{"id":417,"date":"2025-05-12T19:45:52","date_gmt":"2025-05-12T19:45:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pressbooks.ccconline.org\/ppsccom1150publicspeaking\/?post_type=chapter&p=417"},"modified":"2025-07-13T20:49:19","modified_gmt":"2025-07-13T20:49:19","slug":"why-supporting-materials-are-needed","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/pressbooks.ccconline.org\/ppsccom1150publicspeaking\/chapter\/why-supporting-materials-are-needed\/","title":{"raw":"Why Supporting Materials are Needed","rendered":"Why Supporting Materials are Needed"},"content":{"raw":"As mentioned in previous chapters, preparing to give a presentation is not a totally linear process. It would be nice if the process was like following a recipe, but it loops back and forth as you move toward crafting something that will effectively present your ideas and research. Even as you practice, you will make small changes to your basic outline, since the way something looks on paper and the way it sounds are sometimes different. For example, long sentences may look intelligent on paper, but they are hard to say in one breath and hard for the audience to understand. You will also find it necessary to use more repetition or restatement in oral delivery.\r\n\r\nTherefore, although this is the seventh chapter in the book, it deals with some concepts that we have already been thinking about in Chapters 2-6. Specifically, this chapter is about supporting materials: what they are, what they do, and how to use them effectively. But you have already been thinking about how to support your ideas when you were researching and crafting a central idea and main points. Supporting material also relates directly to Chapter 9, presentation aids. Whereas presentation aids are visual <\/em>or auditory <\/em>supporting materials, this chapter will deal with verbal <\/em>supporting materials.\r\n\r\nUsing your supporting materials effectively is essential because we crave detail and specifics. Let\u2019s say you are discussing going out to eat with a friend. You suggest a certain restaurant, and your friend makes a comment about the restaurant you have not heard before or don\u2019t accept at face value, so you ask in some way for explanation, clarification, or proof. If she says, \u201cTheir servers are really rude,\u201d you might ask, \u201cWhat did they do?\u201d If she says, \u201cTheir food is delicious,\u201d you might ask what dish is good. Likewise, if she says, \u201cThe place is nasty,\u201d you will want to know what their health rating is or why she makes this statement. We want to know specifics and are not satisfied with vagueness.\r\n\r\nSupporting material can be thought of as the specifics that make your ideas, arguments, assertions, points, or concepts real and concrete. Sometimes- times supporting materials are referred to as the \u201cmeat\u201d on the bones of the outline, but we also like to think of them as pegs you create in the audience\u2019s mind to hang the ideas on. Another even more useful idea is to think of them as pillars or supports for a bridge (Figure 7.1). Without these supports, the bridge would just be a piece of concrete that would not hold up once cars start to cross it. Similarly, the points and arguments you are making in your speech may not hold up without the material to \u201csupport\u201d what you are saying.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_418\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"657\"]\" Figure 7.1[\/caption]\r\n\r\nOf course, as we will see in this chapter, all supporting materials are not considered equal. Some are better at some functions or for some speeches than others. In general, there are two basic ways to think about the role of supporting materials. Either they\r\n
\r\n
    \r\n \t
  1. clarify, explain, or provide specifics (and therefore understanding) for the audience, or<\/em><\/li>\r\n \t
  2. prove and back up arguments and therefore persuade the audience. Of course, some can do both.<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n<\/div>\r\nYou might ask, how much supporting material is enough? The time you are allowed or required to speak will largely determine that. Since the supporting materials are found in the subpoints of your outline (A, B) and sub-subpoints (1, 2, etc.), you can see clearly on the outline how much you have and can omit one if time constraints demand that. However, in our experience as public speaking instructors, we find that students often struggle with having enough supporting materials. We often comment on a student\u2019s speech that we wanted the student to answer more of the \u201cwhat, where, who, how, why, when,\u201d questions and add more description, proof, or evidence because their ideas were vague.\r\n
    \r\n\r\nSometimes, we struggle with the difference between \u201cmain idea\u201d and \u201csupporting idea.\u201d For example, in this list, you will quickly recognize a commonality.\r\n
    \r\n\r\nChocolate <\/em>\r\n\r\nVanilla <\/em>\r\n\r\nStrawberry <\/em>\r\n\r\nButter Pecan<\/em>\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\nOf course, they are popular flavors of ice cream. The main idea is \u201cPopular Flavors of Ice Cream\u201d and the individual flavors are supporting materials to clarify the main idea; they \u201chold\u201d it up for understanding and clarification. If the list were:<\/span>\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n
    \r\n
    \r\n\r\nRocky Road<\/em>\r\n\r\nHoney Jalapeno Pickle Banana Split Chocolate<\/em>\r\n\r\nWildberry Lavender<\/em>\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\nYou would recognize two or three as ice cream flavors (not as popular) but #2 and #5 do not seem to fit the list (Covington, 2013). But you still recognize them as types of something and infer from the list that they have to do with ice cream flavors. \u201cIce cream flavors\u201d is the general subject and the flavors are the particulars.\r\n\r\nThose examples were easy. Let\u2019s look at this one. One of the words in this list is the general, and the rest are the particulars.\r\n
    \r\n\r\nLove <\/em>\r\n\r\nEmotion <\/em>\r\n\r\nSadness <\/em>\r\n\r\nDisgust <\/em>\r\n\r\nTolerance<\/em>\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\nEmotion is general category, and the list here shows specific emotions. Here is another:\r\n
    \r\n\r\n\u2022\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Spaying helps prevent uterine infections and breast cancer.\r\n\r\n\u2022\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Pets who live in states with high rates of spaying\/neutering live longer.\r\n\r\n\u2022\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Your pet\u2019s health is positively affected by being spayed or neutered.\r\n\r\n\u2022\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Spaying lessens the increased urge to roam.\r\n\r\n\u2022\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Male pets who are neutered eliminate their chances of getting testicular and prostate cancer.\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\nWhich one is the main point (the general idea), and which are the supporting points that include evidence to prove the main point? You should see that the third bullet point (\u201cYour pet\u2019s health is positively affected . . .\u201d) would be a main point or argument in a persuasive speech on spaying or neutering your pet. The basic outline for the speech might look something like this:\r\n
    \r\n
      \r\n \t
    1. Spaying or neutering your pet is good for public health.<\/li>\r\n \t
    2. Spaying or neutering your pet is good for your pet\u2019s health.<\/li>\r\n \t
    3. Spaying or neutering your pet is good for your family\u2019s life and budget.<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\nOf course, each of the four supporting points in this example (\u201chelps uterine cancer in female pets, \u201cetc.) cannot just be made up. The speaker would need to refer to or cite reliable statistics or testimony from veterinarians, researchers, public health organizations, and humane societies.\r\n\r\nFor that reason, here is the more specific support, which you would use in a speech to be ethical and credible. Notice that the italicized sections in this example Main Point use statistics and specific details to support the claims being made and provide sources.\r\n
      \r\n
        \r\n \t
      1. Spaying or neutering your pet is good for your pet\u2019s health.\r\n
          \r\n \t
        1. Spaying helps prevent uterine infections and breast cancer, which is fatal in about 50 percent of dogs and 90 percent of cats, <\/em>as found in the online article \u201cTop Ten Reasons to Spay or Neuter Your Pet,\u201d written in 2015 and posted on the website for the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.<\/li>\r\n \t
        2. The article also states that pets who live in the states with the highest rates of spaying\/neutering also live the longest.<\/em>\r\n
            \r\n \t
          1. According to Natalie DiBlasio, writing for USA Today on May 7 of 2013, in Mississippi, the lowest-ranking state for pet longevity, 44% of the dogs are not neutered or spayed.<\/em><\/li>\r\n \t
          2. She goes on to say that other issues affecting pet longevity have to do with climate, heartworm, and income of owners.<\/em><\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n<\/li>\r\n \t
          3. The Humane Society of America\u2019s website features the Au- gust 2014 article, \u201cWhy You Should Spay\/Neuter Your Pet,\u201d which states that spaying lessens their urge to roam, exposure to fights with other animals, getting struck by cars, and other mishaps.<\/em><\/li>\r\n \t
          4. Also according to the same article, male pets who are neutered eliminate their chances of getting testicular and prostate cancer.<\/em><\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n<\/div>\r\nWith all the sources available to you through reliable Internet and published sources, finding information is not difficult. Recognizing supporting information from the general idea you are trying to support or prove is more difficult, as is providing adequate citation.\r\n\r\nAlong with clarifying and proving, supporting materials, especially narrative ones, also make your speech much more interesting and attention-getting. Later in the chapter we will look at the various \u201cfactors of attention\u201d that are related to supporting material. Ultimately, you will be perceived as a more credible speaker if you provide clarifying, probative <\/strong>(proof-giving and logical), and interesting supporting material.\r\n
            \r\n\r\nProbative<\/strong>\r\n\r\nhaving the quality or function of proving or demonstrating something; affording proof or evidence\r\n\r\n<\/div>","rendered":"

            As mentioned in previous chapters, preparing to give a presentation is not a totally linear process. It would be nice if the process was like following a recipe, but it loops back and forth as you move toward crafting something that will effectively present your ideas and research. Even as you practice, you will make small changes to your basic outline, since the way something looks on paper and the way it sounds are sometimes different. For example, long sentences may look intelligent on paper, but they are hard to say in one breath and hard for the audience to understand. You will also find it necessary to use more repetition or restatement in oral delivery.<\/p>\n

            Therefore, although this is the seventh chapter in the book, it deals with some concepts that we have already been thinking about in Chapters 2-6. Specifically, this chapter is about supporting materials: what they are, what they do, and how to use them effectively. But you have already been thinking about how to support your ideas when you were researching and crafting a central idea and main points. Supporting material also relates directly to Chapter 9, presentation aids. Whereas presentation aids are visual <\/em>or auditory <\/em>supporting materials, this chapter will deal with verbal <\/em>supporting materials.<\/p>\n

            Using your supporting materials effectively is essential because we crave detail and specifics. Let\u2019s say you are discussing going out to eat with a friend. You suggest a certain restaurant, and your friend makes a comment about the restaurant you have not heard before or don\u2019t accept at face value, so you ask in some way for explanation, clarification, or proof. If she says, \u201cTheir servers are really rude,\u201d you might ask, \u201cWhat did they do?\u201d If she says, \u201cTheir food is delicious,\u201d you might ask what dish is good. Likewise, if she says, \u201cThe place is nasty,\u201d you will want to know what their health rating is or why she makes this statement. We want to know specifics and are not satisfied with vagueness.<\/p>\n

            Supporting material can be thought of as the specifics that make your ideas, arguments, assertions, points, or concepts real and concrete. Sometimes- times supporting materials are referred to as the \u201cmeat\u201d on the bones of the outline, but we also like to think of them as pegs you create in the audience\u2019s mind to hang the ideas on. Another even more useful idea is to think of them as pillars or supports for a bridge (Figure 7.1). Without these supports, the bridge would just be a piece of concrete that would not hold up once cars start to cross it. Similarly, the points and arguments you are making in your speech may not hold up without the material to \u201csupport\u201d what you are saying.<\/p>\n

            \"Bridge
            Figure 7.1<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

            Of course, as we will see in this chapter, all supporting materials are not considered equal. Some are better at some functions or for some speeches than others. In general, there are two basic ways to think about the role of supporting materials. Either they<\/p>\n

            \n
              \n
            1. clarify, explain, or provide specifics (and therefore understanding) for the audience, or<\/em><\/li>\n
            2. prove and back up arguments and therefore persuade the audience. Of course, some can do both.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n

              You might ask, how much supporting material is enough? The time you are allowed or required to speak will largely determine that. Since the supporting materials are found in the subpoints of your outline (A, B) and sub-subpoints (1, 2, etc.), you can see clearly on the outline how much you have and can omit one if time constraints demand that. However, in our experience as public speaking instructors, we find that students often struggle with having enough supporting materials. We often comment on a student\u2019s speech that we wanted the student to answer more of the \u201cwhat, where, who, how, why, when,\u201d questions and add more description, proof, or evidence because their ideas were vague.<\/p>\n

              \n

              Sometimes, we struggle with the difference between \u201cmain idea\u201d and \u201csupporting idea.\u201d For example, in this list, you will quickly recognize a commonality.<\/p>\n

              \n

              Chocolate <\/em><\/p>\n

              Vanilla <\/em><\/p>\n

              Strawberry <\/em><\/p>\n

              Butter Pecan<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

              Of course, they are popular flavors of ice cream. The main idea is \u201cPopular Flavors of Ice Cream\u201d and the individual flavors are supporting materials to clarify the main idea; they \u201chold\u201d it up for understanding and clarification. If the list were:<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

              \n
              \n

              Rocky Road<\/em><\/p>\n

              Honey Jalapeno Pickle Banana Split Chocolate<\/em><\/p>\n

              Wildberry Lavender<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

              You would recognize two or three as ice cream flavors (not as popular) but #2 and #5 do not seem to fit the list (Covington, 2013). But you still recognize them as types of something and infer from the list that they have to do with ice cream flavors. \u201cIce cream flavors\u201d is the general subject and the flavors are the particulars.<\/p>\n

              Those examples were easy. Let\u2019s look at this one. One of the words in this list is the general, and the rest are the particulars.<\/p>\n

              \n

              Love <\/em><\/p>\n

              Emotion <\/em><\/p>\n

              Sadness <\/em><\/p>\n

              Disgust <\/em><\/p>\n

              Tolerance<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

              Emotion is general category, and the list here shows specific emotions. Here is another:<\/p>\n

              \n

              \u2022\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Spaying helps prevent uterine infections and breast cancer.<\/p>\n

              \u2022\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Pets who live in states with high rates of spaying\/neutering live longer.<\/p>\n

              \u2022\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Your pet\u2019s health is positively affected by being spayed or neutered.<\/p>\n

              \u2022\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Spaying lessens the increased urge to roam.<\/p>\n

              \u2022\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Male pets who are neutered eliminate their chances of getting testicular and prostate cancer.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

              Which one is the main point (the general idea), and which are the supporting points that include evidence to prove the main point? You should see that the third bullet point (\u201cYour pet\u2019s health is positively affected . . .\u201d) would be a main point or argument in a persuasive speech on spaying or neutering your pet. The basic outline for the speech might look something like this:<\/p>\n

              \n
                \n
              1. Spaying or neutering your pet is good for public health.<\/li>\n
              2. Spaying or neutering your pet is good for your pet\u2019s health.<\/li>\n
              3. Spaying or neutering your pet is good for your family\u2019s life and budget.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

                Of course, each of the four supporting points in this example (\u201chelps uterine cancer in female pets, \u201cetc.) cannot just be made up. The speaker would need to refer to or cite reliable statistics or testimony from veterinarians, researchers, public health organizations, and humane societies.<\/p>\n

                For that reason, here is the more specific support, which you would use in a speech to be ethical and credible. Notice that the italicized sections in this example Main Point use statistics and specific details to support the claims being made and provide sources.<\/p>\n

                \n
                  \n
                1. Spaying or neutering your pet is good for your pet\u2019s health.\n
                    \n
                  1. Spaying helps prevent uterine infections and breast cancer, which is fatal in about 50 percent of dogs and 90 percent of cats, <\/em>as found in the online article \u201cTop Ten Reasons to Spay or Neuter Your Pet,\u201d written in 2015 and posted on the website for the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.<\/li>\n
                  2. The article also states that pets who live in the states with the highest rates of spaying\/neutering also live the longest.<\/em>\n
                      \n
                    1. According to Natalie DiBlasio, writing for USA Today on May 7 of 2013, in Mississippi, the lowest-ranking state for pet longevity, 44% of the dogs are not neutered or spayed.<\/em><\/li>\n
                    2. She goes on to say that other issues affecting pet longevity have to do with climate, heartworm, and income of owners.<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/li>\n
                    3. The Humane Society of America\u2019s website features the Au- gust 2014 article, \u201cWhy You Should Spay\/Neuter Your Pet,\u201d which states that spaying lessens their urge to roam, exposure to fights with other animals, getting struck by cars, and other mishaps.<\/em><\/li>\n
                    4. Also according to the same article, male pets who are neutered eliminate their chances of getting testicular and prostate cancer.<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n

                      With all the sources available to you through reliable Internet and published sources, finding information is not difficult. Recognizing supporting information from the general idea you are trying to support or prove is more difficult, as is providing adequate citation.<\/p>\n

                      Along with clarifying and proving, supporting materials, especially narrative ones, also make your speech much more interesting and attention-getting. Later in the chapter we will look at the various \u201cfactors of attention\u201d that are related to supporting material. Ultimately, you will be perceived as a more credible speaker if you provide clarifying, probative <\/strong>(proof-giving and logical), and interesting supporting material.<\/p>\n

                      \n

                      Probative<\/strong><\/p>\n

                      having the quality or function of proving or demonstrating something; affording proof or evidence<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"author":133,"menu_order":1,"template":"","meta":{"pb_show_title":"on","pb_short_title":"","pb_subtitle":"","pb_authors":[],"pb_section_license":""},"chapter-type":[],"contributor":[],"license":[],"class_list":["post-417","chapter","type-chapter","status-publish","hentry"],"part":415,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.ccconline.org\/ppsccom1150publicspeaking\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/417","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.ccconline.org\/ppsccom1150publicspeaking\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.ccconline.org\/ppsccom1150publicspeaking\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/chapter"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.ccconline.org\/ppsccom1150publicspeaking\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/133"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.ccconline.org\/ppsccom1150publicspeaking\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/417\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":799,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.ccconline.org\/ppsccom1150publicspeaking\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/417\/revisions\/799"}],"part":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.ccconline.org\/ppsccom1150publicspeaking\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/parts\/415"}],"metadata":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.ccconline.org\/ppsccom1150publicspeaking\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/417\/metadata\/"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.ccconline.org\/ppsccom1150publicspeaking\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=417"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"chapter-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.ccconline.org\/ppsccom1150publicspeaking\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapter-type?post=417"},{"taxonomy":"contributor","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.ccconline.org\/ppsccom1150publicspeaking\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/contributor?post=417"},{"taxonomy":"license","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.ccconline.org\/ppsccom1150publicspeaking\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/license?post=417"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}