The notes beside the speaker
Original practice source: a commentary about speaking with notes.
A few notes can help a speaker preserve a sequence and return to an important detail. Their presence may show preparation rather than a lack of understanding. A listener can benefit from a clear account even when some of its wording was decided before the room filled.
Notes can also become a barrier if the speaker follows them without attending to the audience. The useful question is what the preparation makes possible, not whether paper is visible. A carefully prepared structure should leave enough room to explain a difficulty or respond when the situation differs from the imagined one.
A magazine for young speakers is inviting articles on the statement: “A confident speaker should never need notes.”
Write an article for the magazine arguing your view. You may use ideas from the source and your own ideas.
60 exam-style questions on Oxford AQA IGCSE English Language 2.2.1 Writing for audience and purpose. Each one has a worked solution and a mark scheme showing where the marks go.