{"id":476,"date":"2025-05-26T16:59:33","date_gmt":"2025-05-26T16:59:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pressbooks.palni.org\/publicspeakinganddemocraticparticipation\/?post_type=chapter&#038;p=476"},"modified":"2025-08-23T20:28:59","modified_gmt":"2025-08-23T20:28:59","slug":"organizing-your-presentation-with-an-introduction-conclusion-and-transitions","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/pressbooks.palni.org\/publicspeakinganddemocraticparticipation\/chapter\/organizing-your-presentation-with-an-introduction-conclusion-and-transitions\/","title":{"raw":"Organizing Your Presentation with an Introduction, Conclusion, and Transitions","rendered":"Organizing Your Presentation with an Introduction, Conclusion, and Transitions"},"content":{"raw":"<div class=\"textbox textbox--learning-objectives\"><header class=\"textbox__header\">\r\n<p class=\"textbox__title\">Chapter Objectives<\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/header>\r\n<div class=\"textbox__content\">\r\n<p class=\"import-pf\">Students will:<\/p>\r\n\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li class=\"import-blf\">Assess the functions of introductions and conclusions.<\/li>\r\n \t<li class=\"import-bll\">Write effective transitions with signposts.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<p class=\"import-p0\" style=\"text-indent: 0pt;\">Now that you have developed a strong thesis (chapter 12) and organized your main points (chapter 13), you are ready to develop the introduction and conclusion and add transitions. You might wonder why this chapter comes now, <span style=\"border: none windowtext 0pt; padding: 0;\"><em class=\"import-i\">after<\/em><\/span> the previous two chapters on organization. Don\u2019t speeches usually <span style=\"border: none windowtext 0pt; padding: 0;\"><em class=\"import-i\">start<\/em><\/span> with an introduction? Why not begin with that, then?<\/p>\r\n<p class=\"import-p0\" style=\"text-indent: 36pt;\">It\u2019s hard to introduce something when you don\u2019t yet know what you\u2019re introducing. You need a working outline of your thesis and main points <span style=\"border: none windowtext 0pt; padding: 0;\"><em class=\"import-i\">before<\/em><\/span> you write your speech\u2019s opening, or <span style=\"border: none windowtext 0pt; padding: 0;\"><strong class=\"import-b\">introduction<\/strong><\/span>, and closing, or <span style=\"border: none windowtext 0pt; padding: 0;\"><strong class=\"import-b\">conclusion<\/strong><\/span>. Similarly, it\u2019s difficult to write <span style=\"border: none windowtext 0pt; padding: 0;\"><strong class=\"import-b\">transitions<\/strong><\/span>\u2014connectors that move listeners from one point to the next\u2014if you have not yet developed the main points!<\/p>\r\n<p class=\"import-p0\" style=\"text-indent: 36pt;\">In this chapter, we will begin by identifying the primary functions of introductions and conclusions. We will then turn to transitions to help you communicate connections between the sections of your speech. Similarly to the previous two chapters, when we refer in this chapter to the audience, we mean your direct audience: the people who are exposed to and attend to your speech, based on our explanation in chapter 10.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<h1 class=\"import-ah\">Effective Introductions and Conclusions<\/h1>\r\n<p class=\"import-paft\">How you begin and end a speech can have an outsized effect on how audiences respond to your speech. On the one hand, most listeners make an initial decision about how seriously to take your speech or how much attention to give based on what they hear in the introduction. On the other hand, what you say in the conclusion is what many audiences will best remember.<\/p>\r\n<p class=\"import-p0\" style=\"text-indent: 36pt;\">While there is no easy formula, there are principles and tools that can help you craft effective introductions and conclusions. Of course, because each speech is unique, an approach that is well suited for one speech, audience, or context may be ill suited for another. It can be useful, then, to have a series of tools in your rhetorical toolbox as you craft the introduction and conclusion.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<h2 class=\"import-bh\"><em>The Functions of Introductions<\/em><\/h2>\r\n<img class=\"alignleft\" src=\"http:\/\/pressbooks.palni.org\/publicspeakinganddemocraticparticipation\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/77\/2025\/05\/image122.png\" alt=\"image\" width=\"106.133333333333px\" height=\"106.133333333333px\" \/>\r\n<p class=\"import-paft\">A popular internet meme declares, \u201cApparently it\u2019s rude to poke someone in the forehead and say, \u2018Skip Intro\u2019 when they start a conversation.\u201d The meme, of course, alludes to the option many streaming services provide to skip the introduction of our favorite shows and immediately start an episode.<\/p>\r\n<p class=\"import-p0\" style=\"text-indent: 36pt;\">Reflecting, however, on why shows offer introductions and\u2014perhaps more tellingly\u2014why we sometimes <span style=\"border: none windowtext 0pt; padding: 0;\"><em class=\"import-i\">do<\/em><\/span> watch their introductions highlights what a good introduction should accomplish. Whether for a television show or a speech, most introductions try to accomplish several functions. That is, they try to provide compelling answers to the questions audiences ask themselves as they decide whether or not to pay attention:<\/p>\r\n\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>get attention (\u201cDoes this sound interesting?\u201d)<\/li>\r\n \t<li>raise a need (\u201cWill this address my interests or concerns?\u201d)<\/li>\r\n \t<li>establish credibility (\u201cIs the person speaking worth listening to?\u201d)<\/li>\r\n \t<li>state your thesis or focal point (\u201cWhat is this about?\u201d)<\/li>\r\n \t<li>preview the body of the speech (\u201cWhat\u2019s coming?\u201d)<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\nWe address each of these functions in turn.\r\n<h3 class=\"import-ch\">Get Attention<\/h3>\r\n<p class=\"import-paft\">Your audience members have many things on their minds when you address them. As a speaker, you must find a way to get their attention. To be effective, your method must be appropriate to the occasion, your topic, and the audience. Avoid starting with \u201cUh, thanks, for, uh, coming\u201d or \u201cMy topic today is\u2026\u201d or even \u201cMy name is\u2026\u201d These are too bland. Instead, have a clear plan for how to grab their attention with your first words. Several specific strategies for attention-getting introductions appear in box 14.1.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<div class=\"textbox\">\r\n\r\n<strong>Box 14.1 Strategies for Getting the Audience\u2019s Attention<\/strong>\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>Use a quotation from a well-qualified or well-known individual.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Make a joke\u2014using tasteful and relevant humor, of course.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Ask a rhetorical question or a series of questions to engage your audience.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Tell a brief story or anecdote that introduces the topic of your speech in a compelling manner. This narrative should be connected to your topic in some way.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Share your personal experience as it relates to some aspect of your speech.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Make a brief (possibly ceremonial) reference to the occasion: \u201cMr. President, members of the board of trustees, family and friends of the graduates, and members of the graduating class of 2035\u2026\u201d<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Use a surprising statistic discovered in your research to awaken the audience\u2019s curiosity.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<h3 class=\"import-ch\">Raise a Need<\/h3>\r\n<p class=\"import-paft\">You are much more likely to hold your audience\u2019s attention if you articulate something they are interested in, need, or are concerned about (broadly defined). You must convince them that they want to listen to your speech because they will learn something important from it or will benefit from it in some way. Briefly but explicitly state what they will gain, and make clear how that benefit directly relates to their interests or needs.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<h3 class=\"import-ch\">Establish Credibility<\/h3>\r\n<p class=\"import-paft\">Assure the audience you are a credible source on the topic. This does not necessarily mean you are the foremost expert on the topic, but your introduction can give them a sense that you have done your research and know and care about the issue. You might explain that you studied the topic in a previous class, or you conducted multiple interviews with several community leaders involved with the issue.<\/p>\r\n<p class=\"import-p0\" style=\"text-indent: 36pt;\">You can, alternatively, build credibility by making your relationship to, or interest in, the topic clear. If you plan to address child obesity, for example, you might share that you struggled as a child with health issues from being overweight. If you want to advocate to increase salaries for schoolteachers, you might explain that it always bothered you that your favorite middle school teacher had to work a second job to stay afloat financially. When the audience understands your investment in the issue at hand, they are often more willing to listen to what you have to say.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<div class=\"textbox\">\r\n\r\n<strong>Box 14.2 Strategies for Establishing Your Credibility<\/strong>\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>State where, and possibly why, you have previously studied or researched this topic.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Share how this topic relates to a hobby you have.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Describe some of the research you conducted to prepare for this speech.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Explain specifically why this topic matters to you.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Identify your personal connection to the topic or how it relates to a close family member or friend.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<h3 class=\"import-ch\">State Your Thesis or Focal Point<\/h3>\r\n<p class=\"import-paft\">Most speeches are <span style=\"border: none windowtext 0pt; padding: 0;\"><strong class=\"import-b\">thesis<\/strong> <strong class=\"import-b\">driven<\/strong><\/span>, meaning the thesis \u201cdrives\u201d or determines the route the speech will take. As we discussed in chapter 12, the thesis guides what material stays in the speech and what goes. Consequently, the thesis should be clearly stated in the introduction. Because it is the most important sentence in the speech, you don\u2019t want it to get lost. Articulate it as its own sentence, using the wording you developed to clearly state your central focus or claim.<\/p>\r\n<p class=\"import-p0\" style=\"text-indent: 36pt;\">There are exceptions to stating your thesis in the introduction. In what we might call <span style=\"border: none windowtext 0pt; padding: 0;\"><strong class=\"import-b\">thesis-seeking<\/strong><\/span> speeches, the thesis is reserved for later in the speech. The introduction and main points build up to (or \u201cseek\u201d) the thesis, which comes toward the end. We discussed patterns of arrangement in the previous chapters. Some patterns that are more likely to adopt a thesis-seeking approach include the refutative pattern of arrangement, some uses of Monroe\u2019s Motivated Sequence, and several of the nonlinear patterns.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<h3 class=\"import-ch\">Preview the Body of the Speech<\/h3>\r\n<p class=\"import-paft\">A <span style=\"border: none windowtext 0pt; padding: 0;\"><strong class=\"import-b\">preview statement<\/strong><\/span> elaborates on your thesis by announcing the main points of your speech <span style=\"border: none windowtext 0pt; padding: 0;\"><em class=\"import-i\">in the order you will develop them<\/em><\/span> as the speech progresses. It is a clear indication of how, exactly, the speech will proceed. In many ways, it tells the audience what to listen for.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<div class=\"textbox\">\r\n\r\n<strong>Box 14.3 Sample Preview Statement<\/strong>\r\n\r\nIn the previous two chapters, we discussed Riley\u2019s speech about animal welfare. Here we return to that speech for a sample preview statement.\r\n<p class=\"hanging-indent\"><strong class=\"import-b\">Riley\u2019s thesis statement:<\/strong> There are several ways to strengthen our local animal control agency\u2019s power to remove and care for abused animals in Montgomery County, but the most important thing you can do is to increase awareness in our county so more people know what counts as abuse and how to report it.<\/p>\r\n<p class=\"hanging-indent\"><span style=\"border: none windowtext 0pt; padding: 0;\"><strong class=\"import-b\">Riley\u2019s preview statement:<\/strong><\/span> In my speech, I will <span style=\"border: none windowtext 0pt; padding: 0;\"><strong class=\"import-b\">first<\/strong><\/span> establish the problem of animal neglect and cruelty in our county and state. <span style=\"border: none windowtext 0pt; padding: 0;\"><strong class=\"import-b\">Next<\/strong><\/span>, I will examine a frequently proposed solution and tell you why it will not make an immediate difference in the lives of our animal friends. <span style=\"border: none windowtext 0pt; padding: 0;\"><strong class=\"import-b\">Then<\/strong><\/span> I will advocate my preferred approach of educating the public about animal abuse, and I\u2019ll tell you specific ways you can help spread the word.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<p class=\"import-p\" style=\"text-indent: 36pt;\">The preview statement should allow audience members to anticipate the progression of your speech. When they know where you are going, they begin to listen for how your main points build on each other instead of struggling to determine your train of thought.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<h2 class=\"import-bh\"><em>The Functions of Conclusions<\/em><\/h2>\r\n<img class=\"alignleft\" src=\"http:\/\/pressbooks.palni.org\/publicspeakinganddemocraticparticipation\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/77\/2025\/05\/image123.png\" alt=\"image\" width=\"97.8px\" height=\"97.8px\" \/>\r\n<p class=\"import-paft\">Conclusions, like introductions, play an important role in your speech because they tend to be what audiences remember. Consequently, conclusions share many characteristics with introductions; however, they tend to be shorter.<\/p>\r\n<p class=\"import-p0\" style=\"text-indent: 36pt;\">There are three primary functions of conclusions. They should<\/p>\r\n\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>summarize your main points<\/li>\r\n \t<li>restate your thesis or focal point<\/li>\r\n \t<li>end decisively<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\nAgain, we look more closely at each of these functions.\r\n<h3 class=\"import-ch\">Summarize Your Main Points<\/h3>\r\n<p class=\"import-paft\">Your audience hears your speech only once, but with the benefit of a summary, they hear your main points three times: first in the introduction\u2019s preview, then in the body itself, and here again in the conclusion\u2019s summary. This repetition increases the possibility that they will remember your message. Active listening requires an audience\u2019s ongoing effort. The final summary makes that task a little easier.<\/p>\r\n<p class=\"import-p0\" style=\"text-indent: 36pt;\">What do we mean by \u201csummarize\u201d?<\/p>\r\n\r\n<table>\r\n<thead>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td class=\"TableGrid-C\" style=\"border: solid windowtext 0.5pt;\">\r\n<p class=\"import-tch\"><strong>DO<\/strong><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<td class=\"TableGrid-C\" style=\"border: solid windowtext 0.5pt;\">\r\n<p class=\"import-tch\"><strong>Do NOT<\/strong><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/thead>\r\n<tbody>\r\n<tr class=\"TableGrid-R\">\r\n<td class=\"TableGrid-C\" style=\"border: solid windowtext 0.5pt;\">\r\n<p class=\"import-td\">Simply rename or restate each main point.<\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<td class=\"TableGrid-C\" style=\"border: solid windowtext 0.5pt;\">\r\n<p class=\"import-td\">Do not reexplain each main point.<\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr class=\"TableGrid-R\">\r\n<td class=\"TableGrid-C\" style=\"border: solid windowtext 0.5pt;\">\r\n<p class=\"import-td\">Express the summary in a single sentence.<\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<td class=\"TableGrid-C\" style=\"border: solid windowtext 0.5pt;\">\r\n<p class=\"import-td\">Do not offer any new support.<\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr class=\"TableGrid-R\">\r\n<td class=\"TableGrid-C\" style=\"border: solid windowtext 0.5pt;\">\r\n<p class=\"import-td\">\u201cToday I explained A, B, C, and D.\u201d<\/p>\r\n<p class=\"import-td\">\u201cI have described how W is largely caused by X, but Y can help if we do Z.\u201d<\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<td class=\"TableGrid-C\" style=\"border: solid windowtext 0.5pt;\">\r\n<p class=\"import-td\"><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/tbody>\r\n<\/table>\r\n<p class=\"import-p0\" style=\"text-indent: 36pt;\">The simple renaming briefly reminds your audience of what you said. Also, if someone was distracted during part of your speech, the restatement of your points enables them to review the argument\u2019s progression.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<h3 class=\"import-ch\">Restate Your Thesis or Focal Point<\/h3>\r\n<p class=\"import-paft\">Because your thesis statement captures the main point of the entire speech concisely and compellingly, state it again in the conclusion. Do so even if you adopt a \u201cthesis-seeking\u201d pattern that holds off on stating your thesis until a main point later in the speech\u2019s body. The thesis is still your central claim or focus. Restating it in the conclusion reinforces your thesis before you finish speaking.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<h3 class=\"import-ch\">End Decisively<\/h3>\r\n<p class=\"import-paft\">Conclusions should also be decisive. They should make clear that you are at the end of your presentation.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li><span style=\"border: none windowtext 0pt; padding: 0;\"><em class=\"import-i\">Avoid<\/em><\/span> ending by simply saying \u201cthank you\u201d or \u201cthank you for your time.\u201d That is gracious but not terribly interesting or decisive.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Instead, try crafting a <span style=\"border: none windowtext 0pt; padding: 0;\"><em class=\"import-i\">unique ending<\/em><\/span> to the speech that is <span style=\"border: none windowtext 0pt; padding: 0;\"><em class=\"import-iu\">decisive<\/em><\/span> enough that audiences automatically know to begin their applause without needing to hear you say \u201cthank you\u201d or \u201cthat\u2019s it.\u201d Use the strategies named in box 14.4 for ideas.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<p class=\"import-p0\" style=\"text-indent: 36pt;\">You might think of the conclusion\u2019s decisive ending in relation to your introduction\u2019s attention-getter\u2014like \u201cbookends\u201d for your speech. Consider how your decisive ending might return to your attention-getting device in some way.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<div class=\"textbox\">\r\n\r\n<strong>Box 14.4 Strategies for Ending a Speech Decisively<\/strong>\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>Briefly share the implications of your presentation.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>If you opened your speech with a quotation, perhaps restate it or end with another arresting quotation.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>If you began your speech with a story, consider returning to and finishing that story.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Offer inspiring last words that relate to your speech topic and thesis.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<p class=\"import-p0\" style=\"text-indent: 36pt;\">Now that you see what your introduction and conclusion can accomplish, add transitions to aid the speech\u2019s clarity and movement.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<h1 class=\"import-ah\">Clear Transitions<\/h1>\r\n<p class=\"import-paft\">Listening to a speech is unlike reading text. When you read an article or book, you can always go back a few paragraphs if you find your attention wandering, if you are interrupted by a text message, or if you did not catch the relationship between ideas the first time through. We do not have this luxury when listening to a speech. We hear the words only once, and if we miss something, we cannot go back and hear it again.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<div class=\"textbox\">\r\n\r\n<strong>Box 14.5 Speech Transitions Are like GPS Navigation<\/strong>\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_168\" align=\"alignright\" width=\"307\"]<img class=\"wp-image-168\" src=\"http:\/\/pressbooks.palni.org\/publicspeakinganddemocraticparticipation\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/77\/2025\/05\/image124.png\" alt=\"Hand holding a phone that displays a roadmap\" width=\"307\" height=\"320\" \/> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.stockvault.net\/photo\/222797\/gps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">GPS<\/a> by Pixabay via Stockvault, <a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/public-domain\/pdm\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Public Domain<\/a>.[\/caption]\r\n\r\nThink about the way a GPS operates. As the computerized voice gives you driving directions, it says something like \u201cIn two miles, take a left onto Park Place\u201d or \u201cContinue 4.6 miles to exit 14 for Roosevelt Street.\u201d Then as you get closer to your exit or turn, you might get a reminder: \u201cIn half a mile, turn left onto\u2026\u201d If the GPS were to wait until you were at the exit and then say, \u201cGet off here!\u201d you would likely miss the exit. You were not prepared for the change in direction.\r\n<p style=\"text-indent: 36pt;\">The same concept applies to public speaking. Transitions supply the verbal hints or signals that your speech is going to take a turn toward a new claim or emphasis.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<p class=\"import-p0\" style=\"text-indent: 36pt;\">When you understand how easily listeners can get lost during your speech, you also understand how to help them: Include transitions. Recall we defined transitions as connectors that move listeners from one point to the next. They help audiences navigate your presentation, often summarizing a main point they just heard or providing a clue of where they are going next on their journey. Indeed, transitions typically consist of two elements. First, transitions offer a brief internal summary of what was just said. Second, transitions offer a brief preview of what you will address next.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<div class=\"textbox\">\r\n\r\n<strong>Box 14.6 Sample Transitions<\/strong>\r\n\r\nLet\u2019s return once again to Riley\u2019s speech about animal welfare. During their speech, Riley established the problem of animal abuse and neglect. They then explained why legal reform was not the best approach to helping pets in their county. At that point, Riley was ready to introduce their solution.\r\n<p style=\"text-indent: 36pt;\">To signal that shift, Riley added the following transition. It consisted of two parts.<\/p>\r\n<strong>Mini Summary of the Previous Point<\/strong>\r\n\r\n\u201cI have just critiqued a popular solution for decreasing animal abuse in Montgomery County.\u201d\r\n\r\n<strong>Mini Preview of the Next Point<\/strong>\r\n\r\n\u201cNext, I will turn to my preferred approach.\u201d\r\n<p style=\"text-indent: 36pt;\">Riley stated the summary and preview together, as a single transition. They then shared their solution.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_169\" align=\"alignright\" width=\"375\"]<img class=\"wp-image-169\" src=\"http:\/\/pressbooks.palni.org\/publicspeakinganddemocraticparticipation\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/77\/2025\/05\/image125.png\" alt=\"Photograph of two roadsides that say Fifth Avenue and West 42nd Stret\" width=\"375\" height=\"250\" \/> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pexels.com\/photo\/sign-showing-direction-on-city-street-5845730\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Image<\/a> by Charles Parker via Pexels, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pexels.com\/license\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Pexels License<\/a>.[\/caption]\r\n<p class=\"import-p0\" style=\"text-indent: 36pt;\">We often use cuing language, called <span style=\"border: none windowtext 0pt; padding: 0;\"><strong class=\"import-b\">signposts<\/strong><\/span>, to alert audiences to a transition. In Riley\u2019s example in box 14.6, words like \u201cjust\u201d (\u201cI have just critiqued\u201d) and \u201cnext\u201d (\u201cNext, I will turn to\u201d) notify listeners of what just happened and what\u2019s about to be focused on. Such cuing language functions like actual signposts on the road that indicate where you are within a larger environment. Box 14.7 provides additional examples of transitions with signposting language.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<div class=\"textbox\">\r\n\r\n<strong>Box 14.7 Strategies for Writing Transitions and Signposts<\/strong>\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li><span style=\"border: none windowtext 0pt; padding: 0;\"><strong class=\"import-b\">Try numerical sequencing:<\/strong><\/span> First\u2026, Second\u2026, Third\u2026, In conclusion\u2026, or Next\u2026, In addition\u2026<\/li>\r\n \t<li><span style=\"border: none windowtext 0pt; padding: 0;\"><strong class=\"import-b\">Stress relationships between elements:<\/strong><\/span> Just as we have\u2026so we also have\u2026, To the left\u2026and to the right\u2026<\/li>\r\n \t<li><span style=\"border: none windowtext 0pt; padding: 0;\"><strong class=\"import-b\">Summarize what you have covered:<\/strong><\/span> In short\u2026, To summarize\u2026, To clarify\u2026, That is\u2026, Keep in mind\u2026, Before I move on to the next point, take note of\u2026<\/li>\r\n \t<li><span style=\"border: none windowtext 0pt; padding: 0;\"><strong class=\"import-b\">Ask a rhetorical question:<\/strong><\/span> \u201cYou may ask, \u2018What does this have to do with me?\u2019\u201d \u201cYou may wonder what caused this situation in which we find ourselves,\u201d or \u201cHow do we work through these conflicts?\u201d<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<p class=\"import-p0\" style=\"text-indent: 36pt;\">When it comes to connectives like transitions and signposts, the bottom line is that your audience will thank you for using them. They give your listeners handles to grab onto as they travel through your speech with you.<\/p>\r\n<p class=\"import-p0\" style=\"text-indent: 36pt;\">Now that you have examined the goals of organization and the various elements of planning and arranging a speech, in the next chapter we turn to the concrete principles of composing an outline.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<div class=\"textbox textbox--exercises\"><header class=\"textbox__header\">\r\n<p class=\"textbox__title\">Summary<\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/header>\r\n<div class=\"textbox__content\">\r\n<p class=\"import-paft\">This chapter addressed the functions of introductions and conclusions and the importance of clear transitions. More specifically, this chapter established the following:<\/p>\r\n\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>Introductions and conclusions play critical roles in conveying your most important ideas and engaging listeners.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>An introduction should fulfill the following functions: get attention, raise a need, establish credibility, state your thesis or focal point, and preview the body of the speech.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>The conclusion should summarize your main points, restate your thesis or focal point, and end decisively.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Transitions with signposts improve the flow of a speech and, just as importantly, help audience members navigate material they hear.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<div class=\"textbox textbox--key-takeaways\"><header class=\"textbox__header\">\r\n<p class=\"textbox__title\">Key Terms<\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/header>\r\n<div class=\"textbox__content\">\r\n\r\nconclusion\r\nintroduction\r\npreview statement\r\nsignpost\r\nthesis driven\r\nthesis seeking\r\ntransition\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<div class=\"textbox textbox--examples\"><header class=\"textbox__header\">\r\n<p class=\"textbox__title\">Review Questions<\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/header>\r\n<div class=\"textbox__content\">\r\n<ol>\r\n \t<li>How does a preview statement differ from a thesis statement?<\/li>\r\n \t<li>What are two good strategies for introductions? For conclusions?<\/li>\r\n \t<li>What are the functions of transitions in public speaking?<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<div class=\"textbox textbox--examples\"><header class=\"textbox__header\">\r\n<p class=\"textbox__title\">Discussion Questions<\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/header>\r\n<div class=\"textbox__content\">\r\n<ol>\r\n \t<li>Think of a particularly well-organized public presentation you attended. What did the speaker do in the introduction, conclusion, and between main points that made the speech easy to follow?<\/li>\r\n \t<li>What strategies might you add for getting an audience\u2019s attention in the introduction and ending decisively in the conclusion?<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Can you think of a speaker who uses transitions well? What do you notice about their speeches when you listen to them?<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>","rendered":"<div class=\"textbox textbox--learning-objectives\">\n<header class=\"textbox__header\">\n<p class=\"textbox__title\">Chapter Objectives<\/p>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"textbox__content\">\n<p class=\"import-pf\">Students will:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li class=\"import-blf\">Assess the functions of introductions and conclusions.<\/li>\n<li class=\"import-bll\">Write effective transitions with signposts.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"import-p0\" style=\"text-indent: 0pt;\">Now that you have developed a strong thesis (chapter 12) and organized your main points (chapter 13), you are ready to develop the introduction and conclusion and add transitions. You might wonder why this chapter comes now, <span style=\"border: none windowtext 0pt; padding: 0;\"><em class=\"import-i\">after<\/em><\/span> the previous two chapters on organization. Don\u2019t speeches usually <span style=\"border: none windowtext 0pt; padding: 0;\"><em class=\"import-i\">start<\/em><\/span> with an introduction? Why not begin with that, then?<\/p>\n<p class=\"import-p0\" style=\"text-indent: 36pt;\">It\u2019s hard to introduce something when you don\u2019t yet know what you\u2019re introducing. You need a working outline of your thesis and main points <span style=\"border: none windowtext 0pt; padding: 0;\"><em class=\"import-i\">before<\/em><\/span> you write your speech\u2019s opening, or <span style=\"border: none windowtext 0pt; padding: 0;\"><strong class=\"import-b\">introduction<\/strong><\/span>, and closing, or <span style=\"border: none windowtext 0pt; padding: 0;\"><strong class=\"import-b\">conclusion<\/strong><\/span>. Similarly, it\u2019s difficult to write <span style=\"border: none windowtext 0pt; padding: 0;\"><strong class=\"import-b\">transitions<\/strong><\/span>\u2014connectors that move listeners from one point to the next\u2014if you have not yet developed the main points!<\/p>\n<p class=\"import-p0\" style=\"text-indent: 36pt;\">In this chapter, we will begin by identifying the primary functions of introductions and conclusions. We will then turn to transitions to help you communicate connections between the sections of your speech. Similarly to the previous two chapters, when we refer in this chapter to the audience, we mean your direct audience: the people who are exposed to and attend to your speech, based on our explanation in chapter 10.<\/p>\n<h1 class=\"import-ah\">Effective Introductions and Conclusions<\/h1>\n<p class=\"import-paft\">How you begin and end a speech can have an outsized effect on how audiences respond to your speech. On the one hand, most listeners make an initial decision about how seriously to take your speech or how much attention to give based on what they hear in the introduction. On the other hand, what you say in the conclusion is what many audiences will best remember.<\/p>\n<p class=\"import-p0\" style=\"text-indent: 36pt;\">While there is no easy formula, there are principles and tools that can help you craft effective introductions and conclusions. Of course, because each speech is unique, an approach that is well suited for one speech, audience, or context may be ill suited for another. It can be useful, then, to have a series of tools in your rhetorical toolbox as you craft the introduction and conclusion.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"import-bh\"><em>The Functions of Introductions<\/em><\/h2>\n<div class=\"wp-nocaption alignleft\"><img class=\"alignleft\" src=\"http:\/\/pressbooks.palni.org\/publicspeakinganddemocraticparticipation\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/77\/2025\/05\/image122.png\" alt=\"image\" width=\"106.133333333333px\" height=\"106.133333333333px\" \/><\/div>\n<p class=\"import-paft\">A popular internet meme declares, \u201cApparently it\u2019s rude to poke someone in the forehead and say, \u2018Skip Intro\u2019 when they start a conversation.\u201d The meme, of course, alludes to the option many streaming services provide to skip the introduction of our favorite shows and immediately start an episode.<\/p>\n<p class=\"import-p0\" style=\"text-indent: 36pt;\">Reflecting, however, on why shows offer introductions and\u2014perhaps more tellingly\u2014why we sometimes <span style=\"border: none windowtext 0pt; padding: 0;\"><em class=\"import-i\">do<\/em><\/span> watch their introductions highlights what a good introduction should accomplish. Whether for a television show or a speech, most introductions try to accomplish several functions. That is, they try to provide compelling answers to the questions audiences ask themselves as they decide whether or not to pay attention:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>get attention (\u201cDoes this sound interesting?\u201d)<\/li>\n<li>raise a need (\u201cWill this address my interests or concerns?\u201d)<\/li>\n<li>establish credibility (\u201cIs the person speaking worth listening to?\u201d)<\/li>\n<li>state your thesis or focal point (\u201cWhat is this about?\u201d)<\/li>\n<li>preview the body of the speech (\u201cWhat\u2019s coming?\u201d)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>We address each of these functions in turn.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"import-ch\">Get Attention<\/h3>\n<p class=\"import-paft\">Your audience members have many things on their minds when you address them. As a speaker, you must find a way to get their attention. To be effective, your method must be appropriate to the occasion, your topic, and the audience. Avoid starting with \u201cUh, thanks, for, uh, coming\u201d or \u201cMy topic today is\u2026\u201d or even \u201cMy name is\u2026\u201d These are too bland. Instead, have a clear plan for how to grab their attention with your first words. Several specific strategies for attention-getting introductions appear in box 14.1.<\/p>\n<div class=\"textbox\">\n<p><strong>Box 14.1 Strategies for Getting the Audience\u2019s Attention<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Use a quotation from a well-qualified or well-known individual.<\/li>\n<li>Make a joke\u2014using tasteful and relevant humor, of course.<\/li>\n<li>Ask a rhetorical question or a series of questions to engage your audience.<\/li>\n<li>Tell a brief story or anecdote that introduces the topic of your speech in a compelling manner. This narrative should be connected to your topic in some way.<\/li>\n<li>Share your personal experience as it relates to some aspect of your speech.<\/li>\n<li>Make a brief (possibly ceremonial) reference to the occasion: \u201cMr. President, members of the board of trustees, family and friends of the graduates, and members of the graduating class of 2035\u2026\u201d<\/li>\n<li>Use a surprising statistic discovered in your research to awaken the audience\u2019s curiosity.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<h3 class=\"import-ch\">Raise a Need<\/h3>\n<p class=\"import-paft\">You are much more likely to hold your audience\u2019s attention if you articulate something they are interested in, need, or are concerned about (broadly defined). You must convince them that they want to listen to your speech because they will learn something important from it or will benefit from it in some way. Briefly but explicitly state what they will gain, and make clear how that benefit directly relates to their interests or needs.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"import-ch\">Establish Credibility<\/h3>\n<p class=\"import-paft\">Assure the audience you are a credible source on the topic. This does not necessarily mean you are the foremost expert on the topic, but your introduction can give them a sense that you have done your research and know and care about the issue. You might explain that you studied the topic in a previous class, or you conducted multiple interviews with several community leaders involved with the issue.<\/p>\n<p class=\"import-p0\" style=\"text-indent: 36pt;\">You can, alternatively, build credibility by making your relationship to, or interest in, the topic clear. If you plan to address child obesity, for example, you might share that you struggled as a child with health issues from being overweight. If you want to advocate to increase salaries for schoolteachers, you might explain that it always bothered you that your favorite middle school teacher had to work a second job to stay afloat financially. When the audience understands your investment in the issue at hand, they are often more willing to listen to what you have to say.<\/p>\n<div class=\"textbox\">\n<p><strong>Box 14.2 Strategies for Establishing Your Credibility<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>State where, and possibly why, you have previously studied or researched this topic.<\/li>\n<li>Share how this topic relates to a hobby you have.<\/li>\n<li>Describe some of the research you conducted to prepare for this speech.<\/li>\n<li>Explain specifically why this topic matters to you.<\/li>\n<li>Identify your personal connection to the topic or how it relates to a close family member or friend.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<h3 class=\"import-ch\">State Your Thesis or Focal Point<\/h3>\n<p class=\"import-paft\">Most speeches are <span style=\"border: none windowtext 0pt; padding: 0;\"><strong class=\"import-b\">thesis<\/strong> <strong class=\"import-b\">driven<\/strong><\/span>, meaning the thesis \u201cdrives\u201d or determines the route the speech will take. As we discussed in chapter 12, the thesis guides what material stays in the speech and what goes. Consequently, the thesis should be clearly stated in the introduction. Because it is the most important sentence in the speech, you don\u2019t want it to get lost. Articulate it as its own sentence, using the wording you developed to clearly state your central focus or claim.<\/p>\n<p class=\"import-p0\" style=\"text-indent: 36pt;\">There are exceptions to stating your thesis in the introduction. In what we might call <span style=\"border: none windowtext 0pt; padding: 0;\"><strong class=\"import-b\">thesis-seeking<\/strong><\/span> speeches, the thesis is reserved for later in the speech. The introduction and main points build up to (or \u201cseek\u201d) the thesis, which comes toward the end. We discussed patterns of arrangement in the previous chapters. Some patterns that are more likely to adopt a thesis-seeking approach include the refutative pattern of arrangement, some uses of Monroe\u2019s Motivated Sequence, and several of the nonlinear patterns.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"import-ch\">Preview the Body of the Speech<\/h3>\n<p class=\"import-paft\">A <span style=\"border: none windowtext 0pt; padding: 0;\"><strong class=\"import-b\">preview statement<\/strong><\/span> elaborates on your thesis by announcing the main points of your speech <span style=\"border: none windowtext 0pt; padding: 0;\"><em class=\"import-i\">in the order you will develop them<\/em><\/span> as the speech progresses. It is a clear indication of how, exactly, the speech will proceed. In many ways, it tells the audience what to listen for.<\/p>\n<div class=\"textbox\">\n<p><strong>Box 14.3 Sample Preview Statement<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>In the previous two chapters, we discussed Riley\u2019s speech about animal welfare. Here we return to that speech for a sample preview statement.<\/p>\n<p class=\"hanging-indent\"><strong class=\"import-b\">Riley\u2019s thesis statement:<\/strong> There are several ways to strengthen our local animal control agency\u2019s power to remove and care for abused animals in Montgomery County, but the most important thing you can do is to increase awareness in our county so more people know what counts as abuse and how to report it.<\/p>\n<p class=\"hanging-indent\"><span style=\"border: none windowtext 0pt; padding: 0;\"><strong class=\"import-b\">Riley\u2019s preview statement:<\/strong><\/span> In my speech, I will <span style=\"border: none windowtext 0pt; padding: 0;\"><strong class=\"import-b\">first<\/strong><\/span> establish the problem of animal neglect and cruelty in our county and state. <span style=\"border: none windowtext 0pt; padding: 0;\"><strong class=\"import-b\">Next<\/strong><\/span>, I will examine a frequently proposed solution and tell you why it will not make an immediate difference in the lives of our animal friends. <span style=\"border: none windowtext 0pt; padding: 0;\"><strong class=\"import-b\">Then<\/strong><\/span> I will advocate my preferred approach of educating the public about animal abuse, and I\u2019ll tell you specific ways you can help spread the word.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"import-p\" style=\"text-indent: 36pt;\">The preview statement should allow audience members to anticipate the progression of your speech. When they know where you are going, they begin to listen for how your main points build on each other instead of struggling to determine your train of thought.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"import-bh\"><em>The Functions of Conclusions<\/em><\/h2>\n<div class=\"wp-nocaption alignleft\"><img class=\"alignleft\" src=\"http:\/\/pressbooks.palni.org\/publicspeakinganddemocraticparticipation\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/77\/2025\/05\/image123.png\" alt=\"image\" width=\"97.8px\" height=\"97.8px\" \/><\/div>\n<p class=\"import-paft\">Conclusions, like introductions, play an important role in your speech because they tend to be what audiences remember. Consequently, conclusions share many characteristics with introductions; however, they tend to be shorter.<\/p>\n<p class=\"import-p0\" style=\"text-indent: 36pt;\">There are three primary functions of conclusions. They should<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>summarize your main points<\/li>\n<li>restate your thesis or focal point<\/li>\n<li>end decisively<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Again, we look more closely at each of these functions.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"import-ch\">Summarize Your Main Points<\/h3>\n<p class=\"import-paft\">Your audience hears your speech only once, but with the benefit of a summary, they hear your main points three times: first in the introduction\u2019s preview, then in the body itself, and here again in the conclusion\u2019s summary. This repetition increases the possibility that they will remember your message. Active listening requires an audience\u2019s ongoing effort. The final summary makes that task a little easier.<\/p>\n<p class=\"import-p0\" style=\"text-indent: 36pt;\">What do we mean by \u201csummarize\u201d?<\/p>\n<table>\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"TableGrid-C\" style=\"border: solid windowtext 0.5pt;\">\n<p class=\"import-tch\"><strong>DO<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td class=\"TableGrid-C\" style=\"border: solid windowtext 0.5pt;\">\n<p class=\"import-tch\"><strong>Do NOT<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr class=\"TableGrid-R\">\n<td class=\"TableGrid-C\" style=\"border: solid windowtext 0.5pt;\">\n<p class=\"import-td\">Simply rename or restate each main point.<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td class=\"TableGrid-C\" style=\"border: solid windowtext 0.5pt;\">\n<p class=\"import-td\">Do not reexplain each main point.<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"TableGrid-R\">\n<td class=\"TableGrid-C\" style=\"border: solid windowtext 0.5pt;\">\n<p class=\"import-td\">Express the summary in a single sentence.<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td class=\"TableGrid-C\" style=\"border: solid windowtext 0.5pt;\">\n<p class=\"import-td\">Do not offer any new support.<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"TableGrid-R\">\n<td class=\"TableGrid-C\" style=\"border: solid windowtext 0.5pt;\">\n<p class=\"import-td\">\u201cToday I explained A, B, C, and D.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"import-td\">\u201cI have described how W is largely caused by X, but Y can help if we do Z.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td class=\"TableGrid-C\" style=\"border: solid windowtext 0.5pt;\">\n<p class=\"import-td\">\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p class=\"import-p0\" style=\"text-indent: 36pt;\">The simple renaming briefly reminds your audience of what you said. Also, if someone was distracted during part of your speech, the restatement of your points enables them to review the argument\u2019s progression.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"import-ch\">Restate Your Thesis or Focal Point<\/h3>\n<p class=\"import-paft\">Because your thesis statement captures the main point of the entire speech concisely and compellingly, state it again in the conclusion. Do so even if you adopt a \u201cthesis-seeking\u201d pattern that holds off on stating your thesis until a main point later in the speech\u2019s body. The thesis is still your central claim or focus. Restating it in the conclusion reinforces your thesis before you finish speaking.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"import-ch\">End Decisively<\/h3>\n<p class=\"import-paft\">Conclusions should also be decisive. They should make clear that you are at the end of your presentation.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"border: none windowtext 0pt; padding: 0;\"><em class=\"import-i\">Avoid<\/em><\/span> ending by simply saying \u201cthank you\u201d or \u201cthank you for your time.\u201d That is gracious but not terribly interesting or decisive.<\/li>\n<li>Instead, try crafting a <span style=\"border: none windowtext 0pt; padding: 0;\"><em class=\"import-i\">unique ending<\/em><\/span> to the speech that is <span style=\"border: none windowtext 0pt; padding: 0;\"><em class=\"import-iu\">decisive<\/em><\/span> enough that audiences automatically know to begin their applause without needing to hear you say \u201cthank you\u201d or \u201cthat\u2019s it.\u201d Use the strategies named in box 14.4 for ideas.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"import-p0\" style=\"text-indent: 36pt;\">You might think of the conclusion\u2019s decisive ending in relation to your introduction\u2019s attention-getter\u2014like \u201cbookends\u201d for your speech. Consider how your decisive ending might return to your attention-getting device in some way.<\/p>\n<div class=\"textbox\">\n<p><strong>Box 14.4 Strategies for Ending a Speech Decisively<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Briefly share the implications of your presentation.<\/li>\n<li>If you opened your speech with a quotation, perhaps restate it or end with another arresting quotation.<\/li>\n<li>If you began your speech with a story, consider returning to and finishing that story.<\/li>\n<li>Offer inspiring last words that relate to your speech topic and thesis.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"import-p0\" style=\"text-indent: 36pt;\">Now that you see what your introduction and conclusion can accomplish, add transitions to aid the speech\u2019s clarity and movement.<\/p>\n<h1 class=\"import-ah\">Clear Transitions<\/h1>\n<p class=\"import-paft\">Listening to a speech is unlike reading text. When you read an article or book, you can always go back a few paragraphs if you find your attention wandering, if you are interrupted by a text message, or if you did not catch the relationship between ideas the first time through. We do not have this luxury when listening to a speech. We hear the words only once, and if we miss something, we cannot go back and hear it again.<\/p>\n<div class=\"textbox\">\n<p><strong>Box 14.5 Speech Transitions Are like GPS Navigation<\/strong><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_168\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-168\" style=\"width: 307px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img class=\"wp-image-168\" src=\"http:\/\/pressbooks.palni.org\/publicspeakinganddemocraticparticipation\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/77\/2025\/05\/image124.png\" alt=\"Hand holding a phone that displays a roadmap\" width=\"307\" height=\"320\" srcset=\"https:\/\/pressbooks.palni.org\/publicspeakinganddemocraticparticipation\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/77\/2025\/05\/image124.png 410w, https:\/\/pressbooks.palni.org\/publicspeakinganddemocraticparticipation\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/77\/2025\/05\/image124-288x300.png 288w, https:\/\/pressbooks.palni.org\/publicspeakinganddemocraticparticipation\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/77\/2025\/05\/image124-65x68.png 65w, https:\/\/pressbooks.palni.org\/publicspeakinganddemocraticparticipation\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/77\/2025\/05\/image124-225x234.png 225w, https:\/\/pressbooks.palni.org\/publicspeakinganddemocraticparticipation\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/77\/2025\/05\/image124-350x365.png 350w\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-168\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.stockvault.net\/photo\/222797\/gps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">GPS<\/a> by Pixabay via Stockvault, <a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/public-domain\/pdm\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Public Domain<\/a>.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Think about the way a GPS operates. As the computerized voice gives you driving directions, it says something like \u201cIn two miles, take a left onto Park Place\u201d or \u201cContinue 4.6 miles to exit 14 for Roosevelt Street.\u201d Then as you get closer to your exit or turn, you might get a reminder: \u201cIn half a mile, turn left onto\u2026\u201d If the GPS were to wait until you were at the exit and then say, \u201cGet off here!\u201d you would likely miss the exit. You were not prepared for the change in direction.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-indent: 36pt;\">The same concept applies to public speaking. Transitions supply the verbal hints or signals that your speech is going to take a turn toward a new claim or emphasis.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"import-p0\" style=\"text-indent: 36pt;\">When you understand how easily listeners can get lost during your speech, you also understand how to help them: Include transitions. Recall we defined transitions as connectors that move listeners from one point to the next. They help audiences navigate your presentation, often summarizing a main point they just heard or providing a clue of where they are going next on their journey. Indeed, transitions typically consist of two elements. First, transitions offer a brief internal summary of what was just said. Second, transitions offer a brief preview of what you will address next.<\/p>\n<div class=\"textbox\">\n<p><strong>Box 14.6 Sample Transitions<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Let\u2019s return once again to Riley\u2019s speech about animal welfare. During their speech, Riley established the problem of animal abuse and neglect. They then explained why legal reform was not the best approach to helping pets in their county. At that point, Riley was ready to introduce their solution.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-indent: 36pt;\">To signal that shift, Riley added the following transition. It consisted of two parts.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Mini Summary of the Previous Point<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u201cI have just critiqued a popular solution for decreasing animal abuse in Montgomery County.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>Mini Preview of the Next Point<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u201cNext, I will turn to my preferred approach.\u201d<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-indent: 36pt;\">Riley stated the summary and preview together, as a single transition. They then shared their solution.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<figure id=\"attachment_169\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-169\" style=\"width: 375px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img class=\"wp-image-169\" src=\"http:\/\/pressbooks.palni.org\/publicspeakinganddemocraticparticipation\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/77\/2025\/05\/image125.png\" alt=\"Photograph of two roadsides that say Fifth Avenue and West 42nd Stret\" width=\"375\" height=\"250\" srcset=\"https:\/\/pressbooks.palni.org\/publicspeakinganddemocraticparticipation\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/77\/2025\/05\/image125.png 541w, https:\/\/pressbooks.palni.org\/publicspeakinganddemocraticparticipation\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/77\/2025\/05\/image125-300x200.png 300w, https:\/\/pressbooks.palni.org\/publicspeakinganddemocraticparticipation\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/77\/2025\/05\/image125-65x43.png 65w, https:\/\/pressbooks.palni.org\/publicspeakinganddemocraticparticipation\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/77\/2025\/05\/image125-225x150.png 225w, https:\/\/pressbooks.palni.org\/publicspeakinganddemocraticparticipation\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/77\/2025\/05\/image125-350x234.png 350w\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-169\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pexels.com\/photo\/sign-showing-direction-on-city-street-5845730\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Image<\/a> by Charles Parker via Pexels, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pexels.com\/license\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Pexels License<\/a>.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"import-p0\" style=\"text-indent: 36pt;\">We often use cuing language, called <span style=\"border: none windowtext 0pt; padding: 0;\"><strong class=\"import-b\">signposts<\/strong><\/span>, to alert audiences to a transition. In Riley\u2019s example in box 14.6, words like \u201cjust\u201d (\u201cI have just critiqued\u201d) and \u201cnext\u201d (\u201cNext, I will turn to\u201d) notify listeners of what just happened and what\u2019s about to be focused on. Such cuing language functions like actual signposts on the road that indicate where you are within a larger environment. Box 14.7 provides additional examples of transitions with signposting language.<\/p>\n<div class=\"textbox\">\n<p><strong>Box 14.7 Strategies for Writing Transitions and Signposts<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"border: none windowtext 0pt; padding: 0;\"><strong class=\"import-b\">Try numerical sequencing:<\/strong><\/span> First\u2026, Second\u2026, Third\u2026, In conclusion\u2026, or Next\u2026, In addition\u2026<\/li>\n<li><span style=\"border: none windowtext 0pt; padding: 0;\"><strong class=\"import-b\">Stress relationships between elements:<\/strong><\/span> Just as we have\u2026so we also have\u2026, To the left\u2026and to the right\u2026<\/li>\n<li><span style=\"border: none windowtext 0pt; padding: 0;\"><strong class=\"import-b\">Summarize what you have covered:<\/strong><\/span> In short\u2026, To summarize\u2026, To clarify\u2026, That is\u2026, Keep in mind\u2026, Before I move on to the next point, take note of\u2026<\/li>\n<li><span style=\"border: none windowtext 0pt; padding: 0;\"><strong class=\"import-b\">Ask a rhetorical question:<\/strong><\/span> \u201cYou may ask, \u2018What does this have to do with me?\u2019\u201d \u201cYou may wonder what caused this situation in which we find ourselves,\u201d or \u201cHow do we work through these conflicts?\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"import-p0\" style=\"text-indent: 36pt;\">When it comes to connectives like transitions and signposts, the bottom line is that your audience will thank you for using them. They give your listeners handles to grab onto as they travel through your speech with you.<\/p>\n<p class=\"import-p0\" style=\"text-indent: 36pt;\">Now that you have examined the goals of organization and the various elements of planning and arranging a speech, in the next chapter we turn to the concrete principles of composing an outline.<\/p>\n<div class=\"textbox textbox--exercises\">\n<header class=\"textbox__header\">\n<p class=\"textbox__title\">Summary<\/p>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"textbox__content\">\n<p class=\"import-paft\">This chapter addressed the functions of introductions and conclusions and the importance of clear transitions. More specifically, this chapter established the following:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Introductions and conclusions play critical roles in conveying your most important ideas and engaging listeners.<\/li>\n<li>An introduction should fulfill the following functions: get attention, raise a need, establish credibility, state your thesis or focal point, and preview the body of the speech.<\/li>\n<li>The conclusion should summarize your main points, restate your thesis or focal point, and end decisively.<\/li>\n<li>Transitions with signposts improve the flow of a speech and, just as importantly, help audience members navigate material they hear.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"textbox textbox--key-takeaways\">\n<header class=\"textbox__header\">\n<p class=\"textbox__title\">Key Terms<\/p>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"textbox__content\">\n<p>conclusion<br \/>\nintroduction<br \/>\npreview statement<br \/>\nsignpost<br \/>\nthesis driven<br \/>\nthesis seeking<br \/>\ntransition<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"textbox textbox--examples\">\n<header class=\"textbox__header\">\n<p class=\"textbox__title\">Review Questions<\/p>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"textbox__content\">\n<ol>\n<li>How does a preview statement differ from a thesis statement?<\/li>\n<li>What are two good strategies for introductions? For conclusions?<\/li>\n<li>What are the functions of transitions in public speaking?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"textbox textbox--examples\">\n<header class=\"textbox__header\">\n<p class=\"textbox__title\">Discussion Questions<\/p>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"textbox__content\">\n<ol>\n<li>Think of a particularly well-organized public presentation you attended. What did the speaker do in the introduction, conclusion, and between main points that made the speech easy to follow?<\/li>\n<li>What strategies might you add for getting an audience\u2019s attention in the introduction and ending decisively in the conclusion?<\/li>\n<li>Can you think of a speaker who uses transitions well? What do you notice about their speeches when you listen to them?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"menu_order":14,"template":"","meta":{"pb_show_title":"on","pb_short_title":"","pb_subtitle":"","pb_authors":[],"pb_section_license":""},"chapter-type":[],"contributor":[],"license":[],"part":3,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.palni.org\/publicspeakinganddemocraticparticipation\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/476"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.palni.org\/publicspeakinganddemocraticparticipation\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.palni.org\/publicspeakinganddemocraticparticipation\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/chapter"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.palni.org\/publicspeakinganddemocraticparticipation\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"version-history":[{"count":35,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.palni.org\/publicspeakinganddemocraticparticipation\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/476\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3041,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.palni.org\/publicspeakinganddemocraticparticipation\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/476\/revisions\/3041"}],"part":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.palni.org\/publicspeakinganddemocraticparticipation\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/parts\/3"}],"metadata":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.palni.org\/publicspeakinganddemocraticparticipation\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/476\/metadata\/"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.palni.org\/publicspeakinganddemocraticparticipation\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=476"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"chapter-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.palni.org\/publicspeakinganddemocraticparticipation\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapter-type?post=476"},{"taxonomy":"contributor","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.palni.org\/publicspeakinganddemocraticparticipation\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/contributor?post=476"},{"taxonomy":"license","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.palni.org\/publicspeakinganddemocraticparticipation\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/license?post=476"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}