SAMPLE SPEECH WITH COMMENTARY
SAMPLE PREPARATION OUTLINE WITH COMMENTARY
The following outline for a six-minute informative speech illustrates the principles just discussed. The commentary explains the procedures used in organizing the speech and writing the outline. (Check with your teacher to see if she or he wants you to include a title with your outline.) Panic Attacks | COMMENTARY | Topic: Panic Attack | Stating your specific purpose and central idea as separate units before the text of the outline makes it easier to judge how well you have constructed the outline to achieve your purpose and to communicate your central idea. | Specific Purpose: To inform my audience about the nature, extent, and symptoms of panic attacks. Central Idea: Panic attacks are serious medical conditions whose fearful symptoms affect millions of people. | Labeling the introduction marks it as a distinct section that plays a special role in the speech. | Introduction | The opening story gets attention and, as it progresses, reveals the topic of the speech. | I. I can't breathe, my arms are tingling, I'm really dizzy, and it feels as if my heart is about to fly out of my chest. II. When this happened to me three years ago at an outdoor concert, I was really frightened. A. At the time, I had no idea what was going on. B. My doctor told me later that I had experienced a panic attack. | Here the speaker establishes her credibility and previews the main points to be discussed in the body of the speech. | III. I have learned a lot about my condition during the past three years, and I did additional research for this speech. IV. Today I would like to inform you about the nature of panic attacks, the people affected most often by them, and the options for treatment. | Including transitions ensures that the speaker has worked out how to connect one idea to