What distinguishes a persuasive speech from an informative speech?

A persuasive speech is characterized by its objective to influence the audience's beliefs, attitudes, or behaviors. The inclusion of a clear call to action is a fundamental aspect of persuasive speeches because it directs the audience towards a specific response or action that the speaker wishes to promote. This call to action is meant to empower and motivate the audience to adopt the speaker’s viewpoint or to take specific steps aligned with the message being conveyed.

In contrast, an informative speech aims primarily to educate the audience about a particular topic without the intention of influencing their opinions or motivating them to change behavior. Informative speeches tend to focus on delivering facts, data, and explanations, leaving it to the audience to form their own conclusions rather than pushing them toward a specific outcome.

When considering the other options, they either generalize aspects of speech types that are not universally true or create distinctions that do not accurately capture the essence of what differentiates these speech types. For example, the use of humor can be found in both informative and persuasive speeches, and informative speeches can certainly incorporate narratives along with statistics. The lengths of the speeches can also vary widely based on context and purpose rather than being inherently different based on the intent to inform or persuade.