8.6 Outlining Your Speech

Lana Iapicco and Marie Torres

8.6 Outlining Your Speech

sticky notes on a board
Photo by Patrick Perkins via Unsplash.

Most speakers—and audiences—prefer speeches that are clearly organized. An organized speech is easier to deliver and much easier for listeners to follow. For this reason, public speaking instructors emphasize the importance of outlining and often require students to create one before presenting.

An outline is a written plan that organizes all parts of your speech. It helps you structure your ideas before delivery and serves as a guide while you are speaking. Many speakers, especially those using extemporaneous delivery, keep an outline with them to stay on track and make sure they cover all key points.

Creating an outline also strengthens the speechwriting process. It encourages you to think carefully about your main ideas, known as , along with the supporting material that explains and develops those ideas. Overall, an outline functions as both a planning tool and a delivery aid.

Outline Types

There are two main types of outlines: the preparation outline and the speaking outline.

Preparation Outline

The first type is the . This outline is used during the planning stage of your speech. It is sometimes called a rough or working outline because it helps you organize your ideas as you develop your speech.

As Lucas (2004) explains, the preparation outline is designed to help you prepare your speech. When creating this outline, you should:

  • Finalize your specific purpose and thesis
  • Organize your main points logically
  • Decide where to include supporting material
  • Refine the overall structure of your speech

While working on your preparation outline, you may rearrange points, add or remove evidence, or revise your focus. The final version of a preparation outline typically includes full sentences, but it is not the same as writing an essay.

Speaking Outline

The is a shorter, more concise version used during the actual speech. Instead of full sentences, it includes key words and brief phrases that remind you of what to say.

According to Beebe & Beebe (2003), a speaking outline should include enough detail to guide you without encouraging you to read directly from it. Many students transfer their speaking outline onto note cards for easy reference while speaking. Always check your instructor’s guidelines for what is allowed.

Formal Outline

Components of Formal Outlines

Effective outlines follow several important principles, including main points, subordination and coordination, parallelism, division, and clear connections between ideas.

Main Points

are the central ideas of your speech. They directly support your thesis and represent the key messages you want your audience to remember.

Main points should:

  • Be written as clear, complete statements
  • Not be phrased as questions
  • Not be quotations or citations

Supporting details—such as examples, evidence, and explanations—are listed as subpoints under each main point.

For most classroom speeches (typically under 10 minutes), you should have 2 to 5 main points, with 3 being the ideal number. If you find yourself with too many main points, you should reorganize and combine ideas.

Structure

Outlines follow a standard formatting system:

  • Main points are labeled with Roman numerals (I, II, III, etc.)
  • Subpoints are labeled with capital letters (A, B, C, etc.)
  • Supporting details may use:
    • Numbers (1, 2, 3)
    • Lowercase letters (a, b, c)

Each level should be indented to show how ideas connect. This structure makes your outline easy to read and helps both you and your instructor see how your ideas are organized.

Example: 

Let’s work on understanding how to take main points and break them into smaller ideas by subordinating them further and further as we go by using the following outline example:

Topic: Dogs Make Great Pets

Specific Purpose: To inform my audience on why dogs make great pets

Thesis: Today, I am going to inform you on why dogs make greats pets by discussing how they are loyal, lovable, and entertaining.

Introduction: Before I begin, I would like to draw your attention to the screen. How many of you know what breed of dog this is? Correct, it’s a Dalmatian. What about this one? Yes, it’s a German Shepherd. Last one, what about this one? Yes, it’s a Yorkie. Today, I am going to inform you on why dogs make great pets by discussing how they are loyal, lovable, and entertaining.

I. Dogs make great pets because they are loyal.

  1. Dogs are protective.
    1. They will take a bullet for you.
      1. According to Detective John Smith in a 2021 interview with ABC News, he stated that 65% of canine police dogs take a bullet in the line of duty.
      2. Here are a couple of pictures of police dog Kuno when he was shot in 2018 chasing a suspect and fully recovered in 2020.
    2. Dogs are also loyal because they will fight for you if they feel like you are being threatened.
      1. They will fight other animals.
      2. They will also fight other people.
  2. Dogs are also loyal because they are obedient.

II. Now that you know how dogs are loyal, next, let’s discuss how they are lovable.

    1. Dogs are lovable because they show affection.
      1. They love to cuddle.
      2. They also love to lick you.
    2. Dogs are also lovable because they love to sleep beside you.

Do the same thing for the third main point.

Conclusion: Today, I’ve informed you on why dogs make great pets, by discussing how they are loyal, lovable, and entertaining. So, the next time you are thinking about getting a pet, you just might want to consider a dog. Thank you for your time and attention.

References

Smith, John, Detective (2021). Interview, USA: ABC News.

Subordination and Coordination

When you look at your outline, you should be able to see a clear hierarchy of ideas. One helpful way to think about this is as a staircase, where each step adds more detail.

This structure is called . Subordination means that supporting ideas clearly relate to the larger idea above them.

For example, in your outline:

I. Dogs make great pets because they are loyal.
A. Dogs are protective.
1. They will take a bullet for you.
a. According to Detective John Smith…

Each level adds more detail to the point above it:

  • Main point I introduces the general idea (loyalty)
  • Subpoint A explains one way dogs show loyalty (protection)
  • Point 1 provides a specific example
  • Point a gives supporting evidence

All of these ideas are connected, which shows proper subordination.

At the same time, your outline demonstrates . Coordination means that ideas at the same level are similar in type.

For example:

  • “Dogs are protective” and “Dogs are obedient” are both characteristics of loyalty
  • “They will fight other animals” and “They will fight other people” are both examples of protective behavior

Because these ideas match in purpose and level, they are properly coordinated. If one item were unrelated (for example, switching to a different topic entirely), the outline would no longer be organized correctly.

Parallelism

Another important principle is , which means using similar wording and structure for similar ideas.

Your outline already shows some parallelism:

  • “Dogs are protective”
  • “Dogs are also loyal because they are obedient”
  • “Dogs are lovable because…”

These phrases follow a consistent pattern, which makes the speech easier to follow.

Parallel structure might look even more consistent if phrased like this:

  • Dogs are loyal because they are protective
  • Dogs are loyal because they are obedient

Parallelism improves clarity and helps your audience stay focused, especially since they only hear your speech once.

Division

The principle of ensures that your ideas are fully developed and balanced.

In your outline:

  • Under “Dogs are protective,” you include multiple supporting ideas (taking a bullet, fighting threats)
  • Under “Dogs are lovable,” you include examples (cuddling, licking, sleeping beside you)

You follow the division rule because:

  • When you introduce a subpoint (A), you also provide another (B)
  • When you break down an idea further (1), you support it with another (2)

If you ever find a point that cannot be divided into at least two parts, it may need to be combined with another idea rather than standing alone.

Connecting Your Main Points

A strong outline also helps you clearly connect ideas during your speech.

guide your audience from one point to another. Your example already includes a strong transition:

“Now that you know how dogs are loyal, next, let’s discuss how they are lovable.”

This is effective because:

  • It summarizes the previous point (loyal)
  • It previews the next point (lovable)

You can also use such as:

  • “First…”
  • “Next…”
  • “Finally…”

These help your audience recognize where they are in the speech.

Example with Clear Connections

I. Dogs make great pets because they are loyal.

(Transition)
Now that we have discussed loyalty, let’s move on to another reason dogs make great pets.

II. Dogs make great pets because they are lovable.

This example shows how a well-structured outline improves clarity and organization. Each idea builds logically on the one before it, and transitions guide the audience through the speech.

Beginning speakers sometimes focus heavily on introductions or visuals, but the body of the speech—where your ideas are organized and developed—is the most important part. By using principles like subordination, coordination, parallelism, and division, you can create speeches that are easy to follow and more effective overall.

This annotated outline shows how different levels of organization work together:

  • Roman numerals (I, II) = main points
  • Capital letters (A, B) = subpoints
  • Numbers (1, 2) = supporting details
  • Lowercase letters (a, b) = evidence and examples

Notice how:

  • Each level becomes more specific (subordination)
  • Items at the same level match in type (coordination)
  • The consistent phrasing supports parallelism
  • Each idea is developed with at least two parts (division)

Remember that outlining is an essential step in creating a strong speech. A well-developed outline helps you:

  • Organize your ideas clearly
  • Support your main points effectively
  • Deliver your speech with confidence

A clear outline leads to a clear message—and a more effective presentation.

Licenses and Attribution

CC Licensed Content, Original

Speech Communication was created by Lana Iapicco and Marie Torres. Independently created original and AI-assisted content developed specifically for this book is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted.

This educational material includes content generated or revised with the assistance of large language models. Lana Iapicco and Marie Torres reviewed, edited, and take responsibility for the final published content.

CC Licensed Content, Previously Shared

Outlining Your Speech

“8.6 Outlining Your Speech” by Douglas Marshall, James Yeargain, June Pulliam, Sara Kim, and Victoria VanNest, published in It’s About Them: Public Speaking in the 21st Century by LOUIS: The Louisiana Library Network, was adapted for this section.

The source material is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. The material was revised, reorganized, expanded, and supplemented with original and AI-assisted content for this edition.

Adapted portions derived from this source, including revisions to those portions, are licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. Independently created portions developed specifically for Speech Communication are licensed under the book’s Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted.

Other Licensed Content Included

Sticky Notes on a Board

Photograph by Patrick Perkins, available through Unsplash.

Terms of use: Unsplash License.

Changes: The photograph was resized, and its alternative text and caption were revised for this edition.

Other Content Included

The Art of Public Speaking

Lucas, S. E. (2004). The art of public speaking. McGraw-Hill.

This source informed the explanation and purpose of the preparation outline. The publication remains subject to the rights of its author and publisher and is not included under the Creative Commons licenses applied to Speech Communication.

Public Speaking: An Audience-Centered Approach

Beebe, S. A., & Beebe, S. J. (2003). Public speaking: An audience-centered approach. Allyn & Bacon.

This source informed the discussion of speaking outlines, key words, brief phrases, and the use of notes during an extemporaneous presentation. The publication remains subject to the rights of its authors and publisher and is not included under the Creative Commons licenses applied to Speech Communication.

Illustrative Speech Outline

The outline about dogs as pets, including the reference to Detective John Smith, ABC News, and police dog Kuno, is presented as an instructional example of outline structure, subordination, coordination, supporting details, and transitions.

The example should not be interpreted as documenting a verified interview, statistic, news report, or historical event. Any factual claims retained in the example should be replaced with credible, verifiable sources before being used in an actual speech.

Third-Party References and Links

Books, photographs, examples, organizations, news outlets, trademarks, interviews, and other third-party materials referenced in this section remain the property of their respective authors, photographers, publishers, organizations, and rights holders.

The inclusion of these names, examples, citations, and links does not imply endorsement and does not place the underlying third-party materials under the Creative Commons licenses applied to Speech Communication.

Unless a separate license or public-domain status is specifically identified, third-party content may not be copied, redistributed, or adapted independently of the permissions provided by its copyright holder or applicable law.

License

Icon for the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License

8.6 Outlining Your Speech by Lana Iapicco and Marie Torres is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted.

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