8 What makes a great speech? Looking for advice: How to make a good speech Successful speakers often follow certain rhetorical strategies to make their speeches more powerful. Many of these rules are based on the fact that speeches are mostly only heard not read. a) Read through the rules below and underline passages you think are worth remembering. b) The following extracts use typical rhetorical strategies. Some of them are taken from famous speeches. Match them with the strategies from above. 6 Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future. (John F. Kennedy, 1963) The situation now is so different. Never again. Government of the people, by the people, and for the people. (Abraham Lincoln, 1863) When the company was first founded […]. Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few. (Winston Churchill, 1940) I have a dream today! I have a dream that one day, down in Alabama […] little Black boys and Black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers. I have a dream today! (Martin Luther King, Jr., 1963) The place is here. The time is now. The prize is great. 1 1. Put the main verb early in the sentence, especially if it is a long sentence. 2. Consider the use of short sentences or even short phrases for dramatic effect. 3. Use striking adjectives and adverbs. 4. Consider the use of striking images in the form of metaphors or similes. 5. Make moderate use of alliteration (words starting with the same letter or sound) in phrases or sentences. 6. Use contrasts. 7. Make temporal (= time-related) comparisons. 8. Make geographical comparisons. Compare and contrast your situation with other companies or other organisations or with other regions or other countries. 9. Use three-part lists. 10. Very occasionally, consider a longer list. 11. Repetition can be very effective. 12. Use rhetorical questions to raise interest. 13. Use short, sharp quotes. Clever people over the years have created witty sayings, so you should borrow them when it is appropriate. 14. Make appropriate use of anecdotes. A very short story or case study or personal experience will act as an effective illustration of a point, add “colour” to your speech, and be remembered by listeners. 15. Try humour – not by telling a story or a joke as such, but by using a short, witty statement. 16. Self-deprecating humour – that is, humour at the expense of the speaker – often works well. 17. Use irony to make your statements more powerful. 18. One way of commanding attention is to use a redundant, but attention-seeking, short sentence. 19. KISS (Keep it simple, stupid). Don’t try to impress with over-complicated words. 20. Remember that 50% of statistics are meaningless. So, if you are intending to use statistics be sure that you understand them, that they are meaningful and that they are both reliable and up-to-date. 21. Finish with a strong, affirmative statement, possibly referring back to the opening sentence or question. (Roger Darlington, www.rogerdarlington.me.uk, 28 Juni 2013; adapted) 102 Famous speeches Nur zu Prüfzwecken – Eigentum des Verlags öbv
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