Scenario 1A
Quotations
A great quotation related to the speech topic often provides wisdom from a well-respected source that says something valuable or profound in much fewer words than most people can manage using many more. Choose quotes that demonstrate elegance, eloquence, or clever wit, yet make sure they remain relevant to the topic. Avoid using fun or humorous quotations for the sake of it, for this may make the audience feel cheated. Consider pulling quotations from websites, like BrainyQuote.com or GoodReads.com, works of literature, poetry, film, or even from personal acquaintances. Quotes can work especially great at the beginning and ending of speeches.
Select each of the > below to see examples of introductory quotes for a speech.
Scenario 1B
Quotations
A great quotation related to the speech topic often provides wisdom from a well-respected source that says something valuable or profound in much fewer words than most people can manage using many more. Choose quotes that demonstrate elegance, eloquence, or clever wit, yet make sure they remain relevant to the topic. Avoid using fun or humorous quotations for the sake of it, for this may make the audience feel cheated. Consider pulling quotations from websites, like BrainyQuote.com or GoodReads.com, works of literature, poetry, film, or even from personal acquaintances. Quotes can work especially great at the beginning and ending of speeches. Here are some examples:
Compelling Quote: “Good evening. Congressman John Lewis, before his passing, wrote: ‘Democracy is not a state. It is an act.’” -Kamala Harris Victory Speech 2020
Create Laughter: “If you could kick the person in the pants responsible for most of your trouble, you wouldn’t sit for a month.” -Theodore Roosevelt
Powerful Statement: “If we do not end the war, the war with end us.” -H.G. Wells
Intriguing Statement: “The greatness of a nation can be judged by the way its animals are treated.” -Mahatma Ghandi
Directions: After reading and interacting with the two scenarios in this section, return to the survey to complete a few questions.