Public Speaking Handbook

types of supporting Material 8.3 173

Opinions

Opinions are testimony or quotations that express someone’s attitudes, be-
liefs, or values. Three types may be used as supporting material in speeches:
the testimonies of an expert authority, the testimonies of an ordinary (lay) per-
son with firsthand or eyewitness experience, and a quotation from a literary
work.

Age

Percentage

Uninsured

15–18 years

19–25 years

26–44 years

45–64 years

65 years and over

11%

31%

21%

13%

11%

Percentage of Employed People without

Health Insurance Coverage in

the United States, by Age

Percentage of Employed People without

Health Insurance Coverage in

the United States, by Age

Figure 8.3 example of a table of statistics
source: data from U.s. Census Bureau, “health insurance Coverage type by age, sex, and labor Force
status: 2010.” http://www.census.gov/prod/2013pubs/p70-134.pdf

Quick Check

Select Effective Statistics

• are your sources reputable, authoritative, and unbiased?


• did you interpret the statistics accurately?


• are your statistics easy to understand?


• are your statistics memorable?


• did you round off the numbers?


• Can you present the statistics with visual aids?