ORGANIZING THE BODY

8 OF THE SPEECH
Organization is Important
Main Points
Number of Main Points
Strategic Order of Main Points
Tips for Preparing Main Points
Supporting Materials
Connectives
Transitions
Internal Previews
Internal Summaries
Signposts
ORGANIZATION IS IMPORTANT

Effective time
Stimulates
Find
Optimum
Clarity information
Development
in creative
utilization
working ofquickly
thinking
of relationships
personnel
resources
 MAIN POINTS

Number of
Main Points

Tips for Strategic

Preparing Order of Main
Main Points Points
 1. Number of Main Points
Specific Purpose: To inform my audience about the consequences
from smoking.
Central Idea: Smoking brings many harmful effects on human health.
Main Points:
I. Smoking cigarettes increases the risk of cancer. Affect
the
II. Smoking cigarettes increases the risk of respiratory disease. health
of
III. Smoking cigarettes increases the risk of cardiovascular disease.
users
IV. Smoking cigarettes increases the risk of osteoporosis.
V. Cigarette smoke affects health of women, especially pregnant Affect
the
women. health
of
VI. Cigarette smoke affects the health of children. people
VII. Cigarette smoke affects the health of the elderly. around
Specific Purpose: To inform my
audience about the consequences
from smoking.
Central Idea: Smoking brings many
harmful effects on human health.
Main Points:

I. Smoking cigarettes increases the risk of dangerous

diseases affecting the health of users.
II. Another effect is that cigarette smoke affects the
health of people around.
 2. Strategic Order of Main Points

Chronogical Order
Specific Purpose: To inform my audience how the Great Wall of
China was built.
Central Idea: The Great Wall of China was built in three major
stages.
Main ideas:
II. New sections of III. The Great Wall
I. Building of the Great the Great Wall were was complected
Wall began during the added during the Han during the Ming
Qin dynasty of 221 – dynasty of 206 B.C – dynasty of 1368 –
206 B.C
B.C
. 220 A.D. 1644.
 Spatial Order

Specific Purpose: To inform my audience about the three major regions in Italy.
Central Idea: Northern, central, and southern Italy have their own identities and
attractions.
Main Points:

I. Northern II. Central III. Southern

Italy is home Italy is home Italy is home
to Venice and to Rome and to Sicily and
its world- its historical its culinary
famous canals. treasures. traditions.
Causal Order
Specific Purpose: To inform my audience
about the possible causes of obesity.
Central Idea: Obesity is one of the
concerns for human health because of
its harmful effects.
Main Points:
I. Obesity comes from many
different causes, depending on the
person’s location and external factors.
II. Excessive weight can
adversely affect health, even prone to
dangerous diseases.
 Problem-Solution Order
Specific Purpose: To persuade my
audience that action is needed to
prevent water pollution.
Central Idea: Water pollution is a
serious problem that can be solved by
a combination of addressed by state
policy and individual awareness.
Main Points:
I. Water pollution is a serious
problem across Viet Nam.
II. Solving the problem requires
addressed by state policy and
individual awareness.
 Topical Order

Specific Purpose: To inform my audience of the popular kinds of

music today.
Central Idea: The major kinds of music are pop, rock, jazz, and
country.
Main Points:

I. Pop is a contemporary music genre with a simple melody,

not only easy to hear but also easy to sing.
II. Referring to rock is referring to the passionate sound, fire,
the content almost covers every issue of society.
III. Jazz is an indigenous cultural feature of the US, with a
melancholy and tragic style.
IV. Country music brings a rustic, popular, ancient style,
representing the true soul of man.
TIPS FOR PREPARING
MAIN POINTS
• Keep Main Points Separate
• Try to Use the Same Pattern of Wording for Main Points
• Balance The Amount Of Time Devoted To Main Points
 Keep Main Points Separate
Each main point in a speech should be clearly
independent of the other.
Example (p.174):
 Try to Use the Same Pattern of
Wording for Main Points
• It is not easy to use this kind of parallel wording.
• But it is a good way to make your main points stand
out from the details of the speech.
Example (p. 175):
 SUPPORTING MATERIALS
• Examples
• Statistics
• Testimony
• Citing Sources Orrally
 Balance The Amount Of Time Devoted To
Main Points
The amount of time spent on each main point
depends on the amount and complexity of supporting
materials for each point.
 CONNECTIVES

“A word or phrase that connects the

ideas of a speech and indicates the
relationship between them.”
These greatly help listeners follow
and remember the main points of a
speaker.
 CONNECTIVES

Four types of Connectives

Internal Internal
Transitions Signposts
Previews Summaries
 1. Transition
“A word or phrase that indicates when a speaker
has finished one thought and is moving
on to another.”
Examples:
“ Now that we have a clear understanding of the
problem, let me share the solution.”
 2. Internal Preview
“A statement in the body of the speech that lets the
audience know what the speaker
is going to discuss next.”

Example:
“ In discussing how Asian Americans have been
stereotyped in the mass media, we’ll look first at the
origins of the problem and second at its continuing impact
today.”
 3. Internal Summary
“A statement in the body of the speech
that summarizes the speaker’s preceding
point or points.”

Example:
“First , we have seen that America’s criminal
justice system is not deterring crime. Second , we
have seen that prison rehabilitation programs are
not successful.”
 4. Signposts
“A very brief statement that indicates where a
speaker is in the speech or that focuses attention
on key ideas.”

Example:
“The first cause of this problem is inefficient agricultural production.
The second cause is recurrent drought in the affected countries.
The final cause is mismanagement of available food resources.”