Did you watch cartoons when you were younger? Maybe you still do. After all, today there are cartoons that target many different audiences. Cartoons written for very young children have uncomplicated story lines and simple characters. Cartoons for older kids or adults, on the other hand, usually have more twists in the story line, complex characters, and lots of action.

If you’re like most viewers, you can watch a few minutes of a cartoon and figure out if it was created for your age group. When you’re the one presenting information, though, it’s your job to think about who will be listening to you. Knowing this information can help you decide what should be included in your presentation and what your audience probably already knows. If you’re speaking to a general audience, some people may have background knowledge of the topic, and some may not. In this case, you’re better off explaining as much as you can.

There are other aspects of a speech or presentation that should match your audience, besides background knowledge. You’ll want to consider your listeners’ interests, for example, and also their reasons for hearing your speech and, in some cases, your relationship to most members of the audience. These factors should help you determine the tone of your presentation. Will you need to be formal and professional, use proper grammar, and avoid slang or jargon? Or does it make more sense to speak in a less formal tone and to use words and phrases that are familiar to your particular audience?

Consider the audience shown in each of the images below. In terms of tone, what kind of speech would you deliver to each group?