Lesson 3 of 12 · About 5 minutes
Build the whole unit
A useful speaking unit has a claim, a reason, an example or evidence, and an explicit connection back to the claim. “Take local government, for example” merely names a domain. Describe the relevant event or situation, isolate the feature that matters, and tell the listener what can reasonably be learned from it.
Prepare the second example deliberately
One strong example can carry a short speech, but two developed examples can test whether the point survives a change of setting. Choose the second for a different function: a contrasting case, a limiting case, or the same principle in another institution. Two names without explanation do less work than one carefully analyzed case.
Do not ask anecdotes to do statistical work
A story can reveal a mechanism or make an experience intelligible. It does not by itself establish how common that experience is. If your conclusion is about prevalence, add evidence suited to prevalence. If the example is fictional, say so; the listener should know whether it illustrates a possibility or reports an event.
Worked example · fictional
From an intention to a usable choice
Good procedures matter. Consider student clubs and Congress. Both need rules.
Imagine a club choosing a budget. If members receive the proposal before the meeting, they can compare priorities rather than react to a surprise. The procedure improves the opportunity for informed judgment. That illustrates why a rule about preparation can matter even when everyone has good intentions.
The example specifies a mechanism and limits the inference. A later comparison with Congress would still need its own explanation rather than an assumed equivalence.
Try it aloud
A focused drill
Give a ninety-second answer with two examples. Spend at least one sentence after each saying what it establishes. Ask a listener which example added something the other did not.
Listen for this: Did you explain the relationship between evidence and conclusion, or merely put them next to each other?
Open the timer and outline