If you want to know, how to write a perfect speech, you will love this amazing step-by-step guide.
But, let’s start with a simple introduction.
In simple words, speech writing is an art (technique) of conveying your message to an audience through your words.
Think of it this way.
Whether for a ceremony, an election or a school assembly, you give a speech to interact with your audience.
Plus, a speech has logically connected ideas that are supported by evidence.
But, how do you write a speech? Let me tell you.
Format of Speech Writing:
- Address your audience:
This is the first thing that you are going to do.
Addressing the audience simply means to start with a phrase such as: “Good morning everyone”, or “Good morning ladies and gentlemen”.
This will go on the top left of your page.
Note: If (in an exam) the question restricts you with the starting, you should follow the instructions. For example, if you are asked to start with “Good evening friends”, then you will start like that.
When you have addressed your audience (people listening to you), move on to the second step.
- Write an Introduction:
This is going to be the first paragraph of your speech. And trust me, it should be “epic”.
Let me tell you how to write a perfect introductory paragraph. An introduction should:
- Grab the attention of the audience
- Explain the topic (and the points that would be discussed)
If you want to hook your reader from the start, you can start with a question. This is because a question forces your reader to visualize and think about the topic.
For example, let’s suppose that you are writing about climate change. You can start your speech like this: “In your opinion, why is climate change a bigger problem today than it was 20 years ago?”.
The second thing you can do to grab your readers attention is to start with a fact.
I have a question for you. Would you be interested in hearing a speech that starts with a thrilling fact? At least, I would be!
A simple example of starting with a fact is:
“Do you know that one of the biggest global killers is pollution? Around 5000 people die every day due to the consumption of unclean water.” That is a HUGE number if you ask me…”
When you have grabbed your readers attention, move on and explain the purpose of your speech.
It is important to tell the purpose of your speech. It gives your reader an idea of what your speech will cover. It should also provide some background information on the issue or problem (if applicable).
When you are done with the introduction, move on to the body.
- Body:
In the body paragraphs, you are going to cover the main topic (idea) in detail.
Each body paragraph should contain:
- A topic sentence that tells what the paragraph will cover
- The supporting sentences that discuss the idea of the topic sentence
But the real question is, how many body paragraphs should you make?
Well, it depends. Let me explain this to you.
You are going to make a paragraph in the body section for every main idea. In simple words, you will make a separate paragraph for a separate point (idea).
But ideally, it is recommended to make 3 body paragraphs (to cover three prominent ideas).
You will understand this after reading the sample speeches later in this article.
- Conclusion:
This is going to be the last part of your speech. But, a concluding paragraph is a little bit different.
Here’s how.
In the conclusion, you are first going to thank your audience for their patience and time. Then (just like other conclusions), you are going to summarise your discussion.
But remember, DO NOT introduce new points. The purpose of the conclusion is to wrap up your ideas and thank your audience.
So keep that in mind.
With this, it is time to move on and take a look at some samples for speech writing.
Sample:
Question:
Recently, your class organized and helped to run an after-school activity for younger pupils in your school. The Principal asked you, as one of the organizers, to give a speech about it at the school assembly.
Write your speech. You must include the following:
- When and where the activity was held
- Description of the activity
- Benefits to younger pupils and classmates
Answer:
“My respected schoolmates and the honourable administration, Good morning. I have a question for you. Would you actively participate in an event conducted by the school or by your friends?
I will come back to you with this question later, but first of all, let me introduce myself. I am Adam Sanders, a student of grade eleven, and I am here to talk about the recent sports activity our class organized after school.
(Introduction ↑)
My honourable audience, my class conducted the planned sports activities immediately after the recent winter break. This means that the activity lasted for two weeks, from 1st January to 14th January 2021. Umm… And we conducted all our activities in this assembly area, where you all are currently standing.
(First Body Paragraph ↑)
Any guesses how did we manage all this?
Firstly, the younger pupils opted for their favourite sports through a survey. Secondly, my class finalized the teams based upon the skills of players and sports categories such as cricket and football.
This was a hectic task, wasn’t it? After that, as you all know, the teams competed against each other up till the final, where one team secured a victory.
(Second Body Paragraph ↑)
My honourable audience, this activity proved to be a source of learning competitive skills for the participants. Likewise, these sports activities also allowed students to improve their physical, mental and emotional health.
Isn’t it? And if I talk about my class, we learned a lot about leadership and how to plan and conduct events.
(Third Body Paragraph ↑)
My respected guests, I thank you all from the bottom of my heart for your valuable time. I hope that we conduct similar events in the future as well. This is Adam, and I hope to see you all in the future.”
(Conclusion ↑)
Comments on the Sample:
(The strong aspects of this response)
- The format of this sample is appropriate.
This is because it starts and ends with inverted commas and contains paragraphs.
Further reading:
Argumentative Essay Made Simple
Narrative Writing | With Examples
Report Writing | Format and Sample
- There are rhetorical questions that engage the audience.
These questions are the ones for which the questioner does not expect a direct answer. Here are some examples of rhetorical questions:
“There is no point in this, is there?”
“This joke was funny, wasn’t it?”
“Why don’t you leave me alone?”
- The writer covers all three aspects (mentioned as bullet points in the question).
If you look at the question, there were some topics such as “when and where the activity was held”. The candidate addresses all these points using a separate paragraph for each.
- The tone and register (writing style) are appropriate.
With this, it is time to discuss some areas of improvement for this sample.
(The areas of improvement)
- Variety in sentence structure.
In the response, there are mostly simple and compound sentences. The speech can be improved by using complex and compound-complex sentences as well.
- Engaging the audience.
In speech writing, keeping your audience engaged is the MOST important task.
But why?
This is simple. If you do not engage your audience, they will not listen to you.
In this response, the student has tried well to retain the audience attention. But there are some places where the speech turns to more like storytelling.
For example, when the details about the event were discussed.
- The Conclusion:
In the concluding paragraph, the student thanks to the audience (which is good). But, the summary of the main points (brief recap) was missing.
You should remember that in the conclusion, you have to summarise your speech and then thank your audience.
Note: You can also add extra details, such as your contact details (if applicable).
Now, let me share another speech writing sample with you.
Sample 2:
Question:
Write a speech about an event from your school life you will always remember. You should include details such as when the event happened and how the event affected you.
Answer:
“My respected Principal, the honourable school staff and my friends, Good morning! I have a quick question for you. Is there any event from your school life about which you says: ‘I am going to remember this FOREVER’?
Well, there is one for me. But first of all, let me introduce myself to you. My name is John Ryan and I am a student of grade eleven. I think this is enough for an introduction, isn’t it?
Now, let me share my experience of an inter-region football competition in which I participated last year.
(Introduction ↑)
Umm… First of all, raise your hands if you have ever been to a football competition. Good, the majority of you have the experience. Let me tell you all that our preparation for the event started two months before the event.
And for your reference, let me tell you that the event was conducted on 22nd March 2021. A quick question, any guesses on where the event was conducted?
No idea? Well, this programme was held in the Peninsula Stadium (UK) where teams from all over the globe participated.
I know that you might be wondering, ‘How did this stadium accommodate so many people?’. The answer is that after the teams were shortlisted, this stadium was enough to carry out an event like this.
(First Body Paragraph ↑)
My respected audience, our coach Sir Jimmy ensured that all the preparations were complete. And as you are aware that we defeated all our opponents one by one and made our way to the final.
Can you imagine how hectic and tiresome this day was for all of us? But to be honest, the victory at the end made this effort completely worth it. Now you all know why I was excited to share this experience?
My friends, this experience of training and victory is what makes this event unforgettable.
(Second Body Paragraph ↑)
My honourable guests, I claim that this event made a HUGE impact on my personality. Any guesses?
Participation in this competition massively increased my confidence. Moreover, I learned some great lessons about teamwork, leadership and success.
But there is something I am even more proud of. Raise your hands if you know the answer. The hint is, ‘school’. Yes, you are correct. This victory enhanced the reputation of our school as well.
(Third Body Paragraph ↑)
Well, this brings us to the end of this speech. Thank you for your valuable time and energy. If you have any questions for me, you can raise your hands…
No? Well then, I hope that this speech was a source of motivation and learning for you. I hope to see you all soon. Bye”
(Conclusion ↑)
Tips for Speech Writing:
- Use a conversational tone.
You should remember that speech writing is not like account writing or letter writing. The tone matters!
Having a conversational tone simply means that your speech should sound like you are talking to someone. For that, you can use the phrases such as: “My respected guests…” “My honourable audience…” etc
Important Note: You should use the “You” tone in your writing. This keeps your audience engaged.
- Use rhetorical questions.
This is very important if you want to keep your audience engaged. As I mentioned earlier, these are the questions for which you do not expect a direct answer.
But, why do you ask them? To keep your audience attentive.
Therefore, try to ask questions so that your speech does not turn into a story.
- Know your audience:
Who is your audience? Why do they want and why are they there?
These questions are very important to answer before you write a speech. Whether your speech is to entertain, motivate, inform or challenge your audience, knowing them is the first part.
This is because your tone should vary according to your audience.
Wrapping Up:
With this, our topic about speech writing has come to an end.
Now, I turn it over to you.
Which part of this topic did you find challenging? Or you enjoyed reading the samples? Either way, do let me know.
Thank You very much for reading and staying with me till the end. Stay tuned for more. And if you have any questions, feel free to leave them below.