If, when you list your main points, you find that you have too many, you may be able to condense them into categories. Here is a set of main points for a speech about yoga:

Specific Purpose:

To inform my audience about the practical use of yoga.

Central Idea:

Yoga is an ancient practice that involves the whole body.

Main Points:

a) Yoga breathing starts with deep inhalation.

b) Yoga breathing requires slow exhalation.

c) Yoga breathing includes prolonged pauses.

d) Yoga breathing provides many benefits.

e) Yoga postures involve all parts of the body.

f) Yoga postures increase flexibility.

g) Yoga postures strengthen muscle tone.

You have seven main points – which is too many. But if you look at the list, you can see that the eight points fall into two broad categories: yoga breathing and yoga postures. You might, therefore, restate your main points this way.

One part of practicing yoga involves proper breathing.

Another part of yoga involves body postures [63].

Strategic order of Main Points.

Once you establish your main points, you need to decide the order in which you will present them. The most effective order depends on three things – your topic, your purpose, and the audience you are going to address. Now we are going to look at the five basic patterns of organization which I think are the most effective and easy to understand, use and are flexible to use with different types of speeches for the students of high school.

1. Chronological Order.

Speeches arranged chronologically follow a time pattern. They may narrate a series of events in sequence in which they happened. For example:

Specific Purpose:

To inform my audience how the Great Wall of China was built.

Central Idea:

The Great Wall of China was built in three major stages.

Main Points:

a) Building of the Great Wall began during the Qin dynasty of 221-206 B.C.

b) New section of Great Wall were added during the Han dynasty of 206 B.C.-220 A.D.

The Great Wall was completed during the Ming dynasty of 1368-1644 [63].

Chronological order is also used in speeches explaining a process of demonstrating how to do something. For example:

Specific Purpose: To inform my audience of the steps in laser-assisted corrective eye surgery.

Central Idea:

There are three main steps in laser-assisted corrective eye surgery.

Main Points:

a) First, a thin layer is sliced off the surface of the eye to expose the cornea.

b) Second, an ultraviolet laser is used to reshape the cornea.

c) Third, the thin layer sliced off at the beginning if the surgery reaffixed to the eye [63].

N.B. Chronological order is especially useful for informative speeches.

2. Spatial Order.

Speeches arranged in spatial order follow a directional pattern. That is, the main points proceed from top to bottom, from east to west, from right to left, inside to outside or some other route. For example:

Specific Purpose: To inform my audience about the structure of a hurricane.

Central Idea: A hurricane is made up of three parts going from inside to outside.

Main Points:

a) At the center of a hurricane is the calm, cloud-free eye.

b) Surrounding the eye is the eyewall, a dense ring of clouds that produces the most intense wind rainfall.

c) Rotating around the eyewall are large bands of clouds and precipitation called spiral rain bands.

Or:

Specific Purpose: To inform my audience about the four major countries on the British Isles.

Central Idea: England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland have their own identities and attractions.

Main Points:

a) England – the country of historical treasures.

b) Wales – the country of mountains.

c) Scotland – the home and land of golf.

d) Ireland – the country of arts and literature.

Spatial order, like chronological order, is used most often in informative speeches.