Outline basics

Outline Basics

Organizing and outlining a speech helps both the speaker and the audience. A clear structure makes a message easier to follow and understand. For speakers, an outline helps organize ideas, check that they are in a logical order, find their place if they lose track, and edit the speech more easily.

An outline is also a better delivery aid than writing a speech word for word. Reading from a script can limit eye contact and make delivery sound robotic. The presenter recommends starting with a general outline and adapting it to the specific assignment or type of speech.

General Speech Outline Structure

1. Introduction

   • Attention-getter: Give the audience a reason to listen. Options include:
     • A rhetorical question, asked without expecting an answer.
     • A startling, accurate statistic.
     • A quotation that adds interest or credibility.
     • A short story or anecdote, which can be completed in the conclusion.
     • A joke related to the speech. Test it with people who do not know you, since an unsuccessful joke can undermine the opening.
   • Thesis: State the speech’s central idea in one or two sentences. One possible starting formula is, “Today I want to inform/persuade you…” You can draft the thesis early and revise it after developing the body to ensure they match.
   • Audience analysis or credibility statement: Explain why the audience should listen—for example, by describing relevant experience, work, volunteering, or another reason the topic matters.
   • Preview: Give the audience a brief “table of contents” by naming the speech’s main points. Signposting helps listeners anticipate where the speech is going and follow it.

2. Body

   • Use two to five main points. The presenter uses a three-point outline as a general classroom model.
   • Support each main point with subpoints, and support those subpoints with details.
   • Make the relationships between points clear so the supporting material backs up the main ideas.

3. Conclusion

   • Review the points introduced in the preview.
   • Restate the thesis.
   • Return to the opening device or end strongly: finish the story, repeat the quotation, revisit the rhetorical question, or close with a strong statement or statistic.

The presenter notes that more specific formats, such as informative and persuasive outlines, will be covered separately.

Speakers and Sources Featured

• Speaker: The presenter, identified by the channel context as Jason Ames.
• Sources mentioned:
  • Dr. Mapes, whose textbook the presenter discusses.
  • The Public Speaking Project, Chapter 8, attributed in the subtitles to Joshua Barnett of the University of Illinois.
  • Communication scholar Walter Fisher, mentioned for his work on narratives.