4 Basic Types of Speeches
by IANMCKENZIE on MARCH 14, 2012
The four basic types of speeches are: to inform, to
instruct, to entertain, and to persuade. These are
not mutually exclusive of one another. You may have
several purposes in mind when giving your
presentation. For example, you may try to inform in
an entertaining style. Another speaker might inform
the audience and try to persuade them to act on the
information.
However, the principle purpose of a speech will
generally fall into one of four basic types:
Informative This speech serves to provide
interesting and useful information to your
audience. Some examples of informative speeches:
A teacher telling students about earthquakes
A student talking about her research
A travelogue about the Tower of London
A computer programmer speaking about new
software
Demonstrative Speeches This has many similarities
with an informative speech. A demonstrative speech
also teaches you something. The main difference lies
in including a demonstration of how to do the thing
youre teaching. Some examples of demonstrative
speeches:
tYPES OF SPEECH STYLES
October 14, 2016
How to start your own blog
How to bake a cake
How to write a speech
How to just about anything
Persuasive A persuasive speech works to convince
people to change in some way: they think, the way
they do something, or to start doing something that
they are not currently doing. Some examples of
persuasive speeches:
Become an organ donor
Improve your health through better eating
Television violence is negatively influencing our
children
Become a volunteer and change the world
Entertaining The after-dinner speech is a typical
example of an entertaining speech. The speaker
provides pleasure and enjoyment that make the
audience laugh or identify with anecdotal
information. Some examples of entertaining
speeches:
Excuses for any occasion
Explaining cricket to an American
How to buy a condom discreetly
Things you wouldnt know without the movies
1.FROZEN STYLE Relationship between speaker and hearer is
Used generally in very formal setting. closed.
Most formal communicative style for respectful
situation Examples:
Does not require any feedback from the casual conversations with friends, family
audience members, chats, phone calls and messages
Usually uses long sentences with good grammar 5. INTIMATE STYLE
and vocabulary Completely private language used within family
The use of language is fixed and relatively static of very close friends or group
Uses personal language codes
Examples: Grammar is unnecessary
national pledge, anthem, school creeds, Does not need complete language
marriage ceremonies, speech for a state Certain terms of endearment, slangs or
ceremony expressions whose meaning is shared with a
2.FORMAL STYLE small subset of persons to person
Used in speaking to medium to large groups
May also be used in single hearers- strangers,
older persons, professional
Speaker must frame whole sentences ahead
before they are delivered
Avoids using slang terminologies
language is comparatively rigid and has a set,
agreed upon vocabulary that is well
documented; is often of a standard variety.

Examples:
meetings, speeches, school lessons, court, a
corporate meeting, at a swearing in ceremony, in
an interview or in a classroom

3. CONSULTATIVE STYLE
Used in semi-formal communication
Happens in two-way participation
Most operational among other styles
Speaker does not usually plan what he wants to
say
Sentences end to be shorter ans spontaneous

Examples:
regular conversation at schools, companies,
group discussion,
teacher-student, doctor-patient, expert-
apprentice

4. CASUAL STYLE
Language used between friends
Often very relaxed and focused on just getting
the information out
Slangs are quite often used in these instances
This style is used in informal situations and
language