Supporting material...

Chapter seven talked a lot about using supporting material to give substance to the speeches. In the chapter, the authors mention several types of supporting material which are narratives, examples, definitions, testimony, facts, and statistics. Narratives are basically stories. They describe events which appeals to our sense of emotion. They can be effective in allowing others to see what other viewpoints and perspectives that might help them gain a sense of awareness on the topic at hand. Examples are concepts and ideas which are used to clear up a other concept or idea. An apple is an example of a fruit would be one way to describe it. A definition defines a topic or word. It uses other words to clear up the meaning. For example, a bed can be defined as a unit to sleep on. Testimonies are opinions and experiences that we can use to support a claim that we have made. A person could say that a seminar really changed my life or this person influenced my decision. Depending on the audience's viewpoints and beliefs about the person, that is how the audience will judge the credibility of the testimony. Finally, facts and statistics help support arguments and claims made by the speaker by providing informaiton from official sources. These supports strenghten the validity of the statements made and also add to the credibility of the speaker. It can also show that the speaker is well prepared to back up the main points.