Organizational Structure of Impromptu Contributions

Organization is essential when you have limited time to form and deliver your response to a question. It allows you to create a logically consistent answer and provide your audience with the best information with few words. Below is one format for organizing complex ideas into short answers.

I. Thesis/Central Idea:
The thesis is the main idea of your speech. It is the point/contention/argument that you want to advance. Simply put, it is the answer.

Depending on how much information you intend to present in support of your thesis, you may want to provide an internal summary of the evidence you will present in support of your thesis.

II. Support:
Demonstrate why you came to the conclusion you made by providing the audience evidence in support of your thesis.

III. Warrant:
Explain the link between your evidence and your claim by presenting your warrant. For a definition and discussion of the warrant, see CWiC main organization handout at www.sas.upenn.edu/cwic

IV. Impact:
Since evidence may be interpreted (or misunderstood) in many ways, merely presenting it is not enough. Explain to your audience how or why the evidence supports your thesis.

V. Conclusion:
Review your main points of support and how they impact your thesis. Restate your thesis.

*Since you have little time to deliver your answer, it is important to choose your best information and analysis. You may not have the opportunity to present everything you know.

*If your thesis is particularly controversial and you think it will spark an adverse reaction in the audience, you might consider delivering it at the bottom rather than the top. This helps the audience keep an open mind while they are listening to your reasoning and will make them more likely to give your thesis consideration.