Specific Purpose Statements

 

Once you know the type of speech you are giving (informative, persuasive), your next step is to write its purpose statement. The specific purpose statement is a planning tool and is not actually delivered in the speech. (Your textbook says otherwise; please ignore this.)

 

The specific purpose statement focuses your preparations on the response that you want from your audience.

 

Four guidelines will help you develop effective specific purpose statements:

 

1. Begin your specific purpose statement with the following words:

 

"After listening to my speech, my audience will . . ."

 

2. Complete the sentence so that you identify the specific effect you want your speech to have on the audience:

 

"After listening to my speech, my audience will understand the effects of El Nino on the local weather."

 

"After listening to my speech, my audience will take steps to reduce their risk of identity theft."

 

"After listening to my speech, my audience will rocognize the important roles played by bacteria the environment."

 

The specific purpose statement starts with the opening to focus on the audience, states what effect is desired from the audience, and identifies a topic:

 

Opening + effect desired + topic

 

3. Your specific purpose statement should avoid phrases like "know more about." A phrase like this is too vague and unfocused to be useful in stating your purpose.

 

Ineffective: "After listening to my speech, my audience will know more about analyzing the audience in preparation for a speech."

 

More Effective: "After listening to my speech, my audience will understand four major factors to consider when analyzing the audience prior to a speech."

 

4. Limit your specific purpose statement to one distinct idea. If your specific purpose statement includes connecting words--such as and or but, your sentence may have two or more ideas.

 

Ineffective: "After listening to my speech, my audience will be better informed about the latest efforts to ban all cigarette advertising around public schools and a proposal to prohibit smoking in and around all college campus buildings."

 

There are two purposes stated here. Either might make a good speech, but they cannot both be accomplished in a single presentation.

 

5. Make sure that your goal--the response that you wish to achieve from your audience--can be accomplished in the time allotted to you (usually 5-7 minutes).

 

Ineffective: "After listening to my speech, my audience will recognize the different types of soldiers who served in the Civil War."

 

More Effective: "After listening to my speech, my audience will recognize the role of African American soldiers in the Civil War."