9.4: Analyzing the Body of a Speech
Tiffany Petricini
Learning Objectives
- See what a full speech body looks like in order to identify major components of the speech body.
Learning to See Structure in Action
At this point, you’ve learned how to build the body of a speech, from shaping your main points to choosing the right structure to keeping everything flowing clearly. Now let’s flip the script and become the audience for a moment. What does a well-organized body look like when it’s actually written and delivered?
In this section, you’ll practice breaking down the body of a real speech to see how the strategies we’ve discussed play out in action. Learning to analyze a speech from the inside out helps you reverse-engineer powerful techniques and apply them to your own work.
Let’s walk through a sample speech body, one paragraph at a time, and then step back to evaluate how the speaker constructed the message.
Speech Topic: Smart Dust
Main Point 1: What Is Smart Dust?
“To help us understand smart dust, we’ll begin by examining what it actually is. Dr. Kris Pister, a professor at the University of California, Berkeley, originally introduced the concept in 1998. Funded by DARPA (the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency), his goal was to create a device the size of a cubic millimeter—about a fifth the size of a grain of rice—that could contain sensors, a computer, and a communication system. These mini-devices, called motes, could collect and share data wirelessly. According to The New York Times, smart dust could eventually be deployed across entire environments to monitor changes in real time—from climate conditions to infrastructure stress to biological changes.”
What’s working here?
- Clear transition from intro to first main point.
- Strong definition and context for an unfamiliar topic.
- Use of specific sources and vivid comparisons (e.g., “grain of rice”) helps audience visualize scale.
Main Point 2: Military Applications of Smart Dust
“Now that we’ve covered what smart dust is, let’s explore its military potential. Because it was developed with defense funding, many early applications were geared toward surveillance and intelligence gathering. According to the Smart Dust project team, possible uses include treaty monitoring, tracking enemy movement, and even detecting weapons of mass destruction. Major Scott Dickson from the U.S. Air Force believes smart dust could help improve battlefield awareness and overcome enemy attempts to jam communication systems. Some researchers have even suggested that smart dust could be deployed into space to detect dangerous solar storms or debris that might threaten satellites and human life.”
What’s working here?
- Smooth transition phrase (“Now that we’ve covered…”).
- Maintains topical/categorical organization—second major category of application.
- Ties evidence to real-world implications, building interest and relevance.
Main Point 3: Everyday and Medical Uses of Smart Dust
“Let’s shift our focus from military uses to how smart dust could impact our daily lives. According to the Smart Dust project website, these tiny sensors might be applied to our fingertips to control devices with invisible keyboards. They could track inventory in warehouses, ensure food freshness during shipping, or monitor bridges for structural weakness. In healthcare, smart dust might be injected into the human body to monitor for early signs of cancer or infection, helping doctors treat issues before symptoms even appear. The goal is to make our world more responsive—bridging the physical and digital in ways we’ve never experienced before.”
What’s working here?
- A clear shift in tone and scope, announced explicitly (“Let’s shift our focus…”).
- Continues the topical pattern by covering a third category: civilian uses.
- Uses examples that are imaginative, specific, and audience-relevant.
Try It: Generating Supporting Points
Wrap up: AI can be a brainstorming partner, but you are the architect of your speech. By reflecting on what you kept and why, you sharpen your ability to curate content that aligns with your purpose, audience, and voice.
What Can We Learn from This Speech?
Let’s break down the structure using the five principles of effective main points:
|
Principle |
Example in Smart Dust Speech |
|---|---|
|
Unity |
All points relate back to the specific purpose: understanding smart dust. |
|
Separation |
Each point covers a distinct domain: what it is, military uses, civilian uses. |
|
Balance |
Each point is roughly equal in development—none feel rushed or overstuffed. |
|
Parallelism |
Each point is introduced clearly and consistently: “Let’s begin,” “Now that we’ve covered…,” “Let’s shift our focus…” |
|
Logical Flow |
The order progresses from definition → defense → daily life—a natural broadening of relevance. |
What Organizational Pattern Is This?
Topical/Categorical.
The speaker divided a complex subject into three clear categories of explanation. This helped the audience move from unfamiliar tech to real-world impact.
Speeches that stick with us do more than just share information. They guide us through an experience. When the body of a speech is well-organized, it creates clarity, builds trust, and keeps listeners engaged from beginning to end. As you start building your own speeches, take a moment to step back and ask:
- Do my main points follow a clear structure?
- Can I mark where each point begins and ends?
- Would someone listening for the first time be able to follow along?
Practicing this kind of analysis will help you level up your own public speaking—and move your message far beyond the podium.
