Developing Your Central Idea

Specific Purpose : Guide speaker in preparing speech and not stated in speech

Central Idea : Guide listener in listening speech and stated at the end or near the end
of speech

Sometimes, as in the following example, wording the central idea can be as simple as
copying the part of the specific-purpose statement that specifies what the audience
should be able to do.
Example of Specific Purpose and Central
Idea
Topic : Foreign-Language education

Specific Purpose : At the end of my speech, the audience will be able to

explain two reasons foreign-language education should begin in the
elementary grades

Central Idea : Foreign-language education should begin in the

elementary grades.
A good qualty of central idea should be :
1. an Audience-Centered Idea
Consider the appropriateness of these central ideas for an audience of college
students.
• inappropriate: Taking Advanced Placement classes in high school can help
fulfill your general education requirements. (Inappropriate because taking
Advanced Placement classes is something college students either did or did
not do in the past. They cannot make any decisions about them at this point.)
• appropriate: Taking online college classes can help fulfill your general studies
requirements. (Appropriate because students are probably looking for various
options for completing required courses. They can choose to take classes
online.)
A good quality of Central Idea :
2. A single Topic
A central idea should reflect a single topic. Trying to cover more than
one topic, even if the multiple topics are related, only muddles your
speech and confuses the audience.
• multiple topics: Clubbing and running in marathons are two activities
that appeal to many college students.
• single topic: Clubbing appeals to many college students
A good quality of Central Idea :
3. A Complete Declarative Sentence
Your central idea should be more than just the word or phrase that is your
topic; it should also make a claim about your topic. Questions may help
you come up with a central idea, but because they don’t make any kind of
claim, questions themselves are not good central ideas. A central idea
should be a complete declarative sentence, not a topic and not a question.
• Topic : Study Abroad
• Question : Should students consider opportunities to study abroad?
• Central Idea : Studying abroad provides significant advantages for
students in most fields of study