What Is an Argumentative Speech?

By Staff Writer | Last Updated August 4, 2015

An argumentative speech persuades the audience to take the side of the speaker, and the speaker generally discusses a topic he or she feels strongly about. The speaker makes a specific claim and then addresses points that support the claim. At the end of the speech, the audience should be clear on an action that should or should not be taken and why.

Argumentative speeches are often about hot topics, and they encourage the audience to change their views or opinions on a topic. The speaker shows an obvious problem at the beginning of the speech and then moves on to show proof of that problem and then suggests a solution in the body. The conclusion sums up the speech’s main idea and supporting points and should leave the audience ready to make a decision based on what they just heard.

When delivering an argumentative speech, the speaker must be careful to use facts rather than emotions to support the chosen claim, and it’s important to avoid bias.