Speech Writing: Format, Structure and Examples for Grades 6 to 10
A speech is the only kind of writing your audience cannot reread. If a listener misses a sentence, it is gone. That one fact changes everything about speech writing: shorter sentences, clearer signposts, deliberate repetition and a structure the ear can follow without a page. This guide covers the essentials of how to write a speech for school, assemblies, student council elections and exams such as GCSE and IGCSE: the speech writing format, a simple structure, the techniques great speakers use, how long a speech should be, and an annotated student council speech you can model your own on.
Key Takeaways • Speech writing is writing for the ear: short sentences, signposting and repetition help listeners follow. • The basic speech writing format is: greeting, hook, introduction, three main points, conclusion, thank you. • At a natural pace, most students speak about 120 to 150 words per minute, so a 3-minute speech is roughly 400 words. • The most useful techniques are the rule of three, rhetorical questions, direct address, a short story and a memorable final line. • Always read your speech aloud before you finish it. The ear finds problems the eye misses. |
Curriculum Alignment US Common Core: SL.6.4 to SL.9-10.4 (present claims and findings with clear reasoning, appropriate eye contact and pronunciation); W.6.1 to W.9-10.1 when a speech argues a position. Used in New York, New Jersey, California and most US states; Texas TEKS includes parallel speaking standards. UK GCSE English Language: the Spoken Language endorsement (a prepared presentation, reported separately as Pass, Merit or Distinction) and speech tasks in the writing paper. Cambridge IGCSE and Lower Secondary English: a speech can be set as a directed writing form; speaking and listening assessed in many schools. |
What Is Speech Writing?
Speech writing is writing a text to be spoken aloud to an audience. A good speech has a clear purpose, a greeting, an opening that grabs attention, a few signposted main points and a memorable ending, with short sentences and repetition so listeners can follow it by ear.
Most school speeches have one of four purposes. A persuasive speech asks the audience to agree or act (an election speech, a debate). An informative speech explains a topic (a class presentation). A ceremonial speech marks an occasion (a welcome address, a vote of thanks, a farewell). A motivational speech inspires (a graduation or assembly speech). Know your purpose before you write a word, because it decides your tone.
Speech vs article: the one difference that matters
Written for the eye (article, essay) | Written for the ear (speech) |
Readers can reread a difficult sentence | Listeners hear each sentence once |
Longer, complex sentences work | Short sentences, one idea each |
Repetition looks careless | Repetition helps people remember |
Headings show structure | Spoken signposts show structure (“First... Second... Finally...”) |
Formal, often third person | Direct, personal: “you”, “we”, “I” |
Speech Writing Format
Quick answer: A speech begins with a greeting to the audience, followed by a hook, a short introduction of yourself and your topic, two or three main points with examples, a conclusion that repeats the key message, and a thank you.
Part | What it does | Example |
Greeting | Addresses the audience in order of seniority | Good morning, Principal, teachers and fellow students. |
Hook | Wins attention in the first 15 seconds | Raise your hand if you have ever... |
Introduction | Who you are and what you will talk about | My name is ..., and today I want to talk about ... |
Main points (2 or 3) | One idea each, signposted, with an example | First ... Second ... Finally ... |
Conclusion | Repeats the key message and gives a final line | So remember: ... |
Closing | Thanks the audience | Thank you. |
Exam note: in GCSE and IGCSE writing papers, a speech is marked as writing. Show the format through the greeting, direct address and spoken signposts; you do not need stage directions.
How to Write a Speech in 5 Steps
Quick answer: Know your audience and purpose, choose one key message and three supporting points, write a hook and an ending first, draft in short spoken sentences, then read it aloud, time it and cut.
Step 1: Know your audience and purpose
Ask who is listening and what you want them to think, feel or do afterwards. A speech to Year 7 students sounds different from one to parents or a debate panel.
Step 2: Choose one message and three points
Write your whole speech as one sentence: “Vote for me because I will give you a voice, a plan and a report back.” That sentence becomes your structure. Three points is the number listeners remember most easily.
Step 3: Write the opening and closing first
The first 15 seconds and the last line are what audiences remember. Draft them before the middle, and make the ending echo the opening if you can.
Step 4: Draft for the ear
Keep most sentences under 20 words. Use “you” and “we”. Add spoken signposts between points. Replace any word you would not naturally say; our list of words to stop using in writing is a good filter.
Step 5: Read aloud, time it, cut
Read the speech aloud at a calm pace with a timer. Wherever you stumble or run out of breath, shorten the sentence. If you are over time, cut a whole example rather than squeezing every sentence.
From Our Online Classroom: The Speech That Read Beautifully A Grade 8 student in Houston, Texas, sent Premlata a speech for her school’s public speaking competition. On the page it was excellent: rich vocabulary, long elegant sentences, a quotation in every paragraph. Then she read it aloud on a video call, and it fell flat. She ran out of breath twice in the first minute. Premlata asked her to put a slash wherever she naturally paused. Some sentences had four slashes. Each slash became a full stop. The quotations dropped from five to one, and the one she kept was the one she could say from memory. The speech lost 90 words and gained its voice. She now calls it “writing with my mouth”. |
Speech Writing Techniques That Work Aloud
These techniques appear in nearly every famous speech because they help listeners follow and remember. Use three or four well, rather than all of them at once.
Technique | Why it works aloud | Example |
Rule of three | Three items create rhythm and are easy to remember | “A voice. A plan. A report back.” |
Rhetorical question | Makes listeners answer in their heads | “How many good ideas have we lost this year?” |
Direct address | Makes each listener feel spoken to | “You have the power to change this.” |
Repetition (anaphora) | Repeating an opening phrase builds momentum | “Not some ideas. Every idea.” |
Short personal story | Stories hold attention better than facts alone | “Last term, I tried to report a broken fountain...” |
Signposting | Tells listeners where they are in the speech | “First... Second... Finally...” |
Contrast | Places two ideas side by side for impact | “Easy to ignore and easy to fix.” |
Echo ending | Returns to the opening so the speech feels complete | Opening and closing both use “a voice”. |
Many of these overlap with persuasive techniques. For ethos, pathos and logos, see our guide to Persuasive Writing.
How Long Should a Speech Be?
Quick answer: Most students speak at about 120 to 150 words per minute. A 1-minute speech is about 130 words, a 2-minute speech about 260 words, a 3-minute speech about 400 words and a 5-minute speech about 650 words.
Speaking time | Approximate words | Typical use |
1 minute | 120 to 150 | Vote of thanks, introduction of a guest |
2 minutes | 250 to 300 | Class presentation opener, short assembly message |
3 minutes | 360 to 450 | Student council speech, competition round |
5 minutes | 600 to 750 | Assembly speech, debate opening, GCSE Spoken Language presentation |
7 to 10 minutes | 850 to 1,400 | Graduation or keynote speech |
Nervous speakers speed up, so time yourself at a slightly slower pace than feels natural, and leave space for pauses and audience reactions.
Famous Speeches Students Study (and What to Borrow)
Many students meet great speeches in English class long before they write their own. Use them as models for technique, not for content.
Speech | Where students meet it | Technique to borrow |
Abraham Lincoln, Gettysburg Address (1863) | US history and Grade 8 to 10 ELA | Brevity (under 300 words) and the rule of three: “of the people, by the people, for the people” |
Mark Antony’s funeral speech, Julius Caesar | Grade 9 and 10 ELA; GCSE Shakespeare | Irony and repetition: “Brutus is an honourable man”, repeated until it means the opposite |
Atticus Finch’s closing argument, To Kill a Mockingbird | Grade 8 and 9 ELA across the US | Calm logic, direct address to the jury, a moral appeal at the end |
Martin Luther King Jr., “I Have a Dream” (1963) | Grade 6 to 10 ELA and history | Anaphora: one phrase repeated to build a vision |
Malala Yousafzai, United Nations speech (2013) | Middle and high school ELA worldwide | A simple, powerful list: “one child, one teacher, one pen and one book” |
A practical exercise: take one technique from the table and use it once in your next speech. One borrowed technique, used well, is better than five copied ones.
Speech Writing Example: Student Council Speech (Annotated)
The task Write a speech to persuade your year group to vote for you as their Student Council representative. The speech will be delivered in assembly and should last about 3 minutes. |
A Voice, a Plan and a Report Back
Good morning, Principal, teachers and fellow students of Year 9. [1]
Raise your hand if you have ever had a brilliant idea for this school. Keep it up if you knew who to tell. Most hands just went down. That is the problem I want to fix. [2]
My name is Eva Lindqvist, and I am standing for Year 9 representative on the Student Council. I am not going to promise you longer lunches or no homework. I am going to promise you three things I can deliver: a voice, a plan and a report back. [3]
First, a voice. Every Friday, I will run a ten-minute suggestion slot in the library at lunch. You bring the idea. I bring it to the council meeting the following week. Not some ideas. Every idea.
Second, a plan. Last term, many of you told me the same thing: the water fountains on the top floor have been broken since September. Small problems like this are easy to ignore and easy to fix. I will put them on a list, and I will chase that list until it is empty. [4]
Third, a report back. The worst feeling is sharing an idea and hearing nothing. So once a month, I will post a one-page update on the Year 9 noticeboard: what was raised, what was agreed and what is still waiting. If something cannot happen, I will tell you why.
Some of you are thinking, “We have heard speeches like this before.” You are right. That is why I have asked my form tutor to check my monthly updates, so you do not have to take my word for it. You can check my work. [5]
Year 9, this school belongs to us for the next three years. Let’s make sure our ideas reach the people who can act on them. A voice. A plan. A report back. Vote Eva on Thursday. Thank you. [6]
(316 words, about 2 to 3 minutes aloud with pauses)
Why This Speech Works
Marker | Technique |
[1] Greeting | Addresses the audience in order: Principal, teachers, students. Required format in most school and exam speeches. |
[2] “Raise your hand...” | An interactive hook. The audience is involved within ten seconds, and the dropped hands prove the problem. |
[3] “a voice, a plan and a report back” | The whole speech in one sentence: a rule of three that becomes the structure. |
[4] Water fountains | A specific, real-sounding example. Credible small promises beat impossible big ones. |
[5] “We have heard speeches like this before.” | Answers the audience’s doubt out loud, then offers proof (the form tutor check). |
[6] Echo ending | Repeats the three points, gives a clear call to action and a date, then thanks the audience. |
The speaker’s name and school details are fictional.
From Our Online Classroom: The Script That Froze A Grade 10 student in London was preparing his GCSE Spoken Language presentation with his Wisdom Point teacher, Sabia. He had memorised every word of a strong script. In the first rehearsal, he forgot one line in the second minute and could not continue. Memorised speeches break like that: lose one word and the chain snaps. Sabia had him reduce the script to five cue cards with three keywords each. He practised telling the speech, not reciting it. His final version varied slightly every time he gave it, and it sounded better each time, because he was talking to the audience instead of retrieving a text. Write the speech in full, then speak it from notes. |
Common Speech Writing Mistakes (and Quick Fixes)
❌ Mistake | ✅ Fix |
Writing an essay and reading it aloud | Shorter sentences, “you” and “we”, spoken signposts. |
Opening with “Today I am going to talk about...” | Open with a question, a story or a surprising fact. |
Too many points | One message, three points. |
No greeting or no thank you | Greet the audience at the start; thank them at the end. |
Ending with “That’s all” | End with a memorable line that echoes your opening. |
Never reading it aloud before the day | Read aloud, time it, cut where you stumble. |
Speech writing checklist
Check | ✓ |
Greeting to the audience in the right order |
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A hook in the first 15 seconds |
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One clear message and two or three signposted points |
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Short sentences that are easy to say aloud |
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At least three speech techniques used on purpose |
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A memorable final line and a thank you |
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Read aloud and timed within the limit |
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20 Speech Writing Topics for Grades 6 to 10
Tier 1: Everyday and Ceremonial Speeches
1. A welcome speech for parents at your school’s open evening.
2. A vote of thanks after a visiting author’s talk at your school library.
3. A farewell speech for a teacher who is retiring.
4. A speech introducing yourself to a new class or club.
5. A student council election speech for your year group.
6. A speech accepting an award for your sports team.
7. A one-minute speech on the best advice you have ever received.
Tier 2: Persuasive and Informative Speeches
8. Persuade your year group to join a volunteering project in your community.
9. Explain to younger students how to manage their time during exam season.
10. Persuade your school to create a quiet space for students at lunch.
11. Inform your class about a scientist whose discovery changed everyday life.
12. Persuade your audience that every student should learn basic first aid.
13. Explain why a book you studied this year still matters today.
14. Persuade your school to start a public speaking club.
Tier 3: Exam and Competition Speeches
15. GCSE style: “Young people should spend less time on their phones.” Write a speech for a school assembly arguing your point of view. (About 45 minutes; 450 to 650 words.)
16. IGCSE style: Your town is deciding whether to turn a car park into a community garden. Write a speech for a public meeting giving your view. (450 to 600 words.)
17. Debate opening: “This house believes that homework does more harm than good.” Write the first proposition speech. (4 minutes.)
18. Competition: “The skill I wish every school taught.” Write a 3-minute speech for a public speaking competition.
19. Graduation: Write a 5-minute speech for your Grade 10 or Year 11 leaving ceremony.
20. GCSE Spoken Language: Prepare a 5-minute presentation on a topic you care about, with three main points and a question-and-answer plan.
Speech Writing: Frequently Asked Questions
What is the format of speech writing?
The speech writing format is a greeting to the audience, a hook, an introduction of the speaker and topic, two or three main points with examples, a conclusion that repeats the key message, and a thank you.
How do you start a speech?
Start a speech with a greeting, then a hook in the first 15 seconds: a question to the audience, a short story or a surprising fact. Avoid opening with “Today I am going to talk about”.
How many words is a 3-minute speech?
A 3-minute speech is usually about 360 to 450 words, because most students speak at 120 to 150 words per minute. Time yourself reading aloud to check.
How do you end a speech?
End a speech by repeating your key message in a few words, giving a clear final line or call to action, and thanking the audience. Echoing your opening makes the speech feel complete.
What is the difference between a speech and an article?
A speech is written to be heard, so it uses shorter sentences, direct address, repetition and spoken signposts. An article is written to be read, so it can use longer sentences and headings.
Should you memorise a speech?
Write the speech in full, but deliver it from short notes or cue cards rather than memorising every word. Speaking from keywords sounds more natural and is less likely to break down if you forget a line.
Your Next Step
Pick one Tier 1 topic and write it in under 200 words. Read it aloud with a timer, mark every place you stumble, and fix those sentences first. Then try a Tier 2 or Tier 3 speech using the format table and three techniques. For the confidence side of speaking, read Public Speaking for Students: The Real Global Edge, and for building a speech around evidence, see our guide to the argumentative essay. Every guide is in the Wisdom Point blog library.
Want your child to write and deliver speeches with confidence? Wisdom Point’s one-to-one writing and public speaking programmes help students in Grades 3 to 12 write speeches, rehearse delivery on camera and get detailed feedback, for school assemblies, student council, competitions, debate and GCSE and IGCSE speaking tasks. Classes run online for families in the US, UK, Dubai, Singapore, Malaysia and Australia. Book a free assessment: call or WhatsApp +91 82405 56421 or visit www.wisdom-point.org. |
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