Persuasive speech outline
A persuasive speech outline has three parts. The introduction opens with an attention getter, states your claim as a thesis and previews your points. The body gives two or three reasons, each backed by evidence, and answers the strongest objection. The conclusion sums up and ends with a clear call to action.
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Persuasive speech outline template
Copy this persuasive speech outline and fill in the brackets. Write each line as a full sentence first; you will cut it down to key words later.
- I. Introduction. A. Attention getter: [a question, a short story or a striking fact]. B. Thesis: [the claim, with the word "should" in it]. C. Why you: [your link to the topic]. D. Preview: [reason 1, reason 2, reason 3].
- II. Body, reason 1. A. Claim: [the reason]. B. Evidence: [a fact, an example or an expert, with the source said out loud]. C. Why it matters to this audience.
- III. Body, reason 2. Same shape: claim, evidence, why it matters.
- IV. Body, reason 3 or the objection. A. The strongest argument against you, stated fairly. B. Your answer to it, with evidence.
- V. Conclusion. A. Signal the end ("So here is what I am asking"). B. Restate the thesis and the reasons in one or two sentences. C. Call to action: [one specific thing the audience can do, and when].
Put a transition between each main point, such as "That is the cost. Now look at who pays it." Transitions are what make an outline sound like a speech instead of a list.
A filled-in persuasive speech outline example
Topic: "Our town should add protected bike lanes on Main Street."
| Part | What you say |
|---|---|
| Attention getter | "Raise your hand if you would bike to school or work, but not on Main Street." |
| Thesis | The town should add protected bike lanes on Main Street next year. |
| Reason 1 | Safety: cite the town's own crash reports for the street. |
| Reason 2 | Local shops: quote a shop owner or a study from your state. |
| Objection and answer | "It removes parking": show how many spaces change and where drivers can park instead. |
| Call to action | "Sign the letter to the town council before the meeting on the 14th." |
Notice that every evidence line names where it comes from. Use real figures from a source you can name; a made-up number is the fastest way to lose a skeptical room.
Other ways to organize a persuasive speech outline
The reasons-and-objection shape above suits most class assignments. Stand Up, Speak Out describes three more patterns for persuasive speeches:
- Monroe's motivated sequence: five steps, attention, need, satisfaction, visualization and action. Show the problem, offer your solution, help the room picture the result, then ask.
- Problem, cause, solution: describe the problem, explain what causes it and propose a fix that removes that cause.
- Comparative advantages: compare two or more options that do the same job and show why yours comes out ahead.
Pick one pattern and keep it; mixing two in a five-minute speech usually confuses the room.
From full-sentence outline to speaking notes
Stand Up, Speak Out separates the full-sentence outline, which you hand in and use to test your logic, from the speaking outline, which holds only key words and phrases. Once your persuasive speech outline is approved, copy each line onto a card as two or three words, keep your thesis and call to action word for word, and practice from the cards out loud.
Check that your assignment is persuasive
Read the verb in the rubric. "Convince", "argue" or "propose" means persuasive. "Show", "teach" or "explain how" means a demonstration speech, which needs steps in order, not reasons. If yours turns out to be a how-to talk, a ready list of demonstration speech ideas sorted by time and props will save you an evening of searching. Still choosing a claim to argue? Start from our list of persuasive speech topics.
Sources
- Stand Up, Speak Out: The Practice and Ethics of Public Speaking, University of Minnesota Libraries Publishing, 2016: Organizing Persuasive Speeches and Types of Outlines (read October 22, 2026).