Assume that you have been asked to write a speech on the benefits of exercise to alleviate stress

You will incorporate support materials to improve your credibility and to keep your audience's interest. Identify and describe the seven types of materials and use three as examples for your speech. (Examples will vary.)
What will be an ideal response?

Answer: Sample student response:

Facts—verifiable bits of information about people, events, places, dates, and times.

Definitions—brief explanations designed to inform your audience about something unfamiliar that can also be used as language or persuasive devices.

Testimony—firsthand knowledge or opinions, either your own or from others, and it tends to be interpretive or judgmental. There are four types of testimony: personal, lay, prestige, and expert.

Examples—are specific instances or cases that embody or illustrate items, people, events, places, methods, actions, experiences, conditions, or other information. Effective examples bring life to a speech. Hypothetical examples are based on the potential outcomes of imagined scenarios and gain their power from future possibilities.

Statistics—numerical facts for data that are summarized, organized, and tabulated to present significant information about a given population.

Quotations and paraphrasing—Paraphrasing restates the content of the material in a simpler format and in a speaker's own words, using language appropriate for your audience. Quoting is using others' material word for word. Directly quoting from a source is generally more effective than paraphrasing.

Comparison, Contrast, or Analogy—A comparison points out similarities between two or more ideas, things, factors, or issues. To contrast is to use support materials to point out differences between two or more ideas, things, or factors. An analogy supports materials by comparing and contrasting two or more ideas, things, factors, or issues.

Example: A student may use expert testimony, by saying, "The American Lung Association endorses exercise as a way to reduce stress." He or she may use facts, such as "The American Lung Association recommends that cardiovascular exercise that elevates the heart rate for 15 or 30 minutes, three to four times a week." The speaker can also use statistics: "The American Lung Association estimates that 30 percent of women and 20 percent of men deal with unhealthy levels of stress in their lives daily."