There are several types of speech, and each has its own patterns and organizational elements. In this article, I discuss the parts of a informative speech. An informative speech has a structure similar to the five-paragraph essay structure you learned in high school: an introductory paragraph, three main points (the body), and the concluding paragraph. You can think of an informative speech in the same way.

The introductory section of your speech should be approximately one minute in a five-minute speech. In the introduction section, you should first get the audience’s attention, and then relate your topic to the audience. Next, you need to establish your credibility on your topic, state the purpose of your speech, and tell your audience your main idea, then transition to your first main point.

the body of speech

Your three main points should be arranged in a logical and easy-to-follow pattern. One pattern you could use is a chronological pattern. With a chronological pattern, your main points would be organized in time sequence: what happened first, what happened next, etc. This pattern would work well to describe a process, such as a recipe, or to discuss time periods in history.

Another option for organizing your main points is the spatial pattern. You can logically organize your points based on physical space: top to bottom, left to right, inside to outside, etc.

Another organizational pattern is the causal pattern. You can discuss the cause of a problem first, then the effect, or vice versa. Related to this pattern is the problem/solution pattern. Discuss the problem first, then discuss the solution.

The final organizational pattern is the thematic pattern. You can break your topic down into its logical components and discuss these components individually. For example, if your topic is about symphony orchestras, you could divide your main points into string, brass, and wind instruments.

You should start each of your three main points by clearly stating what your main point is. Each main point should be limited to a single idea. Try to be creative and avoid just stating your main point. Each main point should be supported by examples, definitions, statistics, comparisons, or expert testimony.

transitions

Between each main point, there should be nice transitions. Transitions are verbal bridges that move your audience from one idea to the next. A transition is a word or group of words that shows the relationship between ideas as you move from one point to another. Transitions can be effectively indicated by pausing before moving on to another main point, changing the speed of your speech, varying your pitch, or, more directly, using statements that tell the audience that you are moving forward. An effective transition summarizes the points that precede it and displays a preview of the next point. For example:

Those are the two main problems, now let’s see how they can be fixed.

Use a variety of transitions and avoid falling into a rut. Transitions are surprisingly difficult, and my students used to tell me that making good transitions is one of the hardest parts of writing a speech. Here are some examples of transitions you can use:

• Nevertheless
• In addition to
• similar to this
• looking beyond
• Now consider it from
• It’s more
• More important
• Therefore
• Despite this
• Now let us consider
• First of all

Conclusions of the speech

The final part of your speech is the conclusion. At the conclusion of him, he would first signal the end of his speech, letting his audience know that he is ending. Then you recap your main points and finally end your speech with a nice clincher that reinforces your main idea and ties it all together.