116 CHAPTER^9 Organizing Your Main Points
Specific Purpose: To inform my audience about the global impact of hip-hop.
Central Idea: Hip-hop is a phenomenon on many continents.^5
I. Brazil’s hip-hop scene developed out of favela street parties in the 1980s.
II. France is one of the world’s great producers and consumers of hip-hop.
III. Hip-hop hit it big in South Africa about a decade ago with Miss Nthabi.
IV. Korea is just one of the Asian countries with a flourishing hip-hop scene.
Something done in layers (such as creating a parfait) should be discussed in order—
bottom-to-top; however, other topics are more flexible. A speech describing a city, for
instance, could be organized by direction (north, south, east, west), by population density
(most to least populated areas, or vice versa), by income level, and so on, depending on
the goal.Cause–Effect or Causal Organization
When you want to shed light on a problem, a cause–effect or causal pattern works well.
Here, you examine the reasons underlying a problem (the causes) and the implications of
the problem for individuals or for society at large (the effects). You can use either a cause-
to-effect or an effect-to-cause pattern. This cause–effect speech was on campaign ads:
Specific Purpose: To inform my audience of the reason people use negative
campaign ads and their negative influence on politics.
Central Idea: Campaigns use negative ads in political campaigns for a variety of
reasons, but their effect on the electorate is negative.^6
I. Campaigns use them for several reasons (causes).
A. Candidates cast suspicion on their opponents.
B. Negative ads are memorable.
II. Negative ads affect the electorate.
A. They are linked to decreased voter turnout.
B. Voters lose trust in politics and politicians.
Some topics are more effectively presented by using an effects-to-cause pattern—
first looking at a problem’s effects on an individual or group before exploring its causes.
Specific Purpose: To inform my audience that many Asians are turning to surger-
ies and cosmetics to change their appearance because of Western media influences.
Central Idea: Many Asians are increasingly trying to modify their appearance
because of influences from Western media.^7
I. Asians are turning to unnecessary surgeries and cosmetics (effects).
A. Eyelid surgery is increasingly popular, especially among Koreans.
B. Skin bleaching products are sold throughout Asian countries.
II. Critics say Western depictions of beauty cause this dissatisfaction.
A. Ideologies of beauty portrayed in Western media include large eyes, blonde hair,
smooth complexions, and skinny or toned bodies.
B. Multinational companies use standardized advertising that includes computer-
enhanced Western models, even in Asian countries.Problem–Solution Organization
As Chapter 1 pointed out, one core US belief is that life presents challenges we can solve
through knowledge and effort. Consequently, we often approach global, national, local,
and personal issues as problems that require solutions. A problem–solution pattern
works well for both informative and persuasive speeches. Not surprisingly, this pattern
requires you to look at the problem—sometimes examining its causes and effects—and
then propose a solution. Here is an outline for a persuasive speech about taxing mileage,
not gasoline:cause–effect or causal
pattern presents reasons
(causes) and implications
(effects) of a topic
problem–solution pattern
describes a problem and
a possible solution or
solutions to it
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