Outlines
Guidelines:
• Make the outline easy for your instructor to follow, giving an overview of what your
speech is about.
• Follow the outline format your instructor gives you as a guideline. There are
examples in this workbook, but you may want to ask your instructor for any specific
outline requirements this text does not give.
• Be sure to use the right organizational pattern that’s right for your speech topic and
information.
• Follow the keyword format.
• Use only two complete sentences in your outline:
o The thesis statement.
o The specific purpose statement.
• Never put more on your note card than you have on your outline.
• Your outline should include as much development of ideas as necessary.
Key Words:
• Key words are the important words of/in your speech (for an example look at the
speech outlines in this workbook).
• Key words are located in three places in your speech:
• In the thesis statement (introduction).
• In the mainheads (in the body).
• In the summary (conclusion).
• If your audience does not remember anything else at the end of your speech, they
should at least remember your key words.
Note:
One effective method of speech presentation is to think of it as taking the audience on a
circular journey. You begin the journey by capturing the audience’s attention in the
introduction while proceeding to lead them through each of your mainheads right up to
the conclusion. At this point, you review where you have taken the audience (by restating
mainheads), and then you express your concluding statement, which brings them back to
where the journey started (which can be accomplished by restating some aspect of your
introduction).
Remember:
A good outline helps organize the speaker and alleviate nervousness.
Sample
Outline
Student:
Instructor:
Comm. 110, Fundamentals of Public Speaking
Date:
Title
Specific Purpose: One complete sentence that identifies the audience and tells the
speaker what he/she wants to accomplish for the audience. This sentence is not stated in
the speech.
I. Introduction
A. Attention getter
B. Background
1. Topical/Subject
a. Introduce topic here
(1) Definition
(2) History
b. Establish motivation for audience to listen
2. Personal
a. Establish your credibility on this topic
b. Establish why the audience should listen to you speak about this topic
C. Thesis Statement: One complete sentence. Begin with a transition, restate
relevancy of the topic to the audience; use key words to identify the
mainheads from the body of your speech.
II. Body. This is the bulk of your speech. Use two to five mainheads. Coordination
and subordination are imperative in your outline.
A. Mainhead 1. Begin each mainhead with a transition, include keywords.
Mainheads should be developed equally; where there is a 1, there must be a 2.
1. Subhead 1
2. Subhead 2
B. Mainhead 2
1. Subhead 1
a. Sub-sub point
(1)
(a)
(b)
(2)
b.
2. Subhead 2
a. Further subordination can be shown as illustrated below
(1)
(a)
(b)
(2)
(a)
(b)
III. Conclusion
A. Summary
1. Restate mainhead #1
2. Restate mainhead #2
B. Concluding Statement
1. Show finality
2. Show closure – complete the circular journey
References
Sample
of
an
“A”
Outline_______________________________________
Name: Tricia Vanselow
Instructor: Mary Haslerud Opp
Comm. 110, Fundamentals of Public Speaking
Date: November 3, 2009
Bell’s Palsy
Specific Purpose: To inform the audience of college students about the symptoms,
causes, diagnosis, and treatment of Bell’s palsy.
I. Introduction
A. Attention Getter
1. Imagine
2. No taste
3. Water in mouth
4. Mirror
5. 40,000 Americans (Mayo Clinic Staff, 2008, online)
B. Background
1. Personal
a. Feb 18, 2004—8th grade
b. 1 month
2. Topical (Mayo Clinic Staff, 2008, online)
a. Paralysis
b. One side
c. Swollen nerve
d. Facial muscles
C. Thesis Statement: Since many of you may not be aware of Bell’s palsy or
that it even existed, it is important to know its symptoms, causes, the
diagnosis, and treatment of it.
II. Body
A. Symptoms
1. Myself
a. Eye
(1) watering
(2) twitching
b. Next morning
(1) eye
(2) taste
(3) smile
(4) whole face
2. Ear pain (Health A-Z, 2006, online book)
3. Headache
4. Tears/saliva
B. Causes (Mayo Clinic Staff, 2008, online)
1. Nerve/bone
Vanselow 2
a. 2 branches
b. inflamed
c. swollen
d. pinched
e. interference
2. Virus (Health A-Z, 2006, online book)
a. Herpes Simplex
b. Chicken Pox
c. Shingles
d. Mono
e. Lyme’s Disease
3. Myself
C. Diagnosis (Mayo Clinic Staff, 2008, online)
1. no specific test
2. looks
3. X-ray
4. CT scan
D. Treatment
1. Full recovery (Mayo Clinic Staff, 2008, online)
a. 3 – 6 months
b. with treatment
(1) Grandma Gray (Kathy Vanselow, 2009, interview)
(2) myself
c. without treatment (Kathy Vanselow, 2009, interview)
2. Medications (Health A-Z, 2006, online book)
a. corticosteroids
(1) Prednisone
(2) anti-inflammatory
(3) myself
(4) my grandma
b. antiviral
(1) stop progression
(2) virus
(3) Acyclovir
(4) Valcyclovir
3. Physical Therapy
a. electrotherapy
b. massaging
c. exercise
4. Surgery (Mayo Clinic Staff, 2008, online)
a. open bony passage
b. decompress
5. Eye
a. cornea
b. tape shut
c. gel drops
Vanselow
3
III. Conclusion
A. Summary
1. Symptoms
2. Causes
3. Diagnosis
4. Treatment
B. Concluding Statement
1. If you wake up
2. May have Bell’s palsy
References
Mayo Clinic Staff. (2008). Bell’s Palsy. Retrieved October 18, 2009, from
President and Fellows of Harvard College (2006). Health A-to-Z. Retrieved October 20,
2009, from
ef&rlt=1&o=&n=10&1=d&searchTerm=2NTA&index=BA&basicSearchOption=
KE&tcit=1_1_0_0_0_0&c=1&docNum=A169434583&locID=ndacad_58202zun
d&secondary=false&t=RK&s=1&SU=Bells+Palsy
Vanselow, K., Mother of Tricia Vanselow. (personal communication, 2009, October 25).
Sample
Note
Card
One side of a card for Vaneslow’s speech.
