4 TYPES OF SPEECHES

The four basic types of speeches are: to inform, to instruct, to entertain, and to
persuade. These are not mutually exclusive of one another.
You may have several purposes in mind when giving your presentation. For
example, you may try to inform in an entertaining style. Another speaker might
inform the audience and try to persuade them to act on the information.
However, the principle purpose of a speech will generally fall into one of four
basic types:
1. Informative – This speech serves to provide interesting and useful
information to your audience. Some examples of informative speeches:
o A teacher telling students about earthquakes o A student talking about
her research o A travelogue about the Tower of London o A computer
programmer speaking about new software.

2. Demonstrative Speeches – This has many similarities with an

informative speech. A demonstrative speech also teaches you
something. The main difference lies in including a demonstration of how
to do the thing you’re teaching. Some examples of demonstrative
speeches: o How to start your own blog o How to bake a cake o How to
write a speech o How to… just about anything.

3. Persuasive – A persuasive speech works to convince people to change

in some way: they think, the way they do something, or to start doing
something that they are not currently doing. Some examples of
persuasive speeches: o Become an organ donor o Improve your health
through better eating o Television violence is negatively influencing our
children o Become a volunteer and change the world .

4. Entertaining — The after-dinner speech is a typical example of an

entertaining speech. The speaker provides pleasure and enjoyment that
make the audience laugh or identify with anecdotal information. Some
examples of entertaining speeches: o Excuses for any occasion o
Explaining cricket to an American o Things you wouldn’t know without
the movies.
- BSMA 1A

Don't Quit
By Edgar A. Guest (1881-1959)
When Things go wrong, as they sometimes will,
When the road you're trudging seems all uphill,
When the funds are low and debts are high,
And you want to Smile but have to sigh.
When care is pressing you down a bit,
Rest, if you must, but don't you quit.

Life is queer with its twists and turns,

As everyone of us sometimes learns,
And many a failure turns about,
When he might have won if he'd stuck it out,
Don't give up though the pace seems slow,
You might succeed with another blow.

Success is failure turned inside out,

The silver tint of clouds of doubt,
And you never can tell how close you are,
It may be near when it seems afar,
So stick to the fight when you're hardest hit,
It's when things seem worst that you mustn't quit.