A speech is used to convey information orally to a number of people. The purpose of a speech is:
- to convince the listeners about the speaker’s point of view
- to pass on a wide range of information
- to express an opinion, share a point of view, experience, observation, etc.
Basic English Grammar rules can be tricky. In this article, we’ll get you started with the basics of sentence structure, punctuation, parts of speech, and more.
Speech Writing Class 8 Format, Examples, Topics, Exercises PDF
Parts of a speech
- Salutation: This is where the speaker greets the chief guests, fellow speakers and audience.
- Key sentence: It is the central theme or the key issue of the speech. Since this introduces your speech, it should be catchy.
- Body: You will need supporting data to make the speech credible and interesting. This should reflect clarity of thought, accuracy of facts and a balanced view, unless it is a debate that calls for an one-sided stand.
- Conclusion: It should be brief, consolidate ideas, personal observations and predictions, with a catchy and striking end.
- Thanking the audience: One needs to thank the audience at the end of the speech.
Format of a speech
- Opening statement (Good Morning …)
- Main speech
- Statement of problem
- Causes of problem
- Results
- Suggestions
- Concluding remarks
Remember!
- Use simple language and involve the audience.
- Do not exceed the word limit.
A speech is merely a one-sided discussion, in which one person constructs a talk on a given topic and presents it to an audience.
A debate, on the other hand, is a discussion between opposing sides. In a debate, you present viewpoint within a given time slot. One gets some time for each side to cross-examine the other, which is the rebuttal round.
Starting
• Chairperson, Members of the Jury, Teachers and my dear friends
Body
- I strongly support/reject/oppose the motion …
- Firstly, speaking for/against the topic …
- My worthy opponent has just pointed out … But I feel
- Although my opponent may feel …
Conclusion
- Summing up …
- Finally, I would like to say that …
Writing task
A. Your school is celebrating the “Save Earth Week’. You have to give a speech in the morning assembly on the topic ‘Save Earth, Save Life’. Use the prompts given below to write the speech.
- natural resources depleting every day
- dumping waste indiscriminately
- pollution—land, water, air, noise, light
- resulting in diseases/ill-health
- flora and fauna perishing
- need to wake up before it’s too late
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Answer:
Encourage the students to use their creativity and formulate their own answers.
Save Earth, Save Life
Earth is our home, and we have nowhere else to live. Mother earth is our nurturer and our nourisher. However, the truth is that our mother is in a deplorable state. Yes, environmental changes are real. Everything that we do, all of our activities, affect the environment. Some of this is inevitable, and there’s not much we can do about it. But most of this is caused by our callousness and unbounded greed. Our natural resources are depleting day by day. And we must ensure that we leave it intact for our future generations.
Sustainable development is the need of the hour. We must plant more trees and find more sustainable alternatives to the use of fossil fuels such as coal, petroleum and diesel. Reforestation should be encouraged, and deforestation should be penalized. Growth should not happen at the cost of our environment. We need to spread awareness on this matter at the grassroots levels. We must save our planet earth by saving our trees, natural vegetation, natural resources, water and electricity. Measures must be taken for controlling environmental pollution and global warming.
We need to reduce our use of paper, and also recycle it whenever we can. The use, of air conditioners, should be minimized, and electricity should never be wasted. Water pollution should also be kept in check by not throwing garbage in our water bodies. We must strive for safe and pure drinking water. Industries should ensure that their pollution level is always under control, and huge penalties must be laid on those who produce pollution levels beyond the permissible limits. Industry waste should also be treated carefully and then disposed off.
It is high time that we become aware of what we are doing to our environment. We need to take small steps individually to have a larger effect on our environment.
B. School uniforms are an important point of discussion these days. While some feel that they help maintain discipline and uniformity, some feel that they curtail a child’s right to freedom of expression. As the head boy/head girl, write for or against the topic—Uniforms Make Schools Better’. You can use the table given below to express your point of view.
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Answer:
Encourage the students to use their creativity and formulate their own answers.
Uniforms Make Schools Better—For the Topic
It is a truth universally acknowledged that nobody would like to dress in the same kind of clothes every day. It is not exciting to wear the same shirt, blazer and tie day after day. But uniforms are not the drag that we make them out to be. The idea of a school uniform is neither new, nor exciting. But wearing it is like wearing a badge of honour, and should be a matter of pride for the students. It fills them with a sense of belongingness to a particular school or educational institute. It is often the first element of our identity in the outer world.
It shows that we identify with and endorse the values that a particular school or institute espouses. Uniforms teach a person to take pride in the identity that they have created. It helps each student to express their inner personality freely, and reduces dependence on their looks. It helps reduce peer pressure, because there is no competition to look better than the other person or follow the latest trend. It helps foster equality among all students and dispels groupism.
It helps reduce distraction among students, and helps them concentrate on what is actually important—their academic performance. It also helps in preventing bullying because of how someone dresses. Having a uniform can be a safety net for many students who might otherwise suffer from bullying. A strict uniform inculcates discipline among students, helping maintain a sense of order at school. Not only this, it makes it easier to identify intruders, thus making school a safe haven for all.
It also makes it easy for the students to dress up in the morning, and makes one look smart and dapper. School uniform isn’t fashionable, but that’s exactly why I think it should be here to stay.