Organizing Your Main ideas 9.1 185
recency According to the principle of recency , the point that was dis-
cussed last is the one audiences will remember best. If your audience is at least
somewhat knowledgeable about and generally favorable toward your topic
and central idea, you should probably organize your main points according to
recency.
For example, if your speech is on various living arrangements that are avail-
able to college students, you might decide to discuss living at home, rooming in
a dorm, joining a fraternity or sorority, and renting an apartment. If you wanted
your audience of fellow students to consider living at home because of the sav-
ings involved, you would probably discuss that possibility as the fourth and last
option. Your speech might have the following structure:
Purpose Statement: At the end of my speech, the audience will be able
to discuss the pros and cons of four living arrange-
ments for college students.
Central Idea: College students have at least four living arrange-
ments available to them.
Main Ideas: I. Living in a dormitory
II. Renting an apartment
III. Joining a fraternity or sorority
IV. Living at homecomPLexity If your main ideas range from simple to complicated, it makes
sense to arrange them in order of complexity, progressing from the simple to
the more complex. If, for example, you were to explain to your audience how
to compile a family health profile and history, you might begin by discussing
the most easily accessible source of health information and proceed to the more
involved:
Purpose statement: At the end of my speech, the audience will be able
to compile a family health profile and history.
Central idea: Compiling a family health profile and history can
be accomplished with the help of three sources.
Main ideas: I. Elderly relatives
II. Old hospital records and death certificates
III. National health registries^2
Teachers, from those in the very early elementary grades on up, use order
of complexity to organize their courses and lessons. The kindergartner is taught
to trace circles before learning to print a lowercase a. The young piano student
practices scales and arpeggios before playing Beethoven sonatas. The college
student practices writing 500-word essays before attempting a major research
paper. You have learned most of your skills in order of complexity.