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The P-R-E-P Menmonic By Zed Ngoh Greek philosopher Aristotle once said, “In making a speech one must study three points: first, the means of producing persuasion; second, the language; third, the proper arrangement of the various parts of the speech” (Aristotle, 1954). As students of a public speaking class, it is important to understand and apply proper arrangements when writing a speech. This will help you compile your thoughts and idea, and also help you express them to your audience in a manner that is easily understood. Similar to a speech having an introduction, body and conclusion, your main points must also contain some form of arrangement. Today, I will use the P-R-E-P mnemonic in helping you write your main points in a manner that is clear, concise, and easy for your audience to follow. Firstly, P stands for point. Here, you state the point you are trying to make. By stating your point in the very beginning, you are putting your audience in a frame of mind where they can understand the context for the next sentences you are going to tell them. For example, in an informative speech on baking, your point could be ‘Measure all your ingredients beforehand’. By stating your point first, your audience would easily follow your logic when you discuss putting ingredients into different bowls. Telling your audience the main point helps them see what’s coming next. Secondly, R stands for reason. Here, you provide the reasoning behind your idea. This reasoning is the persuasive aspect of your speech, where you can apply ethos, logos and pathos appeals. Anybody can state a point, but making your audience accept your idea is where strong reasoning would help. For example, in a persuasive speech on drink driving, statistics showing the number of deaths caused by drink driving can convince your audience that drink driving is an important problem which needs to be addressed. Supporting your point with well thought out reasoning can help sway the audience. Thirdly, E stands for example. Here, you provide examples to help your audience relate to the point you are trying to make. Now that your audience has heard your point and your reasoning, where do they see themselves in your idea? Examples can help your audience visualize acting out your idea, or see themselves in the context of the point you are trying to make. For example, in a ‘how to’ speech on dealing with nervousness, stating the example of signing up for a public speaking class as taking the first step in dealing with nervousness can help your audience see themselves in the picture. Examples help augment your reasoning. Lastly, P stands for point. Here, you summarize your idea to let your audience know what you have been trying to say with your preceding reasoning and examples. By stating your point again, you help your audience review the material you have just discussed, and also cue them that you are about to move on to your next point. For example, the last sentence of the three paragraphs above is very similar to the first sentence of each corresponding paragraph, but reading the last sentence alone may not provide the full picture. Stating your point again at the end helps your audience in tying up your idea in an organized package that can be easily understood and remembered. In conclusion, you can use the P-R-E-P mnemonic to help you arrange your main points by stating your point first, supporting your point with reasoning, augmenting your idea with examples, and summarizing with your point. Following this arrangement style can make your speeches (and other written papers) crisp and easy to understand. For as Benjamin Franklin once said, “By failing to PREPare, you are PREParing to fail” (Booher, 2003, p. 83). References Aristotle. (1954). Rhetoric. New York: Kessinger Publishing. Booher, D. (2003). Speak with Confidence. New York: McGraw Hill.