A keyword outline is useful when giving a speech or presentation. It includes the main ideas of what is to be communicated in a manner that is much shorter than the actual word-for-word speech. The keywords form the skeleton or outline of a speech, and serve to remind the speaker of the ideas in the correct order he or she wants to present them.
A keyword outline should contain the most important points from your speech or presentation that you need to convey, but don't get too in-depth in these notes. It should simply serve as a memory aid that can be easily glanced at to help the speaker stay on track.
Examples of Keyword Outlines
Keyword outlines can be noted on index cards or written out on a sheet of paper. Some keyword outline examples can be found below.
George Washington
- Childhood
- Military life
- Presidency
Cooking with Organic Food
- Importance of
Main dishes
- Meats
- Produce
- Grains
- Side dishes
- Desserts
-
Where to buy organic food
- Farmer's markets
- Community-supported agriculture
College Application Process
Important tests
- PSAT
- SAT
- How to prepare
-
Financial Aid
- FAFSA
- Scholarships
-
Application form
- Essays
- School activities
- Volunteering
Brownies: The Best Dessert Ever!
- Brownies
Vanilla ice cream
- Blue Bell brand
-
Chocolate sauce
- How to make the sauce
- Peanuts
- Whipped cream
Preparing for Childbirth
- Congratulations!
Choosing a practitioner
- Physicians
- Midwives
- Nurse practitioners
-
Choosing a delivery site
- Hospitals
- Birthing centers
- Home births
-
Choosing a birth partner(s)
- Father of baby
- Family
- Friends
-
Doulas
- What is a doula?
- How to find a doula
- Interviewing a doula
-
Supplies needed
- Change of clothes for mom
- 2 pairs underwear for mom
- Outfit for baby
- Munchies
- Gatorade
- Car seat
- Stopwatch
- Toiletries - toothpaste, deodorant, toothbrush, etc.
Regions of the United States of America
- The Northeast
- The Mid-Atlantic
- The South
- The Midwest
- The Rocky Mountain region
- The Southwest
- The West
- The Pacific Northwest
Why I Love My Dog
- Adopting her
- Personality
- Kind (shoe example)
- Sense of humor (waffle example)
- How she assists us
Why Volunteer?
Benefits others
- Examples of community needs
- Homelessness (give statistics)
- Hunger (give statistics)
- Domestic violence
- Sickness
- Emergency services
- Education
- Illiteracy
-
Places to volunteer
- Shelters
- Soup kitchens
- Hospitals
- Fire stations
- Schools
- Libraries
-
Benefits you
- Takes mind off own problems
- Deepens gratitude
- Builds relationships
Air Travel
Choosing an airline
- Domestic carriers
- International carriers
-
Booking a flight
- Non-stop flights
- Connecting flights
- Paying for travel
-
Types of class
- Coach
- Business
- First
-
Preparing for travel
- Baggage sizes
- Carry-on items
-
At the airport
- Checking in
- Security
- Boarding
- In-flight
- At your destination
Types of Yeast
- Instant
- Active
- Ratios when cooking
Where to Stay at the Beach
- Hotels
- Hostels
- Motels
- Houses
- Campgrounds
Girls Sports at Our School
Fall
- Cross Country
- Tennis
- Field hockey
- Golf
-
Winter
- Basketball
- Cheerleading
- Winter track
-
Spring
- Soccer
- Track and field
Boys Sports at Our School
Fall
- Football
- Cross Country
- Soccer
- Golf
-
Winter
- Basketball
- Wrestling
- Winter track
-
Spring
- Tennis
- Track and field
Humanities Department Introductions
English Literature
- Mrs. Miller
- Mr. Harold
-
Writing studies
- Ms. Kim
- Ms. Mulligan
- Mr. Smith
-
American History
- Mr. Shick
- Mr. Hay
- Mrs. Smucker
-
British History
- Mr. Kreider
- Mrs. Dotts
-
Fine Arts: Music
- Miss Mill
- Mr. Hack
-
Fine Arts: Drama
- Mrs. Boyd
-
Fine Arts: Art
- Mr. Buck
- Ms. Kelly
Summer in California
- History of the program
- Benefits of the program
- Applying
- Deadlines
- Essays
- Work-study
Movie Genres
- Drama
- Comedy
- Action
- Horror
- Historical
- Sci-fi
- Family
Baking the Perfect Apple Pie
- Crust
- Flour, shortening, water
- More moist than dry
- Rolling the dough
- Getting into pie plate
- Filling
- Choosing apples
- Rest of ingredients
- Bake time
Clear Communication
Now, with these examples of keyword outlines, you can easily see how to make your own keyword outline and how extracting the key words from your speech can help you understand the concept and how to deliver it.
You can also use a keyword outline to breakdown a piece of writing into its main ideas and rewrite it in your own words. This is an excellent way to aid comprehension and build vocabulary. It also helps when it comes to summarizing or paraphrasing a document.