Public Speaking Handbook

Organizing Your Main ideas 9.1 183

In this chapter, we will discuss the patterns of organization that are com-
monly used to arrange the main ideas of a speech. Then we will explain how
to integrate supporting materials into a speech. We will talk about transitions,
previews, and summaries. Finally, we will discuss and illustrate two types of
speech outline: the preparation outline and speaking notes. Chapter 10 and 11
discuss introductions and conclusions, the final components of the organiza-
tional stage of the preparation process.

Organizing Your Main Ideas

9.1 List and describe five patterns for organizing the main ideas of a speech.

In Chapter 7, we discussed how to generate a preliminary plan for your speech
by determining whether your central idea has logical divisions, could be sup-
ported by several reasons, or could be explained by identifying specific steps.
These divisions, reasons, or steps become the main ideas of the body of your
speech and the basis for the organization task highlighted in Figure 9.1.

9.1

Generate

Main Ideas

Select and

Narrow

Topic

CONSIDER

THE

AUDIENCE

Develop

Central

Idea

Gather

Supporting

Material

Rehearse

Speech

Determine

Purpose

Organize

Speech

Deliver

Speech

Figure 9.1 Organize your speech to help your audience

remember your key ideas and to give your speech clarity and

structure.

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