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Memorable 2-Minute Speeches: How to Write & Deliver (With Examples)

Hrideep barot.

  • Public Speaking , Speech Topics , Speech Writing

Giving 2-minute speech

Giving memorable 2-minute speeches are tricker than giving 2-minute speeches. 

Speeches are an effective way to share your understanding, opinion, or perspective on a topic. It doesn’t matter if your speech is for 2 minutes, 10 minutes, or 50 minutes, the main essence of any speech is to reach the audience .

2-minute speeches are quite effective if presented in a well-structured manner. In fact, giving 2-minute speeches can also help you improve your public speaking skills. And that is the reason why schools ask the students to give 2-minute speeches for every assignment!

Now we understand you might have tons of questions when it comes to 2-minute speeches, but fret not, we’ve got you covered. Read till the end of the blog to get a more comprehensive idea about 2-minute speeches. 

Also, check out our video here if you want a very short glimpse of the article:

Is a 2-minute speech too short?

2-minute speeches come under the category of short speeches. So ideally 2 minute speeches are short speeches . But when we say is it too short? Then the answer will be subjective. 

For instance, If you are to present your research findings then a 2-minute speech would not do justice to years of your work. But at the same time if you are giving a self-introduction then 2 minute speeches are more than enough!

How long is a 2-minute speech?

To understand how long 2-minute speeches should be, you need to understand your pace of speaking which is the number of words spoken per minute.   An average person usually speaks about 130-150 words per minute . So for 2-minute speeches, 260-300 words should be sufficient. 

When it comes to the number of pages for a 2-minute speech, then your speech can be half to one page long . It all depends on the font size that you use!

Similarly, the number of sentences that would make up a 2-minute speech can vary depending on the font size that you use or your handwriting.

Writing 2-minute speeches

1. choose a topic.

The very first step in writing your speech is to know what you want to talk about, which is your topic !

You can either come up with the topic yourself or you can search for a broad topic on the internet and then narrow it down as per your liking. 

So if for example, you are writing a 2-minute speech on unity as strength , you may want to focus on a particular instance wherein unity shown by people worked as their strength and helped them achieve a goal, like a freedom struggle.  

2. Decide on your takeaway

 If you are wondering what takeaways are, then they are your answer to the question “why are you presenting this particular topic to the audience?”

For some the answer could be, to educate, give another perspective on a widely studied topic, or even awaken the audience to take action . 

In 2 minute speeches, the clock ticks faster so you should ideally focus on only 1 takeaway . 

Once you have figured out why you want to present the topic to your audience or listeners, you can then move to the next stage of research. 

3. Research for your speech

When you begin researching for 2 minutes speeches, you don’t have to get into tons of details . The idea is to give the audience enough information to understand your topic within a short time.

For starters, you can browse your topic on Google , YouTube , Instagram , and other social media channels. You might also want to research some facts or statistics related to your topic as it increases the credibility of your speech.

4. Structure your speech

There are 3 things to be kept in mind while structuring your speech. They are ethos, pathos, and logos. 

Ethos means credibility . It is concerned with giving the audience a reason to believe in you. So, if your speech is about the impact of gaming on violent behavior, mentioning that you are a psychologist would add credibility to your speech. 

Pathos is related to emotions . The idea is to connect with the listeners through emotions. And the easiest way to do that is through stories !

In the example above, you can share a story of a client who developed violent behavior patterns after spending a considerable amount of time on gaming and how they are doing now.

Logos means logic . Adding logical elements like facts, statistics, and quotes by famous personalities helps drive your main idea forward in a more rational sense. 

Again, taking the example of the impact of gaming on violent behavior, logos could include a sentence like:

School shootings have increased from 11 in 2009 to 93 in 2021. It is a staggering number and when you take a deeper look into it, you’ll find that a considerable number of these shooters were addicted to gaming.

Editing is something we believe is a very crucial part of giving a memorable 2-minute speech. Why?

Because 2-minute speeches aren’t only about what you say but also about what you choose not to say. 

Editing also helps you focus on your topic more clearly rather than drifting or diversifying your topic.

Delivering 2-minute Speeches

1. establish your takeaway.

Since you had already decided on your takeaway while writing the speech, you are well aware of it. But does your audience have any idea yet? No!

While they might infer why you are presenting the particular topic after listening to your speech, you cannot leave it to that. 

Establish your takeaway right at the beginning of your speech , so that the audience also understands what they can expect from your speech. 

2. How to begin a 2 minute Speech (Simple beginning)

This might come as a shocker, especially because we are always told to begin with a Bang! 

For 2-minute speeches, if you end up spending a lot of your time on the beginning, you will have to shorten the main content of your speech. 

Starting in a simple and direct manner suits best in such cases. 

A few ways in which you can begin your 2-minute speeches are given below:

If you are to introduce yourself, you can begin simply by saying your name. “Good afternoon everyone, I am Xyz…”

You can also use ethos, pathos, and logos to begin your 2-minute speeches. 

“Mumbai is known for 2 things gateway of India and potholes. Being someone who has lost a close friend of mine due to the careless work done towards these potholes , I’m here to address the issue we so conveniently drive over”
“About a year ago, in this very month of July, it was raining heavily in Mumbai. I remember this because there happened to be a friend of mine who was supposed to meet me for a meeting, we had that day, but he didn’t make it. The reason? Heavily flooded roads covered with potholes that he couldn’t see. A tragic accident or a convenient murder?”
“In 2018, Mumbai alone witnessed 522 accidents caused by potholes”

3. Emphasize

Repeating or rather stressing certain words gives rhythm to your speech. It also helps in easy learning and increases the chance of easy recall among the audience. 

4. How to End a 2 Minute Speech

When it comes to 2-minute speeches, your conclusion or closing lines are very important. The reason is that your audience will mostly remember the last part of your speech better than the rest . 

Make sure to restate the takeaway and main crux of your speech . You can also end your speech by quoting some famous personalities . In many speeches, the speaker asks the audience to take action or to think about a question that they leave the audience with. 

So, we now know how your phone helps you socialize but keeps you away from the same people physically. We have been living in this virtual world for quite some time now. The least you can do is to keep your technology aside especially when you are with people you care about. An hour without your phone won’t hurt, will it?

Impromptu 2-minute speeches

Impromptu speeches are ones where you are given the topic on the spot with little to no time to prepare for the speech. In such cases, you barely have any time to go about carrying out thorough research and structuring your speech. 

Rather you can keep a few frameworks in your mind and then structure the speech accordingly on the spot. This is the most convenient way of delivering effective impromptu 2-minute speeches. 

A few frameworks that you can use for your 2-minute impromptu speeches are:

1. PREP model

PREP stands for Point, Reason, Example, and Point . This essentially means that you begin by talking about something, then give a reason that justifies that point. You then follow it with an example to back your point and end by repeating the point to reach your audience in a structured manner.

2. WWW model 

No, WWW doesn’t stand for World Wide Web. Rather it means answering 3 questions, 

  • Who are you?
  • What do you do?
  • Where are you going from here?

WWW works best when you have to give an impromptu introduction of yourself . 

An example of using the WWW model to introduce yourself is given below. 

Hello everyone, I am Arsh M, a fashion designer, and advocate of sustainability. During my college years, I was astonished by the amount of cloth waste produced each day. Upon researching, I realized that the fashion industry happens to be one of the biggest polluters in the world. This motivated me to work towards bringing more sustainable styling choices for everyone. That is when I began my venture in Sustainaesthetic. We are a completely sustainable and animal cruelty-free brand that aims to provide you with diverse sustainable styling options at a very affordable rate so that saving the planet doesn’t hurt your pockets!

3. Pointer Format

As the name suggests, the pointer format involves dividing your content into 3-5 points . This will make it easier for you to talk about each point for a couple of seconds before moving to the next. At the same time, it sounds very structured and may be easy to recall. 

An example of a pointer format is a speech given the by CEO of Pepsico Indra Nooyi . 

Famous 2-minute speeches

1. indra nooyi.

The speech given by Pepsico’s CEO is well-written and spoken . She begins by appreciating India, her home country, and then moves on to briefly talk about her 3 life lessons. Diving her speech into such crisp segments with an introduction, 3 pointers and finally, a conclusion, makes the speech very comprehensive and structured . 

2. Denzel Washington

The speech given by Denzel Washington is one of the most motivating speeches of all time . It is because of the way he calmly delivers the speech by taking required pauses to stress the important lines. 

2-minute speeches from movies

Speeches in movies usually bring out the emotion of awe, inspiration, or sympathy . We will look at two such 2-minute inspirational speeches from movies.

1. Any Given Sunday 

The scene on any given day is worth noting for its storytelling approach . Al Pacino begins his speech with brutal honesty when he says “ We are in hell gentlemen.” 

He then goes on to talk about how the game is very similar to everyone’s life and emphasizes being at the right place at the right time. 

“One second early or one second late, you miss a catch,” he says. In the latter half of his speech, he increases his voice as if trying to reach his player’s very core, in an attempt to motivate them to do their level best in the game.

2. Coach Carter 

This speech scene of Coach Carter is unlike other traditional scenes where the coach inspires his students. Rather, one of the students gives a very short speech that moves not only his teammates but also his teacher. 

It can also be counted as a very effective thank you speech!

Monologues happen to be yet another powerful tool used in 2-minute speeches from movies. Monologues are long dialogues given by a single character. Let’s take a look at some of the most striking monologues given in movies

2-minute dramatic monologue for male

When it comes to dramatic monologues for males, the dialogue is often very inspiring or tries to instill the right amount of motivation among the team players or the soldiers. Let us take a look at 2 such dramatic monologues given by male characters in movies that had an amazing impact on their audience.

1. V for Vendetta

V for vendetta isn’t only an amazing movie, but this monologue by V is out of the ordinary. In the scene, V introduces himself to a woman whom he had just saved. 

He uses alliteration by introducing himself with words that start with V. Check out the exact dialogue to get a clearer idea about the monologue.

V oila! In v iew, a humble v audevillian v eteran is cast v icariously as both v ictim and v illain by the v icissitudes of fate. This v isage, no mere v eneer of v anity, is a v estige of v ox populi, now v acant, v anished. However, this v alorous v isitation of a bygone v exation stands v ivified and had v owed to v anquish these v enal and v irulent v ermin v anguarding v ice and v ouchsafing the v iolently v icarious and v iolation of v olition…. You may call me V.

2. Wolf of Wallstreet

Who hasn’t heard of this amazing movie, wolf of wall street? One thing that we will observe when it comes to this movie is that the main lead had amazing public speaking skills . He had the power to persuade his listeners and encourage them to chip in at their level best for the growth of the organization. 

In one such speech, he talks about how he isn’t leaving them and that he is here to stay. 

The use of dramatic suspense followed by his change in tone and voice is something worth noting.

2-minute dramatic monologue for female

When it comes to dramatic monologues given by female characters in movies, 2 of these scenes come into our minds. The scenes are both beautifully written and executed by the actors.

1. Devil Wears Prada

In the movie Devil Wears Prada, the monologue is given by Meryl Streep who plays the role of Miranda Priestly. The speech is worth noting as she dramatically explains how even a small difference between two pieces of clothing to a lay person is a big difference for the fashion moguls as it is their opportunity to create millions!

Her passion for the industry is quite evident from the 2-minute speech. Further, the way her character picks up the pace when she talks about the reality of the fashion industry brings out her annoyance at the assistant and acts as a way of showing authority through words.

The movie 300 features a small scene where the queen requests the councilmen to send more men to war, to help not only her husband but also all the others who are already a part of it. 

We see the use of ethos in the speech when the queen says the following statement:

I come to you as a mother. I come to you as a wife. I come to you as a spartan woman.

Examples of 2-minute speeches

If you are looking for some examples for your next 2-minute speech or 2-minute speeches to memorize, check out the ones given below!

How to introduce yourself in 2 minutes?

When you have to introduce yourself in 2-minutes, it is better to follow a simple structure of past, and present. 

An example of introducing yourself as a fresher for a job interview has been given below

Good afternoon, I am Arya Rose. I recently graduated from ABC college, majoring in Analytics. Growing up I had always found immense interest in math and had also won Olympiads at the school level. During my under graduation, I had taken up a course in tools for Data Analysis which made me realize my inclination toward analytics. It also encouraged me to pursue my major in the field of analytics. 

Being an active member of my college, I made sure to participate in and represent my college across various events and intercollegiate festivals. I also had the chance to be a part of Hackin which is ABC’s elite Hackathon team. With the Team, we stood 2nd at Hackified, a hackathon organized by QPR college.  

I was further able to put my theoretical knowledge to use by interning with this amazing organization called ANAlysis. The internship spanned over 3 months and I was able to gain an in-depth understanding of software like R and Python. 

I now look forward to gaining more practical experience in the field by working and growing with your esteemed organization. 

2 minute thank you speech

There are a few things that you must keep in your mind while you are giving a thank you speech. 

  • Acknowledge the people around you
  • Thank them 
  • Introduce yourself or why you are giving this speech. 
  • Individually thank every person required.
  • Add some inspiring or heartfelt closing marks

An example of a 2-minute thank you speech for an event is given below. 

I’d like to first thank every one of you present here, for joining us to make this event an absolute success. To those of you who might not know, I am Shiya M, the editor of the XYZ club and the coordinator of this amazing open mic event “Mehar.” Mehar means blessing in Punjabi, and there is a reason behind it.

On my very first day at XYZ, I was stunned to see the company ritual. Before leaving we were to recall one blessing that we received that day from our colleagues. As unusual as it felt, it was beyond measure one of the most beautiful rituals I had come across. You see in this fast-moving world, we tend to focus a lot on our busy schedule for the things we don’t have. And in all that chaos, we forget to take a look at the n number of blessings showered our way.

So, we wanted to provide a platform where you could do that, even if it was for a couple of hours. 

I’d like to thank Ms. T, founder of XYZ, and her immense support and encouragement throughout, Arya and Daven for working closely with all the participants and audience members, ensuring that all your needs were met. I’d also like to thank Mr. Ajay for the technical support provided to him and how can we not thank Jay for being our lead guitarist, tuning in the vibe of this small room as per each participant’s requirement, Jay thank you!

Thank you to all the participants for presenting such beautifully written pieces, we enjoyed them all. A great round of applause for our participants!

Last, I’d like to thank our dear audience for being patient and for motivating all our speakers today you have been the most amazing audience we have ever seen!

Thank you again all of you, it was a great pleasure interacting with every one of you. 

meher rakhi!

Humorous 2-minute speeches

If you are trying to understand how to add humor to your speech and make it more fun as well as casual, check out the 2-minute speech example given below.

2-minute humorous speech by bridesmaid

“Hello everyone, first of all, I’d like to begin quite humbly by thanking everyone present for gathering here to celebrate the union of this beautiful couple Jess and Jim. 

Now if you know jess, you know me. Because I pretty much tag along with her everywhere. Just like those lice in your hair, can’t leave her alone!

At 5, I had taken up responsibility. It was to protect this absolutely beautiful soul. But as we grew up, it turned out that she was the one who protected me. What the turn tables!

Jess, I’m grateful every day to have such an amazing sister like you in my life who motivates me to do better and talk to “decent” guys..pst they are just not my type!

You’ve been my mom at times, waiting at the door every time I’d get late which makes me wonder if mom outsourced her strictness to you? And if yes, why not me? I was the broke kid!

 I’m going to miss those small things you know? How you told me it was chocolate powder when it was coffee, how I never won a game I played with you because you never played it fair, and oh how you never missed complimenting my outfit when I was wearing your clothes!

But seriously, I’m going to miss you tons. I hope you get your fairytale happily ever after! To Jess and Jim!

if you have been asking yourself which topic is best for a 2-minute speech? what are some good topics to speak on? or what should I do for my school speech?

Here is a list of various topics you can choose from!

Common topics for 2-minute speeches

  • Environment
  • Domestic Violence
  • Women’s Day
  • Teachers’ Day
  • Importance of Cleanliness

2-minute speech topics for students

  • Failure: A blessing in disguise
  • The best attitude to have is gratitude
  • Is there value in homework?
  • Impact of technology on mental health
  • The authenticity of online degrees
  • The future is sustainability
  • Social media detox
  • Blended learning and its benefits
  • Residential programs and their benefits
  • New education policy
  • Value of time
  • Importance of education
  • Discipline and its importance.
  • 2-minute speech on any freedom fighter
  • Ban on school uniforms

2-minute speech topics for adults

  • Work-life balance for remote employees
  • Fields that can turn completely virtual
  • Slow living: beyond the hustle
  • Impact of diet on mental health
  • Unhealthy patterns that cost you in your 40s
  • Advice to an 18-year-old
  • How colors affect people
  • Consistency over motivation
  • Future of automobile
  • Metaverse: the new shopping hub
  • The power of fake news
  • Ban on animal testing
  • Adopt, don’t shop!
  • Social media diet fads or eating disorders?
  • Can money buy happiness?

Final words

2-minute speeches are short, crisp speeches that help in conveying your ideas or opinions to the people effectively. As the time is short, focusing too much on the opening lines or in-depth research will steal your time. Instead, focus on a takeaway and chip in extra efforts to give a memorable conclusion.

At the end of the day, there are no strict rules that you must follow for 2-minute speeches, and hence you are open to writing it and delivering it the way that suits best for you.

Hrideep Barot

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Public Speaking Tips & Speech Topics

Good 2-Minute Speech Topics for Students

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Jim Peterson has over 20 years experience on speech writing. He wrote over 300 free speech topic ideas and how-to guides for any kind of public speaking and speech writing assignments at My Speech Class.

The fear of public speaking is something that a lot of people share. It’s usually named as one of the most common fears that people have. Believe it or not, the best way to conquer a fear of public speaking is to just do it—a lot. Because the more you do it, the easier it gets. Eventually, you’ll start to get a little more comfortable and it’s not a problem anymore. Believe it or not, you might actually start to enjoy it. This is one reason why it’s important for children and adolescents to give speeches in school.

In this article:

The 2-Minute Speech

School-aged children, 2 minute speech topics: 4 illustrations.

2 minute speech topics

One thing that can help get young children and teens over their initial nervousness is to give them an interesting topic to talk about. Sometimes, it can be something that they genuinely have an interest in and might be excited to give a speech on. Or it can be something funny to help them break through their nervousness.

Topics for young children should be fun, simple, and something they can easily come up with on their own. You don’t want to give them a topic that is too difficult or requires too much preparation. Let’s face it, they’re going to be really nervous. The focus should be learning how to cope with speaking in front of a group comfortably and effectively, not necessarily on the content, subject, or topic.

Topics for teenagers and high school ESL students can be a little more personal or in depth but still needs to be a demonstrative speech, motivational speech, persuasive speech topic, an informative speech topic, or a funny impromptu speech in order to captivate the audience. Depending on the subject of the class where the student is giving the speech, the topic can loosely relate to whatever is being taught. That said, it’s important to remember that teenagers are also going to be nervous—in some cases, very nervous. Perhaps even more so than younger children because teenagers tend to worry more about what other people will think and are very concerned with fitting in.

Choosing the topic is important, especially for a 2-minute speech and will help with student progress. However, there is no point in giving a talk on Donald Trump for a few minutes if you don’t know anything about him. But don’t worry, we have some great ideas.

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List of 2-Minute Speech Topics

  • My Favorite Animal
  • My Favorite Stuffed Animal
  • The Best Toy Ever
  • My Favorite Food for Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner
  • Something I Love To Do for Fun
  • How to Build with Lego
  • The Best Day of My Life
  • The Smartest Cartoon Character
  • The Worst Chore
  • The Best Cookie
  • The Best Place to Go in Summer
  • How to Eat an Apple
  • Why Is the Sky Blue?
  • If I Had a Superpower
  • A New Rule I Would Make
  • My Favorite Cereal
  • What Is the Best Letter of the Alphabet?
  • Is Summer Better than Winter?
  • When I Grow Up
  • Best Thing to Do at Recess
  • How to Eat Pancakes
  • Pizza Crust: Yes or No?
  • A Time I was Brave
  • The Greatest Animal on the Farm
  • My Favorite T-Shirt
  • The Funniest Thing to Do with My Mom/Dad
  • What Is the Best Pet?
  • Who is My Hero?
  • If I Had $100
  • The Best Thing about A Farm
  • Where Do Rainbows Come From?
  • Why I Like Being the Oldest/Youngest Sibling
  • How to Have Fun in the Rain
  • The Best Thing about October
  • The Grossest Pizza Topping
  • The Hardest Thing I Ever Did
  • Sandwiches: With or Without Crusts
  • The Tastiest Fruit
  • The Best Thing That Is the Color Red/Blue/Orange
  • When I Learned to Tie My Shoes
  • Creamy or Chunky Peanut Butter
  • Why Does It Rain?
  • What Is Thunder?
  • Crayons or Markers: Which Are Better?
  • How to Make Peanut Butter and Jelly
  • The Best Thing about Having a Dog/Cat
  • My Halloween Costume
  • When I Learned to Ride a Bike
  • My Best Friend
  • How to Pick a Book to Read
  • The Best Thing about My Mom/Dad/Sister/Brother
  • My Favorite Ice Cream Flavor
  • My Favorite Animal at the Zoo
  • What Is the Best Color Apple?
  • Ketchup On Your French Fries: Yes or No
  • Teaching Grandma to Use a Smartphone
  • How to Survive a Zombie Apocalypse
  • Would You Rather Use Textbooks or Tablets in Class?
  • How to Effectively Fake Being Sick
  • The Most Annoying Thing my Mom/Dad Ever Did
  • Prom: Yay or Nay?
  • The Biggest Lesson I Have Learned
  • If Time Travel Were Real
  • The Stupidest Rule My Parents Have
  • A Much Needed Invention
  • Why I Love/Hate Vampires
  • The Best Book I’ve Ever Read
  • How to Tell a Fact from an Opinion
  • Explaining Snapchat to Your Parents
  • The Best App on My Phone
  • Three Things I Can’t Live without
  • The Best Lifehack I Ever Heard
  • How Do I Feel when My Cell Battery is at 10%?
  • The Best Advice I Ever Got
  • My Favorite Sandwich
  • My Dream Car
  • What I’m Dreading about College
  • Facebook vs. Twitter
  • How Social Media Makes my Life Better/Worse
  • How to Compose the Perfect Tweet
  • My Favorite Snapchat Filter
  • Best Member of my Favorite Band
  • Greatest Song Lyrics of All Time
  • Is there Value in Homework?
  • Should School Start Later?
  • Naps: Yay or Nay?
  • iPhone vs. Android
  • My Biggest Fear
  • My After School Job
  • Things I Could Have Done Instead of Preparing this Speech
  • Pineapple on Pizza
  • Best Toppings for a Burger
  • If I Could Only Listen to One Song for the Rest of My Life
  • How I Got my Driver’s License
  • Why Video Games Are Good
  • One Movie I Still Love from When I Was Little
  • The First Thing I Ever Bought for Myself
  • The Worst Superpower
  • The Most Disgusting Household Chore
  • If I Could Eat Only One Food for the Rest of My Life
  • Spotify vs. Pandora
  • Best Song to Listen to When Feeling Happy/Sad
  • Bad Date Ideas
  • The Greatest Purchase I Ever Made
  • My Favorite Instagram Filter
  • Texting or Calling?
  • If I Had $1,000
  • Something That Scares Me about Graduating
  • How to Ask Someone On a Date

Speech: Cons of the War in Iraq

Main Point I Too many American troops and Iraqi civilians are killed. Time to build up the country with the help of the locals.
II The final cost of the combats are sky high and we are not able to collect those billions of dollars back. Even when we could rely on oil revenues and pay back sessions of the International Monetary Fund.
III The integrity and the world opinion of the USA is at risk if we stay. Our efforts ought to aspire sustaining democray in that nation and assist in democratic values and constituencies.

Speech: Teleworking Is a Win-Win Solution

Main Point I Reduces traffic jams in the early days of the week, and at the end of working hours at our main roads.
II Reduces transportation pollution; as there are less passenger vehicles and heavy lorries on the road that leaven CO2 emissions.
III No late or non-arrival of employees any more. It saves society billions of dollars in terms of productivity and road maintenance.
IV Reduces child day care costs when both parents are hurrying and rushing.
V More time when urgently needed for family matters, like loving, caring, gaming, experiencing what is the cloud and so on.

Speech: Political Term Limits – An Evil Necessity

I Avoid too much power in the same office of a small group of people in the long term.
II Nerds and totally incapable whimps will leave the stage after the limit.
III Career bureaucrats, media elites and professional lobby interest groups will replaced.

Speech: Online Casino Offers Are Dangerous

I Getting your winner money after you cash out is a very slow traject.
II No form of appeal against in case of a dispute about the game or rules.
III It’s very addicting and only a few people can resist the desire to try over and over again to win lost money back.
IV Your credit card balance will drop down in a snap.
V There is much more to tell about bad experiences with online casino offers, dive back into your own past perhaps …

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20 thoughts on “Good 2-Minute Speech Topics for Students”

Why are teachers so worried about hoods being up

Love the ideas they are so funny 🙂

I had to give speech in English in my MORNING assembly Suggest me a topic

Democracy =equality before law Democracy= disparity before law ✓/×

Why do teachers not like it when kids say Gucci?

I have to give a speech on Tuesday can you please assist me I was given the topic the class is the rest not the best

I need help for my 2 minute speech. I need to give it one Wednesday.

what my dog is thinking

I need to a speech done in 20 minutes for 3 minutes someone help me with ideas please xxx

plz need a topic right now for school it has to be something you can reserch plz help mehhhh

Please, I need a good 3-4 minute speech topic please send one through!!!!

I need one because I love speech writing. I am in grade 4

Ehm would pls give an example of a heading of a speech presented in a PTA meeting

Hey can you please help me out I’m in grade 7 I need help to right a 2 minute essay on school Thank you.

Why kids pick mums over dads

There should be reserved ladies seats in public transport.yes or no?? marks are more important than practical learning.yes or no? what should we do when a man or boy boards the ladies compartment in train or metro?

im stuck with coments and im freeking out its ment to be handed in today

ummmm why can’t our school just let us do our old speech instead of spending two hole hours on thinking of a new on

what to add to our school

Importance of reading

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100+ 2 Minute Speech Topics For Students [Updated]

2 minute speech topics for students

  • Post author By admin
  • February 23, 2024

Public speaking can be a daunting task for many students. Whether it’s presenting in front of a classroom or speaking at an event, the thought of standing up and delivering a speech can make even the most confident individuals feel nervous. However, mastering the art of public speaking is an invaluable skill that can benefit students in various aspects of their lives. In this blog, we’ll explore the importance of 2 minute speech topics for students and provide a comprehensive guide to help them excel in this endeavor.

Table of Contents

Importance of 2-Minute Speeches

Time management is crucial in today’s fast-paced world, and learning how to effectively communicate ideas within a short time frame is a valuable skill. 2-minute speeches challenge students to condense their thoughts and ideas into a concise format, teaching them the importance of prioritizing information and delivering it efficiently. 

Additionally, shorter speeches help students develop their attention-span, as they must find creative ways to engage their audience and convey their message effectively in a limited amount of time.

Moreover, regular practice with short speeches can significantly improve students’ overall public speaking abilities, boosting their confidence and communication skills.

How to Select 2 Minute Speech Topics For Students?

Selecting 2-minute speech topics for students can be a thoughtful process. Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you choose the perfect topic:

  • Identify Interests: Encourage students to consider their interests, hobbies, or areas of expertise. Topics they’re passionate about are more likely to engage both them and their audience.
  • Relevance: Choose topics that are relevant to the audience’s interests, current events, or issues that affect their lives. This ensures the speech resonates with the listeners.
  • Audience Consideration: Consider the audience’s demographics and preferences. Select topics that are appropriate and interesting to the specific audience you’ll be addressing.
  • Clarity and Depth: Opt for topics that can be explored within a 2-minute timeframe. Ensure the topic is narrow enough to cover adequately but broad enough to provide depth and insight.
  • Impactful and Thought-Provoking: Select topics that have the potential to evoke emotions, spark discussions, or inspire action. Thought-provoking topics encourage critical thinking and engagement from the audience.
  • Personal Connection: Encourage students to choose topics that they have a personal connection to or experiences with. Sharing personal anecdotes or insights can make the speech more authentic and relatable.
  • Diversity: Promote diversity in topic selection. Encourage students to explore a range of subjects, including social issues, science and technology, arts and culture, environment, education, and more.
  • Relevance to Learning Objectives: Align the topic selection with the learning objectives or goals of the assignment or curriculum. Ensure that the chosen topics allow students to demonstrate their understanding and skills effectively.
  • Originality: Encourage creativity and originality in topic selection. Encourage students to think outside the box and explore unique or less-discussed subjects to capture the audience’s attention.
  • Practice and Feedback: After selecting a topic, encourage students to practice delivering their speech and seek feedback from peers or mentors. This helps refine the content and delivery for maximum impact.

By following these guidelines, students can select 2-minute speech topics that are engaging, relevant, and impactful, allowing them to effectively communicate their ideas and connect with their audience.

100+ 2 Minute Speech Topics For Students

  • The Importance of Kindness in Daily Life
  • Benefits of Regular Exercise
  • Overcoming Adversity: Lessons Learned
  • Impact of Social Media on Relationships
  • Environmental Conservation: Small Actions, Big Impact
  • The Power of Positivity
  • Exploring Cultural Diversity
  • Importance of Time Management for Students
  • My Role Model and Why They Inspire Me
  • Breaking Stereotypes: Embracing Individuality
  • The Influence of Music on Mood
  • The Art of Effective Communication
  • Benefits of Volunteering in the Community
  • Overcoming Fear of Failure
  • Cyberbullying: Recognizing and Preventing It
  • The Beauty of Diversity in Nature
  • Healthy Eating Habits for a Balanced Life
  • Importance of Mental Health Awareness
  • Pursuing Your Passions: Finding Fulfillment
  • The Impact of Technology on Education
  • Respecting Differences: Embracing Inclusion
  • Tips for Effective Study Techniques
  • Importance of Setting Goals
  • Coping with Stress in High School
  • Benefits of Learning a Second Language
  • The Power of a Smile
  • Exploring Career Options: Finding Your Path
  • Benefits of Outdoor Activities for Physical Health
  • Overcoming Procrastination: Getting Things Done
  • Building Resilience in Challenging Times
  • The Role of Education in Shaping Society
  • Importance of Financial Literacy for Teens
  • Developing Leadership Skills in Student Life
  • Impact of Positive Role Models on Youth
  • The Value of Friendship in Adolescence
  • Environmental Sustainability: Individual Responsibility
  • Overcoming Peer Pressure: Making Smart Choices
  • The Joy of Reading: Unlocking Imagination
  • Recognizing and Appreciating Teachers
  • The Power of Empathy in Building Relationships
  • Benefits of Mindfulness and Meditation
  • Navigating Social Media: Staying Safe Online
  • Exploring Career Opportunities in STEM Fields
  • Overcoming Self-Doubt: Believing in Yourself
  • The Importance of Cultural Awareness
  • Tips for Effective Public Speaking
  • Benefits of Adopting a Pet
  • The Impact of Positive Affirmations on Self-Confidence
  • Digital Citizenship: Responsible Online Behavior
  • Celebrating Diversity in Friendship
  • Importance of Sleep for Academic Success
  • Overcoming Challenges Through Perseverance
  • The Power of Gratitude in Daily Life
  • Benefits of Teamwork in Achieving Goals
  • The Role of Family in Shaping Values
  • Exploring Creativity Through Art and Music
  • The Significance of Volunteer Work in Society
  • Developing Critical Thinking Skills
  • Tips for Effective Time Management
  • Overcoming Obstacles: Turning Failure into Success
  • The Impact of Social Media Influencers
  • Cultivating a Growth Mindset
  • The Importance of Recycling for a Sustainable Future
  • Benefits of Positive Affirmations for Mental Health
  • The Role of Technology in Environmental Conservation
  • Exploring Different Learning Styles
  • Overcoming Test Anxiety: Strategies for Success
  • Benefits of Participating in Sports
  • The Power of Positive Self-Talk
  • Importance of Respecting Others’ Opinions
  • Strategies for Conflict Resolution
  • The Impact of Role Models on Career Choices
  • Exploring Cultural Traditions and Celebrations
  • Overcoming Negative Body Image: Embracing Self-Acceptance
  • The Benefits of Traveling and Cultural Exchange
  • The Influence of Peer Groups on Behavior
  • Building Confidence Through Public Speaking
  • Importance of Setting Boundaries in Relationships
  • The Role of Nutrition in Mental Health
  • Benefits of Journaling for Personal Growth
  • The Impact of Social Media on Body Image
  • Strategies for Overcoming Procrastination
  • The Power of Resilience in Adversity
  • Tips for Effective Conflict Resolution
  • Benefits of Positive Affirmations for Self-Esteem
  • Exploring Different Career Paths
  • Overcoming Shyness: Stepping Out of Your Comfort Zone
  • The Importance of Self-Care Practices
  • Benefits of Outdoor Education Programs
  • The Role of Empathy in Building Stronger Communities
  • Strategies for Building Healthy Relationships
  • Overcoming Imposter Syndrome: Recognizing Your Worth
  • The Impact of Social Media on Mental Health
  • Benefits of Learning from Failure
  • The Power of Visualization in Goal Setting
  • Strategies for Overcoming Perfectionism
  • Importance of Seeking Help for Mental Health Issues
  • The Role of Resilience in Academic Success
  • Benefits of Adopting a Growth Mindset
  • The Impact of Positive Role Models on Self-Confidence
  • Strategies for Overcoming Test Anxiety
  • Benefits of Practicing Gratitude Daily
  • The Power of Positive Thinking in Achieving Goals
  • Tips for Building Resilience in Challenging Times
  • Importance of Building a Support Network for Mental Health.

Ways To Structure 2 Minutes Speech

Structuring a 2-minute speech effectively is essential to ensure that your message is clear, concise, and engaging. Here are several ways to structure a 2-minute speech:

Introduction (10-15 seconds)

  • Start with a hook or attention-grabber to capture the audience’s interest.
  • Introduce yourself and briefly preview the topic you’ll be discussing.
  • State the main purpose or thesis of your speech.

Main Points (45-60 seconds)

  • Organize your speech into two or three main points that support your thesis.
  • Dedicate roughly equal time to each main point.
  • Provide supporting evidence, examples, or anecdotes for each point to reinforce your arguments.
  • Use transitions to smoothly move from one point to the next, maintaining the flow of your speech.

Conclusion (15-20 seconds)

  • Summarize the main points you’ve discussed, reinforcing your thesis.
  • End with a strong closing statement or call to action that leaves a lasting impression on the audience.
  • Avoid introducing new information in the conclusion; instead, focus on reinforcing key takeaways.

Optional: Opening Story or Quote (10-15 seconds)

  • Begin your speech with a relevant story, anecdote, or quote that sets the tone for your topic.
  • Ensure that the opening relates directly to the main points you’ll be discussing and serves to engage the audience from the start.

Optional: Visual Aid or Prop (if applicable)

  • If appropriate for your topic, consider using a visual aid or prop to enhance your speech.
  • Keep visual aids simple and relevant, using them to complement your verbal message rather than distract from it.

Optional: Audience Interaction (if applicable)

  • Engage the audience by asking a rhetorical question, prompting them to reflect on their own experiences, or inviting them to participate in a brief activity related to your topic.
  • Be mindful of time constraints and ensure that any audience interaction enhances rather than detracts from the overall structure of your speech.

Remember to practice your speech multiple times to ensure that you can deliver it comfortably within the 2-minute timeframe. Focus on clarity, coherence, and confidence in your delivery, and be prepared to adapt if you find that certain sections of your speech are taking longer than anticipated. 

With careful planning and rehearsal, you can structure a compelling and effective 2-minute speech that effectively conveys your message to the audience.

Mastering the art of 2 minute speeches is a valuable skill that can benefit students in various aspects of their lives. By learning how to effectively communicate ideas within a short timeframe, students can improve their time management, attention span, and overall public speaking abilities.

By choosing the right 2 minute speech topics for students, structuring their speech effectively, and delivering it with confidence, students can excel in this endeavor and become successful communicators.

So, embrace opportunities for public speaking, practice regularly, and watch as your confidence and communication skills soar.

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28+ Easy English 2-Minute Speech Topics For Students

A concise 2-minute speech should begin with a compelling introduction that states your topic’s relevance and importance while briefly introducing yourself. Allocate about a minute for two clear and well-structured main points supported by relevant examples or evidence. Utilize transitions to smoothly guide your audience through these points, ensuring a logical flow. Conclude by summarizing your main ideas, underlining their significance, and leaving the audience with a memorable closing thought or call to action. Practising with a timer and refining your delivery will help you maintain confidence and coherence within the time limit.

two minute essay

Easy English 2-minute Speech Topics for Students (30 Topic Ideas)

Here are some 2-minute speech topics suitable for students; they are easy to prepare, and we have included sample speeches for the most.

  • The Power of Kindness: Discuss how small acts of kindness can significantly impact individuals and the community. Here is an example: The Power of Kindness
  • The Power of Self-Compassion : The power of self-compassion lies in its ability to transform setbacks into opportunities for growth, fostering resilience, kindness, and a deeper connection with oneself and others. The Power of Self-Compassion
  • The Benefits of Reading: Highlight the advantages of reading regularly, from expanding vocabulary to fostering creativity. Here is an example: The Benefits of Reading
  • Embracing Failure as a Stepping Stone: Talk about how failures can be valuable learning experiences and growth opportunities. Embracing Failure as a Stepping Stone
  • Cyberbullying Awareness : Raise awareness about the adverse effects of cyberbullying and encourage online kindness. Cyberbullying 2-minute speech
  • The Importance of Recycling: Explain why recycling is crucial for the environment and how students can contribute. Importance of Recycling
  • Overcoming Stage Fright: Share strategies for managing stage fright and public speaking anxiety. Remove Stage Fear
  • The Impact of Social Media on Relationships: Discuss how social media affects friendships, family relationships, and personal interactions. Related: Negative Impacts on Social Media
  • Balancing Academics and Extracurricular Activities: Offer tips for maintaining a healthy balance between schoolwork and extracurricular pursuits.
  • Discovering Your Passion: Encourage students to explore their interests and find their passions outside of academics.
  • The Role of Students in Environmental Conservation: Inspire students to protect the environment through active actions actively.
  • Building Healthy Study Habits: Provide practical advice on effective study habits and time management for academic success. Healthy Study Habits
  • Promoting Mental Health Awareness: Discuss the importance of addressing mental health issues and reducing stigma.
  • The Significance of Volunteering: Talk about the benefits of volunteering for personal growth and community betterment. The Significance of Volunteering
  • Media Literacy in the Digital Age: Educate students about critical thinking when consuming online information and media.
  • Exploring Cultural Diversity: Celebrate the richness of cultural diversity and the importance of embracing different perspectives.
  • Healthy Eating for Students: Share tips for making nutritious food choices and maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
  • Setting SMART Goals: Teach students how to set specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound goals.
  • The Impact of Music on Mood: Discuss how music can influence emotions and provide stress relief for students.
  • The Importance of Time Management: Explain why managing time efficiently is essential for academic success and well-being.
  • The Influence of Role Models: Highlight the positive impact of role models on shaping students’ aspirations and behaviour.
  • Ethical Considerations in AI: Discuss the moral challenges and considerations surrounding the development and use of artificial intelligence, including issues related to bias, privacy, and accountability.
  • Impact of AI on Employment: Explore the potential impact of AI on the job market, discussing both the potential for job displacement and the creation of new opportunities.
  • Applications of AI in Healthcare: Highlight the various ways artificial intelligence is used in the healthcare industry, from diagnostics to personalized medicine.
  • AI and Climate Change: Discuss how AI technologies can address environmental challenges, such as climate change, through improved resource management, energy efficiency, and monitoring.
  • The Role of AI in Education: Explore how AI transforms education through personalized learning, adaptive assessments, and intelligent tutoring systems.
  • AI and Creativity: Challenge the notion that AI is purely analytical and explore how it can enhance and contribute to creative art, music, and literature processes. 2-minute speech on AI and Creativity
  • The Future of AI: Discuss emerging trends and technologies in AI, such as quantum computing, explainable AI, and the potential for superintelligent systems.
  • AI and Cybersecurity : Explore the role of AI in enhancing cybersecurity measures, from threat detection to proactive defence strategies.
  • AI in Autonomous Vehicles: Highlight the advancements in AI that contribute to the development of autonomous vehicles and discuss the potential benefits and challenges.
  • Bias in AI: This section delves into the issue of bias in AI algorithms, discussing how biases can emerge and the efforts to address and mitigate them.
  • What makes learning fun: Learning becomes enjoyable when infused with curiosity, allowing individuals to freely explore new ideas and concepts. Engaging activities and interactive experiences stimulate the mind, fostering a sense of discovery and accomplishment. When learners feel empowered to connect with the material personally, whether through hands-on experimentation or meaningful discussions, acquiring knowledge transforms into a delightful journey of growth and understanding. 2-minute speech on What Makes Learning Fun?

More Easy English Speech Topics For Students from various categories

These topics are suitable for 1-minute / 2-minute, or even 5-minute speeches.

  • 21 English Speech Ideas on Personal Development
  • 21 English speech ideas based on Climate Change and Environmental Conservation
  • 21 English Speech Ideas on Equality and Social Justice
  • 21 English Speech Ideas Based on Global Health
  • 21 English Speech Ideas on Mental Health Awareness
  • 21 English Speech Ideas on Social Media and Society
  • 21 English Speech Ideas from Technology and its Impact

Remember to check our Checklist for your speech preparation and Overcome stage fright (12 practical ideas)

To discover current and relevant topic ideas, it’s beneficial to stay updated with news sources and media outlets, engage with discussions on social media platforms and online communities, explore academic journals and publications in your field, listen to podcasts and watch YouTube channels focused on emerging trends, attend conferences and events for cutting-edge insights, utilize tools like Google Trends to identify popular subjects, consider local and global issues, and seek input from peers and professors for research gaps and debates. Ensuring the credibility of your sources and considering a range of perspectives will help you select a timely and engaging topic that aligns with your interests and audience expectations.

Which topic is best for a 2-minute speech?

When preparing a 2-minute speech, selecting a topic that interests you and appeals to your listeners is most important. Consider the occasion and your audience to ensure your speech is appropriate for the event. To deliver your message effectively within the time limit, keep your speech concise, focused, and engaging. Remember that the purpose of a 2-minute speech is to convey your message clearly and effectively.

How do I give a great 2-minute speech?

To deliver a great 2-minute speech, focus on a clear and concise message. Start with a strong opening, organize your speech with a brief introduction, one or two main points, and a compelling conclusion. Use simple, impactful language, engage your audience, and practice your speech for smooth delivery and confidence. Manage your time effectively to fit within the 2-minute limit. Related: Checklist for your Speech Preparation

Is a 2 minute speech good?

A 2-minute speech is effective for various occasions, such as introductions, presentations or short talks.

Related Topics:

  • Checklist for your speech preparation
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  • Global Warming Speech
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  • 101 Topic Ideas for a Motivation Speech Preparation
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two minute essay

How to write a 2-minute speech.

two minute essay

Last week I sat in the audience at the annual Project Glimmer fundraising luncheon, proudly watching three powerful young women deliver powerful personal perspectives on Saying 'Yes', Dreaming Big, and Taking Back their Voice.

This was a really big deal and a really big moment. It was the first time the audience could hear directly from these girls and the way Project Glimmer supported them throughout their teen and tween years — they had finally turned 18.

When Chrissy Shea , CEO of Project Glimmer, approached me to support the girls with their speeches, she knew what she was doing. She has been orchestrating these events for more than a decade and knows that every minute counts. Each girl was given two minutes to share her story.

Two minutes is not a lot of time. Every word — every syllable — matters.

The speeches were spectacular — they were the highlight of the event. They told the story of each girl and they told the story of Project Glimmer. They accomplished a full metric ton of impact in a mere 120 seconds.

If you've ever struggled to write a high-impact speech with just 120 seconds to make yourself and your message memorable, it's easier to achieve than you think.

The audience reaction and the girls' satisfaction inspired me to share with others my approach to writing a 2-minute speech and setting your client up for success (which can also be applied to 5-minute and even 20 minute speeches, with slight variations).

Thanks for reading The Art of Smart Storytelling! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.

Step 1. Ask questions and listen.

Every speech-writing engagement begins with deep inquiry and deep listening. In just 45 minutes, I usually have all I need to write a 2-minute speech. (Longer speeches may take some back and forth as we dive deeper into stories.) This is always my favorite part of the process. I feel like I'm panning for gold, shirt-sleeves rolled up, senses dialed high as I'm on high alert for that glint of truth that we'll hang the entire speech around. It's not always in the story being shared — in fact, I quite often find it in the silence or hesitation or discarded thought bubble.

I operate intuitively, feeling for truth in my body — I am feeling what it's like to be the audience as I listen to my client in those first 45 minutes. I'm listening and I'm watching for all those places where the words, the story, and the person become a quantum experience — where they are more than the sum of their parts.

I usually find the hook in the first 15 minutes, and I use the rest of the time gently digging around it — like an archaeologist unearthing a fossil — to bring it to life.

Step 2. Cluster themes and squint.

I record and transcribe our discovery sessions. Recording allows me to stay present and in my body, listening and feeling, instead of stressing out about capturing the specific words and phrases and details.

Once I have the transcript, I start looking for the bones. I get rid of all the fluff and tangential stuff and I start looking for patterns in the content itself: repeated words and phrases are a pattern, the story of a from-to expansion is a pattern, the story of a repeated cycle is a pattern.

(By the way, pattern-recognition is one of my superpowers. It's even in my Human Design, which I use as a tool to amplify my gifts and better serve my clients. Follow this link to begin working with yours. )

After stripping out the inessential, I now have the hook and the bones, and I squint. (My business partner, Tara Tallman Sollman , taught me this one.) Squinting helps you see the forest through the trees.

I now have my storytelling "architecture" and can begin the actual writing.

Step 3. Write for voice and rhythm.

I often feel like a method actor throughout my speech-writing process. In the first step, I physically embody the audience, imagining and sensing their experience and what they want or need to hear and feel. In this step, I now embody the speaker.

I imagine I am them at the podium and I sit in their life experience and aura. I also know their Human Design (I bring this into my client work so that I can better serve) — their energy type, the places in their definition that they most identify with, their profile lines. I also know where they may feel vulnerable so I can help them navigate and provide tender, even "surgical" support in a way that it lands in their emotional and physical self.

The most important part of writing for my client's voice is to remove myself from the mix — I must become my client, but in an elevated form for the main stage.

It's an emotional and energetic balancing act to be:

– relatable, but not colloquial

– aspirational, but not pretentious

– informational, but not boring

Getting the voice right is a giant step in getting the rhythm right — the tools of rhetoric and language are deeply intertwined.

Step 4. Read it out loud and trim for time.

Okay, this is arguably the most painful part of the process. It often means letting go of precious words and turns of phrase, but it's also where the ultimate pay-off is.

I have no idea why it is that a speech read in silence and a speech spoken out loud are so very different. What sounds fine to your mind while scanning the page can sound overwhelmingly formal, fussy, and dull when spoken out loud. It never ceases to amaze me.

I always always always do this step with the client — this is where we begin transferring ownership, honing and trimming together.

I bring to them the fleshed-out architecture, eyeballing it for length (so we're not tasked with turning a novel into a sound-bite). I start this session by reading out loud the entire speech and pointing out areas that felt powerful and natural to me and areas that felt forced. When I do this, I am helping them understand my language as a guide, but I'm also helping them see what resonates for me as the audience member again.

During this stage we're both in the Google Doc highlighting, cutting, transforming, and editing — it's a moment of real collaboration and co-creation at its best.

By the end of the session, we do a read-through and time it. Anything between 1:50 and 2:10 is good for me — we'll fine-tune it in the final coaching session for delivery.

The client now has their Google Doc. I no longer touch it (unless they ask). It is theirs to play with word choice and emphasis — they're now tasked to "make it their own" where there may be places that don't feel 100% authentic.

Step 5. Listen, nuance, and amplify.

This is the phase I love most. Even though we've only spent 2-3 brief sessions together, we've built so much trust and intimacy in our little world of words and stories. I get to see the results of their trust-fall with me.

I have my client read their speech to me as if they were delivering it, and I time it. I listen for emphasis and tone and "connection" to the content, and I take notes about words I want to emphasize, places I want to speed up or slow down, opportunities to pause. I am noting all the ways I want my client to hold this space and own this moment. I want them to step into their power and magnetism, because I know that's what the audience hungers for.

After annotating the delivery, we get a clean recording that I send in an audio file so they can listen over and over, imprinting their voice in their minds to aid them in memorization. (It's infinitely more powerful and magnetic when delivering a speech from memory, but it takes a lot more time to get there. If you have the time and runway to memorize and rehearse, I can't recommend this enough.)

Whether you're writing a 2-minute, 5-minute, or 20-minute speech, the best speeches are always anchored in a story. A nugget of truth about you that is accessible and relatable to others in the form of a universal truth, and a way of sharing it that brings to life multiple dimensions of our collective human experience.

two minute essay

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The 50 Best 2-Minute Speech Topics

two minute essay

It might seem daunting to come up with a speech topic, let alone a two-minute speech topic that can both engage and inform your audience. With the right topic, however, you can make a powerful impact in the short amount of time that you have. Here is a list of the 50 best two minute speech topics to get you started.

  • The Importance of Setting Boundaries
  • Discrimination in the Workplace
  • Self-Care and Stress Management for Mental Well-Being 
  • If I Could Live the Life of My Dog for a Day
  • The Benefits of Positive Self-Talk 
  • Different Challenges of Being a Leader 
  • The Benefits of Diversity in the Workplace 
  • Advantages and Disadvantages of Online Education 
  • What The Pandemic Did To Me
  • The Benefits of Investing in Yourself 
  • Role of Social Connections in Mental Health 
  • The Role of Technology in Modern Society
  • The Challenges of Climate Change 
  • How to Become an Expert at Anything
  • Benefits of Volunteering and Community Service
  • Work From Home Shenanigans
  • History and Significance of a Particular Holiday or Event
  • The Benefits of Reading 
  • The Importance of Building Strong Relationships
  • The Power of Forgiveness
  • Importance of Having a Good Work Ethic
  • The Benefits of a Good Night’s Sleep
  • Benefits of a Healthy Social Life
  • The Power of Books 
  • The Art of Public Speaking 
  • Value of Education
  • The Challenges of Living in a Digital World
  • The Benefits of Having an Unusual Hobby
  • Achieving Success Through Creative Thinking
  • Cultivating a Growth Mindset
  • The Power of Letting Go of the Past
  • Value of Taking Time for Yourself
  • The Art of Making Friends
  • The Importance of Choosing Happiness
  • Benefits of Living a Simple Life
  • Joys of Pursuing a Dream
  • The Value of Learning Every Day
  • Why It’s Okay to Make Mistakes
  • Disconnect to Connect
  • Role of Humor in Life
  • How to Deal With Stress 
  • Why Learning A Second Language Is A Great Idea
  • Benefits of a Strong Support System in Times of Hardship
  • Importance of Forgiveness and How It Can Improve Relationships
  • Dangers of Distracted Driving
  • The Importance of Setting Clear Goals and Objectives
  • Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Our Lives
  • Benefits of Being a Good Listener and How It Can Improve Your Relationships and Communication Skills
  • How to Stay Confident in the Face of Criticism or Negativity
  • The Link Between Body Language and Confidence

Final Thoughts

In conclusion, the 50 Best 2 Minute Speech Topics provide a wide range of ideas to help anyone craft a great speech. With a variety of topics to choose from, there is something for everyone, whether you’re looking for a humorous topic or something more serious. Whatever you choose, make sure it’s something that will engage your audience and leave them with something to think about.

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Examples

2 Minute Self Introduction Speech

Minute self introduction speech generator.

two minute essay

What will you do if you were told to stand in front of a lot of people or a small group of people, whom you do not know and say something? Like say, a speech ? Does the idea scare you or excite you? How will you react if you are told to tell everyone about yourself in 2 minutes? Can you do it? Can you stand up in front of the class to simply talk about yourself? Is this scary or exciting?   Trust me you are not alone in this predicament . Any student or professional can relate to this . But before you start to panic on how you are going to do this, I got a deal for you . This may help solve your problem. Check this out. 4+ 2 Minute self-introduction speech examples in PDF.

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Self Introduction Intro Template

Self Introduction Intro Template

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1. 2 Minute Self Introduction Speech Template

2 Minute Self Introduction Speech Template

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2. 2 Minute Self Introduction Speech for Students

Self Introduction Speech for School Students

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3. 2 Minute Self Introduction Speech for School Students

New Self Introduction Speech for School Students

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4. 2 Minute Self-Introduction Speech Evaluation Form

2 Minute Self-Introduction Speech Evaluation Form

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Defining Introductions

Introduction is an act of making acquaintances with someone. An act of getting to know a person through means of talking. To meet someone new and tell them about you. A way of telling someone about you through presenting general details. Giving an overview by introducing yourself to a stranger or someone you just met.

Defining Speech

Speech is a formal or informal discussion between two or more people. It is an affirmation of a person’s ideas. The way of expressing one’s opinions in a formal or informal way. It is the act of talking. Speaking out what you believe.

Defining Self Introductions

Defining self and introduction into two, we get: Self a person, one’s own self. An individual. Introduction is an act of getting to know a person. Put them both together, we get Self Introduction is an act of telling the other person of one’s own self.

Things to Look Out For

Listed below are things to look out for when making a good self-introduction speech . Often than not, people tend to take these for granted. These are also as important as making the speech itself. So here are some few things to look out for. 

  • Think – Think what you want to say in your self introduction speech . What do you want people to know about you in 2 minutes? Think of the information you wish to share. Are they too personal or general for the public? 
  • Voice – Make sure you can be heard from the back. Also do not make your voice too loud or too soft, rather make it clear and consistent. Your voice will let people know more about you. Meaning, how you speak will explain to people about who you are and how you talk to others.
  • Posture – Do not slouch when you are making a speech. Show your audience that you are confident and happy to be there. Your posture will also be another thing they will notice. If you slouch when making a speech, people will believe you are not interested in introducing yourself or interested in talking to them. 
  • Eye contact – Often taken for granted. Eye contact helps when you are making a speech. It makes the person or the people you are speaking to feel welcomed. It makes them feel that you are really happy to get to know them and vice versa.

Tips on How to Make a Good Self-Introduction Speech

  • General and Short – within a two minute self-introduction speech, you need not tell them your whole life story. Keep it general and short. State your name, your age if you are comfortable, and your course if you are a student and your future goals. The same goes for professionals at work. Keep it short. Two minutes is long enough if you only have a few things to share.
  • Pacing – Within the two minutes , do not rush. Do not lag either. Talk normally. Do not talk too fast that your audience or the person you are talking to will not understand. Nor do not talk too slow or they will lose interest.
  • Breathe – One reason as to why people get nervous when doing a self-introduction speech is that they often hold their breaths. Just breathe. This can help you get less afraid and more comfortable. Anyone who suffers from stage fright even when it’s simply making a self-introduction can understand this. Just breathe. It’s okay.
  • Smile – When making your self-introduction, don’t forget to smile. This is a good way of drawing attention to yourself and to make people feel easy.

What other things may I add to a self-introduction speech besides my name?

If you are a student, you may also state your age (if you wish), your course, your hobbies and your career goals after you graduate. If you are already working, you may even add your hobbies.

How do I fit my whole self-introduction in two minutes?

Just talk about the basics. What information do you want to say about yourself? This is not a life story, merely a getting to know you. Your audience will lose interest if you talk about your whole life story. So avoid that at all costs.

Why is it so important to introduce yourself?

Introducing yourself to people is important because this is a good way of meeting new people. This is a good way of knowing new and potential friends. It is also a good way of seeing if anyone is interested in making acquaintance with you.

With all that being said, we cannot avoid doing a self-introduction wherever we go. Whether we are students or professionals or even simply getting to know someone in a party or any type of event that involves people. This can be scary sometimes especially if we get tongue tied, but with the simple tips listed above, you need not worry anymore. Now that you are familiar with how to make a good self-introduction speech in under two minutes, it would be so easy that it comes natural to you.

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  • Aug 12, 2022

How to Master the Two-Minute Speech in English

Updated: Aug 16, 2022

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Two-minute speeches are fun. Two-minute speeches are challenging (especially when you have to do it in English as a second or foreign language). In fact, this amount of time is used in many speaking tasks.

It’s recommended that when you go to a job interview, you shouldn’t talk for more than two minutes at a time. Any speech longer than two minutes may lose the listener’s attention. This tip is mentioned in the book What Color is Your Parachute . You can check it out if you'd like.

In Toastmasters International meetings, table topics are often used for impromptu speeches. The maximum amount of time is often 2 minutes. Eduling Speak also has these table topics for you to practice in pairs.

In IELTS Speaking Part 2, test takers are asked to talk for 1-2 minutes. They will be stopped at 2 minutes. Eduling Speak currently has 100 prompts for you to practice in pairs.

How can you master this type of speech?

Eduling is adding many two-minute speeches for IELTS Speaking Part 2 and more to the Eduling Speak app for you to listen to. (Stay tuned for the next version of the app). We collect speeches from speakers and English learners from around the world and help you to practice listening to these speeches, understand the structure of each speech, and learn some interesting vocabulary and sentence structures from the speech. By doing so, not only will you be better prepared for the IELTS Speaking Interview and the IELTS exam, you will also learn new language and grammar. You may also compete in our weekly Eduling Speak Contest to have a chance to win a $5 prize a week and have the speech included in the app.

After working on many speeches for IELTS Speaking Part 2, we have noticed a few strategies that our speakers use to organize and showcase the complexity of their vocabulary and grammar. We’d like to share these with you. Try one or two strategies at a time and notice if you make progress.

Strategy 1: Giving a speech is like writing an essay

One speaker consistently structures his speech like an essay by having an introduction, body, and conclusion. For example, when asked to talk about a difficult skill he learned, he starts by saying:

There are a lot of difficult skills that we have to learn in life.

This serves as an introduction to the topic of “difficult skills.”

Then he adds another sentence to answer the question in the prompt.

One difficult skill that I found especially challenging was setting up a WordPress blog.

Now, you may notice that the second sentence is fairly complex because it has:

A relative clause: that I found especially challenging

A gerund clause: setting up a WordPress blog

After he addresses all parts of the prompt, he concludes by saying:

You know, there are many skills that are challenging, but when we put in some time, a lot of effort, and have the motivation to do it, we really can accomplish a lot of things.

As you can see, he brings his speech back to the topic of learning difficult skills by commenting on what it takes to learn them. This sounds like a last sentence that you may have in an essay to relate your topic to a bigger issue in society.

Other examples of his longer introductions include:

There are some people in the world who are very elderly and who are very special. One person I want to tell you about is my grandmother.

I have always loved traveling, but not all trips go exactly as I plan them. One trip in particular happened not so long ago at the beginning of the global Covid pandemic.

Strategy 2: Think of at least three reasons to answer the “why” question

In response to the question of why she admires her favorite artist, one speaker mentions three main reasons with a clear signal of each reason.

The first reason is her remarkable talent.

Perhaps the most special thing that people remember her by is her super high notes.

In addition to her talent, I also admire her strong heart.

Of course, mentioning the reasons only will not be enough, so you should think of ideas to explain each reason also.

In another speech, when the speaker explains why Coffee on Catinat Street is her favorite song, she lists four reasons. If you'd like to listen to that speech, here's the link to her YouTube video .

It’s about one of my favorite activities: drinking coffee.

I like the song because of the lyrics.

It is a little sad, and for some reason, Vietnamese people really like sad songs, and I’m one of them.

I think the last reason is that it is about the concept of the slow passage of time.

Strategy 3: Talk about the past, present, future

Many IELTS Part 2 prompts already ask you to talk about the past, but even when it doesn’t ask you to talk about the past, you may try to include your personal experience in the past. In addition, you may also refer to the future when you’re close to the end of the speech.

For example, when talking about his dream home, one speaker briefly mentions his experience living close to ocean in the past as a reason why he would like to live in a house at the beach.

When I was young, I lived in Japan for a while, and we were about 10 minutes from the beach. It was so nice to walk to the ocean and feel the wind from the ocean.

When talking about his grandmother, he also mentions some childhood memories.

In fact, when I was a child, I remember a number of times where she did things for my parents, such as make the curtains to go over the windows or cover the couch when it was starting to wear out.

Some speakers end their speech by mentioning to the future with the examples below.

Someday, in the future, I will plan another trip and look forward to that great visit to the little country of Taiwan.

In the future, I hope that I can get even better at developing this WordPress blog and who knows, perhaps, I’ll also even be able to monetize it, put some ads and sell some products and things like that. That would be a lot of fun. That would be a new challenge for me in the future.

I hope to go to more events like this.

I’m looking forward to growing together as a family, learning new skills with her, such as playing the piano, and traveling to places together.

Try one or more of these strategies and submit a speech to Eduling HERE if you'd like to practice and contribute to our app. To download the Eduling Speak app, click HERE .

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My Self Introduction

5 Examples of 2 Minute Self Introduction Speech

Whether you’re at an interview, networking event, or sitting down with your family at the dinner table, there are times when you’ll need to give a short introduction of yourself and what you do.

Knowing how to write one of these short speeches can help boost your confidence and put you on equal footing with your audience from the very beginning of your speech.

This article will provide several examples of 2 minute self introduction speeches for you to analyze and learn from.

How to draft 2 Minute Self Introduction Speech Examples?

Before preparing for the speech, you must consider a few essential things.

1. Start with a greeting followed by your first and last name.

A simple and effective way to introduce yourself is by using a greeting and your first and last name.

For example, you can use the following format:

Hello, my name is [first name]. I am [last name] from [city]. I have been working in [industry] for [number of years]. I am passionate about [topic], so I love sharing what I know with others.

Now that you have drafted your introduction speech, it’s time to practice!

2. Mention your current situation, location, or surroundings.

Mention your current situation, location, or surroundings. This will help you connect with the audience, which may be listening to the speech for the first time.

Be specific about the company and product you work for.

Use an example from your own experience, if possible. For example, suppose you describe a new product your team has developed. In that case, you could talk about how it has helped improve customer satisfaction at your company.

If you have worked on an unsuccessful project, provide an example of why it did not succeed. This will show that you understand failure and can provide solutions to prevent similar problems in future projects.

3. State the purpose of your speech.

State the purpose of your speech. This is the essential part of your introduction. It should be short and to the point. The audience needs to know where you are going with this speech, so state your main subject and explain why you chose that subject by explaining what it means.

For example:

I will talk about “Self-acceptance” tonight because I have struggled with this in my life and want to help others who are going through the same thing.

4. Give a brief description of yourself.

You can start by telling us about yourself or even your interests, hobbies, and passions. It will help us get to know you better, and we will feel more comfortable around you. The best thing about this type of introduction is that you can tailor it according to the audience that you are facing.

If there are many people in the room, you can focus on one person and discuss them in detail. You can say something like, “My name is John Doe, I am from X country,” etc., and then go on with your story.

5. Conclude your speech with a call for action or request for feedback.

Conclude your speech with a call for action or request for feedback. To impact, you need to get the audience’s attention. You can do this by concluding your presentation with something that will motivate the audience and make them feel they have been given something valuable. The most effective way to do this is to finish with a request for feedback from the audience.

This technique aims to get people involved in the process of giving feedback and making decisions about their futures. You want them to feel as if they are being heard, so they will want to give you their thoughts on what you have said.

Takeaway:  Good introductions can make all the difference, and it’s easy to do them well.

  • 3 Best Self Introduction Template to Introduce Yourself
  • 10+ Self Introduction Speech Examples to Introduce Yourself

2 Minute Self Introduction Speech Examples

Hello, I am [name], and I’m here to talk about how we can make this world a better place. I am a recent graduate of [university] with a degree in [subject]. I want to help people like myself who are just starting in their careers and need some guidance. My goal is to provide individuals with the tools they need to succeed in their careers by connecting them with like-minded people who can provide them with the guidance they need.

I have been working for [company name] for over five years. I have worked my way up from interning at [company name] to being a full-time employee, where I currently work as an account manager. I love what we do here because it allows me to help others improve their lives by providing them access to products that help them live happier lives.

You can find me playing volleyball or sitting down for long hours watching movies on Netflix in my free time!

Hi, I’m [name], and I’m a writer. I write about things that make me happy, things that make me think, and things that make me laugh.

I create content for a wide range of digital platforms—including this website—to help people discover the things that improve their lives.

I’ve been writing for over ten years, and I’ve learned so much about what makes people tick. It’s helped me find my voice as a writer and has given me unique opportunities to collaborate with individuals who share my passion for storytelling.

One of my favorite ways to spend time is communicating with other people online through chat rooms or social media platforms like Facebook or Twitter. The connection between us is instant, and it feels like we are having a conversation even when we aren’t speaking directly to each other. It feels intimate somehow—like we’re sharing secrets or sharing our deepest thoughts with someone else who cares enough about us to listen closely enough.

Good morning mam/sir. It’s my pleasure to introduce myself. Well, I’m Rehana born and raised in Anantapur. I have done my schooling in Little flower Montessori English Medium High School with 77%, then I did my plus 12 from S.S.B.N junior college with 77.7% and now I’m pursuing my final year B.tech from Anantha Lakshmi Institute of Technology and Sciences Anantapur with an aggregate of 78.33% My strengths are my attitude that I like to take on challenges that I CAN do, and my way of thinking that I take both success and failure in a balanced manner. I don’t like to say weakness but I like to say scope for improvement that is I won’t leave any ask in completely, I believe in myself and my hard work and I want perfection in everything. My short-term goal is I want such a platform where I can grow my career along with the organization’s growth like yours. My Long term goal is I want to be one of the reasons for the success of the organization and I want to see your organization as a benchmark to other organizations. My ethic is “I never neglect an opportunity for my improvement”. That’s all about me sir….thank you for giving me such a wonderful opportunity.

“Good day. My name is Ellen Davis.

I am 20 years old. I took some time off after high school to figure out what job path I wanted to take, as I was indecisive at the time. I’ve had a few jobs over the year and have given references from a couple of them.

I’ve decided that I want to work with animals and have applied to ______ College to study to become a veterinary nurse. In the meanwhile, I’d like to get started studying the practical side of the job, which is why I was thrilled to see you had an opening for a veterinary assistant.

I realize it will be difficult job, and I don’t have much experience in this industry, but you won’t be disappointed if you take a risk on me.

The Verdict: 2 Minute Self Introduction Speech Examples

As you can see, writing a self introduction speech can be very simple and quick. Just take your time to prepare, write, and then practice until you feel confident enough.

Hi, I a Usmaan Ali, a content writer. I’ve always been passionate about writing and blogging. I hope you enjoy my blog posts as much as I enjoy writing it!

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How to Write a Speech About Yourself

two minute essay

Use this extensive guide to learn everything that you need to know about giving speeches. Nobody has to be born with an overwhelming amount of confidence and charisma to be good at speeches, even if that helps a lot.

Moreover, to deliver a great speech, you’ll need to come prepared with the written version of it. So, there’s no skipping this step. After that, it’s just practicing until it feels right. With the knowledge we will provide in this article, you can become more confident and skilled at speech writing.

We will also provide persuasive speech examples for you to have a clear reference for what you can write, so there’s no need to fret. Let’s go through this step by step with our write my dissertation service .

What We’ll Cover 

Don’t skip anything in this article if you want to make a stellar self-introduction speech about yourself that delivers your message and leaves an impact on your audience. The impact that you want, of course. 

On a side note, if you’re looking for expert writing help via the web, then EssayPro is a paper writing service with hundreds of expert writers ready for your beck and call. 

Moving on, this article will help you with:

  • Making a speech outline
  • To learn what to say about yourself
  • Writing a 2-minute speech
  • Writing persuasive speeches
  • Learning how to write in the correct tone, as well as learning how to create an interesting hook

This info will be very useful if you want to create a well-written self-introduction speech about yourself. '

What Is an Introductory Speech? 

An introductory speech is a speech talking about yourself and particular aspects of yourself to persuade a crowd or perhaps reach a certain goal. Too burnt out? If you need a writer to help you make a speech, then you should consider outsourcing some of the writing to a professional.

But if you decide to take on the challenge of writing a self-introduction speech, after all, you should remember that the point of it is to communicate who you are to your audience first and foremost. 

Start With an Outline 

Preparation is key when writing an introductory speech. As an example, we’ve given you an entire speech outline that focuses on personal achievements at work and school. Of course, the content of your speech can change depending on the context. But the basic structure stays the same. Here it is:

Introduction. In the intro, state any fundamental information about you. This includes your full name, faculty, expertise, and college/university if you are attending one. Use a hook to get your audience invested in what you have to say.

‍ Informative Body Part . If the goal is to persuade and present oneself in a good light through personal achievements, then the body part should be as straightforward as possible. You can start by talking about:

  • Personal experiences and achievements 
  • Professional experience, work life, and professional achievements, your expertise, and specialty
  • Social activities like volunteering, community work, charities, etc. 
  • Your educational background 

Bonus Information. Include info on your skills, hobbies, and any additional languages you might speak.

Conclusion. You can write about future goals, dreams, and ambitions here. 

You are slowly learning how to write a speech about yourself the right way. Keep reading. 

What You Can Write About Yourself in a Speech

When writing and delivering an engaging ‘all about me’ speech, you can consider including the following (if it’s context-appropriate): 

  • Telling a personal story about your life and experiences
  • Using quotes that motivate and inspire. Only use quotes that have a significant meaning to you 
  • Asking questions to further engage the audience  

Speeches are similar to rhetorical analysis, so you might learn a thing or two from reading up on them. Moreover, there is no one way to answer the question ‘how to write a persuasive speech’, but you can interject these elements in between information about yourself to keep it dynamic. 

Writing a Two Minute Speech About Yourself 

If you want to write a 2-minute speech about yourself, then it’s important to write about what matters since time is so limited. If you want to freshen up your writing, review types of sentences for a memory boost. But don’t stretch yourself too thin.

Let’s look at an example of how to write a speech. Let’s say you’re writing a speech for a job opportunity. Here are some things you can keep in mind but can also be applied to other contexts: 

  • Mention your current job and your educational background, and don’t forget to talk about your dreams and goals.
  • Get into detail. Mention what you did in your job and your professional achievements. Don’t be vague. You want to radiate confidence and provide concrete information.
  • Talk with enthusiasm . Charisma can sometimes be seen from a mile. Do you think a recruiter would hire a monotonous and overly hesitant speaker over someone charismatic, precise, and enthusiastic? 

Do you know anything about the case study format ? If not, we urge you to read our blog article.

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Persuasive Speech Outline 

An introductory speech could also be persuasive, especially if you’re trying to get the audience to agree with your point of view. That’s the essence of a persuasive speech - to persuade. If you’re confused, start with a persuasive speech outline of the course. It could resemble this:

  • Introduction : Include a hook, information about the topic, and perspective that you want to talk about, and then hit the audience with your thesis/claim.
  • Body : Extrapolate on the points you made in the intro, just like in an essay. Start with the main ideas, then follow up with evidence.
  • Conclusion : Restate the main idea/claim of your choosing. Restate your arguments, then write why you think your arguments are positive and have value. Then, depending on the context, call the audience to action.

And that basically answers the question of ‘How to write a speech outline for persuading?’. If you need some inspiration material - you can look up any TED talk. You’ll see that they tend to follow this structure pretty often.

Check out some narrative writing topics , the information may be helpful to you. 

Persuasive Speech About Yourself 

Speaking of persuasive speech examples, let’s look at an example of how to write a speech. If you need more references, then use ours below to refine your writing. It’s good to look at references since it can easily help you with any individual blocks in your creative process.

Persuasive Speech Example

Persuasive speech for a business presentation, step by step tips.

How to Write a Speech About Yourself

We’ve come this far in answering the questions of ‘How to write a speech about yourself?’, and for those who are still confused - it’s okay. We’re going to break it down for you, simple and clear. Follow our step-by-step guide, and you’ll overcome hurdles while writing what you need to. 

And on that note, for any writing difficulties you may have, the college essay writing service is ready and accessible through the click of your mouse. If your burdens are piling up, it’s time to get a helping hand. 

Now let’s go through our guide to help you learn how to start a speech about yourself and how to end a speech about yourself. 

Tone of Voice

Let’s not forget to cater the language and tone of your speech to the context and audience. We’ve learned that in speeches for a change in education or career opportunities, it’s best to keep a professional tone of voice and highlight your achievements. 

However, if the introductory speech is for a toast, or perhaps to persuade a general audience, a more relatable tone of voice is acceptable. 

Write a Hook

A hook should be intriguing, attention-grabbing, strong, and catchy. Its goal is to capture an audience, so try to think of something that subverts the audience’s expectations. For example, if your speech is going to be about yourself, don’t start with, “My name is Jeff.” Start things with something like, “I’ve always wanted to speak in front of an audience and share what’s important to me, and here I am now.”

Any speech class deals with this part of a self introduction speech in great detail. It will help you capture the audience’s attention. And once you have that - you are pretty much golden. Any speech is about capturing the audience’s attention first and foremost.

Make an Outline

As we’ve stated time and again, an introduction speech about yourself should be written after you’ve made a solid outline. Outlines streamline the process of making the speech and can help clear out any brain fog as well as give you a sense of direction. 

Write Your Speech

Now that you’ve got an outline, it’s time to take all the pieces together and write them down. And just like that, you’re halfway there already. By following what you’ve learned in the whole article, the writing part should have been made easier. Take the time to write your speech, edit it, and then it’s on to the next. Stick around to see an example of how to write a persuasive speech example.

Start with a short speech at first. A couple of sentences will be more than enough. You can then work your way up, adding some fluff to the opening statement, mentioning your professional life, and utilizing bullet points to make a stronger impression. Just be sure not to lose your main point, provide only relevant information without too much derailing, and use simple sentences to make a stronger impression.

You can also use some minimal prompts to push you in the right direction. Your first rough draft should not be perfect. But as you move forward, it should be getting better and better with every revision up until you arrive at your final draft. Introductory speeches require a lot of detailed feedback to polish. Run your draft by your friends, and see what they can help you with. This is going to be a turning point in your writing process. Public speakers are used to rehearsing their speeches multiple times in advance.

Practice It! 

It’s crunch time. All the effort, preparing, writing, and researching ideas come down to this point. While there are individuals who are great at improvising, don’t take a chance if you’ve never given a speech before. It’s best to be prepared. Being prepared can help you gain confidence in what you’re saying. Even if you’re not very good at public speaking - this is how you make it work.

If you have enough time, you can even take a speech class. It will help you be more confident about your public speaking. Giving some smaller speeches could also help you improve your public speaking skills. A self-introduction speech is not really that hard. And public speaking is not a talent, it’s an acquired skill. So work on improving it.

If you’re still looking for ideas, then here are some about me speech ideas that can help and might still give you some more insight on how to write a good speech about yourself. 

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Daniel Parker

Daniel Parker

is a seasoned educational writer focusing on scholarship guidance, research papers, and various forms of academic essays including reflective and narrative essays. His expertise also extends to detailed case studies. A scholar with a background in English Literature and Education, Daniel’s work on EssayPro blog aims to support students in achieving academic excellence and securing scholarships. His hobbies include reading classic literature and participating in academic forums.

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is an expert in nursing and healthcare, with a strong background in history, law, and literature. Holding advanced degrees in nursing and public health, his analytical approach and comprehensive knowledge help students navigate complex topics. On EssayPro blog, Adam provides insightful articles on everything from historical analysis to the intricacies of healthcare policies. In his downtime, he enjoys historical documentaries and volunteering at local clinics.

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College Educator Workshops & Conferences

Student Success, Retention & Engagement | On Course

One-Minute Paper

INTRODUCTION: A “one-minute paper” may be defined as a very short, in-class writing activity (taking one-minute or less to complete) in response to an instructor-posed question, which prompts students to reflect on the day’s lesson and provides the instructor with useful feedback. This strategy was originally developed by a Physics professor at the University of California, Berkeley (cited in Davis, Wood, & Wilson, 1983), then popularized by Cross and Angelo (1988) as one of a wide variety of quick “classroom assessment techniques” (CATs)—designed to provide instructors with anonymous feedback on what students are learning in class. For example, students write a one-minute paper in response to such questions as, “What was the most important concept you learned in class today? Or, “What was the ‘muddiest’ or most confusing concept covered in today’s class?”

While the original purpose of the one-minute paper was to assess student learning at the end of a day’s lesson, I have adapted the one-minute paper, shortened its name to “minute paper,” and used it for other purposes. In particular, I use minute papers less as a content-centered, instructional feedback strategy, and more as a student-centered reflection strategy designed to help students discover their own meaning in relation to concepts covered in class, and to build instructor-student rapport. Furthermore, I do not have students write minute papers anonymously and I do not employ them exclusively at the end of class; I give them at other times during the class period as well.

The following sections of this article are devoted to a description of (a) the types of questions I ask as prompts for minute papers, (b) the times during a class period when I use minute papers, and (c) the advantages I have found to be associated with minute papers.

QUESTIONS USED AS MINUTE-PAPER PROMPTS

Over the years, I have used a wide range of questions as prompts for minute papers. Below, I have listed some of my most frequently used minute-paper questions and attempted to categorize them in terms of what cognitive or affective dimension of the student’s learning experience they are designed to prompt.     

*Without looking at your notes, what was most memorable or stands out in your mind about today’s class? *What was the most surprising and/or unexpected idea expressed in today’s discussion? *Looking back at your notes, what would you say was the most stimulating idea discussed in today’s class? *For you, what interesting questions remain unanswered about today’s topic?

*In your opinion, what was the most useful idea discussed in today’s class? *During today’s class, what idea(s) struck you as things you could or should put into practice? *What example or illustration cited in today’s class could you relate to the most?

Attitudes/Opinions:

*Would you agree or disagree with this statement: . . .? Why? *What was the most persuasive or convincing argument (or counterargument) that you heard expressed in today’s discussion? *Was there a position taken in today’s class that you strongly disagreed with, or found to be disturbing and unsettling? *What idea expressed in today’s class strongly affected or influenced your personal opinions, viewpoints, or values?

*What did you perceive to be the major purpose or objective of today’s class?  *What do you think was the most important point or central concept communicated during today’s presentation?   

Conceptual Connections:

*What relationship did you see between today’s topic and other topics previously covered in this course? *What was discussed in class today that seemed to connect with what you are learning or have learned in other course(s)?

More recently, I have attempted to define and classify the major forms of higher-level  (higher-order) thinking processes that we intend to promote in higher education, and tried to design a set of minute-paper questions to prompt each of these forms of thinking. I am now attempting to use this classification system to help me become more intentional and systematic in my selection of thought-provoking questions for minute papers.

TIMES DURING THE CLASS PERIOD WHEN MINUTE PAPERS ARE PROMPTED

There are three times or junctures during the class period when I use minute papers: (a) at the end of class, (b) at the start of class, and (c) in the middle of class.

Most frequently, I use minute papers at the END of a class to have students reflect back and think more deeply about the most important concept discussed in class that day. This provides a meaningful sense of “closure” to the class session and focuses student attention on the major point or issue addressed, thereby increasing the likelihood that they will “consolidate” it into long-term memory. A number of research studies indicate that, if students engage in a short review of material presented to them at the end of a class period, they retain almost twice as much of its factual and conceptual content when tested for it at a later point in time (e.g., two months later) (Menges, 1988).

I also use minute papers at the START of class to activate (“turn on”) ideas and feelings students may already have about the material to be covered in the upcoming class. For example, if the topic is “Stress,” I may ask them: “When you hear the word ‘stress,’ what immediately comes to your mind?” Or, “In 3-4 sentences, tell me what you know about ‘stress’?” This type of anticipatory question serves to activate students’ prior knowledge and beliefs about the topic to be covered, prior to coverage of it, which readies the brain to make connections between the ideas they are about to encounter and the ideas they have already stored in their brain. As an instructor, it also provides me with early feedback about what prior knowledge or misconceptions students have about the topic, so I can attempt to build on their knowledge or dismantle their misconceptions.

Periodically, I will also ask for a minute paper DURING the class period, especially right after discussion of a key point. This serves to trigger student reflection on that point before another point is introduced, and it also serves to interrupt or “punctuate” class with an exercise that has students act on and do something in response to the ideas they are hearing. I believe that this mid-class interruption of discourse with an action task keeps students more alert and more mentally active during class, and intercepts the natural attention “drift” that takes place after they have been receiving (hearing) information for an extended period of time. Research indicates that student attention and comprehension are strengthened by short pauses that encourage mental activity in the middle of class presentations—for example “Tear out half a sheet of paper and write your reaction to the presentation thus far” (Bligh, 2000).

ADVANTAGES OF THE MINUTE PAPER

I have found that minute papers have multiple advantages, some of which I anticipated in advance and others that I discovered serendipitously while in the process of implementing them. These anticipated and unanticipated advantages are listed below.

1. Minute papers can provide a “conceptual bridge” between successive class periods. For instance, at the beginning of class, a quick review of student responses to a minute paper answered at the end of a previous class can provide and effective segue between successive class sessions.

2. Minute papers can improve the quality of class discussion by having students write briefly about a concept or issue before they begin discussing it. I have found that this gives the more reflective students a chance to gather their thoughts prior to verbalizing them, and benefits students who are more fearful of public speaking by giving them a script to fall back on (or build on) and use as a support structure for communicating their ideas orally.

3. Minute papers are an effective way of involving all students in class simultaneously. It ensures equal participation of each and every class member, including anyone who may be too shy or fearful to participate orally. It sends a message of high expectations—namely, each and every student is expected to participate and has something important to contribute—no matter what their cultural background or prior level of academic preparedness. To further ensure equal opportunity for participation, I sometimes ask for a minute paper in response to the following question: “During our class (or small-group) discussion today, what thoughts came to your mind that you did not get the opportunity to share verbally?

4. Minute papers can be used to stimulate and facilitate discussion of diversity. Sometimes, I’ll look for thematic or distinguishing patterns in the minute-paper responses of students of different age, gender, ethnic background, or national citizenship. I’ll report these patterns to the whole class at the start of the next session, and ask the class how they might interpret or explain the differences (and similarities) in the responses of various groups.

5. Minute papers can promote class attendance and attentiveness. I award points for completed minute papers that count toward students’ final course grade, and I do not allow students to make-up missed minute papers. I do allow students two “free” or “forgiven” minute papers for the term, so if they are absent on two days when minute papers are assigned, they will not lose those points. I adopt this forgiving policy simply because students are people, and people can get sick (physically and mentally) and have responsibilities (personal and familial) that sometimes compete with their scholastic commitments. Students who are in class for all minute papers are allowed to “bank” extra credit for the two “free” minute papers that they were entitled to, but did not use.

I have found that students are more likely to come to class if they know they are going to gain points, even if those points are not awarded every single class period. I do not assign minute papers in every class period; so, in effect, they function as a type of “pop quiz” that can be given in any class at any time. For readers familiar with Skinnerian principles of behavioral reinforcement, periodically assigning minute papers in this manner serves to reward students on a “variable schedule of reinforcement,” which is known to produce high response rates—in this case, high attendance rates.

Furthermore, students are rewarded for actually doing something in class, rather than merely “showing up.” Thus, students are rewarded for their involvement, and since attendance is a precondition or prerequisite for this involvement, they are also indirectly rewarded for coming to class. In contrast, most class-attendance policies do not positively reinforce student attendance; instead, they use negative reinforcement by penalizing students for missing class—i.e., points are taken away (subtracted).

In addition to promoting student attendance and involvement, minute papers can also be used to increase the likelihood that students will remain in class for the full duration of the class period. One faculty colleague of mine began using minute papers at the end of his biology labs, and this practice had an immediate impact on reducing the number of students who left before his 3-hour laboratory period ended. Another colleague has used minute papers at the very start of class to encourage punctuality and discourage tardiness. If the student is not in class at the time the question is asked, they cannot answer it and gain the points associated with it.

6. Minute papers are a more efficient way to promote writing-across-the curriculum than the traditional term paper. A minute paper is a shorter, more focused, writing-to-learn assignment that promotes greater reflection and deeper thinking in the classroom than the writing which takes place when students engage in rote recording of lecture notes.

Student receive full credit (usually five points) for the minute paper, no matter what they write, because the question does not ask for correct or incorrect answers; instead, it solicits their personal perceptions and experiences. The only thing I insist on for students to receive full credit is that they write complete sentences. Before their first minute paper, I point out that one purpose of this exercise is to develop their writing skills, because writing and thinking are strongly interrelated. When I read their papers, I correct spelling and grammatical errors, but do not subtract points for such mistakes. I will, however, subtract points if students do not attempt to use complete sentences. I do not subtract points on their first “offense;” instead, I point out that what they should do next time. A “repeat offender” is reminded one more time about not using complete sentences, and is warned that full credit will not be awarded for a third offense. This practice has effectively encouraged students to put effort into their in-class writing, without causing them to feel unduly threatened or unfairly penalized in the process.

7. Minute papers can function as an ongoing learning log or learning journal for the course. I have students complete successive minute papers on the same piece(s) of paper, so by the end of the term, they have a consecutive series of entries that approximates a learning log or journal. This also allows students to conveniently view their previous responses, along with my responses to them, which can sometimes help students see connections across course concepts and help them prepare for exams.

8. Minute papers can be used to personally validate students. It is not uncommon to find an example or experience cited in a student’s minute paper that powerfully illustrates a point I intend to make in class. I’ll jot down that student’s response on a post-it sticker and quote the student when I get to that point in class. (Naturally, I select quotes that are poignant and powerful, but not personal.). Students are often touched by this practice, because it validates their contribution, and more importantly, validates them as individuals. Sometimes, when I get a particularly eloquent or insightful response from a student, I include the student’s quote and name on an overhead transparency and project it at the start of class. This has turned out to be a particularly potent way to validate students; I’ve noticed that they often seem to be visibly flattered by being publicly recognized, and seeing their name and words “published” in print and showcased on screen.

9. Minute papers can help instructors identify course concepts that are most important or significant by encouraging them to step back and ask, “What is the most important idea or message that I want students to think about before they leave class today?” Minute papers have encouraged me to think more carefully about how to prioritize course content and to identify “core” concepts that I want students to examine deeply.

10. Minute papers can help the instructor learn student names if students are asked to come up to the front of the room individually to turn in their minute papers at the end of class session, and if students are called by name to come up individually and retrieve their papers at the start of the next class session. I use minute papers more frequently at the beginning of the term, not only to get students in the habit of regularly coming to class, but also to help me learn their names more rapidly. At the start of the term, I intentionally assign minute papers at the very end of class and allow students to leave when they finish writing. Individual students invariably finish their papers at different rates, so they do not all exit the room at the same time. When each student comes up to hand-in his or her minute paper, it give me the opportunity to view each student’s face and name (on the minute paper) simultaneously, which expedites my learning of student names. Moreover, at the start of the following class session, I call students by name to come up individually to pick up their minute papers from me, which further strengthens my memory of their names faces and faces.

11. Minute papers serve to build instructor-student rapport. When students get their minute papers back, they see that I have responded personally to them. I always address the student by name in my written response, and I sign my name at the end of my comments, so that the communication approximates or simulates that of a personal letter. This enables me to build instructor-student rapport, particularly because the minute paper solicits student responses that involve students’ personal perceptions or experiences. Such responses are conducive to my providing a personal response in return, rather than responding with evaluative comments on the validity of their answer or why they received a particular grade. For instance, recently I was discussing the concept of defense mechanisms, and I gave a minute paper at the end of class that asked students if they had ever witnessed or experienced any of the defense mechanisms discussed in class today. Many of the responses involved sharing their personal experiences or those of close family members, and I responded by expressing my appreciation of their willingness to share this information with me and, in a number of cases, I wrote back and shared a similar experience of my own. In some cases, I write back with a short question about their shared experience, asking them to elaborate a bit on it when they submit their next minute paper.  I have found that minute papers allow me to communicate with students on a more personal, humanistic basis, which improves the warmth and depth of the learning experience for both parties. (On several occasions over the years, students have used the minute paper to convey a “call for help,” which enabled me to connect them with a relevant support service or support person.)

Use of minute papers does not have to be a time-consuming or labor-intensive practice. For instance, they do not have to be used in very class session to be effective. I have been able to reap the benefits associated with minute papers by using them in about 30-40% of the class meetings for a given course. Also, your written remarks in response to students’ minute papers do not have to be extensive. On average, I spend about one minute responding to each student, and if I am pressed for time, I provide short responses to half the class (e.g., students with last names from A-M) and provide more extensive responses to the other half of class (last names from N-Z). On the next minute paper, I reverse the process and provide more extensive responses to the half of students who received shorter responses on the previous minute paper.

In short, I have found the minute paper to be a very efficient and versatile instructional strategy, whose multiple advantages traverse cognitive, affective, and social dimensions of the teaching-learning process.

Bligh, D. A. (2000). What’s the use of lectures? San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Cross, K. P., & Angelo, T. A. (1988). Classroom assessment techniques: A handbook for faculty . Ann Arbor, MI: National Center for Research to Improve Postsecondary Teaching and Learning.

Davis, B. G., Wood, L., & Wilson, R. C. (1983). ABCs of teaching with excellence . Berkeley: University of California.

Menges, R. (1988). Research on teaching and learning: The relevant and redundant . Review of Higher Education, 11, 259-268.

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How to Write a Good Essay in a Short Amount of Time

Last Updated: August 17, 2024 Approved

This article was co-authored by Megan Morgan, PhD . Megan Morgan is a Graduate Program Academic Advisor in the School of Public & International Affairs at the University of Georgia. She earned her PhD in English from the University of Georgia in 2015. wikiHow marks an article as reader-approved once it receives enough positive feedback. This article received 16 testimonials and 80% of readers who voted found it helpful, earning it our reader-approved status. This article has been viewed 901,587 times.

Sometimes, you need to be able to write a good essay in a short amount of time for a timed exam, such as the Advanced Placement exams in high school. At other times, you might find yourself in the uncomfortable situation of having to write an essay fast because you procrastinated or let it sneak up on you. Although an essay written at the last minute will almost never be as good as an essay you spent more time on, putting together a decent essay quickly is still feasible. With a little planning and a lot of hard work, you can write an essay that’s good (or good enough!) in just a short time.

Doing the Prep Work for Your Essay

Step 1 Develop a plan.

  • Be honest about your strengths and weaknesses when devising your plan. [1] X Research source For example, if you are a good researcher but not great at editing, spend less time on the research section in favor of spending more time on the revising section.
  • Make sure to schedule breaks for yourself to refresh your brain and recharge yourself.
  • An example of a plan for a one-day essay writing project might look like this:
  • 8:00 – 9:30 – Consider an essay question and argument for the topic.
  • 9:30 – 9:45 – Take a short break.
  • 10:00 – 12:00 – Conduct research.
  • 12:00 – 13:00 – Outline the essay.
  • 13:00 – 14:00 – Take a lunch break.
  • 14:00 – 19:00 – Write your essay.
  • 19:00 – 20:00 – Take a dinner break.
  • 20:00 – 22:30 – Revise and copy edit your essay.
  • 22:30 – 23:00 – Print and prepare your essay submission. [2] X Research source

Step 2 Consider the essay question.

  • Make sure you understand what the question is asking for! If you provide a summary when the essay prompt asked you to “analyze,” you’re unlikely to do very well.
  • If you don’t have an essay topic, choose a subject that interests you and consider the essay question afterward. You are more likely to write a good essay on a topic that you’re interested in.

Step 3 Develop your argument or thesis statement.

  • If you don’t have much experience with your topic, it might be difficult to develop an argument. You can still consider your argument and then use your research to support or refute the claims you want to make.
  • A good exercise to help you quickly figure out your essay question and argument is to write “I am studying (choose a topic) because I want to know (what do you want to know) in order to show (this is where your argument goes).”
  • For example, “I am studying the medieval witch trials because I want to know how lawyers employed evidence in their cases in order to show that the trial process influenced modern medical techniques and legal practices.”
  • Consider counter-arguments in order to strengthen your essay.

Step 4 Research your essay topic.

  • Since you don’t have a lot of time to write, focus on one or two places where you can do research. For example, the library and internet offer many different options for sources. [4] X Research source
  • Just make sure that you use reliable sources, such as peer-reviewed journals, government and university websites, and newspapers and magazines written by professionals. Don’t use personal blogs, obviously biased sources, or sources that don’t have professional credentials.
  • You can draw upon information you know to speed up the research process. Simply find a (reliable!) source to support it and include it in your sources. [5] X Research source
  • Doing preliminary research online can point you to sources in a library such as books and journal articles. It can also point you in the direction of web sources including newspaper article archives or other research on your topic.
  • If you're reading books, "gut" the book to get through it quickly and move on to other sources. To "gut" a book, skim the introduction and conclusion to find the main arguments, and then pick a few details from the body of the book to use as evidence. [6] X Research source
  • Take notes on your research sources. These will show that you’ve legitimately researched the topic while giving credit to the person who forwarded the idea. [7] X Research source This is especially important if you plan to use direct quotes and will also help you add footnotes and bibliographic information to your essay without having to look them up in the sources.

Step 5 Write an outline of your essay.

  • Structure your outline as you will your essay, with an introduction, a body, and a conclusion.
  • The more detail you put into your outline, the easier and more quickly you can write the essay. For example, instead of just writing a basic paragraph about the body, flesh it out into bullet points or sentences that presents argument and supporting evidence. [9] X Research source

Writing an Untimed Essay

Step 1 Set a fixed amount of time to write.

  • Nothing will keep you from finishing an essay on time like goofing off online or ending up watching eight straight hours of Cartoon Network. Turn the TV off, switch your phone to silent, and exit out of Facebook and other social media/chat sites.
  • Make sure you have all your material nearby when you start to write. Getting up to fetch a book or a piece of paper or a snack will eat into your precious time.

Step 2 Write a catchy...

  • The most important part of your introduction is your argument or thesis statement. This tells the reader the point your trying to make in the essay.
  • Write a “hook” that will grab the reader’s attention to start, then introduce the argument with a few relevant facts woven into the narrative. End by stating how you will demonstrate your points. [12] X Research source
  • An example of a hook could be, “People say Napoleon had a complex because of his size, but he was actually an average height for the time in which he lived.”
  • It's sometimes helpful to write the introduction after you have written the body so you know how to introduce the topic and your arguments best.
  • A good rule of thumb is to not have the introduction be more the 10% of your essay. Thus, for a five page essay, you shouldn’t write more than one paragraph. [13] X Research source

Step 3 Write the body of the essay.

  • Pick two to three main points to help make your argument or thesis statement. Any fewer and you won’t have enough evidence for your argument and any more may make you not explore each point thoroughly enough.
  • Keep your evidence to support the main points concise. Going off on explanatory tangents will cost you precious time.
  • Support your main points with the evidence compiled during your research. Make sure to explain how the evidence supports your claims!
  • If haven’t reached your word limit, pick a main point and conduct more research on it to expand on your point. [14] X Research source

Step 4 Write as clearly as possible.

  • Avoid "fat" language when you write. Text that includes long prepositional phrases, passive verbs, and paragraphs that don't further your argument waste time that you could spend writing or revising your essay.

Step 5 Allow yourself to “free-write” to optimize your time.

  • Free-writing can also help you overcome writer’s block that results from not knowing how to say something. If you’re struggling with getting the wording of an idea just right, write it as well as you can and come back to it later.

Step 6 Write the essay conclusion.

  • The essay conclusion should also be relatively short. Aim for the conclusion to be 5-10% of your essay’s total length.
  • Aim to do more in your conclusion than just restate your thesis and the evidence you used. You could acknowledge the limitations of your argument, suggest a direction for future research, or expand the relevance of your topic to a wider field.
  • Just as you drew in reader with good introduction, end your conclusion with a sentence that make a lasting impression on your reader. [18] X Research source

Step 7 Revise and proofread your essay.

  • Re-read the entire essay. Make sure that you are still arguing the same thing at the end of the essay that you are at the beginning. If not, go back and adjust your thesis.
  • Make sure that your paragraphs build on one another and don’t feel haphazard. You can use transitions and strong topic sentences to help you draw connections between your paragraphs.
  • Spelling and grammar are the easiest mistakes to revise, but they cost you a lot of reader goodwill if you don’t fix them. [19] X Research source

Writing a Timed Essay

Step 1 Plan your work.

  • Read the prompt carefully! If the question asks you to take a position, take one. If it asks you to evaluate the events that led to the downfall of Rome, don’t just give a summary of Roman history. [20] X Research source
  • Jot down an idea map. You probably won’t have time to make a formal outline. However, having an idea of the main points that you want to touch on and how they relate will help you structure the essay. If you can’t figure out how to connect your main points, that’s a sign you need to think a little bit more before you start writing.
  • Figure out your argument. Once you’ve noted down some main points, figure out what you want to say about them. Even timed essays need a unified argument or thesis.

Step 2 Time your writing strategically.

  • For example, you wouldn’t want to spend the same amount of time and effort on a 3-paragraph essay question worth 20% as you would a 2-page essay question worth 60%.
  • If you see a question that you feel will be more difficult for you, it could be a good idea to tackle it first. This will get the hard stuff out of the way while you’re still fresh.

Step 3 Cut the fluff.

  • If you notice that your introductory paragraph starts with something broad or hugely general, such as “Throughout the history of time, humans have been fascinated by science,” cut it.
  • Don’t put anything in a timed essay that doesn’t support your point. If you are talking about the importance of religious belief in modern society, don’t dilute your point by also referencing socialism, Hollywood, and banana farming.

Step 4 Explain connections between evidence and claims.

  • Claim. This is the main argument of the paragraph. It is probably located in your topic sentence.
  • Evidence. This is the supporting detail that proves your claim.
  • Explanation. This connects the evidence back to your claim and explains why the evidence proves what you say it does.
  • If anything in your paragraph doesn’t fit one of these three elements, it’s a good sign you don’t need it in the paragraph.

Step 5 Leave time to revise.

  • Does the essay actually demonstrate and support what your thesis says is the main argument? It’s not uncommon for ideas to evolve as you write. If this has happened, tweak your thesis accordingly.
  • Do the paragraphs flow smoothly from one to the next? Timed essays don’t have the same standards that regular essays do, but your reader should still be able to follow your argument in a logical progression without feeling yanked around or lost.
  • Do you offer a conclusion that sums up your argument? Don’t leave the essay hanging without a conclusion. Even if it’s very brief, a conclusion will help your essay feel complete.

Community Q&A

Community Answer

  • Transition words such as "furthermore", "indeed", and "in fact" can make your flow better. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
  • Don't fluff up your essay too much. A reader will want you to get to the point as quickly as possible. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
  • When starting a new paragraph, don't forget to indent. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0

two minute essay

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  • ↑ https://www.savethestudent.org/extra-guides/how-to-write-a-3000-word-essay-in-a-day.html
  • ↑ https://www.slate.com/articles/technology/the_browser/2011/08/slowpoke.2.html
  • ↑ https://amst522.wordpress.com/2010/09/13/how-to-gut-a-book-or-the-best-advise-my-grad-school-advisor-ever-gave-me/
  • ↑ https://classroom.synonym.com/write-effective-essay-fast-4252.html
  • ↑ https://www.slate.com/articles/technology/the_browser/2011/08/slowpoke.html
  • ↑ https://jerz.setonhill.edu/writing/academic1/timed-essays-top-5-tips-for-writing-academic-essays-under-pressure/

About This Article

Megan Morgan, PhD

If you need to write a good essay in a short amount of time, try to plan your argument and avoid distractions while you're writing. Before you start your essay, decide your thesis statement or the main argument you want to make. This will help you narrow down your research and write the essay quicker. Find a quiet place to work, turn your phone off, and avoid any other distractions. Make sure you schedule short breaks to avoid burn out. If you get stuck, write whatever you can, even if you think it’s really bad or doesn’t make sense. It will be much easier to edit once you’ve gotten the words on the page. Make sure you leave a few hours to revise and spellcheck your essay. For more tips from our Teaching co-author, including how to write a timed essay, read on! Did this summary help you? Yes No

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The 2 minute essay plan

One of the biggest problems students have in writing essays is we get half way through and don’t know what else to write. This could be easily solved by putting together a rough plan of the essay. When an essay can take a long time to write, planning can seem like one extra unnecessary step. But what the top students realize is that if they put together a solid plan, it’ll actually result in less work down the track, and it makes writing their essay so much easier. If you’re interested in less work that’seasier to do, then keep reading! 

Part One: Getting started

The trickiest part of absolutely anything is actually getting started. A task, however big or small it may be, always seems insurmountable before you begin. You sit there reminding yourself over and over again how much you’ve got to do, how many different plays you need to re-read, how many scholars’ quotes you need to look up, how many different formulas or definitions you need to find. You obsess and obsess, until you look at the clock and half an hour has already passed.

A great place to start is by writing down the whole title on the page and then breaking it down into parts. So, for example:

“ Describe  the  conditions  in Europe that  may  have  caused  the start of WW2.”

The underlined parts are the aspects that will be most crucial to answer in the essay. The most common complaint teachers have about exam answers or essays is that the student didn’t apply their knowledge to answer the question. It’s not enough to know the background to WW2 – you actually need to see how you can apply it to these specific parts of the question. This is where the real marks are. So, start by figuring out what the question is really asking you to do. Remember, every essay is asking you to do something – and very rarely is it to just explain what happened in an event. Find these key terms, underline them and work out what they mean to you. If there are any words which are unfamiliar to you, look them up.

This also helps you to break down the question in your mind, so you don’t feel like you have to answer absolutely everything all at the same time. Consequently, it already makes it feel like less work and will help you get started even more confidently. When we have small little tasks to do, it makes the climb up the mountain that much easier.

Part Two: Laying out your plan

This is actually the simplest part of your essay plan. Use the sections from the question that you have underlined to break down your knowledge of the area. So, in this case, we need to identify what we know about the  conditions  in Europe, but, specifically, how they may have  caused  WW2.

It’s not enough to say that: "Germany was still trying to rebuild itself after WW1"

Instead, your notes should look like this:

  • Germany was still trying to rebuild itself after WW1;  the German people were looking for political systems that would actually work to rebuild Germany and bring it back into the 20th century .  The Nazi party promised a lot for the German people, including policies that would expand it into other countries, leading to warfare with these countries

Of course these will be simplified versions of what you’ll go on to write in your essay, but that’s the whole point of a plan. It means that you don’t have to do the complex thinking of figuring out how to answer a question at the same time as trying to find the right words for the essay. Making your brain do both things at once is the equivalent of learning how to play football at the same time as trying to win the Premier League. Though, admittedly, that was Leicester’s season this year.

Take note of the colour coding used in the notes above. By separating the colours, you’re already flagging up for yourself how to structure each paragraph in your essay – the black can represent the opening statement at the start of each paragraph, the  red can represent the explanation of the statement  and  the green can represent how this relates to the essay question.  If you look back through this blog post, you’ll see every paragraph is structured in precisely this way. It’s such a small thing to do but will save you so much time and organizing later. 

Part Three: Knowing how to turn this into an essay

Once you know how to answer the question, understand what points you’re going to make and when, have notes and a coherent plan, the ultimate goal is to know how to translate this into an essay. Sadly, you can’t bury it in soil, water it, leave it in sunlight and come back three weeks later to find a beautiful essay tree (as much as that would be amazing), so this is a really important part in the whole process. Everyone works in different ways, but there are few tricks you can use to piece it all together.

One effective way to compile your notes into an essay is to write the conclusion first so you know what you are building up to. Another method is to space out each bullet point from the plans on to the essay sheet, and then fill in the gaps so that it all made sense. By transferring your bullet points across, you ensure that you keep the same structure as you planned and remain disciplined enough to carry it out. Fleshing out the sentences in between requires you to make sure that each bullet point flows to the next.

At the end of the day, it’s crucial that you’ve got a good plan to base your essay on. A skyscraper can be so tall and not fall over because it’s got deep, solid foundations at its base. And just because your plan will only take you a couple of minutes to get written doesn’t mean it should lack any of the integrity that your knowledge has. If you follow these steps, it should take no time at all, but should give you the powerful base to build your essay on. You might… MIGHT… even enjoy it. Please don’t think that this just applies to the question above, either. It works for any essay subject at all, as long as you break down the question properly.

We hope this was helpful and if you have any tips of your own or any questions, feel free to leave a comment and we’ll get back to you.

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  • How long is an essay? Guidelines for different types of essay

How Long is an Essay? Guidelines for Different Types of Essay

Published on January 28, 2019 by Shona McCombes . Revised on July 23, 2023.

The length of an academic essay varies depending on your level and subject of study, departmental guidelines, and specific course requirements. In general, an essay is a shorter piece of writing than a research paper  or thesis .

In most cases, your assignment will include clear guidelines on the number of words or pages you are expected to write. Often this will be a range rather than an exact number (for example, 2500–3000 words, or 10–12 pages). If you’re not sure, always check with your instructor.

In this article you’ll find some general guidelines for the length of different types of essay. But keep in mind that quality is more important than quantity – focus on making a strong argument or analysis, not on hitting a specific word count.

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Table of contents

Essay length guidelines, how long is each part of an essay, using length as a guide to topic and complexity, can i go under the suggested length, can i go over the suggested length, other interesting articles.

Type of essay Average word count range Essay content
High school essay 300–1000 words In high school you are often asked to write a 5-paragraph essay, composed of an introduction, three body paragraphs, and a conclusion.
College admission essay 200–650 words College applications require a short personal essay to express your interests and motivations. This generally has a strict word limit.
Undergraduate college essay 1500–5000 words The length and content of essay assignments in college varies depending on the institution, department, course level, and syllabus.
Graduate school admission essay 500–1000 words Graduate school applications usually require a longer and/or detailing your academic achievements and motivations.
Graduate school essay 2500–6000 words Graduate-level assignments vary by institution and discipline, but are likely to include longer essays or research papers.

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In an academic essay, the main body should always take up the most space. This is where you make your arguments, give your evidence, and develop your ideas.

The introduction should be proportional to the essay’s length. In an essay under 3000 words, the introduction is usually just one paragraph. In longer and more complex essays, you might need to lay out the background and introduce your argument over two or three paragraphs.

The conclusion of an essay is often a single paragraph, even in longer essays. It doesn’t have to summarize every step of your essay, but should tie together your main points in a concise, convincing way.

The suggested word count doesn’t only tell you how long your essay should be – it also helps you work out how much information and complexity you can fit into the given space. This should guide the development of your thesis statement , which identifies the main topic of your essay and sets the boundaries of your overall argument.

A short essay will need a focused, specific topic and a clear, straightforward line of argument. A longer essay should still be focused, but it might call for a broader approach to the topic or a more complex, ambitious argument.

As you make an outline of your essay , make sure you have a clear idea of how much evidence, detail and argumentation will be needed to support your thesis. If you find that you don’t have enough ideas to fill out the word count, or that you need more space to make a convincing case, then consider revising your thesis to be more general or more specific.

The length of the essay also influences how much time you will need to spend on editing and proofreading .

You should always aim to meet the minimum length given in your assignment. If you are struggling to reach the word count:

  • Add more evidence and examples to each paragraph to clarify or strengthen your points.
  • Make sure you have fully explained or analyzed each example, and try to develop your points in more detail.
  • Address a different aspect of your topic in a new paragraph. This might involve revising your thesis statement to make a more ambitious argument.
  • Don’t use filler. Adding unnecessary words or complicated sentences will make your essay weaker and your argument less clear.
  • Don’t fixate on an exact number. Your marker probably won’t care about 50 or 100 words – it’s more important that your argument is convincing and adequately developed for an essay of the suggested length.

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two minute essay

In some cases, you are allowed to exceed the upper word limit by 10% – so for an assignment of 2500–3000 words, you could write an absolute maximum of 3300 words. However, the rules depend on your course and institution, so always check with your instructor if you’re unsure.

Only exceed the word count if it’s really necessary to complete your argument. Longer essays take longer to grade, so avoid annoying your marker with extra work! If you are struggling to edit down:

  • Check that every paragraph is relevant to your argument, and cut out irrelevant or out-of-place information.
  • Make sure each paragraph focuses on one point and doesn’t meander.
  • Cut out filler words and make sure each sentence is clear, concise, and related to the paragraph’s point.
  • Don’t cut anything that is necessary to the logic of your argument. If you remove a paragraph, make sure to revise your transitions and fit all your points together.
  • Don’t sacrifice the introduction or conclusion . These paragraphs are crucial to an effective essay –make sure you leave enough space to thoroughly introduce your topic and decisively wrap up your argument.

If you want to know more about AI tools , college essays , or fallacies make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples or go directly to our tools!

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Speech On Hard Work Vs Smart Work [1,2,3 Minutes]

Almost all of us have a goal in life. Some people achieve their goals in less time while others take more time to achieve their goals. The main difference lies in their strategies. These strategies are hard work and smart work.

In this article, we shared some easy-to-learn example speeches on hard work vs smart work, which have time duration of 1, 2 and 3 minutes. Also, these speeches are well-written and easy to understand for the listeners.

1 Minute Speech On Hard Work Vs Smart Work

Hello and good morning to all the people present here. I am here to speak a few words about hard work vs smart work. I am very thankful for having this valuable opportunity.

We know that success requires hard work but when it comes to achieving success in less time, one needs to work smartly.

Let me give you an example of hard work vs smart work. There was a time when carrying luggage from one place to another was quite hard. And then someone attached wheels beneath the luggage bag which made it easier to carry luggage. It was a game of observation.

If you are a good observer, it will become easy to learn how to work smartly. Each and everything can teach you smart work. Some simple rules can help you work smart such as:

  • Find ways to save time,
  • Set targets,
  • Manage your time.
  • Make a schedule,
  • Maintain a to-do list,
  • Organise your tasks,
  • Break big tasks into chunks,
  • Avoid multitasking,
  • Analyse your progress, etc.

In short, work without planning is hard work and work with planning is smart work . Thank you!

2 Minute Speech On Hard Work Vs Smart Work

Having a goal in life gives us a purpose for living. When we have a goal in life, we want to achieve it as soon as possible. Some people accomplish their goals in less time while others do the same by taking more time. What is the difference between these two types of people?

Welcome and greeting to the honourable principal, respected teachers and dear friends. Today, we are gathered here on this special occasion of… I am here to speak a few words on hard work versus smart work.

Before I begin, I want to thank you all for your precious presence and having me this valuable opportunity.

There are two types of people. One who works hard and another who works smart. There are no defined grounds which can differentiate between hard work and smart work. Although hard work is required to achieve success, smart work helps you save time, effort and resources.

Hard work consists of interest, determination, discipline and consistency while smart work consists of planning, prioritization, management and analysis etc. Hence, hard work is all about action while smart work is all about planning.

Action without planning is not smart work. Similarly, planning without action is also not smart work. So, for the highest benefit, one needs to do smart work which includes hard work.

Everyone has their own way of working but some simple practices can help all of us to do smart work. These practices include but are not limited to:

To sum it up, hard work is not a bad thing but smart work is definitely a good thing. Smart work clubbed with hard work is the best strategy to achieve your goals in less time.

This is what I wanted to say, I hope you liked my speech. Thank you!

Hard work Vs Smart work Speech for 2 minutes

3 Minute Speech On Hard Work Vs Smart Work

Almost all of us have a goal in life. Many people achieve their goals in less time while others take more time to achieve their goals. What is the difference between these two types of people? The main difference lies in their strategies. These strategies are hard work and smart work.

Hello and welcome to the honourable principal, respected teachers and dear friends. Today, I am going to share my thoughts on hard work versus smart work. Before heading ahead, I want to thank you for having me this valuable opportunity.

Fundamentally, work without planning is hard work and work with planning is smart work . To be clear, hard work consists of interest, determination, discipline and consistency while smart work consists of planning, prioritization, management and analysis etc.

Hence, hard work is all about action while smart work is all about planning. Action without planning is not smart work. Similarly, planning without action is also not smart work. So, for the highest benefit, one needs to do smart work which includes hard work.

The next question is; can smart work be learnt? Yes, anyone can learn how to work smartly but it is important to understand that everyone has a different ability to learn. What helped one might not serve another. So everyone needs to figure out their way of smart work.

But there are some tips which can fit everyone. Some of them are:

1. Make A Proper Planning

Planning is the chief factor of smart work. Planning gives you clarity and clarity gives you confidence and confidence helps you do things more efficiently.

2. Manage Your Time

Time management is the second factor of smart work. It consists of prioritizing your tasks and gauging your progress.

3. Conduct Research And Analysis

Research and analysis is a way of tracking if the strategy you adopt is working well. If there feels a need to replan your strategy, you get to know it earlier.

Apart from this, one can practice some basic hacks given below.

To sum it up, each one of us has 24 hours a day. To use this limited time one needs to work smartly. Thank you!

Hard work vs Smart work speech for 3 Minutes

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Tiny Memoir Contest for Students: Write a 100-Word Personal Narrative

We invite teenagers to tell a true story about a meaningful life experience in just 100 words. Contest dates: Nov. 6 to Dec. 4, 2024.

A banner of six purple and black illustrations. From left to right: a woman hanging a star in a window with the help of a little girl; two men staring lovingly at each other over a small table; a man presenting a miniature Christmas tree to his pet fish; a frog reaching out his arms to a squiggly figure; three family members piled on top of each other on a couch; a woman looking pensively out a widow as it snows outside.

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Illustrations from Modern Love’s Tiny Love Stories , the inspiration for this contest.

Can you tell a meaningful and interesting true story from your life in just 100 words? That’s the challenge we pose to teenagers with our 100-Word Personal Narrative Contest, a storytelling form popularized by Modern Love’s Tiny Love Stories series .

After running this contest for two years, receiving a total of more than 25,000 entries, and honoring dozens of excellent miniature teen-written memoirs, we have discovered the answer is a resounding yes .

So, we challenge you to try it yourself.

We’re not asking you to write to a particular theme or to use a specific structure or style, but we are looking for short, powerful stories about a particular moment or event in your life. We want to hear your story, told in your unique voice, and we hope you’ll experiment with style and form to tell a tale that matters to you, in a way you enjoy telling it.

And, yes, it’s possible to do all that in only 100 words. For proof, just look at last year’s 15 winning entries . We also have a step-by-step guide full of advice that is grounded in 25 excellent 100-word mentor texts, as well as a rehearsal space , published for our first year’s contest, that has over 1,000 student-written mini memoirs. Because that space was so successful, we’re keeping it open for this year’s contest. We hope students will use it to get inspiration, experiment and encourage each other.

Take a look at the full guidelines and related resources below. Please post any questions you have in the comments and we’ll answer you there, or write to us at [email protected]. And, consider hanging this PDF one-page announcement on your class bulletin board.

Here’s what you need to know:

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    Try one or two strategies at a time and notice if you make progress. Strategy 1: Giving a speech is like writing an essay. One speaker consistently structures his speech like an essay by having an introduction, body, and conclusion. For example, when asked to talk about a difficult skill he learned, he starts by saying:

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    Make sure to schedule breaks for yourself to refresh your brain and recharge yourself. An example of a plan for a one-day essay writing project might look like this: 8:00 - 9:30 - Consider an essay question and argument for the topic. 9:30 - 9:45 - Take a short break. 10:00 - 12:00 - Conduct research.

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    The 2 minute essay plan. One of the biggest problems students have in writing essays is we get half way through and don't know what else to write. This could be easily solved by putting together a rough plan of the essay. When an essay can take a long time to write, planning can seem like one extra unnecessary step.

  18. How Long is an Essay? Guidelines for Different Types of Essay

    Essay length guidelines. Type of essay. Average word count range. Essay content. High school essay. 300-1000 words. In high school you are often asked to write a 5-paragraph essay, composed of an introduction, three body paragraphs, and a conclusion. College admission essay. 200-650 words.

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  22. Speech On Hard Work Vs Smart Work [1,2,3 Minutes]

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