Principles of
Speech Writing
1. Choosing the Topic
Timely
Interestingto you (Speaker) and to the
Listener/Audience
Controversial
Must be of the level of knowledge of both the Speaker and the
Audience.
Thespeaker must be mindful of the culture of the Speaker and
Audience, ages, gender as well as social status, religious affiliation.
SCHEMATIC DIAGRAM
Conducting an audience analysis
Determining the purpose of the speech
Selecting a topic
Narrowing down a topic
Gathering data
Selecting a speech pattern
Preparing an outline
Editing and/ or Revising
Creating the body of the speech
Rehearsing Preparing the introduction
Preparing the conclusion
Purpose of writing and
delivering the Speech
To inform – an informative speech provides the audience with a clear
understanding of the concept or idea presented by the speaker.
To entertain – an entertainment speech provides the audience with
amusement.
To persuade – a persuasive speech provides the audience with well-
argued ideas that can influence their own beliefs and decisions.
TOPIC
The topic is your main point, which can be determined once you
have decided on your purpose.
Narrowing down a topic
Means making your main idea more specific and focused.
Data Gathering
Is the stage where you collect ideas, information, sources and
references relevant or related to your specific topic.
Writing patterns
In general, are structures that will help you organize the ideas
related to your topic.
Type of
Pattern Descriptions speech Examples
appropriat
e to
To inform my student about my grandfather.
Biographical Presents descriptions of
your life or of a person,
To inform
To entertain
Specific Purpose
famous or not. Describing the life and works of my grandfather.
Specific Topic
To persuade the community members to reduce, reuse and
recycle as means of eliminating garbage.
Categorical/ Presents related categories
supporting the topic.
To inform
To entertain
Specific Purpose
Why the community members should promote
Topical To persuade
Specific Topic reducing, reusing, and recycling.
To inform my audience on the effects of overeating.
Causal Presents cause-effect
relationships.
To inform Specific Purpose Explaining the possible effects of overeating to one’s
Specific Topic health.
To inform my audience about the significant events in the
1986 EDSA Revolution or People Power.
Chronological Presents the idea in time
order.
To inform Specific Purpose
Describing the significant events before, during and
Specific Topic after the People Power.
To persuade the audience that living in the
Philippines is better than living in Australia.
Comparison/ Presents
comparison/contrast of
To inform
To persuade
Specific Purpose
Contrast two or three points.
Specific Topic
Explaining why the Philippines is more habitable than
Australia.
To persuade the audience to support the educational
programs of the national government.
Problem- Presents an identified
problem, its causes and
To inform
To persuade
Specific Purpose
Explaining the reasons for supporting the government’s
solution recommended solutions. Specific Topic educational programs.
2. Analyzing the Audience
Get or guess the demographic data of the audience: age, gender,
ethnic background, occupation, economic and social status, etc.
Know the groups which your Audience belongs as these
groups holds certain beliefs and values.
Find out how your audience feels about the topic of your
Speech and what they already know about it.
Know how they feel about you as the Speaker and what they
already know about you.
3. Sourcing the Information
Newspapers, magazines, books, journals,
search engines like Google or any reading
material and the best resource which is the
people.
Audience analysis
Entails looking into the profile of your target audience.
Demography ( age range, male female ratio, educational
background and affiliations or degree program taken, nationality,
economic status, academic or incorporate designations).
Situation ( time, venue, occasion and size).
Psychology (values, beliefs, attitudes, preferences, cultural and
racial ideologies and needs).
4. Outlining and Organizing the Speech
Content
Sort the information into categories: statistics,
testimonies and opinions, historical facts, etc.
Organize the Speech itself by making an
outline of it.
Types of outlines:
Chronological outline – a historical/time approach like from the past to the
present.
Example: Development of Ilocos Region from Martial Law to the
Present
Spatial/Geographical Outline – going from one place to another, from one
direction to another.
Example: The Heritage Churches of Pampanga
Cause and Effect – involves a discussion of both cause and effect of an issue.
Types of outlines:
Example: The Fish Kill in Laguna de Bay
Problem-Solution Outline – explains a problem and
suggests a possible solution.
Example: Cleaning Up Manila Bay
Topical Outline – divides the topic into subtopics based on
importance or interest value or simply because the topic requires
it; for topics that do not fall under any of the previously
mentioned outlines.
Example: Social Media Have Made Us Anti-Social
An outline is a hierarchical list that shows the relationship of your
ideas. Experts in public speaking state once your outline is ready, two
thirds of your speech writing is finished.
1. Table format
Purpose To inform
Specific purpose To persuade the community members to reduce, reuse, and recycle as means of eliminating
garbage and protecting the environment.
Topic Promoting the importance of reducing, reusing, and recycling in eliminating wastes and
protecting the environment.
Pattern Problem-solution
Introduction Share facts on the current situation of the environment.
Body Discuss how improper wastes disposal becomes an environment problem. Explain how
reducing, reusing and recycling would eliminate wastes and protect the environment.
Conclusion State the specific purpose of your speech again.
Call for action.
1.0 As of today, there is an alarming increase of wastes in our community.
1.1 According to Solid Waste Management Office, if we do not tale immediate action,
we might face more perils caused by natural calamities.
1.2 Now, I am going to talk about how to eliminate wastes and protect the
environment.
2.0 Improper waste disposal causes environmental problems.
2.1 Wastes contaminate the soil.
2.2 Wastes contaminate the water.
2.3 Wastes can cause floods.
3.0 There are ways to eliminate wastes and protect the environment.
3.1 Reducing, reusing, and recycling can help eliminate wastes.
3.2 People should start doing these at home.
3.3 This solution should be supported by the local government.
4.0 We must act now
4.1 This solution should be supported by the local government.
4.2 Let us learn from the lessons in natural calamities we have experienced.
The body of the speech provides an explanation, examples, or
any details that can help you deliver your purpose and explain
the main idea of your speech.
The following are some strategies to highlight your
main idea.
• Present real-life or practical examples.
• Show Statistics.
• Present comparisons.
• Share ideas from the experts or practitioners.
The introduction is the foundation of your speech. Here, your primary
goal is to get the attention of your audience and present the subject or
main idea of your speech.
• Use a real-life experience and connect that experience to your
subject.
• Use practical examples and explain their connection to your
subject.
• Start with a familiar or strong quote and then explain what it
means.
• Use facts or statistics and highlight their importance to your
subject.
• To tell a personal story to illustrate your point.
The conclusion restates the main idea of your speech.
Furthermore, it provides a summary, emphasizes the message, and
calls for action.
The following are some strategies.
• Begin your conclusion with a restatement of your
message.
• Use positive examples, encouraging words, or
memorable lines from songs or stories familiar to your
audience.
• Ask a question or series of questions that can make your
audience reflect or ponder.
Editing/Revising your written speech involves correcting errors in mechanics,
such as grammar, punctuation, capitalization, unity, coherence and others.
Edit for focus.
“So, what’s the point? What’s the message of the speech?”
Edit for clarity
“I don’t understand the message because the examples or supporting details were
confusing.”
Edit for concision
“The speech was all over the place; the speaker kept on talking endlessly as if no one
was listening to him/her”
Edit for continuity
“The speech was to difficult to follow; I was lost in the middle.”
Edit for variety
“I didn’t enjoy the speech because it was boring.”
Edit for impact and beauty
“There’s nothing really special about the speech.”
Rehearsing
It gives you an opportunity to identify what works and
what does not work for you and for your target
audience.
The best thing to remember at this stage is,
”Constant practice makes perfect.”
Some Guidelines in Speech Writing
1.Keep your words short and simple.
2.Avoid jargon, acronyms or technical words.
3. Make your speech more personal. Use the personal
pronoun “I” and “We”.
4. Use active verbs and contractions .
5. Be sensitive to your audience.
6. Use metaphors and other figures of speech to effectively
convey your point.
7. Manage your time well.
THANK
YOU
Reference:
Sipacio, Philippe John F. & Balgos, Ann Richie G. (2016)
Oral Communication in Context For Senior High School
() C & E Publishing:893 EDSA, South Triangle, Quezon
City
