To persuade my classmates that JIF Peanut Butter is better than Peter Pan. To inform my classmates about the Yellow 5 ingredient in Mountain Dew (chemists, nutritionists). To inform my classmates of the life cycle of a new species of lima bean (botanists, agriculturalists). The second problem with specific purpose statements is the opposite of being too broad, in that some specific purposes statements are so focused that they might only be appropriate for people who are already extremely interested in the topic or experts in a field: To explain to my classmates the origin of the ballet dancers’ clothing. To explain to my classmates how ballet originated as an art form in the Renaissance. To explain to my classmates the difference between Russian and French ballet. To explain to my classmates how ballet came to be performed and studied in the U.S.

These examples are much more specific and much more manageable given the limited amount of time you will have. You will probably find that your first attempt at a specific purpose statement will need refining. To explain to my classmates the history of ballet.Īside from the fact that this subject may be difficult for everyone in your audience to relate to, it is enough for a three-hour lecture, maybe even a whole course. The first problem many students have in writing their specific purpose statement has already been mentioned: specific purpose statements sometimes try to cover far too much and are too broad.

Speech central idea example