Page 247 - Essentials of Human Communication

226 CHAPTER 11 Public Speaking Preparation (Steps 1–6)

Objectives self-check
● Can you generate main points by asking strategic questions of your thesis?

Step 6: organize Your Speech materials

Explore the Concept Organize your materials to help the audience understand and remember what you say. There
“Organization” at are six ways to organize the body of a speech: (1) time pattern, (2) spatial pattern, (3) topical,
MyCommunicationLab (4) problem-solution pattern, (5) cause-effect and effect-cause pattern, and the motivated
sequence. Additional organizational patterns are presented in Table 11.4.

TABle 11.4 additional Organizational Patterns
The six patterns just considered are the most common and the most useful for organizing most public speeches. But there
are other patterns that might be appropriate for different topics.

OrganiZatiOnal
structure uses POssiBle Outlines
In the structure–function This pattern is useful in informative Thesis: To understand the brain you need to under-
pattern there are generally speeches in which you want to discuss how stand its structure and its function.
two main points, one for something is constructed (its structure) and I. The brain consists of two main parts [explana-
structure and one for function. what it does (its function). It might prove tion of structures]
useful, for example, in a speech explaining A. The cerebrum consists of . . .
what a business organization is and what it B. The cerebellum consists of . . .
does, identifying the parts of a university The brain enables us to do a variety of things
and how they operate, or describing the na- [explanations of functions]
ture of a living organism: its anatomy (its A. The cerebrum enables us to . . .
structures) and its physiology (its functions). B. The cerebellum enables us to . . .

In the comparison-and- This pattern is often useful in informative Thesis: Liberal and conservative political philosophies
contrast pattern your main speeches in which you want to analyze two differ in important ways.
points might be the main different theories, proposals, departments, or I. Government regulation . . .
divisions of your topic. products in terms of their similarities and dif- A. The liberal attitude is . . .
ferences. In this type of speech you would be B. The conservative attitude is . . .
concerned not only with explaining each II. Redistribution of income . . .
theory or proposal but also with clarifying A. Liberals view this . . .
how they’re similar and how they’re different. B. Conservatives view this . . .
In the pro-and-con pattern, This pattern is useful in informative Thesis: The proposals of the two health plans differ in
sometimes called the speeches in which you want to explain co-payments, hospital benefits, and sick leave.
advantages–disadvantages objectively the advantages (the pros) and I. Co-payments . . .
pattern, the speech has two the disadvantages (the cons) of a plan, A. Plan A provides . . .
main points—the advantages method, or product. Or you can use this B. Plan B provides . . .
of Plan A and the disadvantages pattern in a persuasive speech in which II. Hospital benefits . . ..
of Plan A (or Plan B). you want to show the superiority of Plan A. Plan A provides . . .
A (identifying its advantages) over Plan B B. Plan B provides . . .
(identifying its disadvantages). III. Sick leave . . .
A. Plan A provides . . .
B. Plan B provides . . .

In the claim-and-proof This pattern is especially useful in a per- Thesis/Claim: The city must become proactive in
pattern your thesis would suasive speech in which you want to prove dealing with the drug addicted.
essentially be your claim, and the truth or usefulness of a particular prop- I. Drug usage is increasing. [Proof No. 1]
then each main point would be osition. It’s the pattern that you see fre- A. A particularly vivid example . . .
support for your claim. quently in trials, where the claim made by B. Recent statistics . . .
the prosecution is that the defendant is II. Drug related crimes are increasing. [Proof No. 2]
guilty and the proof is the varied evidence A. On-street crimes have increased . . .
designed to show that the defendant had B. Business break-ins . . .
a motive, opportunity, and no alibi.