By Purpose:
* Informative: These speeches aim to teach the audience about a specific topic, conveying factual information, definitions, explanations, or descriptions.
* Persuasive: These speeches aim to convince the audience to agree with a certain viewpoint or take a specific action.
* Entertaining: These speeches aim to amuse or entertain the audience, using humor, storytelling, or personal anecdotes.
* Special Occasion: These speeches are delivered for specific events, such as weddings, funerals, graduations, or award ceremonies. They often focus on themes like celebration, remembrance, or inspiration.
By Structure:
* Chronological: This structure presents information in a sequential order, like a timeline.
* Spatial: This structure presents information based on physical location or arrangement.
* Topical: This structure divides the topic into separate categories or subtopics.
* Problem-Solution: This structure identifies a problem and then proposes a solution.
* Cause-Effect: This structure explains the cause of a problem and its resulting effects.
* Monroe's Motivated Sequence: This structure follows a five-step process: attention, need, satisfaction, visualization, and action.
By Delivery Method:
* Manuscript: The speaker reads from a fully written script.
* Memorized: The speaker memorizes the entire speech word for word.
* Impromptu: The speaker delivers a speech with little or no preparation.
* Extemporaneous: The speaker prepares in advance but delivers the speech from an outline or notes, allowing for some flexibility and adaptation.
By Style:
* Formal: These speeches use a serious and respectful tone, often with complex language and structure.
* Informal: These speeches are more relaxed and conversational, using simpler language and a more personal tone.
* Humorous: These speeches aim to entertain and amuse the audience, often using jokes, anecdotes, or witty observations.
* Inspirational: These speeches seek to motivate and inspire the audience, often using stories, personal experiences, and emotional appeals.
By Audience:
* Academic: Speeches delivered in educational settings, often focusing on research, theories, or critical analysis.
* Corporate: Speeches delivered in business settings, often addressing topics related to leadership, strategy, or financial performance.
* Political: Speeches delivered in political contexts, often advocating for specific policies, candidates, or ideologies.
* Public: Speeches delivered to a general audience, often covering topics of broad interest or social significance.
These are just some of the ways to categorize prepared speeches. The specific type of speech will depend on the speaker's purpose, the audience, the occasion, and the available time.