Generate Main Ideas

[Skip Breadcrumb Navigation]

After you develop the central idea, the next step in the speechmaking process is to generate main ideas. On this page, we'll:

Generate the main ideas for your speech
Formulate the preview statement.

Generate the Main Ideas for Your Speech

It is important that you subdivide your speech into two, three, or four main ideas. Your book's authors identify three ways to generate main ideas. Review what they say on pages 131-133. Then, consider their three questions:

Does the central idea have logical divisions? (If yes, then proceed to question 1, skip 2 and 3 then go to question 4)
Can you think of several reasons why the central idea is true? (If yes, then proceed to question 2, skip 1 and 3 then go to question 4)

Can you support your central idea with a series of steps or a chronological progression? (If yes, then proceed to question 3, skipping 1 and 2)

This activity contains 4 questions.

Finding Logical Divisions

Here's an example:

The art of mehndi is a 5,000 year old tradition that has been used for artistic, medical, and mystical purposes.

The logical divisions in the above statement are artistic purposes, medical purposes, and mystical purposes.

Now it's your turn, consider your central idea and identify the logical divisions present. List them in the space provided below.

To create paragraphs in your essay response, type at the beginning of the paragraph, and at the end.

Establishing Reasons

Here's an example:

Capital punishment should be illegal because it is discriminatory, inhumane, and not necessary.

The three reasons that will compose the speech are that capital punishment is discriminatory, capital punishment is inhumane, and capital punishment is not necessary.

Now it's your turn, consider your central idea and identify the reasons you will use to support your argument. List those reasons in the space provided.

To create paragraphs in your essay response, type at the beginning of the paragraph, and at the end.

Tracing Specific Steps

Here's an example:

Traveling to another country involves three steps, obtaining a passport, making travel plans, and learning about the language and culture of the country you will visit.

Now it's your turn, consider your central idea and identify the steps you will describe in your speech. List them in the space provided.

To create paragraphs in your essay response, type at the beginning of the paragraph, and at the end.

Writing the Preview Statement

Once you've identified your main ideas, you can combine them in the preview statement, as discussed on page 133. You will also need to recall your central idea, which you should be able to find with your email software if you completed the central idea exercise.

Now it's your turn, consider your central idea and your main ideas and create a preview statement inthe space provided.

To create paragraphs in your essay response, type at the beginning of the paragraph, and at the end.

The Submit Answers for Grading feature requires scripting to function. Your browser either does not support scripting or you have turned scripting off.

So, the Submit Answers for Grading button below will not work.

The following Submit Answers for Grading button is provided in its place and will clear your answers:
The Clear Answers and Start Over feature requires scripting to function. Your browser either does not support scripting or you have turned scripting off.

So, the Clear Answers and Start Over button below will not work.

The following Clear Answers button is provided in its place and will clear your answers: