Question

List the types of persuasive speeches.

Answer 1

There are two common ways to categorize persuasive speeches. Briefly:

1) By the speaker’s goal
- Speech to convince — change or reinforce beliefs and attitudes (e.g., “Climate change is caused by human activity”).
- Speech to actuate (call to action) — get the audience to take a specific action or change behavior (e.g., “Sign the petition”).
- Speech to inspire — motivate or stir emotions, often to sustain commitment or morale (e.g., a rousing commencement or campaign speech).

2) By the type of persuasive proposition
- Question of fact — argues whether something is true or false (e.g., “Electric cars reduce lifetime emissions”).
- Question of value — argues the worth, morality, or importance of something (e.g., “Universal healthcare is a fundamental right”).
- Question of policy — argues that a specific course of action should or shouldn’t be adopted (e.g., “The city should ban single-use plastics”).

You can also note common organizational patterns used in persuasive speeches: problem–solution, problem–cause–solution, comparative advantage, and Monroe’s Motivated Sequence (attention, need, satisfaction, visualization, action).