How to Write a Speech: KS3 English (Step by Step)

A speech for KS3 English is a formal piece of writing intended to be spoken aloud to an audience, usually to persuade, inform, or inspire. It has a clear structure — opening, main argument, and strong close — and uses spoken language techniques such as direct address, rhetorical questions, and rule of three to keep the listener engaged.

Who is your audience, and what do they already think?

Before writing a single word, name your audience and guess their starting position. Are they likely to agree with you, be neutral, or need persuading? This matters because:

An agreeing audience wants passion and shared values — energise them.

A neutral audience needs clear reasoning before they can be moved emotionally.

A sceptical audience needs you to acknowledge their view before you argue against it — this is called concession and refutation.

Every speech decision — your tone, your evidence, your vocabulary — should follow from this starting point.

How do you structure a KS3 speech?

A reliable three-part structure works for most KS3 speech tasks:

Part | Purpose | Approximate length
Opening | Hook the listener; state your position clearly | 1–2 paragraphs
Main body | 3 developed arguments, each with evidence and a persuasive technique | 3 paragraphs
Closing | Return to your opening image or idea; deliver a memorable final line | 1 paragraph

One argument per paragraph in the main body is better than several half-developed ones. Quality, not quantity.

What are the most useful spoken language techniques?

These techniques signal to the reader (and any listener) that this is speech, not an essay:

Direct address ("you"): Pulls the listener in — "You might think this doesn't affect you. But consider what happens in five years."

Rhetorical question: Asks a question that expects no answer but makes the listener pause — "How long are we willing to wait?"

Rule of three: Three words, phrases, or clauses in a series create rhythm and feel conclusive — "We can act now, act together, and act with courage."

Repetition / anaphora: Repeating a phrase at the start of successive sentences builds momentum — "This is our moment. This is our chance. This is our choice."

Inclusive language ("we"): Creates a sense of shared community — "We, as a school, have the power to change this."

How do you write a strong speech opening?

The opening has one job: stop the listener from tuning out. Three strategies that work at KS3:

A surprising fact or statistic: "Every day in England, more than 600 children miss school because they have nowhere safe to sleep." Immediately establishes stakes.

A rhetorical question that the whole speech answers: "What would you sacrifice for the people you love?" The rest of the speech is the answer.

A short, striking scenario: Place the listener in a moment. "Imagine standing at the school gate, bag in hand, not wanting to go in." Then reveal that this is what one in five students feels.

Avoid beginning with "Good morning, my name is..." unless the task specifically requires a formal introduction — it wastes your strongest moment.

A worked example: opening paragraph

Here is a model opening for a speech arguing that schools should start later in the morning.

Ask any fifteen-year-old what they would change about their week, and the answer is almost always the same: more sleep. Yet every morning, thousands of teenagers drag themselves into classrooms before their brains have even finished waking up — not because they are lazy, but because science tells us they are biologically unable to function well before 9am. This is not a small inconvenience. This is a public health issue, and today I am asking you to take it seriously.

Notice: rhetorical question, a challenge to a common assumption (lazy), evidence (science), escalating stakes, and a clear position stated at the end.

How do you close a speech memorably?

The closing should feel like an arrival, not a stopping. Two techniques work especially well:

Return to the opening: If you opened with a scenario or a question, return to it at the end to create a sense of resolution.

A call to action: Tell the listener exactly what you want them to do — "Sign the petition. Tell your tutor. Make some noise."

End on a short, punchy sentence. After a longer, more complex point, a single short sentence hits harder than another long one.

Frequently asked questions

What features make a KS3 speech different from an essay?

A speech is written to be spoken, so it uses direct address ("you"), shorter sentences that land clearly, and rhetorical techniques designed for a listening audience. An essay argues through logic on the page; a speech argues through the combination of logic and performance — even when the performance is only implied in a written task.

How many persuasive techniques should I include?

Include three or four well-used techniques rather than cramming in every technique you know. Each technique should feel deliberate, not like a tick on a checklist. Examiners reward writers who use a technique with clear awareness of its effect, not writers who simply use many.

Do I need to write "Ladies and gentlemen" at the start?

Only if the task specifies a formal occasion (for example, a school assembly or a council meeting). For many KS3 speech tasks, jumping straight into a strong opening line is more effective and shows more confidence as a writer.

Can I use humour in a KS3 speech?

Yes, used carefully. A single touch of wit — a wry observation or an unexpected comparison — can relax the listener and make them more receptive. Sustained humour, however, can undermine your argument if the audience stops taking your point seriously. One or two moments of lightness, where they serve the argument, are usually enough.

For Socratic English practice on speech writing and persuasion, see aitutors.me.