Which of the following is a clear instance of informative speaking rather than purely entertaining or persuasive speaking?

Introduction / Context:
Public speaking is often divided into three broad purposes: informative, persuasive and entertaining. In classroom communication and examinations, you are frequently asked to distinguish between these purposes. Informative speaking focuses on explaining, describing or teaching; persuasive speaking aims to change attitudes or behaviour; entertaining speaking primarily amuses the audience. This question asks which example best represents informative speaking.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• One student shares ideas about leadership based on a book she has read.
• Another student tells jokes on stage during an intermission.
• Another student urges an instructor to change the due date of an assignment.
• Other students speak to motivate people to donate or to argue in a debate.
• We assume each situation represents the main purpose of the talk, not just minor side effects.

Concept / Approach:
Informative speaking is designed to increase the audience's knowledge or understanding of a topic. The speaker presents facts, explanations or concepts in a neutral or balanced way without openly trying to change attitudes or behaviours. Persuasive speaking, on the other hand, explicitly asks the audience to do something or to adopt a particular position. Entertaining speaking seeks primarily to amuse and engage emotionally through humour or storytelling. To answer correctly, we must identify the option where the central goal is to share information rather than persuade or entertain.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Look at option A. The student is sharing ideas about leadership drawn from a book. Her purpose is to convey what she has learned to others, which is primarily informative.Step 2: Look at option B. The student is telling jokes during the intermission of a play, which is mainly to entertain the audience rather than to inform them.Step 3: Look at option C. The student is urging the instructor to reconsider the due date, clearly trying to persuade the teacher to change a decision.Step 4: Look at option D. The student is asking classmates to donate money to a charity, which again is a persuasive goal since it attempts to influence behaviour.Step 5: Look at option E. In a debate about abolishing homework, the student is arguing for a position, which is also persuasive in nature.Step 6: Conclude that only option A shows a speaker whose primary aim is to inform the audience about leadership concepts.

Verification / Alternative check:
Most communication textbooks define informative speeches as those that explain objects, processes, events or concepts. Examples include lectures, demonstrations and briefings. The situation in option A fits this pattern: the student has read a leadership book and now shares its ideas with others, probably explaining key principles and examples. The other options either ask somebody to do something (persuasive) or focus on humour and amusement (entertaining). This classification matches standard academic definitions of speaking purposes, which confirms that option A is the correct example of informative speaking.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

• Option B describes entertaining speaking, because the goal is to make the audience laugh during intermission.
• Option C is persuasive because the student is trying to change the instructor's decision about the due date.
• Option D is also persuasive, as the speaker attempts to convince classmates to donate to charity.
• Option E describes a debate setting where the speaker tries to win support for abolishing homework, which is clearly persuasive.

Common Pitfalls:
Students sometimes assume that any speech that contains information is informative, even when the main purpose is to persuade. In reality, persuasive speeches often include facts and data, but they use this information as tools to change attitudes or behaviours. Another pitfall is ignoring the speaker's goal and focusing only on the topic. To answer questions like this correctly, always ask: Is the primary purpose to teach, to convince or to entertain? In this case, only the student who shares leadership ideas from a book with no attempt to change behaviour is clearly engaging in informative speaking.

Final Answer:
The correct answer is a student sharing ideas and information about leadership based on a book she has carefully read, which is a clear instance of informative speaking.