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Learning Objective

Understand the structural parts of a persuasive speech.


Attention Statement

Show a picture of a person on death row and ask the audience: does an innocent
man deserve to die?

Introduction

Briefly introduce the man in an Illinois prison and explain that he was released only
days before his impending death because DNA evidence (not available when he was
convicted), clearly established his innocence.

A statement of your topic and your specific stand on the topic:

My speech today is about the death penalty, and I am against it.

Introduce your credibility and the topic: My research on this controversial topic has
shown me that deterrence and retribution are central arguments for the death
penalty, and today I will address each of these issues in turn.

State your main points.

Today I will address the two main arguments for the death penalty, deterrence and
retribution, and examine how the governor of one state decided that since some
cases were found to be faulty, all cases would be stayed until proven otherwise.

Body

Information: Provide a simple explanation of the death penalty in case there are
people who do not know about it. Provide clear definitions of key terms.

Deterrence: Provide arguments by generalization, sign, and authority.

Retribution: Provide arguments by analogy, cause, and principle.

Case study: State of Illinois, Gov. George Ryan. Provide an argument by testimony
and authority by quoting: You have a system right nowthats fraught with error
and has innumerable opportunities for innocent people to be executed, Dennis
Culloton, spokesman for the Governor, told the Chicago Tribune. He is determined
not to make that mistake.

Solution steps:

National level. Stay all executions until the problem that exists in Illinois, and
perhaps the nation, is addressed.
Local level. We need to encourage our own governor to examine the system we
have for similar errors and opportunities for innocent people to be executed.
Personal level. Vote, write your representatives, and help bring this issue to the
forefront in your community.
Conclusion

Reiterate your main points and provide synthesis; do not introduce new content.

Residual Message

Imagine that you have been assigned to give a persuasive presentation lasting five
to seven minutes. Follow the guidelines in Table 14.6 "Sample Speech Guidelines"
and apply them to you

Sample Persuasive Speech

Topic: Please Help Keep the World Safe


SP: I want to actuate you to support banning guns

Thesis: We should oppose gun ownership because guns are a weapon of violence
and they increase the number of children who die each year which in turn makes
people blind to the fact they are killing their own children.

Introduction: Question: How many of you think guns are necessary to protect
yourself? Would you feel the same way if you knew how often guns kill children? I
don't think so! Magazines usually tell people how beautiful and powerful guns are,
and never mention how many children get hurt by guns everyday. But I am here to
ask all of you to oppose gun ownership because the fact is that guns are a weapon
of violence, they take more lives away every year, and they make people blind to
the fact they are killing their own children.

Reason one: Having guns around the house creates the opportunity for lethal
violence.
A.
People with guns who have unstable feelings or tempers can lead to
violent consequences
very easily.

1.

My experience in a Chinese restaurant. (Explain)

2.

A friend of my father shot his wife because of a simple

argument.

Reason two: Guns pose such a significant risk to children.


A.

Thousands of children dying by the gunfire each year.

1.
Statistic: Eight children every day; and more than 50 children
every week were killed
by the gunfire. And every year, at least 4 to 5 times as many
kids and teens suffer
from non-fatal firearm injuries.
(Children's Defense Fund and National Center for Health
Statistics)
2.

Do we really need guns in our society?

B.
The rate of firearm deaths of children 0-14 years old is nearly
twelve times higher in the U.S.

than in 25 other developed nations combined.


1.

Statistic: In one year, firearms killed no children in Japan,

19 in Great Britain,
57 in Germany, 109 in France, 153 in Canada, and 5,285
in the United States.
(National Center for Health Statistics, 1997)
2.

According to a study led by Matthew Miller found that in

states where more


guns are available, children are more likely to be victims
of firearm- related deaths.
a.

Children aged 5 to 14 living in one of the five

high-gun states were twice


as likely to commit suicide or to be murdered,
three times as likely to die
from firearm homicide, seven times as likely to
die from firearm suicide,
and 16 times as likely to die from a firearmrelated accident.
The study suggests the higher death rates are
largely related to gun
availability and are not due to difference in
levels of poverty, education,
or urbanization in these states. (Humphries as
cited in Miller study, p. 1)
b.

People kill people with the use of guns

Reason three: Guns create more family tragedies.


A.

Life can be taken very easily by improper use of firearms

1.
Quote: "Kalie was my baby sister, she loved pink. We were
playing with her dolls.
I found a gun in the drawer. It went off. I made Kalie go
away. I hate me.
" (Atwan, America Now, 2003. Page 260)
B.
People might think that they can keep their weapons properly,
but if there are no guns at

all, there would be no chance of any gun-related accidents.

C.
Just think of Columbine High School and the senseless shootings
there and all the families

impacted by that tragedy.

Conclusion: Bullets cannot be taken back, and the profit of firearm businesses
cannot buy the lives that have been taken by firearms; therefore, we need to
oppose gun ownership. I challenge you, the audience, to oppose gun ownership and
save a life!

References/Work Cited List:

American Now 5th edition by Robert Atwan, Bedford/st Martins, January 2003

Embassies and foreign reporting agencies, Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics, unpublished data from the Vital
Statistics System, 1997.

http://www.bradycampaign.org

Humphries, Courtney. "Childhood Firearm Deaths Tied to Gun Availability". Focus:


Harvard Medical School, March 8, 2002.
http://focus.hms.harvard.edu/2002/March8_2002/injury_control.html.

Learning Objective

Understand the structural parts of a persuasive speech.


Attention Statement

Show a picture of a person on death row and ask the audience: does an innocent
man deserve to die?

Introduction

Briefly introduce the man in an Illinois prison and explain that he was released only
days before his impending death because DNA evidence (not available when he was
convicted), clearly established his innocence.

A statement of your topic and your specific stand on the topic:

My speech today is about the death penalty, and I am against it.

Introduce your credibility and the topic: My research on this controversial topic has
shown me that deterrence and retribution are central arguments for the death
penalty, and today I will address each of these issues in turn.

State your main points.

Today I will address the two main arguments for the death penalty, deterrence and
retribution, and examine how the governor of one state decided that since some
cases were found to be faulty, all cases would be stayed until proven otherwise.

Body

Information: Provide a simple explanation of the death penalty in case there are
people who do not know about it. Provide clear definitions of key terms.

Deterrence: Provide arguments by generalization, sign, and authority.

Retribution: Provide arguments by analogy, cause, and principle.

Case study: State of Illinois, Gov. George Ryan. Provide an argument by testimony
and authority by quoting: You have a system right nowthats fraught with error
and has innumerable opportunities for innocent people to be executed, Dennis
Culloton, spokesman for the Governor, told the Chicago Tribune. He is determined
not to make that mistake.

Solution steps:

National level. Stay all executions until the problem that exists in Illinois, and
perhaps the nation, is addressed.
Local level. We need to encourage our own governor to examine the system we
have for similar errors and opportunities for innocent people to be executed.
Personal level. Vote, write your representatives, and help bring this issue to the
forefront in your community.
Conclusion

Reiterate your main points and provide synthesis; do not introduce new content.

Residual Message

Imagine that you have been assigned to give a persuasive presentation lasting five
to seven minutes. Follow the guidelines in Table 14.6 "Sample Speech Guidelines"
and apply them to your presentation.

Table 14.6 Sample Speech Guidelines

1.Topic
Choose a product or service that interests you so much that you would
like to influence the audiences attitudes and behavior toward it.
2. Purpose Persuasive speakers may plan to secure behavioral changes, influence
thinking, or motivate action in their audience. They may state a proposition of fact,
value, definition, or policy. They may incorporate appeals to reason, emotion, and/or
basic needs.

3. Audience Think about what your audience might already know about your topic
and what they may not know, and perhaps any attitudes toward or concerns about
it. Consider how this may affect the way that you will present your information. You
wont be able to convert everyone in the audience from a no to a yes, but you
might encourage a couple to consider maybe. Audiences are more likely to
change their behavior if it meets their needs, saves them money, involves a small
change, or if the proposed change is approached gradually in the presentation.
4. Supporting Materials Using the information gathered in your search for
information, determine what is most worthwhile, interesting, and important to
include in your speech. Time limits will require that you be selective about what you
use. Consider information that the audience might want to know that contradicts or
challenges your claims and be prepared for questions. Use visual aids to illustrate
your message.
5. Organization
Write a central idea statement, which expresses the message, or point, that you
hope to get across to your listeners in the speech.
Determine the two to three main points that will be needed to support your central
idea.
Prepare a complete sentence outline of the body of the speech, including solution
steps or action items.
6. Introduction

Develop an opening that will

get the attention and interest of your listeners,


express your central idea/message, and
lead into the body of your speech.
7. Conclusion
The conclusion should review and/or summarize the important
ideas in your speech and bring it to a smooth close.
8. Delivery The speech should be delivered extemporaneously, using speaking
notes and not reading from the manuscript. Work on maximum eye contact with
your listeners. Use any visual aids or handouts that may be helpful.
Key Takeaway

A speech to persuade presents an attention statement, an introduction, the body of


the speech with main points and supporting information, a conclusion, and a
residual message.

Exercises

Apply this framework to your persuasive speech.


Prepare a three- to five-minute presentation to persuade and present it to the class.
Review an effective presentation to persuade and present it to the class.
Review an ineffective presentation to persuade and present it to the class

How to Write a Persuasive Speech


By Grace Fleming
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The purpose of a persuasive speech is to convince your audience to agree with an
idea or opinion that you put forth. First you'll need to select a side on a controversial
or argumentative topic, then you will write a speech to explain your side-and
convince the audience to agree with you.

You can produce an effective persuasive speech if you structure your argument as a
solution to a problem. Your first job as a speaker is to convince your audience that a
particular problem is important to them, and then you must convince them that that
you have the solution to make things better.

Note: You don't have to address a real problem. Any need can work as the problem.
For example, you could consider the lack of a pet, the need to wash one's hands, or
the need to pick a particular sport to play as the "problem."

As a learning example, let's imagine that you have chosen "Getting Up Early" as
your persuasion topic. Your goal will be to persuade classmates to get themselves
out of bed an hour earlier every morning. In this instance, the problem could be
summed up as "morning chaos."

A standard speech format has an introduction with a great hook statement, three
main points, and a summary. Your persuasive speech will be a tailored version of
this format.

Before you write the text of your speech, you should sketch an outline that includes
your hook statement and three main points.

Writing the Text

The introduction of your speech must be well written, because your audience will
make up their minds within a few minutes - they will decide to be interested or to be
bored.

Before you write the full body you should come up with a greeting. Your greeting
can be as simple as "Good morning everyone. My name is Frank."

After your greeting, you will offer a hook to capture attention. A hook sentence for
the "morning chaos" speech could be a question:

How many times have you been late to school?


Does your day begin with shouts and arguments?
Have you ever missed the bus?
Or your hook could be a statistic or interesting statement:

More than fifty percent of high school students skip breakfast because they just
don't have time to eat.
Tardy kids drop out of school more often than punctual kids.
Once you have the attention of your audience, you follow through to define the
topic/problem and introduce your solution. Here's an example of what you would
have so far:

Good afternoon, class. Some of you know me, but some of you may not. My name is
Frank Godfrey, and I have a question for you. Does your day begin with shouts and
arguments? Do you go to school in a bad mood because you've been yelled at, or

because you argue with your parent? The chaos you experience in the morning can
put you in a bad mood and affect your performance at school.

Add the solution:

You can improve your mood and your school performance by adding more time to
your morning schedule. You do this by setting your alarm clock to go off one hour
earlier.

Your next task will be to write the body, which will contain the three main points
you've come up with to argue your position. Each point will be followed by
supporting evidence or anecdotes, and each body paragraph will need to end with a
transition statement that leads to the next segment. Sample of three main
statements:
Bad moods caused by morning chaos will affect your workday performance.
If you skip breakfast to buy time you're making a harmful health decision.
(Ending on a cheerful note) You'll enjoy a boost to your self-esteem when you
reduce the morning chaos.
After you write three body paragraphs with strong transition statements that make
your speech flow, you are ready to work on your summary.

Your summary will re-emphasize your argument and restate your points in slightly
different language. This can be a little tricky. You don't want to sound repetitive, but
you do need to repeat! Just find a way to reword the same main points.

Finally, you must make sure to write a clear final sentence or passage to keep
yourself from stammering at the end or fading off in a awkward moment. A few
examples of graceful exits:

We all like to sleep. I know it's hard to get up some mornings, but I can assure you
that the reward is well worth the effort.
If you follow my guidelines and make the effort to get up a little bit earlier every
day, you reap rewards in your home and on your report card.
Tips for Writing Your Speech

1. Don't be confrontational in your argument. You don't need to put down the other
side; just convince your audience that your side is right with positive assertions.

2. Use simple statistics. Don't overwhelm your audience with confusing numbers.

3. Don't complicate your speech by going outside the standard "three points"
format. While it might seem simplistic or contrived, it is a tried and true format for
an audience who is hearing-as opposed to reading. It won't sound contrived to
listeners.

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