to point.

7. Just as you began strongly, be sure to conclude your speech effectively by summarizing your points and finishing up with an additional question or comment for your listeners to take with them.

8. Write the speech out in full, and then evaluate it, working through as many drafts as necessary until you have honed and refined it to a crisp, clear, compelling speech.

9. When you are satisfied with the final draft, ask a couple of people to review it for you and suggest any material in it that may not be appropriate for the occasion, any flaws in organization or clarity of thought, any problems with grammar or usage, and anything that is not necessary or is missing. Revise the draft as necessary based on the feedback.

10. Though rehearsing for the speech itself is outside the purview of this post, practice reading the speech aloud to produce a final version that accounts for how it sounds as opposed to how it reads.

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6 thoughts on “How to Write a Speech”

There are 2 key differences between a speech and an essay: repetition and transitions. These are very important in a speech in order to keep the audience on track, but may be distracting in an essay if used to the degree that they are needed in an oral presentation.

Some distinguished public speakers, such as Isaac Asimov, never wrote down a speech! Note that besides being a well-known writer, Dr. Asimov was a well-paid public speaker before organizations of various kinds, and not just science-fiction conventions.

Dr. Asimov – and the others – just wrote down an outline of what he wanted to talk about, given his audience and the circumstances, and besides that, he just spoke about it from memory and from what he gathered from the reactions of his audience.

Then to find out, verbatim, what his speech stated, one would have to consult the transcripts of the speeches. His speeches were always recorded, or else taken down in shorthand by a stenographer.

In case you are not familiar with Asimov, after some years of giving speeches and lectures at various places, he reached the point of being paid $20,000, more or less, for one speech somewhere. D.A.W.

Before Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., gave his famous “I Have a Dream Speech” at the Lincoln Memorial, he had a predefined plan for what he was going to say. It might have been written down in detail.

However, Dr. King, was known for sometimes changing tracks and improvising during is speeches, and that was exactly what he did in Washington. One of his assistants, Andrew Young, was seated on the stage, too. Young later became noted at a Congressman from Georgia and then the Mayor of Atlanta.

Young has stated that he noticed that Dr. King was drifting off his track, and he could tell where Dr. King was going with it. He said that he whispered to the man sitting next to him, “These people don’t know it, but they are all about to go to Church!”

That was when Dr. King’s speech shifted into a sermon that he had preached several times before in places like Atlanta, Montgomery, and Birmigham, and it contains the great words: “I Have a Dream… I’ve seen the Promised Land. I might not get there, but I’ve seen the Promised Land.”

That is one of the great speeches of American History, and yet the great part of it came from Dr. King’s improvising it.

In the case of Asimov and some of the others, the whole thing was improvised. I believe that Carl Sagan improvised a lot in his speech. Sagan simply had his way of speaking in complete, well-conjugated sentences in everyday life. He was noteworthy for that, and so was Asimov. D.A.W.

Giving a lecture before college students is rather like giving a speech, too, and I have given a hundred different lectures, but I never wrote any of them down. I just wrote down a detailed outline of what I wanted to say — in order to keep me from forgetting anything. Then from that point, I generally improvised all the way.

Exceptions: When I had a complicated mathematical example to present to my students, I wrote down every detail of that in my notes and then I copied that on the blackboard for them. Also, if I had a detailed diagram that I wanted to present on the blackboard with no errors and no omissions, I wrote that in my notes.

After teaching for a couple of years, I had some lectures that did not contain either of the above, and I didn’t even carry an outline to the lecture. Some of my students expressed amazement that I taught a large amount of material in an hour and a half w/o any notes. I could only reply that I had taught that lecture twice before, and I had it all memorized, anyway.

This is not to say that everything stayed the same all the time at my college, because the whole time I was there, we were continually upgrading and extending the courses. In the midst of all that, the college changed from the quarter system to the semester system, so some courses went from 10 weeks long to 15 weeks, but some others disappeared or got consolidated with others. So, there was lots of new material, but lots of the basics remained the same. D.A.W.

The bottom line is this: Any note about “How to Write a Speech” is quite incomplete without anything in it about improvising a “winging it”. There is nothing here about speaking from the mind and from the heart — or even from the soul, if you believe in that.

Also, when giving a lecture, or a speech, when questions can be asked in the midst, some of the most delightful times are when someone asks a question that either throws a new light onto something, or else it brings up something that the speaker has forgotten. I think that this interactive element is vital. D.A.W.

I enjoyed the article. As a college student I was encouraged to write an outline, and then write out what I intended to say, rehearse in front of a mirror, to watch my facial expressions, and be sure to time myself.

Any time I wanted to give a speech outside of college, I had to re-teach myself. Just knowing my topic was good enough for me. Other than that, I was rather comfortable because I knew “my stuff.”

D.A.W. (BTW, you have all of my initials!) you are right on! Knowing your subject matter, should be more than enough to produce a successful speech / lecture. D.A.W.

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Planning Your Speech

Being confident in your speech making and your public speaking means that you should fully prepare for your speech! Here are some tips to write a great speech!

1. Determine the purpose of your speech. Whether it is a persuasive essay, argumentative essay, or just an informative one you need to know why you are giving the speech. Generally you may be told what kind of speech to write for your assignment, but if you have a choice on what type of speech you need to give it's important to know what you want to tell your audience.

2. Identify your audience. This may depend on your assignment but you need to know your audience to know what type of the information you are giving to them. Are you giving a speech to people who don't have any knowledge on the subject? Experts in the field? Or are you just speaking in front of your professor and fellow classmates? Understanding your audience helps you determine the scope of the detail in your speech and how you can keep the audience captivated.

3. Create your claim (or thesis). Just like writing a paper, your speech needs a thesis. Your claim is the main idea for your speech, and you will spend your speech providing evidence that supports your claim.

4. Collect your evidence. You need to support your claim with evidence. Evidence may include: surveys, statistics, anecdotal evidence, or even your own experience.

5. Start determining how you will organize your speech. Just like an essay, a speech has a similar structure. Your introduction, body, supporting evidence, and conclusion. It's helpful to write down your speech in a similar way you would write an essay.

Giving Your Speech

Glossophobia, or the fear of public speaking, is very common. Below are some speech-giving tips that can help reduce your anxiety!

1. Talk to someone if you are feeling stressed. Talk to a counselor, your professor, or just a friend. It's always helpful to talk about your worries and get support from people around.

2. Know what you're talking about. You will be more comfortable reciting your speech when you have some knowledge on the subject. While you are researching and preparing your speech, get some preliminary background information so you feel more confident with the subject. This also helps if you get any surprise questions from your audience!

3. Practice. Practice, practice, practice. In the mirror, in front of some friends, in front of your classmates. Be comfortable with the words, the structure of your speech, and knowing the order in which you will present your main ideas.

4. Organize your materials. Disorganization the day of your speech can worsen your anxiety! Prepare the night before by setting out all of your demonstrative items (poster, powerpoint, pictures), make sure any notecards are in order, and set aside your clothes if you are dressing up for your speech. It's also important to make sure the technology in the room you are presenting in has everything you need (check with your professor)!

5. Study other speeches. You don't need to study the great orators of the world to learn how to improve your speeches. TED Talks, interviews from people you look up to, and even watching YouTube videos can help improve your public speaking skills.

6. Don't rely on Powerpoints/posters. Items like Powerpoints and posters that you use for your speech are meant to support you and not be something that you read off of the entire time. If you can do without visual aids or if they are not required for your speech, you may decide not to use any at all. Try to have as little text as possible on them--you won't be able to read off of them and your audience will not be distracted reading the slides.

7. Focus on your message. Don't get caught up in little details, your stories, or any jokes you may have in your speech. Focus on your claim so your message is understood by your audience.

8. Don't apologize. Everyone makes a mistake. Technical difficulties can happen to every one. Don't let minor issues such as forgetting a part of your speech or getting a little mixed up derail your presentation. Your audience may not even notice the small mistake. If you feel like you need to make an apology, make a small one and continue on. You've got this!

9. Look around the room. You should always give your audience your full attention. It might be a small classroom of a few students or a massive auditorium but your audience is very important. Focus on different parts of the room that you can spend a few seconds on during the speech. If you can't decide where to look, focus on a specific person.

10. Be yourself. You can reduce your anxiety by just being yourself. Involved your personality in how you present information; use your pitch and create a style that's meaningful and allows the audience to relate to you. And don't forget to smile!

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Last Updated: Aug 18, 2021 1:37 PM
URL: https://libguides.rbc.edu/c.php?g=309563

My Speech Class

Public Speaking Tips & Speech Topics

Speech and Essay Samples

Don’t know where to start? Get inspired by our FREE speech and essay examples .

Use them to get the creative juices flowing . Don’t copy any of these examples! Since these speeches are available for anyone to download, you can never be sure that another student has not used them, and that they will pass plagiarism evaluation tools, such as Turnitin or Plagscan.

Whether you find a sample that is on your given topic or a closely related discussion, all of the speeches can help you get organized and focused.

Review multiple speeches to learn:

How the presenter laid out the talking points and the number of points used
What references and statistics they used to solidify their arguments
How long the speech was for a given topic
How the topic was introduced and summarized
How the speaker engaged and interacted with the audience

By using these speech examples as an outline, you’ll have a fully formed presentation in no time ! We also have this page with gun control speech examples , in case you’d like to see different examples on the same topic.

Persuasive Speeches

Birth Control Persuasive Speech
We should stand up for our gun rights
The truth about gun control
The controversy over gun control
Speech against stricter gun control
It’s up to society to solve gun problems
Guns don’t kill people
Does banning firearms help prevent homicides
Criminals will be criminals
What to do about Deadbeat Parents
Why state aid applicants need to be drug tested
Subculture is Mainstream
Eating Healthy
Teachers should be paid more
Digital Piracy
Minimum Wage
Drug Testing for State Aid
Drug testing welfare
Why snakes make good pets
Why you need to quit drinking soda
Why Everyone Should Learn to Play an Instrument
Why Android is better then IOS 2
Why Android is better then IOS 1
Video Games Do Not Cause Violence
Soda and Obesity
Plastic Surgery 2
Plastic Surgery
Maintaining A Healthy Lifestyle
Human development depends primarily on environmental factors
Donating Blood
Birth Control Persuasive Speech Example with Outline
Social Media Persuasive Speech Example with Outline
Texting and Driving Persuasive Speech Example with Outline
Persuasive Speech on Sleep
Persuasive Speech about Bullying
Persuasive Speech on Organ Donation

Informative Speeches

Guns and gun control - Texas
Gun violence and control
Gun control on campuses
Wind Energy
About Serial Killers
Eating Disorder
Robin Williams 2
Dream Types
Separation of Powers of the Federal Government
Memory Loss
Internet Black Market
Blood Donation
Alcohol in Winter
About Guitar
Social Media Informative Speech Example with Outline
Texting and Driving Informative Speech Example with Outline
Informative Speech on Sleep
Informative Speech about Bullying
Free Organ Donation Informative Speech
Free Informative Speech on Caffeine and Its Effects
Five Side Effects of Global Warming
Global Warming Is Real

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How to Write and Structure a Persuasive Speech

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M.Ed., Education Administration, University of Georgia
B.A., History, Armstrong State University

The purpose of a persuasive speech is to convince your audience to agree with an idea or opinion that you present. First, you'll need to choose a side on a controversial topic, then you will write a speech to explain your position, and convince the audience to agree with you.

You can produce an effective persuasive speech if you structure your argument as a solution to a problem. Your first job as a speaker is to convince your audience that a particular problem is important to them, and then you must convince them that you have the solution to make things better.

Note: You don't have to address a real problem. Any need can work as the problem. For example, you could consider the lack of a pet, the need to wash one's hands, or the need to pick a particular sport to play as the "problem."

As an example, let's imagine that you have chosen "Getting Up Early" as your persuasion topic. Your goal will be to persuade classmates to get themselves out of bed an hour earlier every morning. In this instance, the problem could be summed up as "morning chaos."

A standard speech format has an introduction with a great hook statement, three main points, and a summary. Your persuasive speech will be a tailored version of this format.

Before you write the text of your speech, you should sketch an outline that includes your hook statement and three main points.

Writing the Text

The introduction of your speech must be compelling because your audience will make up their minds within a few minutes whether or not they are interested in your topic.

Before you write the full body you should come up with a greeting. Your greeting can be as simple as "Good morning everyone. My name is Frank."

After your greeting, you will offer a hook to capture attention. A hook sentence for the "morning chaos" speech could be a question:

How many times have you been late for school?
Does your day begin with shouts and arguments?
Have you ever missed the bus?

Or your hook could be a statistic or surprising statement:

More than 50 percent of high school students skip breakfast because they just don't have time to eat.
Tardy kids drop out of school more often than punctual kids.

Once you have the attention of your audience, follow through to define the topic/problem and introduce your solution. Here's an example of what you might have so far:

Good afternoon, class. Some of you know me, but some of you may not. My name is Frank Godfrey, and I have a question for you. Does your day begin with shouts and arguments? Do you go to school in a bad mood because you've been yelled at, or because you argued with your parent? The chaos you experience in the morning can bring you down and affect your performance at school.

Add the solution:

You can improve your mood and your school performance by adding more time to your morning schedule. You can accomplish this by setting your alarm clock to go off one hour earlier.

Your next task will be to write the body, which will contain the three main points you've come up with to argue your position. Each point will be followed by supporting evidence or anecdotes, and each body paragraph will need to end with a transition statement that leads to the next segment. Here is a sample of three main statements:

Bad moods caused by morning chaos will affect your workday performance.
If you skip breakfast to buy time, you're making a harmful health decision.
(Ending on a cheerful note) You'll enjoy a boost to your self-esteem when you reduce the morning chaos.

After you write three body paragraphs with strong transition statements that make your speech flow, you are ready to work on your summary.

Your summary will re-emphasize your argument and restate your points in slightly different language. This can be a little tricky. You don't want to sound repetitive but will need to repeat what you have said. Find a way to reword the same main points.

Finally, you must make sure to write a clear final sentence or passage to keep yourself from stammering at the end or fading off in an awkward moment. A few examples of graceful exits:

We all like to sleep. It's hard to get up some mornings, but rest assured that the reward is well worth the effort.
If you follow these guidelines and make the effort to get up a little bit earlier every day, you'll reap rewards in your home life and on your report card.

Tips for Writing Your Speech

Don't be confrontational in your argument. You don't need to put down the other side; just convince your audience that your position is correct by using positive assertions.
Use simple statistics. Don't overwhelm your audience with confusing numbers.
Don't complicate your speech by going outside the standard "three points" format. While it might seem simplistic, it is a tried and true method for presenting to an audience who is listening as opposed to reading.
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105 Interesting Persuasive Speech Topics for Any Project

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Are you struggling to find good persuasive speech topics? It can be hard to find a topic that interests both you and your audience, but in this guide we've done the hard work and created a list of 105 great persuasive speech ideas. They're organized into ten categories and cover a variety of topics, so you're sure to find one that interests you.

In addition to our list, we also go over which factors make good persuasive speech topics and three tips you should follow when researching and writing your persuasive speech.

What Makes a Good Persuasive Speech Topic?

What makes certain persuasive speech topics better than others? There are numerous reasons, but in this section we discuss three of the most important factors of great topics for a persuasive speech.

It's Something You Know About or Are Interested in Learning About

The most important factor in choosing and creating a great persuasive speech is picking a topic you care about and are interested in. You'll need to do a lot of research on this topic, and if it's something you like learning about, that'll make the process much easier and more enjoyable. It'll also help you sound passionate and informed when you talk, both important factors in giving an excellent persuasive speech.

It's a Topic People Care About

In fourth grade, after being told I could give a persuasive speech on any topic I wanted to , I chose to discuss why the Saguaro cactus should be the United State's national plant. Even though I gave an impassioned talk and drew a life-size Saguaro cactus on butcher paper to hang behind me, I doubt anyone enjoyed the speech much.

I'd recently returned from a family vacation to Arizona where I'd seen Saguaro cacti for the first time and decided they were the coolest thing ever. However, most people don't care that much about Saguaro cacti, and most people don't care what our national plant is or if we even have one (for the record, the US has a national flower, and it's the rose).

Spare yourself the smattering of bored applause my nine-old self got at the end of my speech and choose something you think people will be interested in hearing about. This also ties into knowing your audience, which we discuss more in the final section.

It Isn't Overdone

When I was in high school, nearly every persuasive speech my classmates and I were assigned was the exact same topic: should the drinking age be lowered to 18? I got this prompt in English class, on standardized tests, in speech and debate class, etc. I've written and presented about it so often I could probably still rattle off all the main points of my old speeches word-for-word.

You can imagine that everyone's eyes glazed over whenever classmates gave their speeches on this topic. We'd heard about it so many times that, even if it was a topic we cared about, speeches on it just didn't interest us anymore.

The are many potential topics for a persuasive speech. Be wary of choosing one that's cliche or overdone. Even if you give a great speech, it'll be harder to keep your audience interested if they feel like they already know what you're going to say.

An exception to this rule is that if you feel you have a new viewpoint or facts about the topic that currently aren't common knowledge. Including them can make an overdone topic interesting. If you do this, be sure to make it clear early on in your speech that you have unique info or opinions on the topic so your audience knows to expect something new.

105 Topics for a Persuasive Speech

Here's our list of 105 great persuasive speech ideas. We made sure to choose topics that aren't overdone, yet that many people will have an interest in, and we also made a point of choosing topics with multiple viewpoints rather than simplistic topics that have a more obvious right answer (i.e. Is bullying bad?). The topics are organized into ten categories.

Arts/Culture

Should art and music therapy be covered by health insurance?
Should all students be required to learn an instrument in school?
Should all national museums be free to citizens?
Should graffiti be considered art?
Should offensive language be removed from works of classic literature?
Are paper books better than e-books?
Should all interns be paid for their work?
Should employees receive bonuses for walking or biking to work?
Will Brexit hurt or help the UK's economy?
Should all people over the age of 65 be able to ride the bus for free?
Should the federal minimum wage be increased?
Should tipping in restaurants be mandatory?
Should Black Friday sales be allowed to start on Thanksgiving?
Should students who bully others be expelled?
Should all schools require students wear uniforms?
Should boys and girls be taught in separate classrooms?
Should students be allowed to listen to music during study hall?
Should all elementary schools be required to teach a foreign language?
Should schools include meditation or relaxation breaks during the day?
Should grades in gym class affect students' GPAs?
Should teachers get a bonus when their students score well on standardized tests?
Should children of undocumented immigrants be allowed to attend public schools?
Should students get paid for getting a certain GPA?
Should students be allowed to have their cell phones with them during school?
Should high school students be allowed to leave school during lunch breaks?
Should Greek life at colleges be abolished?
Should high school students be required to volunteer a certain number of hours before they can graduate?
Should schools still teach cursive handwriting?
What are the best ways for schools to stop bullying?
Should prostitution be legalized?
Should people with more than one DUI lose their driver's license?
Should people be required to shovel snow from the sidewalks in front of their house?
Should minors be able to drink alcohol in their home if they have their parent's consent?
Should guns be allowed on college campuses?
Should flag burning as a form of protest be illegal?
Should welfare recipients be required to pass a drug test?
Should white supremacist groups be allowed to hold rallies in public places?
Should assault weapons be illegal?
Should the death penalty be abolished?
Should beauty pageants for children be banned?
Is it OK to refuse to serve same-sex couples based on religious beliefs?
Should transgender people be allowed to serve in the military?
Is it better to live together before marriage or to wait?
Should affirmative action be allowed?
Should prisoners be allowed to vote?
Should Columbus Day be replaced with Indigenous Peoples' Day?

Government/Politics

Should the government spend more money on developing high-speed rail lines and less on building new roads?
Should the government be allowed to censor internet content deemed inappropriate?
Should Puerto Rico become the 51st state?
Should Scotland declare independence from the United Kingdom?
Whose face should be on the next new currency printed by the US?
Should people convicted of drug possession be sent to recovery programs instead of jail?
Should voting be made compulsory?
Who was the best American president?
Should the military budget be reduced?
Should the President be allowed to serve more than two terms?
Should a border fence be built between the United States and Mexico?
Should countries pay ransom to terrorist groups in order to free hostages?
Should minors be able to purchase birth control without their parent's consent?
Should hiding or lying about your HIV status with someone you're sleeping with be illegal?
Should governments tax soda and other sugary drinks and use the revenue for public health?
Should high schools provide free condoms to students?
Should the US switch to single-payer health care?
Should healthy people be required to regularly donate blood?
Should assisted suicide be legal?
Should religious organizations be required to pay taxes?
Should priests be allowed to get married?
Should the religious slaughter of animals be banned?
Should the Church of Scientology be exempt from paying taxes?
Should women be allowed to be priests?
Should countries be allowed to only accept refugees with certain religious beliefs?
Should public prayer be allowed in schools?

Science/Environment

Should human cloning be allowed?
Should people be allowed to own exotic animals like tigers and monkeys?
Should "animal selfies" in tourist locations with well-known animal species (like koalas and tigers) be allowed?
Should genetically modified foods be sold in grocery stores?
Should people be allowed to own pit bulls?
Should parents be allowed to choose the sex of their unborn children?
Should vaccinations be required for students to attend public school?
What is the best type of renewable energy?
Should plastic bags be banned in grocery stores?
Should the United States rejoin the Paris Agreement?
Should puppy mills be banned?
Should fracking be legal?
Should animal testing be illegal?
Should offshore drilling be allowed in protected marine areas?
Should the US government increase NASA's budget?
Should Pluto still be considered a planet?
Should college athletes be paid for being on a sports team?
Should all athletes be required to pass regular drug tests?
Should professional female athletes be paid the same as male athletes in the same sport?
Are there any cases when athletes should be allowed to use steroids?
Should college sports teams receive less funding?
Should boxing be illegal?
Should schools be required to teach all students how to swim?
Should cheerleading be considered a sport?
Should parents let their children play tackle football?
Will robots reduce or increase human employment opportunities?
What age should children be allowed to have a cell phone?
Should libraries be replaced with unlimited access to e-books?
Overall, has technology helped connect people or isolate them?
Should self-driving cars be legal?
Should all new buildings be energy efficient?
Is Net Neutrality a good thing or a bad thing?
Do violent video games encourage players to become violent in real life?

3 Bonus Tips for Crafting Your Persuasive Speech

Of course, giving a great persuasive speech requires more than just choosing a good topic. Follow the three tips below to create an outstanding speech that'll interest and impress your audience.

Do Your Research

For a persuasive speech, there's nothing worse than getting an audience question that shows you misunderstood the issue or left an important piece out. It makes your entire speech look weak and unconvincing.

Before you start writing a single word of your speech, be sure to do lots of research on all sides of the topic. Look at different sources and points of view to be sure you're getting the full picture, and if you know any experts on the topic, be sure to ask their opinion too.

Consider All the Angles

Persuasive speech topics are rarely black and white, which means there will be multiple sides and viewpoints on the topic. For example, for the topic "Should people be allowed to own pit bulls?" there are two obvious viewpoints: everyone should be allowed to own a pit bull if they want to, and no one should be allowed to own a pit bull. But there are other options you should also consider: people should only own a pit bull if they pass a dog training class, people should be able to own pit bulls, but only if it's the only dog they own, people should be able to own pi tbulls but only if they live a certain distance from schools, people should be able to own pit bulls only if the dog passes an obedience class, etc.

Thinking about all these angles and including them in your speech will make you seem well-informed on the topic, and it'll increase the quality of your speech by looking at difference nuances of the issue.

Know Your Audience

Whenever you give a speech, it's important to consider your audience, and this is especially true for persuasive speeches when you're trying to convince people to believe a certain viewpoint. When writing your speech, think about what your audience likely already knows about the topic, what they probably need explained, and what aspects of the topic they care about most. Also consider what the audience will be most concerned about for a certain topic, and be sure to address those concerns.

For example, if you're giving a speech to a Catholic organization on why you think priests should be allowed to marry, you don't need to go over the history of Catholicism or its core beliefs (which they probably already know), but you should mention any research or prominent opinions that support your view (which they likely don't know about). They may be concerned that priests who marry won't be as committed to God or their congregations, so be sure to address those concerns and why they shouldn't worry about them as much as they may think. Discussing your topic with people (ideally those with viewpoints similar to those of your future audience) before you give your speech is a good way to get a better understanding of how your audience thinks.

More Resources for Writing Persuasive Speeches

If you need more guidance or just want to check out some examples of great persuasive writing, consider checking out the following books:

Lend Me Your Ears: Great Speeches in History by William Safire—This collection of great speeches throughout history will help you decide how to style your own argument.
The Essentials of Persuasive Public Speaking by Sims Wyeth—For quick direct tips on public speaking, try this all-purpose guide.
Talk Like TED: The 9 Public-Speaking Secrets of the World's Top Minds by Carmine Gallo—This popular book breaks down what makes TED talks work and how you can employ those skills in your own presentations.
We Should All Be Feminists by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and Make Good Art by Neil Gaiman—These two recent speeches by contemporary writers offer stellar examples of how to craft a compelling (and engaging) argument.

Conclusion: Persuasive Speech Ideas

Good persuasive speech topics can be difficult to think of, but in this guide we've compiled a list of 105 interesting persuasive speech topics for you to look through.

The best persuasive speech ideas will be on a topic you're interested in, aren't overdone, and will be about something your audience cares about.

After you've chosen your topic, keep these three tips in mind when writing your persuasive speech:

Do your research
Consider all the angles
Know your audience

What's Next?

Now that you have persuasive speech topics, it's time to hone your persuasive speech techniques. Find out what ethos, pathos, logos, and kairos are and how to use them here .

Looking to take your persuasive technique from speech to sheets (of paper)? Get our three key tips on how to write an argumentative essay , or learn by reading through our thorough breakdown of how to build an essay, step by step .

Want a great GPA? Check out our step-by-step guide to getting good grades in high school so you can have a stellar transcript.

Interested in learning about other great extracurricular opportunities? Learn more about job shadowing , community service , and volunteer abroad programs.

Still trying to figure out your courses? Check out our expert guide on which classes you should take in high school.

Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points? We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download them for free now:

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Christine graduated from Michigan State University with degrees in Environmental Biology and Geography and received her Master's from Duke University. In high school she scored in the 99th percentile on the SAT and was named a National Merit Finalist. She has taught English and biology in several countries.

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Speechwriting

8 Purpose and Thesis

Speechwriting Essentials

In this chapter . . .

As discussed in the chapter on Speaking Occasion , speechwriting begins with careful analysis of the speech occasion and its given circumstances, leading to the choice of an appropriate topic. As with essay writing, the early work of speechwriting follows familiar steps: brainstorming, research, pre-writing, thesis, and so on.

This chapter focuses on techniques that are unique to speechwriting. As a spoken form, speeches must be clear about the purpose and main idea or “takeaway.” Planned redundancy means that you will be repeating these elements several times over during the speech.

Furthermore, finding purpose and thesis are essential whether you’re preparing an outline for extemporaneous delivery or a completely written manuscript for presentation. When you know your topic, your general and specific purpose, and your thesis or central idea, you have all the elements you need to write a speech that is focused, clear, and audience friendly.

Recognizing the General Purpose

Speeches have traditionally been grouped into one of three categories according to their primary purpose: 1) to inform, 2) to persuade, or 3) to inspire, honor, or entertain. These broad goals are commonly known as the general purpose of a speech . Earlier, you learned about the actor’s tool of intention or objectives. The general purpose is like a super-objective; it defines the broadest goal of a speech. These three purposes are not necessarily exclusive to the others. A speech designed to be persuasive can also be informative and entertaining. However, a speech should have one primary goal. That is its general purpose.

Why is it helpful to talk about speeches in such broad terms? Being perfectly clear about what you want your speech to do or make happen for your audience will keep you focused. You can make a clearer distinction between whether you want your audience to leave your speech knowing more (to inform), or ready to take action (to persuade), or feeling something (to inspire)

It’s okay to use synonyms for these broad categories. Here are some of them:

To inform could be to explain, to demonstrate, to describe, to teach.
To persuade could be to convince, to argue, to motivate, to prove.
To inspire might be to honor, or entertain, to celebrate, to mourn.

In summary, the first question you must ask yourself when starting to prepare a speech is, “Is the primary purpose of my speech to inform, to persuade, or to inspire?”

Articulating Specific Purpose

A specific purpose statement builds upon your general purpose and makes it specific (as the name suggests). For example, if you have been invited to give a speech about how to do something, your general purpose is “to inform.” Choosing a topic appropriate to that general purpose, you decide to speak about how to protect a personal from cyberattacks. Now you are on your way to identifying a specific purpose.

A good specific purpose statement has three elements: goal, target audience, and content.

Goal (To + active word)	for example: to inform, to explain, to convince, to honor
Audience	my classmates, the members of my sorority, my coworkers
Content	how to bake brownies, the history of EVs, Macs are better than PCs.

If you think about the above as a kind of recipe, then the first two “ingredients” — your goal and your audience — should be simple. Words describing the target audience should be as specific as possible. Instead of “my peers,” you could say, for example, “students in their senior year at my university.”

The third ingredient in this recipe is content, or what we call the topic of your speech. This is where things get a bit difficult. You want your content to be specific and something that you can express succinctly in a sentence. Here are some common problems that speakers make in defining the content, and the fix:


too broad	“I’m going to talk about climate change.”	Narrow down a specific topic appropriate to the general purpose. “To talk about” isn’t clear. A better topic here might be: “To persuade my audience to make five simple changes in their lifestyle that support the fight against climate change.”
combined topics	“My speech is about recycling and the increased frequency of hurricanes due to climate change.”	The word “and” in a description of content is a sure signal of a combined topic. Combined topics are too complex, and they muddy your focus. Choose one OR the other.
content doesn’t match the purpose	“To inform my classmates about why they should support LGBTQ+ safe spaces on campus.””	Match the content to the general purpose. Do you see the word “should” here? That is a sure sign that the topic is persuasive, not informative. An informative speech on this topic would be “To inform my classmates about the LGBTQ+ safe spaces available on campus.”

Now you know the “recipe” for a specific purpose statement. It’s made up of T o, plus an active W ord, a specific A udience, and clearly stated C ontent. Remember this formula: T + W + A + C.

A: for a group of new students

C: the term “plagiarism”

Here are some further examples a good specific purpose statement:

To explain to a group of first-year students how to join a school organization.
To persuade the members of the Greek society to take a spring break trip in Daytona Beach.
To motivate my classmates in English 101 to participate in a study abroad program.
To convince first-year students that they need at least seven hours of sleep per night to do well in their studies.
To inspire my Church community about the accomplishments of our pastor.

The General and Specific Purpose Statements are writing tools in the sense that they help you, as a speechwriter, clarify your ideas.

Creating a Thesis Statement

Once you are clear about your general purpose and specific purpose, you can turn your attention to crafting a thesis statement. A thesis is the central idea in an essay or a speech. In speechwriting, the thesis or central idea explains the message of the content. It’s the speech’s “takeaway.” A good thesis statement will also reveal and clarify the ideas or assertions you’ll be addressing in your speech (your main points). Consider this example:

General Purpose: To persuade. Specific Purpose: To motivate my classmates in English 101 to participate in a study abroad program. Thesis: A semester-long study abroad experience produces lifelong benefits by teaching you about another culture, developing your language skills, and enhancing your future career prospects.

The difference between a specific purpose statement and a thesis statement is clear in this example. The thesis provides the takeaway (the lifelong benefits of study abroad). It also points to the assertions that will be addressed in the speech. Like the specific purpose statement, the thesis statement is a writing tool. You’ll incorporate it into your speech, usually as part of the introduction and conclusion.

All good expository, rhetorical, and even narrative writing contains a thesis. Many students and even experienced writers struggle with formulating a thesis. We struggle when we attempt to “come up with something” before doing the necessary research and reflection. A thesis only becomes clear through the thinking and writing process. As you develop your speech content, keep asking yourself: What is important here? If the audience can remember only one thing about this topic, what do I want them to remember?

Example #2: General Purpose: To inform Specific Purpose: To demonstrate to my audience the correct method for cleaning a computer keyboard. Central Idea: Your computer keyboard needs regular cleaning to function well, and you can achieve that in four easy steps.

Example # 3 General Purpose: To Inform Specific Purpose: To describe how makeup is done for the TV show The Walking Dead . Central Idea: The wildly popular zombie show The Walking Dead achieves incredibly scary and believable makeup effects, and in the next few minutes I will tell you who does it, what they use, and how they do it.

Notice in the examples above that neither the specific purpose nor the central idea ever exceeds one sentence. If your central idea consists of more than one sentence, then you are probably including too much information.

Problems to Avoid

The first problem many students have in writing their specific purpose statement has already been mentioned: specific purpose statements sometimes try to cover far too much and are too broad. For example:

“To explain to my classmates the history of ballet.”

Aside from the fact that this subject may be difficult for everyone in your audience to relate to, it’s enough for a three-hour lecture, maybe even a whole course. You’ll probably find that your first attempt at a specific purpose statement will need refining. These examples are much more specific and much more manageable given the limited amount of time you’ll have.

To explain to my classmates how ballet came to be performed and studied in the U.S.
To explain to my classmates the difference between Russian and French ballet.
To explain to my classmates how ballet originated as an art form in the Renaissance.
To explain to my classmates the origin of the ballet dancers’ clothing.

The second problem happens when the “communication verb” in the specific purpose does not match the content; for example, persuasive content is paired with “to inform” or “to explain.” Can you find the errors in the following purpose statements?

To inform my audience why capital punishment is unconstitutional. (This is persuasive. It can’t be informative since it’s taking a side)
To persuade my audience about the three types of individual retirement accounts. (Even though the purpose statement says “persuade,” it isn’t persuading the audience of anything. It is informative.)
To inform my classmates that Universal Studios is a better theme park than Six Flags over Georgia. (This is clearly an opinion; hence it is a persuasive speech and not merely informative)

The third problem exists when the content part of the specific purpose statement has two parts. One specific purpose is enough. These examples cover two different topics.

To explain to my audience how to swing a golf club and choose the best golf shoes.
To persuade my classmates to be involved in the Special Olympics and vote to fund better classes for the intellectually disabled.

To fix this problem of combined or hybrid purposes, you’ll need to select one of the topics in these examples and speak on that one alone.

The fourth problem with both specific purpose and central idea statements is related to formatting. There are some general guidelines that need to be followed in terms of how you write out these elements of your speech:

Don’t write either statement as a question.
Always use complete sentences for central idea statements and infinitive phrases (beginning with “to”) for the specific purpose statement.
Use concrete language (“I admire Beyoncé for being a talented performer and businesswoman”) and avoid subjective or slang terms (“My speech is about why I think Beyoncé is the bomb”) or jargon and acronyms (“PLA is better than CBE for adult learners.”)

There are also problems to avoid in writing the central idea statement. As mentioned above, remember that:

The specific purpose and central idea statements are not the same thing, although they are related.
The central idea statement should be clear and not complicated or wordy; it should “stand out” to the audience. As you practice delivery, you should emphasize it with your voice.
The central idea statement should not be the first thing you say but should follow the steps of a good introduction as outlined in the next chapters.

You should be aware that all aspects of your speech are constantly going to change as you move toward the moment of giving your speech. The exact wording of your central idea may change, and you can experiment with different versions for effectiveness. However, your specific purpose statement should not change unless there is a good reason to do so. There are many aspects to consider in the seemingly simple task of writing a specific purpose statement and its companion, the central idea statement. Writing good ones at the beginning will save you some trouble later in the speech preparation process.

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Speech Writing

Updated on
Jan 16, 2024

The power of good, inspiring, motivating, and thought-provoking speeches can never be overlooked. If we retrospect, a good speech has not only won people’s hearts but also has been a verbal tool to conquer nations. For centuries, many leaders have used this instrument to charm audiences with their powerful speeches. Apart from vocalizing your speech perfectly, the words you choose in a speech carry immense weight, and practising speech writing begins with our school life. Speech writing is an important part of the English syllabus for Class 12th, Class 11th, and Class 8th to 10th. This blog brings you the Speech Writing format, samples, examples, tips, and tricks!

This Blog Includes:

What is speech writing, speech in english language writing, how do you begin an english-language speech, introduction, how to write a speech, speech writing samples, example of a great speech, english speech topics, practice time.

Must Read: Story Writing Format for Class 9 & 10

Speech writing is the art of using proper grammar and expression to convey a thought or message to a reader. Speech writing isn’t all that distinct from other types of narrative writing. However, students should be aware of certain distinct punctuation and writing style techniques. While writing the ideal speech might be challenging, sticking to the appropriate speech writing structure will ensure that you never fall short.

“There are three things to aim at in public speaking: first, to get into your subject, then to get your subject into yourself, and lastly, to get your subject into the heart of your audience.”- Alexander Gregg

The English language includes eight parts of speech i.e. nouns , pronouns , verbs , adjectives 410 , adverbs , prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections.

Noun- A noun is a word that describes anything, such as an animal, a person, a place, or an emotion. Nouns are the building blocks for most sentences.
Pronoun – Pronouns are words that can be used in place of nouns. They are used so that we don’t have to repeat words. This makes our writing and speaking much more natural.
Verb – A verb is a term that implies activity or ‘doing.’ These are very vital for your children’s grammar studies, as a sentence cannot be complete without a verb.
Adjective – An adjective is a term that describes something. An adjective is frequently used before a noun to add extra information or description.
Prepositions- A preposition is a term that expresses the location or timing of something in relation to something else.
Conjunction- Because every language has its own set of conjunctions, English conjunctions differ from those found in other languages. They’re typically used as a connecting word between two statements, concepts, or ideas.
Interjections- Interjections are words that are used to describe a strong emotion or a sudden feeling.

Relevant Read: Speech on the Importance of English

The way you start your English speech can set the tone for the remainder of it. This semester, there are a variety of options for you to begin presentations in your classes. For example, try some of these engaging speech in English language starters.

Rhetorical questions : A rhetorical question is a figure of speech that uses a question to convey a point rather than asking for a response. The answer to a rhetorical question may be clear, yet the questioner asks it to emphasize the point. Rhetorical questions may be a good method for students to start their English speeches. This method of introducing your material might be appealing to the viewers and encourage them to consider how they personally relate to your issue.
Statistics: When making an instructive or persuasive speech in an English class, statistics can help to strengthen the speaker’s authority and understanding of the subject. To get your point over quickly and create an emotional response, try using an unexpected statistic or fact that will resonate with the audience.
Set up an imaginary scene: Create an imaginary situation in your audience’s thoughts if you want to persuade them to agree with you with your speech. This method of starting your speech assists each member of the audience in visualizing a fantastic scenario that you wish to see come true.

Relevant Read: Reported Speech Rules With Exercises

Format of Speech Writing

Here is the format of Speech Writing:

Introduction : Greet the audience, tell them about yourself and further introduce the topic.
Body : Present the topic in an elaborate way, explaining its key features, pros and cons, if any and the like.
Conclusion : Summary of your speech, wrap up the topic and leave your audience with a compelling reminder to think about!

Let’s further understand each element of the format of Speech Writing in further detail:

After the greetings, the Introduction has to be attention-getting. Quickly get people’s attention. The goal of a speech is to engage the audience and persuade them to think or act in your favour. The introduction must effectively include:

A brief preview of your topic.
Define the outlines of your speech. (For example, I’ll be talking about…First..Second…Third)
Begin with a story, quote, fact, joke, or observation in the room. It shouldn’t be longer than 3-4 lines. (For Example: “Mahatma Gandhi said once…”, or “This topic reminds me of an incident/story…”)

This part is also important because that’s when your audience decides if the speech is worth their time. Keep your introduction factual, interesting, and convincing.

It is the most important part of any speech. You should provide a number of reasons and arguments to convince the audience to agree with you.

Handling objections is an important aspect of speech composition. There is no time for questions or concerns since a speech is a monologue. Any concerns that may occur during the speech will be addressed by a powerful speech. As a result, you’ll be able to respond to questions as they come in from the crowd. To make speech simpler you can prepare a flow chart of the details in a systematic way.

For example: If your speech is about waste management; distribute information and arrange it according to subparagraphs for your reference. It could include:

What is Waste Management?
Major techniques used to manage waste
Advantages of Waste Management
Importance of Waste Management

The conclusion should be something that the audience takes with them. It could be a reminder, a collective call to action, a summary of your speech, or a story. For example: “It is upon us to choose the fate of our home, the earth by choosing to begin waste management at our personal spaces.”

After concluding, add a few lines of gratitude to the audience for their time.

For example: “Thank you for being a wonderful audience and lending me your time. Hope this speech gave you something to take away.”

Practice Your Speech Writing with these English Speech topics for students !

A good speech is well-timed, informative, and thought-provoking. Here are the tips for writing a good school speech:

Speech Sandwich of Public Speaking

The introduction and conclusion must be crisp. People psychologically follow the primacy effect (tendency to remember the first part of the list/speech) and recency effect (tendency to recall the last part of the list/speech).

Use Concrete Facts

Make sure you thoroughly research your topic. Including facts appeals to the audience and makes your speech stronger. How much waste is managed? Give names of organisations and provide numerical data in one line.

Use Rhetorical Strategies and Humour

Include one or two open-ended or thought-provoking questions. For Example: “Would we want our future generation to face trouble due to global warming?” Also, make good use of humour and convenient jokes that engages your audience and keeps them listening.

Check Out: Message Writing

Know your Audience and Plan Accordingly

This is essential before writing your speech. To whom is it directed? The categorised audience on the basis of –

Knowledge of the Topic (familiar or unfamiliar)

Use the information to formulate the speech accordingly, use information that they will understand, and a sentence that they can retain.

Timing Yourself is Important

An important aspect of your speech is to time yourself. Don’t write a speech that exceeds your word limit. Here’s how can decide the right timing for your speech writing:

A one-minute speech roughly requires around 130-150 words
A two-minute speech requires roughly around 250-300 words

Speech Writing Examples

Here are some examples to help you understand how to write a good speech. Read these to prepare for your next speech:

Write a speech to be delivered in the school assembly as Rahul/ Rubaina of Delhi Public School emphasises the importance of cleanliness, implying that the level of cleanliness represents the character of its residents. (150-200 words)

“Cleanliness is next to godliness,” said the great John Wesley. Hello, respected principal, instructors, and good friends. Today, I, Rahul/Rubaina, stand in front of you all to emphasise the significance of cleanliness.

Cleanliness is the condition or attribute of being or remaining clean. Everyone must learn about cleaning, hygiene, sanitation, and the different diseases that are produced by unsanitary circumstances. It is essential for physical well-being and the maintenance of a healthy atmosphere at home and at school. A filthy atmosphere invites a large number of mosquitos to grow and spread dangerous diseases. On the other side, poor personal cleanliness causes a variety of skin disorders as well as lowered immunity.

Habits formed at a young age become ingrained in one’s personality. Even if we teach our children to wash their hands before and after meals, brush their teeth and bathe on a regular basis, we are unconcerned about keeping public places clean. On October 2, 2014, the Indian Prime Minister began the “Swachh Bharat” programme to offer sanitation amenities to every family, including toilets, solid and liquid waste disposal systems, village cleanliness, and safe and appropriate drinking water supplies. Teachers and children in schools are actively participating in the ‘Clean India Campaign’ with zeal and excitement.

Good health ensures a healthy mind, which leads to better overall productivity, higher living standards, and economic development. It will improve India’s international standing. As a result, a clean environment is a green environment with fewer illnesses. Thus, cleanliness is defined as a symbol of mental purity.

Thank you very much.

Relevant Read: Speech on Corruption

You are Sahil/Sanya, the school’s Head Girl/Head Boy. You are greatly troubled by the increasing instances of aggressive behaviour among your students. You decide to speak about it during the morning assembly. Create a speech about “School Discipline.” (150 – 200 words)

INDISCIPLINE IN SCHOOLS,

It has been reported that the frequency of fights and incidences of bullying in our school has increased dramatically in the previous several months. Good morning to everyone present. Today, I, Sahil/Sanya, your head boy/girl, am here to shed light on the serious topic of “Increased Indiscipline in Schools.”

It has come to light that instructor disobedience, bullying, confrontations with students, truancy, and insults are becoming more widespread. Furthermore, there have been reports of parents noticing a shift in their children’s attitudes. As a result, many children are suffering emotionally, psychologically, and physically. The impact of this mindset on children at a young age is devastating and irreversible.

Not to mention the harm done to the school’s property. Theft of chalk, scribbling on desks, walls and lavatory doors, destruction of CCTV cameras and so forth. We are merely depriving ourselves of the comforts granted to us by doing so.

Following numerous meetings, it was determined that the main reasons for the problem were a lack of sufficient guidance, excessive use of social media, and peer pressure. The council is working to make things better. Everyone is required to take life skills classes. Counselling, motivating, and instilling friendly ideals will be part of the curriculum. Seminars for parents and students will be held on a regular basis.

A counsellor is being made available to help you all discuss your sentiments, grudges, and personal problems. We are doing everything we can and expect you to do the same.

So, let us work together to create an environment in which we encourage, motivate, assist, and be nice to one another because we are good and civilised humans capable of a great deal of love.

Relevant Read: How to Write a Speech on Discipline?

The current increase in incidences of violent student misbehaviour is cause for alarm for everyone. Students who learn how to manage their anger can help to alleviate the situation. Write a 150-200-word speech about the topic to be delivered at the school’s morning assembly. (10)

HOW TO CONTROL ANGER

Honourable Principal, Respected Teachers, and Dear Friends, I’d like to share a few “Ways to Manage Anger” with you today.

The growing intolerance among the younger generation, which is resulting in violence against teachers, is cause for severe concern. The guru-shishya parampara is losing its lustre. Aggressive behaviour in students can be provoked by a variety of factors, including self-defence, stressful circumstance, over-stimulation, or a lack of adult supervision.

It has become imperative to address the situation. Life skills workshops will be included in the curriculum. Teachers should be trained to deal with such stubborn and confrontational behaviours. Meditation and deep breathing are very beneficial and should be practised every morning. Students should be taught to count to ten before reacting angrily. Sessions on anger control and its importance must also be held.

Remember that Anger is one letter away from danger. It becomes much more crucial to be able to control one’s rage. It’s never too late to start, as a wise man once said.

“Every minute you stay angry, you lose sixty seconds of peace of mind.”

Relevant Read: English Speech Topics for Students

Martin Luther King Jr’s ‘I Have A Dream’ is one of his most famous speeches. Its impact has lasted through generations. The speech is written by utilising the techniques above. Here are some examples:

“still sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination” – emotive Language

“In a sense, we’ve come to our nation’s capital to cash a check” – personalising the speech

“to stand up for freedom together” – a call to action.

Importantly, this is an example of how the listener comes first while drafting a speech. The language chosen appeals to a specific sort of audience and was widely utilised in 1963 when the speech was delivered.

The Best Day of My Life
Social Media: Bane or Boon?
Pros and Cons of Online Learning
Benefits of Yoga
If I had a Superpower
I wish I were ______
Environment Conservation
Women Should Rule the World!
The Best Lesson I Have Learned
Paperbacks vs E-books
How to Tackle a Bad Habit?
My Favorite Pastime/Hobby
Understanding Feminism
Fear of Missing Out (FOMO): Is it real or not?
Importance of Reading
Importance of Books in Our Life
My Favorite Fictional Character
Introverts vs Extroverts
Lessons to Learn from Sports
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder

Also Read: How to Ace IELTS Writing Section?

Ans. Speech writing is the process of communicating a notion or message to a reader by employing proper punctuation and expression. Speech writing is similar to other types of narrative writing. However, students should be aware of some different punctuation and writing structure techniques.

Ans. Before beginning with the speech, choose an important topic. Create an outline; rehearse your speech, and adjust the outline based on comments from the rehearsal. This five-step strategy for speech planning serves as the foundation for both lessons and learning activities.

Ans. Writing down a speech is vital since it helps you better comprehend the issue, organises your thoughts, prevents errors in your speech, allows you to get more comfortable with it, and improves its overall quality.

Speech writing and public speaking are effective and influential. Hope this blog helped you know the various tips for writing the speech people would want to hear. If you need help in making the right career choices at any phase of your academic and professional journey, our Leverage Edu experts are here to guide you. Sign up for a free session now!

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Knowledge Base
Academic writing
A step-by-step guide to the writing process

The Writing Process | 5 Steps with Examples & Tips

Published on April 24, 2020 by Jack Caulfield . Revised on December 8, 2023.

Good academic writing requires effective planning, drafting, and revision.

The writing process looks different for everyone, but there are five basic steps that will help you structure your time when writing any kind of text.

Receive feedback on language, structure, and formatting

Professional editors proofread and edit your paper by focusing on:

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Step 1: prewriting, step 2: planning and outlining, step 3: writing a first draft, step 4: redrafting and revising, step 5: editing and proofreading, other interesting articles, frequently asked questions about the writing process.

Before you start writing, you need to decide exactly what you’ll write about and do the necessary research.

Coming up with a topic

If you have to come up with your own topic for an assignment, think of what you’ve covered in class— is there a particular area that intrigued, interested, or even confused you? Topics that left you with additional questions are perfect, as these are questions you can explore in your writing.

The scope depends on what type of text you’re writing—for example, an essay or a research paper will be less in-depth than a dissertation topic . Don’t pick anything too ambitious to cover within the word count, or too limited for you to find much to say.

Narrow down your idea to a specific argument or question. For example, an appropriate topic for an essay might be narrowed down like this:

Doing the research

Once you know your topic, it’s time to search for relevant sources and gather the information you need. This process varies according to your field of study and the scope of the assignment. It might involve:

Searching for primary and secondary sources .
Reading the relevant texts closely (e.g. for literary analysis ).
Collecting data using relevant research methods (e.g. experiments , interviews or surveys )

From a writing perspective, the important thing is to take plenty of notes while you do the research. Keep track of the titles, authors, publication dates, and relevant quotations from your sources; the data you gathered; and your initial analysis or interpretation of the questions you’re addressing.

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Especially in academic writing , it’s important to use a logical structure to convey information effectively. It’s far better to plan this out in advance than to try to work out your structure once you’ve already begun writing.

Creating an essay outline is a useful way to plan out your structure before you start writing. This should help you work out the main ideas you want to focus on and how you’ll organize them. The outline doesn’t have to be final—it’s okay if your structure changes throughout the writing process.

Use bullet points or numbering to make your structure clear at a glance. Even for a short text that won’t use headings, it’s useful to summarize what you’ll discuss in each paragraph.

An outline for a literary analysis essay might look something like this:

Describe the theatricality of Austen’s works
Outline the role theater plays in Mansfield Park
Introduce the research question: How does Austen use theater to express the characters’ morality in Mansfield Park ?
Discuss Austen’s depiction of the performance at the end of the first volume
Discuss how Sir Bertram reacts to the acting scheme
Introduce Austen’s use of stage direction–like details during dialogue
Explore how these are deployed to show the characters’ self-absorption
Discuss Austen’s description of Maria and Julia’s relationship as polite but affectionless
Compare Mrs. Norris’s self-conceit as charitable despite her idleness
Summarize the three themes: The acting scheme, stage directions, and the performance of morals
Answer the research question
Indicate areas for further study

Once you have a clear idea of your structure, it’s time to produce a full first draft.

This process can be quite non-linear. For example, it’s reasonable to begin writing with the main body of the text, saving the introduction for later once you have a clearer idea of the text you’re introducing.

To give structure to your writing, use your outline as a framework. Make sure that each paragraph has a clear central focus that relates to your overall argument.

Hover over the parts of the example, from a literary analysis essay on Mansfield Park , to see how a paragraph is constructed.

The character of Mrs. Norris provides another example of the performance of morals in Mansfield Park . Early in the novel, she is described in scathing terms as one who knows “how to dictate liberality to others: but her love of money was equal to her love of directing” (p. 7). This hypocrisy does not interfere with her self-conceit as “the most liberal-minded sister and aunt in the world” (p. 7). Mrs. Norris is strongly concerned with appearing charitable, but unwilling to make any personal sacrifices to accomplish this. Instead, she stage-manages the charitable actions of others, never acknowledging that her schemes do not put her own time or money on the line. In this way, Austen again shows us a character whose morally upright behavior is fundamentally a performance—for whom the goal of doing good is less important than the goal of seeming good.

When you move onto a different topic, start a new paragraph. Use appropriate transition words and phrases to show the connections between your ideas.

The goal at this stage is to get a draft completed, not to make everything perfect as you go along. Once you have a full draft in front of you, you’ll have a clearer idea of where improvement is needed.

Give yourself a first draft deadline that leaves you a reasonable length of time to revise, edit, and proofread before the final deadline. For a longer text like a dissertation, you and your supervisor might agree on deadlines for individual chapters.

Now it’s time to look critically at your first draft and find potential areas for improvement. Redrafting means substantially adding or removing content, while revising involves making changes to structure and reformulating arguments.

Evaluating the first draft

It can be difficult to look objectively at your own writing. Your perspective might be positively or negatively biased—especially if you try to assess your work shortly after finishing it.

It’s best to leave your work alone for at least a day or two after completing the first draft. Come back after a break to evaluate it with fresh eyes; you’ll spot things you wouldn’t have otherwise.

When evaluating your writing at this stage, you’re mainly looking for larger issues such as changes to your arguments or structure. Starting with bigger concerns saves you time—there’s no point perfecting the grammar of something you end up cutting out anyway.

Right now, you’re looking for:

Arguments that are unclear or illogical.
Areas where information would be better presented in a different order.
Passages where additional information or explanation is needed.
Passages that are irrelevant to your overall argument.

For example, in our paper on Mansfield Park , we might realize the argument would be stronger with more direct consideration of the protagonist Fanny Price, and decide to try to find space for this in paragraph IV.

For some assignments, you’ll receive feedback on your first draft from a supervisor or peer. Be sure to pay close attention to what they tell you, as their advice will usually give you a clearer sense of which aspects of your text need improvement.

Redrafting and revising

Once you’ve decided where changes are needed, make the big changes first, as these are likely to have knock-on effects on the rest. Depending on what your text needs, this step might involve:

Making changes to your overall argument.
Reordering the text.
Cutting parts of the text.
Adding new text.

You can go back and forth between writing, redrafting and revising several times until you have a final draft that you’re happy with.

Think about what changes you can realistically accomplish in the time you have. If you are running low on time, you don’t want to leave your text in a messy state halfway through redrafting, so make sure to prioritize the most important changes.

Editing focuses on local concerns like clarity and sentence structure. Proofreading involves reading the text closely to remove typos and ensure stylistic consistency. You can check all your drafts and texts in minutes with an AI proofreader .

Editing for grammar and clarity

When editing, you want to ensure your text is clear, concise, and grammatically correct. You’re looking out for:

Grammatical errors.
Ambiguous phrasings.
Redundancy and repetition .

In your initial draft, it’s common to end up with a lot of sentences that are poorly formulated. Look critically at where your meaning could be conveyed in a more effective way or in fewer words, and watch out for common sentence structure mistakes like run-on sentences and sentence fragments:

Austen’s style is frequently humorous, her characters are often described as “witty.” Although this is less true of Mansfield Park .
Austen’s style is frequently humorous. Her characters are often described as “witty,” although this is less true of Mansfield Park .

To make your sentences run smoothly, you can always use a paraphrasing tool to rewrite them in a clearer way.

Proofreading for small mistakes and typos

When proofreading, first look out for typos in your text:

Spelling errors.
Missing words.
Confused word choices .
Punctuation errors .
Missing or excess spaces.

Use a grammar checker , but be sure to do another manual check after. Read through your text line by line, watching out for problem areas highlighted by the software but also for any other issues it might have missed.

For example, in the following phrase we notice several errors:

Mary Crawfords character is a complicate one and her relationships with Fanny and Edmund undergoes several transformations through out the novel.
Mary Crawford’s character is a complicated one, and her relationships with both Fanny and Edmund undergo several transformations throughout the novel.

Proofreading for stylistic consistency

There are several issues in academic writing where you can choose between multiple different standards. For example:

Whether you use the serial comma .
Whether you use American or British spellings and punctuation (you can use a punctuation checker for this).
Where you use numerals vs. words for numbers.
How you capitalize your titles and headings.

Unless you’re given specific guidance on these issues, it’s your choice which standards you follow. The important thing is to consistently follow one standard for each issue. For example, don’t use a mixture of American and British spellings in your paper.

Additionally, you will probably be provided with specific guidelines for issues related to format (how your text is presented on the page) and citations (how you acknowledge your sources). Always follow these instructions carefully.

If you want to know more about AI for academic writing, AI tools, or fallacies make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples or go directly to our tools!

Ad hominem fallacy
Post hoc fallacy
Appeal to authority fallacy
False cause fallacy
Sunk cost fallacy
Deep learning
Generative AI
Machine learning
Reinforcement learning
Supervised vs. unsupervised learning

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Grammar Checker
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Revising, proofreading, and editing are different stages of the writing process .

Revising is making structural and logical changes to your text—reformulating arguments and reordering information.
Editing refers to making more local changes to things like sentence structure and phrasing to make sure your meaning is conveyed clearly and concisely.
Proofreading involves looking at the text closely, line by line, to spot any typos and issues with consistency and correct them.

Whether you’re publishing a blog, submitting a research paper , or even just writing an important email, there are a few techniques you can use to make sure it’s error-free:

Take a break : Set your work aside for at least a few hours so that you can look at it with fresh eyes.
Proofread a printout : Staring at a screen for too long can cause fatigue – sit down with a pen and paper to check the final version.
Use digital shortcuts : Take note of any recurring mistakes (for example, misspelling a particular word, switching between US and UK English , or inconsistently capitalizing a term), and use Find and Replace to fix it throughout the document.

If you want to be confident that an important text is error-free, it might be worth choosing a professional proofreading service instead.

If you’ve gone over the word limit set for your assignment, shorten your sentences and cut repetition and redundancy during the editing process. If you use a lot of long quotes , consider shortening them to just the essentials.

If you need to remove a lot of words, you may have to cut certain passages. Remember that everything in the text should be there to support your argument; look for any information that’s not essential to your point and remove it.

To make this process easier and faster, you can use a paraphrasing tool . With this tool, you can rewrite your text to make it simpler and shorter. If that’s not enough, you can copy-paste your paraphrased text into the summarizer . This tool will distill your text to its core message.

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Writing a speech

Topic outline.

The purpose of a speech is often to inform or persuade an audience.

Speeches are usually written to be spoken directly to an audience and can be used to entertain, influencing the listeners that the viewpoint of the speaker is correct.

Speeches can also be used to encourage the audience to take action or to change their behaviour in some way; for example, to join a particular school club or society, or to recycle more.

The ways you use language and vocabulary when writing the words of a speech will depend on the audience and the purpose you are writing for; for example, in a speech to a group of teachers and parents giving your views on a recent proposal, formal language is most appropriate.

think about the audience that the speech is for – are you giving your speech to a group of people you know, or do not know, or a mixture of both? If you know your audience well, you may be able to relax a little, but a speech is still a formal kind of talk and would usually not include slang
whether your audience are likely to disagree with what you say – you will need to consider any possible objections and deal with them. Use language carefully to make objections seem less significant; for example, using phrases like ‘A few people may still think, however’
the reason you are giving this speech and how you feel about this topic – try to imagine the words of your speech as you would speak them out loud. Your tone of voice must match your message, so choose words that appeal to the emotions of your listeners. Focus on what you want your audience to know and feel by the end of your speech
how to engage your listeners – f or example, you might use inclusive words or phrases like ‘we’, ‘all of us’ and ‘our’ to make your listeners feel that you are all on the same side.
Plan where you want to finish your speech and how you will get there before you start writing – t h e structure of a speech is usually in three parts. For example:
An opening that grabs your audience's attention and makes the overall topic of your speech clear – for example, pose a question to the audience where you can predict the answer.
A well-structured, supported and developed argument – for example, to support your argument you might use real life examples or anecdotes.
A powerful conclusion – for example, group your final words or ideas in threes to help make them memorable or end with a thought- provoking question or image and thank your audience for listening.
Organise your ideas into paragraphs as appropriate – this will help you to develop and support your points convincingly, to build your argument and/or offer a full explanation of a particular point of view.
S how the connectio ns between ideas in sentences and paragraphs – where a new point or idea follows on from what you have already said you might use linking words or phrases such as, ‘in addition’, ‘likewise’ or ‘similarly’.
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Student Council speeches

Student Council Speeches

By: Susan Dugdale

How to write a winning speech: a template, guidelines, plus example speeches

Student Council Speeches mark the end of an election campaign.

Will yours be successful?

The final answer is in the hands of your fellow students. It's entirely their decision.

However, up until they mark their voting papers 'yes' or 'no' you have the potential to make their choice of candidate for the upcoming year 'you'.

How to write a great student council speech

Use the quick links below to find what you need to write a great student council speech, whether it's the President, Vice-President, Secretary or Treasurer role you're after.

Image - colored hands waving in affirmation. The word "YES" superimposed over image.

the primary purpose of your speech
a template that includes all the necessary elements of a good Student Council speech
points to consider carefully before you write
an example Student Council President speech
an example Student Council Vice President speech
an example Student Council Secretary speech
an example Student Council Treasurer speech
a printable speech planner and outline to download
vital tips for rehearsal . These make the difference between looking and sounding polished and bumbling.
a link to a collection of videoed student council speeches
how to manage anxiety about speaking in front of others

Understanding your speech purpose

Understanding the nature or purpose of your speech could make all the difference between winning and losing.

Student Council speeches are persuasive speeches . Their ultimate goal is to get you the YES vote.

To help you achieve that use the template, (framework or pattern), below to cover all the essential elements you need to pull together.

In addition, it will structure your speech logically, and effectively, from its opening through to its close.

(I've turned the template into a printable enabling you to plan and outline your speech efficiently and easily. You can download it from the link further down the page.)

Return to Top

Student Council speeches template

Round button - colored hands waving in affirmation - YES.

Greeting - Attention Getter - The Hook You'll need an opening statement or rhetorical question to sit your audience up with open ears and minds. For more see: How to write a speech introduction: 12 of the best ways to start.
Who you are - your name, your place or grade in the school, and maybe, your hobbies or interests, and the clubs or teams you're a member of. For example, Amnesty International, the speech and debate club, cross-country and basketball. And if you've used a campaign slogan work it in. It'll jog people's memories. 'Ah, yes, that person!', they'll think. Being known and familiar gives you a head start.
What you want - the role you are campaigning for: President, Vice President, Treasurer, Secretary, Historian...
What you are going to do for the audience - benefits to them in exchange for their vote. (Brief summary -you will expand this in the body of your speech.)
Credibility - your qualification or expertise establishing your fitness for the role you want. (Brief summary - you will expand this in the body of your speech.)
Transition leading to...
Your Main Idea 1 - For example: your goal for the role, what you want to achieve, how you plan to do it, the benefits to your audience - what painful problem(s) will you solve for them, your fitness for the job, transition to...
Main Idea 2 - Supporting ideas - details and examples - transition to...
Main Idea 3 - Supporting ideas - details and examples - transition to...

NB. Only include a second and third idea if you have time to expand on them. If not, move through to the conclusion.

Summary of main points
Re-statement of what you want - to be elected to the role you're running for
Re-statement of the benefits to the audience
Closer, clincher, call for action

Points to consider BEFORE you write your speech

Image: various colored hands waving. Text: - vote me.

You'll make a better job of completing the printable student council speech template if you take the time to go through the points below.

And then, read the student council speech examples, before you start to write.

Research the role

Think about your audience, what tone or choice of vocabulary is best suited to them.

Avoid trying to impress with either 'big' words or use of slang. Both are traps! Be yourself. Authentic. Real.

Keep your language conversational rather than overly formal and use smaller rather than large sentences.

Try using active rather than passive words. These convey enthusiasm. For examples, see this page on using action verbs . You'll discover how to go from boring bla bla bland to dynamic excitement.

What 'hook' will you use to get them to listen? Humor? Humor is good if it is relevant and inclusive rather than exclusive. (No 'in' jokes!).

Your goal in the role you want

Avoid setting up expectations that you will deliver beyond your capability. :-)

It might be very tempting, but can you really reduce school hours, increase academic standards, introduce a range of exciting new extracurricular activities, as well as have a 'green day' and a movie night every month? Please keep it real!

Your credibility or qualifications

Now is not the time either to be shy or arrogantly big-headed! Let the audience know how right you are for the role you want.

Set yourself apart from other candidates by sharing compelling personal stories or anecdotes that both support your pitch, and show you understand the key issues that matter to your fellow students.

Your school's requirements

If your speech does not meet pre- established criteria in any way you may find it is returned to you edited. It's safer to find out what those criteria are BEFORE writing to avoid having to re-write or worse, being disqualified entirely.

Mockery and personal insults are not clever. They boomerang back on you, letting your audience know you're not to be trusted and neither are you ready for leadership.

Readily acknowledging the skill and expertise of your fellow candidates sincerely in a way that doesn't demean yourself, or them, shows an open mind and maturity.

Aim to have your speech ready BEFORE the deadline.

Give yourself time to prepare thoroughly, including time to review of your opponents' campaigns. That can be very useful for seeing their strengths as well as their weaknesses, which you can then respond to in your own material.

Student Council President speech example

Here's a sample student council speech. I've written it from the perspective of someone running for President.

As you read it, imagine it said aloud. That will help you get the rhythm and flow of language. The speech is between 3 - 4 minutes long, depending on how quickly you speak.

Vote Sophia Clarke for Student Council President

Image: multi-colored hands waving. Text: YES! Sophia Clarke for President Student Council.

"I’ve got a question for you. I’m not asking you to shout your answer out, or raise your hand. All I’m asking is that you give it room in your mind. Let it sit for a bit, and have a think about it.

My question is – do you believe like I do, that all of us deserve the opportunity to make the best of ourselves? Not second best, 3 rd , or even, highly commended. The BEST.

I’m Sophia Clarke. I’m in the 12 th grade, and I’m running for president. My vision is that each student is enabled to develop the skills and confidence to become the bigger, better version of themselves. The best they can be. Regardless of who they are, and what they need to achieve that.

It’s an audacious goal. Some would say an idealistic, rather than a realistic, one.

However I say it’s awesome. And that you’re intelligent people who realize that reaching any goal starts with taking the first step.

So let me remind you why choosing me, Sophia Clarke, for president, is also choosing a better chance for yourself, and everyone else to grow.

I know you, and I know your needs well. I’ve served on your behalf in multiple roles through my years here; secretary, auditor, public relations officer, and have successfully taken on multiple issues. You’ll know some of those through directly benefiting from them.

It was me who was behind the push to get a regular anti-bullying program running throughout the school. That was two years ago, and now the Teens Against Bullying message underpins what we expect and strive for in our every day dealings with each other.

We know incidents of bullying are far fewer as a result. As our orange tee shirts say we ‘choose kindness, acceptance and inclusion’ for each other, and our selves.

Who has been involved in our mentoring-homework program? Either as a buddy-tutor or as a student getting a helping hand? And who, like me, is passionate about making sure that everybody gets a fair go?

In the past year, under my watch that program has escalated. We have over 50% more tutors across more subject areas and more students taking up the offer of help. That is a fabulous outcome for everybody. Truly win-win.

A tick in the box alongside my name is a tick for the continued growth of those programs. Their value is proven. They allow each of us to grow and experience the strength and confidence that comes from knowing that we can make a positive difference in other people’s lives as well as our own.

When you vote me for President you get my capacity to organize, to liaise, to listen and to speak, working for the benefit of everybody.

A 'yes' for me is a 'yes' for appreciating and celebrating diversity.

A 'yes' for me, Sophia Clarke for President, is 'yes' to a better you.

And together that is a 'yes' to a better life, and a better school, for all of us."

Student Council Vice President speech example

Like the speech above, this one runs to approximately 4 minutes when said aloud. Try it and see.

Image: poster for student council election. Text: YES! Jason Hull for Vice President, Student Council

Nod your head if you've heard of the phrase '2nd fiddle' or '2IC'.

What about 'sidekick'?

Not booting a ball in from a sideline but a trusty partner to whoever it is who has the leading role. Like Robin is for Batman.

Or like, {name of your country's Vice President or Prime Minister} is for {name of country's President or Prime Minister} or {name of your school's Vice Principal} is for {name of your school's Principal}!

Well, that's what I aspire to - to become the trusty, tried and true sidekick to the President on our student council.

My name is Jason Hull. I'm in Grade 12 and proudly standing in front of you today as a candidate for the role of Vice President. Yes, I am asking you to give me something of immense value - your vote.

I know what the issues, here at {name of school} are. As part of my campaign, I've interviewed you, and listened. I promise your ideas will be acted on.

Afterall I've trained for this role, put in the time. You know, I know how to get things done.

Last year I served as Secretary and the year before that I was a representative for the committee - proof that I'm committed to bettering our school environment not just for you, but for everybody!

With your support, I'll be your go-to guy when you want to make sure that your opinions and feedback reach the decision-makers.

One of my main goals as your Vice President is to champion your initiatives: amongst others, that's the library extensions you told me about, the desire for healthier food choices in our cafeteria, and the urgent need to increase and diversify the workforce and out-reach opportunities that so many of you mentioned.

Whether you're passionate about improving our school facilities, or enhancing our community involvement, I'll be there to guide and help you.

In the role of Vice President, I will work alongside the President fulfilling my duties to the best of my ability.

Together, we'll make sure that your concerns, and hopes are not just heard but actively pursued. Not 'I' will make sure, but 'we'.

There is no 'I' in we, and that too, is a prerequisite of the Vice President's position: the capacity to put aside ego and to work productively for the good of all.

Because together, we, the Vice President, the President and the other council members, are stronger and can achieve more.

The Vice President role may be a support act but it's a vital one. To succeed in it, collaboration is key. I promise to work hand in hand not only with the President but also with the entire student council team, our teachers, and our administration on your behalf.

Unity is strength. More than ever, we need to nurture understanding, kindness and respect for each other. Regardless of your grade, interests, or background, I want every one of you to feel valued and heard.

That's a goal many would say is impossible.

However, I say, we need to be the difference we want to see in the world. And to borrow those famous words of Helen Keller's: "Alone we can do so little. Together we can so much."

It would be an honor to be your voice, your eyes and your ears as Vice President.

So, I ask you, will you trust me to have your best interests at heart? Will you enable me to work on your behalf?

And are you willing to give me, Jason Hull, your vote for best sidekick, aka. Vice President?

I'll take those smiles, as a 'Yes'.

Example Student Council speeches for Secretary and Treasurer

Click the link to read an:

example Student Council speech for the role of Secretary . Plus, an overview of the Secretary's main tasks and responsibilities.
example Student Council speech for the role of Treasurer . Plus, an overview of the Secretary's main tasks and responsibilities.

(This page was getting far too long to include them both here. ☺)

Get the printable student council speech outline

Click on the image below to open a downloadable printable student council speech planner and outline pdf. (Please note it will open in a new window.)

Image: a row of multicolored hands waving. Text: Click to download a printable student council speech outline.

Your completed outline will provide both the structure and the content you need to efficiently write your speech.

After you've finished writing your speech

Now that you've finished writing, you're ready to begin work on your delivery: how you present the speech to your audience.

The first step in that process is making sure your speech fits comfortably into whatever time you've been allocated.

After that comes rehearsal. The information you need for both steps is below.

Timing and word count

Student Council Speeches are generally brief: around 1-4 minutes long which isn't a lot of time! That's between approximately 150 - 600 words at an average speaking rate of 150 words per minute.

To be safe say your speech out loud as if you were delivering it for real and time it. In some schools going overtime can result in being disqualified.

Going faster to fit everything in

Please do not be tempted to say it faster to get everything you planned said. As a strategy it doesn't work. You'll end up gabbling: speaking far too quickly and people won't be able to understand what you're saying.

Cutting out extra material

If you have got too much material for the time limit, cut it. Choose the least important ideas to let go of first. Then move on to rephrasing to reduce the number of words used to express a point.

When you think it's done, repeat the test. Say it out loud as if you were actually giving it, and time it.

If you're now within the allotted time, you are ready for rehearsal.

For more about word count see: how many words per minute in a speech

How to rehearse your speech

Round button -multi-colored hands waving in affirmation - the word "rehearse" across image.

Please, please rehearse your speech ! Do not be tempted to wing it. The more you rehearse the easier it will be to deliver it well.

Remember it is only 1 to 4 minutes long! In that time your goal is to have your audience ready to vote for you.

You can help them make that decision by being confident and prepared. You will show that through:

your speaking style - natural, sincere, fluent, understandable (clear and able to be heard without straining)
your body language - relaxed, open gestures, good eye contact and smiling
your personal grooming or presentation because how you look 'speaks' too. Make sure that your clothing and general grooming supports your speech because, like it or not, you will be judged on both!

Go to: how to rehearse a speech properly .

Image: cross legged girl with large pair of wings, levitating. Text: How to rehearse a speech properly and do so much more than wing it.

Videoed Student Council speech examples

How do other people handle a Student Council speech? What's their content and delivery like?

Are they funny? Formal? Too hurried? Confident? Familiar with the audience?

It can help to look at what others have done. Even if it's only to decide their way will not be your way!

Image: Malvern Preparatory School, Malvern, PA. USA, candidates for Student Council 2018

Click the link to access a collection ten videoed student council campaign speeches from the 2018 student council executive board candidates for Malvern Preparatory School, Malvern, Pennsylvania, USA.

At the foot of the article you'll find links to the videos of the school's 2015, 2016 and 2017 student council campaign speeches.

A word of warning

Ps. panic not.

Round button - Image -multi-colored hands waving in affirmation with the word "Help" superimposed on top.

If you find yourself getting anxious over the thought of delivering your speech, please check this page for help.

How to deal with acute public speaking anxiety: 14 ways that will help

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College Student Views on Free Expression and Campus Speech 2024

Full reports.

Knight-Fdn_Free-Expression_2024_072424_FINAL-1

A look at Key Trends in Student Speech Views Since 2016

A knight foundation-ipsos study from the knight free expression research series.

“College Student Views on Free Expression and Campus Speech 2024” continues Knight Foundation’s research series tracking college student views on the First Amendment and free expression, which began in 2016. This work seeks to elevate the voices of students and understand their complex attitudes on free expression, especially within the college setting. This latest report is particularly timely as the 2024 election nears and as the war in Gaza has sparked contentious protests on campuses across the country, bringing the specific complexities of free speech to the center of the national debate. This research was conducted before the spring 2024 campus protests, thus not capturing students’ responses to these events. [1]

This Knight Foundation-Ipsos report continues the investigation into the complexities of free expression on campus and highlights the evolving views of students. This survey shows that the story of free speech on campus continues to be nuanced and characterized by lived experiences, good-faith efforts and genuine student interest to build a constructive learning environment.

During this tumultuous time, it’s more important than ever that university leaders are equipped with data that elevates the views of students to guide their campus decision-making. The findings described in this report cover many of the rich insights contained in this expansive dataset. Higher education administrators, the public, and researchers are welcome to continue exploring this publicly available survey database.

Read the full report here .

Download the topline and methodology here . For access to the full raw data set, please reach out to [email protected] .

Key Findings

Students believe free speech is essential to american democracy, but confidence in the security of this right has plummeted since 2016..

While 9 in 10 college students continue to feel that citizens’ free speech rights are very important to them, fewer students believe their freedom of speech is secure in 2024, down 30 percentage points from 2016. Notably, since 2021 the increased concern about security of free speech is driven by Democratic students.

Discomfort with the speech environment on campus is rising, and 7 in 10 students say speech can be as damaging as physical violence.

The percentage of students who felt uncomfortable due to speech about race, gender, religion, or sexual orientation on campus has almost doubled, from 25% to 44%, since 2017. More than half (55%) report feeling uncomfortable due to political speech. However, there has been little change in reported rates of students feeling physically unsafe (15%) due to speech on campus.

Students want to be exposed to a wide range of viewpoints, though tension persists between promoting free expression and protecting students from hateful or threatening speech.

Most students continue to support allowing all types of speech, even offensive speech. Few students are in favor of restrictive speech measures on campus such as speech codes. However, students do draw lines, with a majority saying that both hate and threatening speech should be restricted from campus. [2]

Few students report they would take part in disruptive actions toward invited speakers they oppose.

Eight percent of students report they would engage in disruptive actions – either trying to stop a speech ahead of time or disrupt it during – to halt a speaker they oppose. The large majority of students report they would take no action (51%), boycott the event (23%), or other non-disruptive actions.

Compared with white students, Black, Asian, and multiracial students report challenging experiences and diverging opinions of campus speech.

Half or more of these students report feeling uncomfortable on campus due to something someone else said about race, ethnicity, religion, gender, or sexual orientation. A decisive majority of Black students (85%) also agree that hate speech should not be allowed on college campuses, in line with Asian, Hispanic, and multiracial students.

Students feel self-censorship hampers educational value.

Two in 3 students say self-censorship limits educationally valuable conversations on campus, and 2 in 3 report self-censoring on some topics during classroom discussions. This is particularly true when it comes to discussing topics of gender or LGBTQ+ issues, racial issues, or religion.

Students crave opportunity to engage in constructive dialogue.

Most students are unaware of programs at their institution to promote constructive dialogues. Among those who definitively report that their schools do not have such programs, a clear majority favor creating programs to help foster healthy debate.

Students are increasingly skeptical of social media’s role in productive conversations.

Only 1 in 4 students feel the dialogue that occurs on social media is usually civil, down from 40% in 2016. Only half feel comfortable sharing opinions online, with many believing social media stifles free expression due to fear of attacks or shaming.

A selection of key student views on free expression and campus speech. Full findings are in the body of the report.

KEY POPULATIONS

Experience with and attitudes toward speech vary widely among different student groups. The greatest differences exist among partisanship and race, and less so by gender or other demographic groupings. The following is a brief summary of the major findings and how opinion has changed over time, including the degree to which students have a formed opinion at all.

Democratic students

Half of Democratic students believe that freedom of speech is secure in America today, down from about 3 in 5 Democratic students who felt that way in 2021. Since 2021, Democratic students have been driving the increased concern about the security of free speech. Democratic students are split on whether to allow all types of speech on campus, even speech that is offensive. Similar to 2021, more Democratic than Republican or independent students are in favor of protecting students by prohibiting speech they may find offensive, something that was also true in prior Knight-Gallup research. [3] Since 2019, a large majority of Democratic students have believed that colleges should be able to restrict the use of racial slurs on campus. When it comes to other speech policies, about 3 in 4 support the creation of safe spaces on campus, close to half support the creation of speech codes that could limit offensive or biased speech, and about 2 in 5 favor schools disinviting a speaker because of their views. These views are consistent with previous surveys. A majority of Democrats and independents feel that their campus climate prevents people from saying what they believe for fear of offending others, although they are less likely to feel this way than Republicans.

Independent students

Independent students express growing concerns about the fundamental security of free speech in America today while indicating their wariness of colleges limiting speech on campus. Just about 2 in 5 independent students feel that free speech is secure today, down from under half of independents in 2021, and down even more from the 3 in 4 who felt this way in 2016. Yet a large majority feel that the First Amendment protects people like them, a view that has held steady since 2019. A majority believe that colleges should allow students to be exposed to all forms of speech. Opinion is split among the remaining minority with equal numbers either believing that colleges should foster a protective environment or having no opinion on the matter. Much as in previous surveys, few support colleges disinviting controversial speakers or instituting speech codes. A majority feel that their campus climate limits free expression, a view that has remained roughly the same since 2019.

Republican students

Few Republican students feel that freedom of speech is secure today, with about 1 in 3 feeling this right is secure. However, that has increased since 2021, when only about 1 in 4 felt that freedom of speech was secure. Still, that is down substantially from the 2 in 3 Republicans who felt free speech was secure in 2016. About 2 in 3 Republican students feel that their campus prevents people from saying things they believe because others might find it offensive, roughly in line with where Republican students stood in 2021 on this question. A strong majority (7 in 10) say it is more important for colleges to allow students to be exposed to all types of speech, even if they find it offensive or biased, than to prohibit offensive or biased speech. This is consistent with 2021, but down from 2019. A majority (53%) – albeit a smaller share than either Democratic or independent students – believe that colleges should be allowed to prohibit the use of racial slurs on campus, in line with attitudes from 2021. Republicans are more divided around whether safe spaces should be allowed on campus – half favor this – but come down firmly against schools disinviting controversial speakers, something that was also true in 2019 and 2021. Half oppose schools instituting speech codes that could restrict offensive or biased speech.

White students

White students tend to favor allowing all types of speech on campus, over protecting students by prohibiting certain speech. They are least likely to report having felt unsafe or uncomfortable on campus because of comments about their identity, as compared with Black and Hispanic students. This has not changed substantially since 2021. Overall, over half of white college students believe that freedom of speech is under threat in America today. Yet a large majority feel that the First Amendment protects people like them, a view that has held steady since 2019. When it comes to free expression on college campuses, white students are more likely than their Black or Hispanic counterparts to agree that schools should favor exposing students to all forms of speech, rather than protecting them from speech they may f ind offensive or biased. This was also true in 2019 and 2021. A majority agree that their campus climate prevents some people from saying things they believe because others might find it offensive, in line with attitudes among Black and Hispanic students.

Black students

A growing number of Black students favor a more protective campus environment. In 2021, 36% of Black students favored a campus environment that protects students by prohibiting speech they may find offensive or biased, up from the 28% who favored this in 2019. Now, 43% favor this more protective speech environment over allowing students to be exposed to all types of speech even if they may find it offensive or biased. Black students, in particular, are among the most supportive of speech restrictions, including being the most likely to say hate speech should not be legally protected (71%), and the most likely to report that “people like them” have a harder time exercising their free speech rights, a sentiment that has grown since 2021. A decisive majority of Black students (85%) also agree that hate speech should not be allowed on college campuses, in line with Asian, Hispanic, and multiracial students. In both in 2019 and 2021, a majority of Black students felt that colleges should restrict the use of offensive racial slurs on campus. This year, around half of these students report feeling uncomfortable on campus due to something someone else said about race, ethnicity, religion, gender, or sexual orientation. Notably, 1 in 5 Black students also report feeling unsafe on campus because of something someone said about their race, ethnicity, or religion, statistically the same as Hispanic students. Only 1 in 10 white students report the same.

Hispanic students

Hispanic students’ views of campus speech, and personal experiences, fall somewhere between the differing views of Black and white students. Half of Hispanic students say colleges should allow students to be exposed to all types of speech even if they may find it offensive or biased over having a more protective speech environment that limits speech students may find offensive or biased. Hispanic students fall between white and Black students on their view about allowing students to be exposed to all types of speech over protecting students by having a more prohibitive policy. Hispanic students align closely with white students on perceptions that free speech is under threat; just under half agree. A majority of Hispanic students also feel that colleges should be able to restrict offensive racial slurs, in line with attitudes among white students, with 2 in 3 supporting this, even as more Black students support colleges being able to restrict racial slurs. A plurality of Hispanic students oppose disinviting controversial speakers, though after that, Hispanic students are split between having no opinion on the subject and favoring disinviting a controversial speaker. Like Black students, a plurality (43%) favor instituting speech codes to restrict potentially offensive or biased speech on campus, while far fewer white students (25%) agree. Likewise, close to 7 in 10 Hispanic students favor the creation of safe spaces on campus, less than the share of white students who do but statistically no different from Black students. Sixteen percent of Hispanic students report feeling unsafe on campus because of something someone said about their race, ethnicity, or religion, statistically the same as Black students. Only 1 in 10 white students report the same.

Male and female students

For the most part, male and female students are aligned in their attitudes and experiences of free speech, with a few key differences. Overall, a majority of both male and female students say that free speech rights are important to American democracy. Now, male students are more likely than female students to strongly agree that free speech is an important part of American democracy. Nearly twice as many female students (19%) as male students (10%) report that they have felt personally unsafe on campus because of something someone said in reference to their race, ethnicity, or religion. Additionally, far more female students (51%) than male students (35%) report feeling uncomfortable in a class, living area, public space, or other part of campus because of something someone said about their race, ethnicity, religion, gender, or sexual orientation, something that was also true in 2021 and 2019.

[1] The 2024 Knight Foundation-Ipsos survey was conducted March 7-28, 2024.

[2] In the survey hate speech was defined as an attack based on someone’s race, religion, gender identity, or sexual orientation. This definition was used in order to maintain trend with previous surveys. It should be noted that this could be interpreted to cover abstractly hateful speech or unprotected conducts such as harassment.

[3] Knight-Gallup Free Expression Research, 2016, 2017, 2019

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Britain’s Violent Riots: What We Know

Officials had braced for more unrest on Wednesday, but the night’s anti-immigration protests were smaller, with counterprotesters dominating the streets instead.

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A handful of protesters, two in masks, face a group of riot police officers with shields. In the background are a crowd, a fire and smoke in the air.

By Lynsey Chutel

After days of violent rioting set off by disinformation around a deadly stabbing rampage, the authorities in Britain had been bracing for more unrest on Wednesday. But by nightfall, large-scale anti-immigration demonstrations had not materialized, and only a few arrests had been made nationwide.

Instead, streets in cities across the country were filled with thousands of antiracism protesters, including in Liverpool, where by late evening, the counterdemonstration had taken on an almost celebratory tone.

Over the weekend, the anti-immigration protests, organized by far-right groups, had devolved into violence in more than a dozen towns and cities. And with messages on social media calling for wider protests and counterprotests on Wednesday, the British authorities were on high alert.

With tensions running high, Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s cabinet held emergency meetings to discuss what has become the first crisis of his recently elected government. Some 6,000 specialist public-order police officers were mobilized nationwide to respond to any disorder, and the authorities in several cities and towns stepped up patrols.

Wednesday was not trouble-free, however.

In Bristol, the police said there was one arrest after a brick was thrown at a police vehicle and a bottle was thrown. In the southern city of Portsmouth, police officers dispersed a small group of anti-immigration protesters who had blocked a roadway. And in Belfast, Northern Ireland, where there have been at least four nights of unrest, disorder continued, and the police service said it would bring in additional officers.

But overall, many expressed relief that the fears of wide-scale violence had not been realized.

Here’s what we know about the turmoil in Britain.

Where arrests have been reported

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How to Write a Speech - Outline With Example

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