Chapter Summary

Once all the information needed for a speech has been obtained, it is important to organize the information in a way that will present the ideas in a clear, coherent manner. To do this, an outline, the written representation of the arranged ideas and research, should be created.

In a speech, each main idea should stand alone, should be stated in a topic sentence, and should be fully explored before moving on to the next main idea. Main ideas can be supported by the use of descriptions, facts, statistics, examples, anecdotes, and definitions.

To assist in creating a well-written speech, several resources can be used, including thesauri and dictionaries. When writing sentences, it is beneficial to use parallel structure to balance ideas and create effective sentences. Figurative language, such as similes, metaphors, and personification, should be used sparingly.

Online Links

Writing@CSU (Page 135)
http://writing.colostate.edu

Dictionary Web Sites (Page 147)
http://www.onelook.com/
http://www.dictionary.com/
http://www.yourdictionary.com/
http://www.m-w.com/

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