OUTLINE INSTRUCTIONS
Use this template to write your outline. Enter your own information in place of the explanations provided. 

This outline is used to your speech ideas on paper. Do not use this as you as a speaking guide during your delivery - write those ideas on note cards with minimal writing. Your note cards should include key words and short quotations only, any longer than that and you will read your speech which is grounds for failing the assignment. 

On this outline, the amount of support material you have under each of your 3 main points is up to you. It is best to use no more than 3 main points, so you are able to stay within the time limitations of the speech. If you have an "A" sub point, you must have a "B". Your speech should be balanced with the same amount of time given to each main point. You need enough information to support the main points and use your outside credible sources to support your main points. You are required to use at least 2 outside sources. Cite each source in the body of the outline with APA in-text citation and verbal citation (according to...). 

Do not skip over writing complete sentence transitions in the outline. Transitions should connect your main points, emphasize what you've already discussed, and signal to the audience the next main point (do not say "my next main point").

 

 

Name

January 1, 2021

COMM 200 - Public Speaking

Speech #1 Outline

                                                                                      YOUR SPEECH TITLE

Purpose Statement:  Choose one statement.

• To inform my audience that (the topic you want to discuss).
• To persuade my audience to (what you want the audience to do or believe).

Thesis Statement: A claim or prediction that you will prove or demonstrate (one or two short sentences listing your 3 main points).

Attention Grabber: Your speech delivery starts here! Say something to grab your audience's attention right from the very moment you begin to speak. 

Introduce Yourself & State Your Credibility: State your name and how you connect to the topic (discuss the experience you have with this topic).

Overview of Main Points:  Make it clear what main points are going to be (restate your thesis statement).

(Transition from intro to first main point in a complete sentence.) 

I. First main point and support must be written in complete sentences. 

1. Support for 1^st main point
2. Support for 1^st main point
   1. Support for B
   2. Support for B

(Transition from one point to the next, do not simply list the next main point.) 

II. Second main point and support must be written in complete sentences.  

1. Support for 2^nd main point
   1. Support for A
   2. Support for A
2. Support for 2^nd main point

(Transition from one point to the next, do not simply list the next main point.) 

III. Third main point and support must be written in complete sentences. Support for 3^rd main point 

1. Support for 3^rd main point

(Transition from one point to the next, do not simply list the next main point.) 

Conclusion: DO NOT ANNOUNCE YOUR CONCLUSION - "In conclusion..., in summary, etc."

• Summarize your 3 main points (restate your thesis).
• Reinforce the major idea - the overall information you want the audience to know.
• Tell the audience what to do with the information presented.

Reference Page: on a separate page

• Use the same font as the rest of the outline to provide an APA formatted reference page on a separate page.
• The sources listed on the reference page have to be used in the body of the outline with an APA in-text and verbal citation (According to...).
• Do not list web addresses as a verbal citation - you have to say ABC website (not dot com).