A speech topic with this quality is important enough to merit the time and attention of an intelligent group of people.
What is substantive?
100
Among the five resources for finding a speech topic, you should begin by consulting this person.
Who is yourself?
100
To avoid covering a huge topic, you can use this "system of topics" to limit your speech topic by asking a series of questions: Who? What? Why? When? Where? How? So?
What are the topoi (pronounced TOE-poy)?
100
"To inform listeners about . . ." and "To persuade listeners about . . ." are examples for this type of speech purpose.
What is a specific purpose?
100
This is the theme, the essence of your speech; it's your point of view, what you want the audience to get out of your speech, the one idea you want your audience to remember even if they forget everything else.
What is the thesis?
200
If your speech topic has this quality, your listeners will (based on what they know about you) see you as a knowledgeable and believable spokesperson.
What is appropriate?
200
Among the five resources for finding a speech topic, this technique is designed to generate lots of topics in a relatively short time.
What is brainstorming?
200
To avoid covering a huge topic, this technique can help limit your speech topic by dividing the general subject area into parts, which are then subdivided into smaller parts, and so on.
What are tree diagrams?
200
Your speech's specific purpose should be stated in this kind of phrase.
What is an infinitive phrase (begins with "To . . .")?
200
As opposed to your specific purposes statement, your thesis should be phrased in this way.
What is a complete declarative sentence?
300
A speech topic with this quality will address your audience in terms of its interests and needs.
What is appropriate?
300
Among the five resources for finding a speech topic, consulting these resources may involve browsing nonfiction bestseller lists or checking the Gallup Organization website and similar sites.
What are surveys?
300
To avoid covering a huge topic, these nested lists of topics allow you to go from general to specific by selecting a general subject area and then dividing and subdividing it.
What are search directories?
300
Your specific purpose statement should focus on this "essential element" of a public speech.
What is the audience?
300
While your specific purpose statement is focused on your audience, your thesis statement is focused on this.
What is the message?
400
A speech topic with this quality will not offend persons whose national and ethnic heritages differ from yours.
What is culturally sensitive?
400
Among the five resources for finding a speech topic, consulting these resources may involve checking the websites of Time, Newsweek, Forbes, Money, Fortune, 20/20, 60 Minutes, Meet the Press, and talk shows.
What are news items?
400
"To inform," "To persuade," and "To entertain" are examples for this type of speech purpose.
What is a general purpose?
400
This is the correct number of ideas which should be expressed in your speech's specific purpose statement.
What is one (1)?
400
Your thesis statement should be used to generate these, as you think of ideas, assertions, or propositions that will support your thesis.
What is main points?
500
Example for this type of topic are speaking about World War II to a Japanese audience and speaking about illegal immigration to a Mexican audience.
What is a taboo topic?
500
Among the five resources for finding speech topics, an example for this type of resource is the "Dictionary of Topics" accessible through MySpeechLab.com.
What are topic lists?
500
In the real world, these three factors often dictate the general purpose of a speech.
What are the situation, the audience, and the speaker's job?
500
Like your speech topic itself, your specific purpose statement should avoid being too broad and instead be limited to this.
What is reasonable?
500
Your thesis statement should be used to suggest this, as you think about the most beneficial arrangement of your ideas, assertions, or propositions.