Discuss the criteria for composing a specific purpose statement. Using the thesis statement, "Insomnia can be caused by stress, diet, and pre-bedtime habits," provide an appropriate specific purpose statement. Your answer should demonstrate an understanding of the various guidelines discussed in the text.

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

- A specific purpose is a single phrase that defines precisely what you intend to accomplish in your speech. Effective specific purpose statements should identify the general purpose of the speech, the audience, and the topic to be covered.
- These three pieces of significant information help the speaker develop and deliver the speech. The specific purpose also identifies the audience, which is important, because different audiences may require different information.
- The specific purpose should include a verb form that describes the general purpose of the speech.
- The specific purpose should be limited to one distinct thought or idea.
- The specific purpose should not be a question.
- The specific purpose should be concise and carefully worded.
- The specific purpose of the insomnia speech would be something along the lines of, "To inform college students about the three most common causes of insomnia."
- Student examples will vary.