Download Writing a Persuasive Speech: Developing a Specific Purpose Statement and Thesis and more Study notes Technical Writing in PDF only on Docsity! 1 Writing the Specific Purpose Statement and Thesis Statement Developing Your Purpose Specific Purpose Statement •Your specific purpose statement is a planning tool. It is — A single sentence that states precisely what you want to accomplish with your speech. Specific Purpose Statement OPENING + EFFECT DESIRED + TOPIC •Construct your specific purpose statement using this formula— •Your opening begins •This helps focus your planning on what you want from your audience. Specific Purpose Statement “I want my audience to . . .” 2 Specific Purpose Statement Understand . . . Recognize . . . Be able to perform . . . Support / Oppose . . . •The “effect desired” states in a verb or verb phrase what you want from your audience. You want them to — Specific Purpose Statement The positive social value of Habitat for Humanity •The “topic” is the subject you have chosen. Specific Purpose Statement “I want my audience to understand the positive social value of Habitat for Humanity.” •Put it all together and you have . . . Specific Purpose Statement “I want my audience to recognize the how to protect themselves from the SARS virus.” •Or maybe . . . 5 Thesis •The Thesis is a complete sentence. Ineffective: Differences between the Arena Football League and the NFL What makes the Arena Football League different from the NFL? Thesis •The thesis is not a description of a fact. Ineffective: “Spider-Man is a fictional hero who fights the villains in a corrupt world.” Thesis Improved: Spider-Man is a fictional hero who reminds us that great power also brings great responsibility •The thesis is a single point of view sentence that expresses an opinion, judgment, or interpretation: Thesis •Together — The thesis and the preview prepare the audience for the rest of the speech. • The thesis gives them a point of view • The preview prepares them for the main points that will be developed. 6 Thesis “Today we’re going to look at some of the differences between the Arena Football League and the NFL. Specifically, I want to focus on the playing field, the strategies of the game, and the pace of the action.” “The games played in the Arena Football League offer more fan excitement than the traditional games played in the NFL.” Preview: Thesis: Thesis •Everything you say in your speech . . . • Explains •Develops • Illustrates . . . the thesis. Thesis •Student speakers often forget to deliver their thesis. •Make a separate note card that contains only the thesis. • Include a reminder to deliver the sentence with emphasis or some nonverbal cue to the audience to help them recognize what they are hearing. Thesis Thesis Resident Advisors play an important roll at Navarro College by helping to enforce college rules, by providing a role model for other students, and by serving as college ambassadors. EMPHASIZE LOOK AT AUDIENCE! 7 Specific Purpose / Thesis •The specific purpose statement is a planning tool and is not heard by the audience. •The thesis is a single sentence delivered at the end of your introduction that tells the audience why the information they are going to hear in your speech is important.
