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Persuasive Speech Outline
Topic: Write your topic in a few words here
Speech Pattern: Fill in here
Audience Analysis: Write 3-4 complete sentences about your selected audience. This
should include and specifically mention demographics, attitudes, beliefs, and values.
Address any concerns or biases your audience may have related to your topic, as well.
Introduction
I. Attention-Getter
Engage us right away with a story, significant/little-known fact or illustration,
an inclusive question, etc. Be sure to include a parenthetical citation if this is
taken from a source.
II. Credibility Statement
Identify any experiences or other credentials that qualify you to speak as an
authority on this particular topic.
III. Thesis Statement
State your thesis statement here—a declarative statement about your topic that
expresses IN EXACTLY ONE SENTENCE (subject, verb, complete thought)
the strong claim or command that the body of your speech supports.
IV. Preview Statement
Explain to the audience that you now will support your thesis statement by
discussing Main Point 1 (briefly state it), Main Point 2 (briely state it), and
Main Point 3 (briefly state it), etc. The main points, as worded here, in the
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body, and in the conclusion sections, should be worded almost identically and
in the same order.
V. Motive for Listening
Briefly explain how the topic relates to your audience members. Why should
they care about this topic?
Transition: Use a signal word, phrase, or sentence to notify your audience that you now
will present your first main point (E.g., first, let’s begin with, let’s look first to, etc.)
Body
I. Main Point 1. Works with the other main points to deliver what the
introduction’s purpose/thesis statement promises to deliver. State this main
point as ONE complete declarative sentence (subject, verb, complete thought).
Be sure this main point, along with the others, satisfies what your chosen
organizational pattern requires.
A. An example, illustration, statistic, comparison, quote from an expert or
other supportive material that supports or illustrates Main Point 1 (include a
parenthetical citation, in APA 7 format, if this came from a source)
1. Example of an APA in-text citation: for a paraphrase (Brown,
2020), for a direct quote from a book or article (Brown, 2020, p.
1) or if no page number is available (Brown, 2020, para. 5).
2. Be sure to have a 2. if you have a 1., a B. if you have an A., etc.
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B. Another example, illustration, statistic, comparison, quote from an expert or
other supportive material that supports or illustrates Main Point 1 (include a
parenthetical citation, in APA 7 format, if this came from a source).
C. If needed, another example, illustration, statistic, comparison, quotes from
an expert, or other supportive material that supports or illustrates Main
Point 1 (include a parenthetical citation, in APA 7 format, if this came from
a source).
Transition: Use a signal word, phrase, or sentence to notify your audience that you now
will present your first main point (Example: Second, next, let’s move on to, my second
point, my next point, etc.)
II. Main Point 2. Works with the other main points to deliver what the
introduction’s purpose/thesis statement promises to deliver. State this main
point as ONE complete declarative sentence (subject, verb, complete thought).
Be sure this main point, along with the others, satisfies what your chosen
organizational pattern requires.
A. An example, illustration, statistic, comparison, quote from an expert or
other supportive material that supports or illustrates Main Point 1 (include a
parenthetical citation, in APA 7 format, if this came from a source)
1. Example of an APA in-text citation: for a paraphrase (Brown,
2020), for a direct quote from a book or article (Brown, 2020, p.
1) or if no page number is available (Brown, 2020, para. 5).
2. Be sure to have a 2. if you have a 1., a B. if you have an A., etc.
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B. Another example, illustration, statistic, comparison, quote from an expert or
other supportive material that supports or illustrates Main Point 1 (include a
parenthetical citation, in APA 7 format, if this came from a source).
C. If needed, another example, illustration, statistic, comparison, quotes from
an expert, or other supportive material that supports or illustrates Main
Point 1 (include a parenthetical citation, in APA 7 format, if this came from
a source).
Transition: Use a signal word, phrase, or sentence to notify your audience that you now
will present your first main point (Example: lastly, finally, let’s end with, my last point,
my final point, etc.)
III. Main Point 3. Works with the other main points to deliver what the
introduction’s purpose/thesis statement promises to deliver. State this main
point as ONE complete declarative sentence (subject, verb, complete thought).
Be sure this main point, along with the others, satisfies what your chosen
organizational pattern requires.
A. An example, illustration, statistic, comparison, quote from an expert or
other supportive material that supports or illustrates Main Point 1 (include a
parenthetical citation, in APA 7 format, if this came from a source)
1. Example of an APA in-text citation: for a paraphrase (Brown,
2020), for a direct quote from a book or article (Brown, 2020, p.
1) or if no page number is available (Brown, 2020, para. 5).
2. Be sure to have a 2. if you have a 1., a B. if you have an A., etc.
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B. Another example, illustration, statistic, comparison, quote from an expert or
other supportive material that supports or illustrates Main Point 1 (include a
parenthetical citation, in APA 7 format, if this came from a source).
C. If needed, another example, illustration, statistic, comparison, quotes from
an expert, or other supportive material that supports or illustrates Main
Point 1 (include a parenthetical citation, in APA 7 format, if this came from
a source).
Other Main Points (If applicable). These are optional, depending on the
needs of your speech. If you use them, preface each of them with a transition
statement and structure these points as you structured the preceding main
points.
Transition: Use a signal word, phrase, or sentence to notify your audience that you now
will present your first main point (Example: in conclusion, in summary, etc.)
Conclusion
I. Summary
Restate your thesis statement and then the main points that you just presented
in support of it. Again, be sure your restatement of the main points closely
matches the wording for the main points that you used in the body section and
that you present them in the same order.
II. Call to Action
Use a relevant, appropriate concluding technique to create in the audience a
sense of psychological closure. Then, give a call to action (such as “I
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References
Include a complete References page formatted correctly in APA style. Per the instructions
document, you will need a minimum of five sources. At least three of these should be
scholarly/academic (peer-reviewed journal articles or books). Use a one-to-one ratio:
every source on the References page should be cited parenthetically, and every source
cited parenthetically should match a source on the References page. You will also need to
orally cite every source used in your speech.
See the APA & Citation Help module on Canvas. You are encouraged to visit the
Writing Center for APA & grammar assistance.
Double space, handing indent (like these notes), alphabetical order, legible 12-point font,
include a hyperlinked doi or URL (if doi not available) for all applicable sources,
double-check citations (do not directly copy from a citation machine).
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