How a Speech Has Its Effect 

: techniques

CAMELS EAT PARIS

Connectives The structure of the speech is very important and it needs to be

organised into clear paragraphs. These paragraphs need to be
connected with linkwords/connectives. E.g. firstly, secondly,
moreover etc.
Alliteration Repeating consonants at the start of words: “collective strength,
collective care.” These help to make an expression more memorable
for the listener. E.g. Margaret Thatcher’s slogan against litter: “Bag
it or bin it, together we’ll win it.”
Metaphor These are used to turn a vague idea into a clear, visual image.
Implied comparison.
e.g. You are my sunshine.
Emotive language This is used to provoke a strong reaction in the audience such as
hatred, anger, fear, disgust etc.
e.g. Compare: “Children have been killed” VERSUS The innocent
children were massacred / butchered.
Listing Linking similar ideas in lists is a common feature of speeches. E.g.
“Our lives are miserable, laborious and short.” (Animal Farm, George
Orwell)
Similes An explicit comparison between two things using “as” and “like”.
e.g. “the day melts away like a snowflake”. OR “Her hair was like
gravy, running brown off her head”!
Examples Speakers may often include examples from history or everyday life in
order to add weight to their argument and to illustrate their ideas.
Anecdote Telling stories to illustrate a point e.g. “And I think of the young
children who live in shanty towns with no running water …”
Triplets Also known as three-part lists.
e.g. In Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address he concludes with the
three-part list: “Government of the people, by the people, for the
people.”
Pronouns e.g. you, we, I
Use of you makes the listener feel that the speaker is addressing
him/her personally and so feels included in the message.
Antithesis This is the use of opposites or contrasts.
“Where there is hatred, let me sow love; where there is injury,
pardon; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light." (St Francis of Assisi)
Rhetorical Questions which do not require an answer. They can be used so that
Question the speaker can then go on an answer it OR they have a built-in
common-sense answer. Used to grab the audience’s attention.
Ideas repeated Repetition can have a very powerful effect on audiences. It also
makes sure the message is clear. E.g. Winston Churchill in his
wartime speech in 1940: “we shall fight on the beaches; we shall
fight on the landing grounds; we shall fight in the fields and in the
streets; we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender..”
Statistics e.g. the number of juvenile offences fell by 37%
Statistics add weight to someone’s argument