Develop Central Idea

After you have decided on a general and specific purpose for your speech, the next step is to develop your central idea. Your book's authors write that a central idea is "a one-sentence summary of the speech" (129). The central idea is sometimes called a thesis. The central idea, or thesis, focuses on the content of the speech.

• Be a complete declarative sentence.
• Use specific language.
• Be a single idea.
• Be an audience-centered idea.

• In order to survive a winter storm, you should have adequate clothing, food, and communication devices.
  
  
• The art of mehndi is a 5,000 year old tradition that has been used for artistic, medical, and mystical purposes.
  
  
• Lack of seatbelt use is a serious problem that has been made worse by changes in airbag design.

Now it's your turn, answer the question below in the space provided.