Is "Are we supposed to deliver an extempore or a prepared speech?" correct? [closed]

Is "Are we supposed to deliver an extempore or a prepared speech?" correct? As "extempore" is an adjective, does it describe "speech" here?

Solution 1:

Latin prepositional phrase: ex tempore

Literally translated, the unassimilated Latin prepositional phrase ex tempore means “out of (the) time”. This has often been run together as a single lexeme by dropping the phrase’s spaces, just like many other, more native prepositional phrases have: nowadays, today, asleep, hereafter.

Originally it was used adverbially, but your example uses it as an attributive adjective, meaning one falling before its noun rather than predicatively after a copula. First though the adverbial usage, which here floats to the end:

1. I delivered the sermon ex tempore.
2. I delivered an extempore sermon.

The OED has this for the adverbial sense of extempore:

A. adv

1. At the moment, without premeditation or preparation; at first sight; off-hand. Now usually with reference to speech, composition, or musical performance. to speak extempore in present use often merely means to speak without notes, or without reading from manuscript. to pray extempore is opposed to using a set form of prayer.

And they have this for the adjectival use:

B. adj.

1. Arising out of the moment; casual, occasional; sudden, unprepared for. Now only of personal actions (cf. A. 2).
2. a. Of a discourse, etc.: Composed, spoken, performed, or acted at the moment, without premeditation or preparation. Now usually understood to mean: Without the assistance of notes, or without reading.

You may use it with or without the space.

An English alternative: extemporaneous

Using unassimilated Latin phrases in English text can come across as needlessly erudite and off-putting to many readers. As an alternative, we have a slightly more naturalized version we can use there as well:

3. I delivered the sermon extemporaneously.
4. I delivered an extemporaneous sermon.

This version no longer suffers the same stigma as speaking ex tempore may. It’s still just an off-the-cuff speech.

Clipped alternative: extemp

Another common and more casual equivalent is to “clip” it down to just extemp as a sort of ad hoc abbreviation for the longer term.

In high school and college forensics competitions, the Extemporaneous Speaking category is all about delivering extemp speeches.

When referring to these talks, the informal “clipped” abbreviation extemp is often used for such by academics.