What best describes the role of transitions in a speech?

Transitions play a critical role in a speech by connecting main ideas, ensuring that the audience can follow the flow of information seamlessly. They serve as bridges between different sections, guiding listeners from one point to the next and clarifying how these points relate to each other. This connection helps maintain coherence and reinforces the overall structure of the speech, making it easier for the audience to absorb and understand the content.

While providing a summary, introducing new topics, and engaging the audience are all important aspects of effective speaking, they do not capture the primary function of transitions. Summaries provide recaps of previous information, introducing new topics can occur at various points in a speech, and engaging the audience often involves strategies beyond structural elements like transitions. Thus, the primary purpose of transitions is best characterized by their function in connecting main ideas within the speech.