Writing Speeches

What is Writing Speeches?

Within English, which covers grammar, vocabulary, reading, writing, poetry, drama and the skills for clear communication, this topic explains Writing Speeches. English topics help you read closely and write with purpose, so each one here explains a skill and shows how it works in a model text.

Check that you can explain Writing Speeches in your own words and give one example from everyday life. If you can do that, you have understood the core idea.

Understanding Writing Speeches helps you read texts more closely and write with more control, which earns marks in both reading and writing papers.

Writing Speeches in detail

A speech is written to be heard, so it uses features that grab and hold attention: a strong opening (a question or striking fact), direct address ("my friends"), rhetorical devices such as repetition and the rule of three, short sentences for emphasis, and a memorable ending with a call to action.

Structure it clearly with an introduction, a few main points with examples, and a conclusion. Language should be clear, with a suitable tone and humour or emotion where appropriate. Practise delivery: pace, pauses, volume and eye contact are as important as the words. Famous speeches such as Martin Luther King's "I have a dream" show the power of rhetoric.

How the interactive helps you understand Writing Speeches

Click a step, or use the Previous and Next buttons, to move through the sequence one stage at a time. Auto-play moves on for you.

Before you change anything, predict the result. Then change one value at a time and check whether your prediction was right. This is a quick way to build a correct mental model of Writing Speeches.

Real-life uses and examples

• Use Writing Speeches to make your own writing more precise and vivid.
• Support a point about Writing Speeches with a short, accurate quotation.
• Plan an essay paragraph by linking the technique to the reader’s response.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Quoting a long passage instead of picking a short, precise phrase.
• Naming a technique without explaining its effect on the reader.
• Learning the definition without testing it. Use the quiz and the interactive to check that you can apply the idea.