12.2  Organizational Patterns of Arrangement for Informative Speeches

12.2 Organizational Patterns of Arrangement for Informative Speeches

After you have chosen your main points and supporting subpoints, you can begin developing your speech. Before writing, consider how you will organize your ideas.

There are several ways to organize a speech, and the most effective approach often depends on your purpose and topic. For example, an informative speech may use a different organizational pattern than a persuasive speech. Planning your organization helps your ideas flow clearly and makes your message easier for the audience to follow.

These approaches are called organizational patterns because they determine how the main points of a speech are arranged. Chronological, topical, spatial, and causal patterns are often well suited to informative speeches.

Problem-solution, Monroe’s Motivated Sequence (Monroe, 1949), claim-to-proof (Mudd & Sillar, 1962), and refutation patterns are more commonly used in persuasive speeches. Examples of persuasive organizational patterns and outlines appear later in this book.

Chronological Pattern

A chronological pattern, sometimes called a temporal pattern, organizes main points in time order. The speech moves through events or steps in the sequence in which they occurred.

This organizational pattern is especially useful when a topic involves history, a process, or a person’s life. For example, you might use chronological organization to explain a historical event, describe how to complete a task, or trace the development of someone’s career.

When the order of events matters, chronological organization helps the audience understand how one stage leads to the next.

Example: Oprah Winfrey

Topic

Oprah Winfrey

Thesis

Oprah Winfrey’s career can be understood through three important stages of her life.

Preview

First, we will examine Oprah Winfrey’s early life. Next, we will consider the beginning of her broadcasting career. Finally, we will discuss her years as the host of The Oprah Winfrey Show.

Main Points

1. Oprah Winfrey’s childhood in rural Mississippi included significant challenges that shaped her early life.
2. Her early career included work in local radio and television in Nashville and Chicago.
3. Her time hosting The Oprah Winfrey Show from 1986 to 2011 marked a period of major success and influence.

A chronological pattern gives the speech a clear sequence and helps the audience follow the development of a person, event, or process over time.

Topical Pattern

A topical organizational pattern divides a subject into related ideas, parts, or categories. Each main point supports the thesis, but the points do not need to appear in a fixed time-based or spatial order.

This pattern works well when a topic can be divided into several distinct sections. Each main point addresses a different aspect of the overall topic, and the points work together to create a complete explanation.

For example, a speech about services available to college students could be organized around different categories of support. Because the categories do not need to be presented in a particular sequence, a topical pattern is appropriate.

Example: Student Services

Topic

Student services at College of the Canyons

Thesis and Preview

College of the Canyons offers three important categories of student services: learning support services, student support services, and financial support services.

Main Points

1. Learning support services include the library, the Learning Center, and the ASG Computer Lab, all of which help students succeed academically.
2. Student support services include offices such as the Student Development Office, which assists students with personal and campus-related needs.
3. Financial support services include the Financial Aid Office, which provides resources and options for paying for college.

A topical pattern breaks a broad subject into manageable categories, helping the audience understand each part of the topic.

Spatial Pattern

A spatial organizational pattern arranges the main points of a speech according to location or physical space. The speaker guides the audience through a place in a logical direction, such as from top to bottom, left to right, north to south, or one area to another.

This pattern works best when the topic involves a specific location, structure, or layout. Each main point focuses on a different physical area, and the order helps the audience visualize how those areas are related.

Spatial organization may be used to describe a college campus, building, city, room, landscape, or geographic region.

Example: University of Georgia

Topic

The University of Georgia

Thesis

The University of Georgia is organized into three distinct areas, each with its own features and purposes.

Main Points

1. North Campus includes historic buildings, a tree-lined quadrangle, and the Arch near downtown Athens.
2. West Campus contains many residence halls, dining areas, and gathering spaces.
3. East Campus includes newer buildings, the university health center, recreational facilities, and science research spaces.

A spatial pattern helps the audience visualize a location and understand how its different areas are connected.

Causal Pattern

A causal organizational pattern explains causes and effects. The main points identify why something happened, what happened as a result, or both.

This pattern is useful for topics involving events, conditions, problems, or processes. A causal speech may be organized in either of two ways:

• Cause to effect: Explain why something happened and then describe the resulting consequences.
• Effect to cause: Begin with the outcomes and then explain what caused them.

The most effective order depends on which arrangement will be clearest and most engaging for the audience.

Example: Northridge Earthquake—Cause to Effect

Topic

The Northridge earthquake

Thesis

The Northridge earthquake was caused by a previously unidentified fault and resulted in significant loss of life and property damage.

Main Points

1. The earthquake was caused by a previously unidentified fault beneath the Northridge area.
2. The earthquake resulted in significant loss of life.
3. The earthquake caused billions of dollars in damage to buildings and infrastructure.

Example: Northridge Earthquake—Effect to Cause

Thesis

The Northridge earthquake caused widespread destruction and loss of life and resulted from movement along a previously unidentified fault beneath the area.

Main Points

1. The earthquake resulted in significant loss of life.
2. The earthquake caused extensive property and infrastructure damage.
3. The earthquake was caused by movement along a fault beneath Northridge.

Beginning with the effects can be especially engaging when the consequences are dramatic or surprising. It may encourage the audience to ask what caused those outcomes.

A causal pattern helps listeners understand how and why something happened and how one condition or event led to another.