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This example of a persuasive speech and its outline about Benjamin Franklin’s discovery (or non-discovery as the case may be) of electricity should give you an idea of how to structure your speech. It’s a whole lot easier to sit down and write on a topic if you have it properly formatted before you begin. Without a proper outline it’s easy to lose track of the points you want to make in the order you want to make them.This speech is light-hearted – almost jokey in places – so be sure to adopt a tone that’s relevant to YOUR subject. Nevertheless, it gives you an idea of how to organize your thoughts.

Putting in the work of writing a persuasive speech outline allows you to write your presentation much more quickly and efficiently. It’s actually much easier to write an outline than a full-blown speech, so give it a try!

Beginning of a Persuasive Speech ; Outline

Intro:

1. In history we are told amazing stories about amazing things and amazing people.
2. Like hurricane Katrina, 9/11, Pearl Harbor , and the big bang theory.
3. Have you ever wondered if there’s more to these events than we are told, or if they’re even true?
4. Today I am going to persuade and prove to you all that Ben Franklin is a big fat phony!
5. I will prove three things about Bennie:

1. How hard it is to attract a lightning bolt,
2. The method he used could not work, and
3. Ben Franklin did not discover electricity.

So now that I’ve told you the three things I will prove, let’s start with the first one. Body: I. How hard is it to attract lightning.

A. You have to have something that attracts lightning.

1. Some type of metal would work fine.
2. Pointing something sharp and pointy up at the sky.

B. You have to be at the right spot at the right time.

1. You have to be at a spot that is surrounded by lightning and it has to be high.
2. You have to be outside when it is raining and there is lightning outside.

Now we know the conditions that have to be in effect, which leads me to my next point.

II. Ben’s method couldn’t work. A. A kite back in those days couldn’t fly in the rain.

1. Kites back in the day were made pretty weak
2. Kites were made out of thin paper and wooden sticks, so they couldn’t fly in the rain.

B.

A key and a plain glass jar couldn’t hold lightning.

1. A regular metal key is not strong enough to stop lightning in its tracks to go in a jar.
2. A jar could not hold lightning and start glowing in a way that electricity does.

So now that you know that, I’ll move on to my next point of proof. III. Ben Franklin did not discover electricity. A. He would have died if his kite had caught lightning.

1. The lightning would have gone down the string and shocked him to death
2. I know he didn’t know about plastic and being grounded.

B. There is no evidence that he did it.

1. There is no piece of the kite in the museum
2. No key or pieces of the jar were saved.

Conclusion:

1. Ben Franklin may have done a lot of things, but he did not discover electricity.
2. I have proven that it is hard to attract lightning, that Bennie’s method couldn’t work, and – last but not least – that Bennie did not discover electricity.

3. I know what you’re thinking… if he didn’t discover electricity, then who did? But I’m not here to discuss that part, so who cares!
4. So if you believe that he discovered electricity then I guess you also believe in the tooth fairy or Santa Claus.

End of A Persuasive SpeechCreating this type of outline for a persuasive speech has always helped me to write on my chosen topic a lot more quickly. Take the time to create an outline and you’ll find that your speech flows more smoothly, particularly when you get up to present it to an audience!