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Starting a presentation in english: methods and examples.
- By Jake Pool
If you’re going to make it in the professional world, most likely you’ll have to give a presentation in English at some point. No reason to get nervous!
Most of the work involved lies in the introduction. You may or may not need an English presentation PPT file, your topic, audience, or time limit may vary, but a strong opening is a must no matter what! Everything that follows can build from the opening outline you present to your audience.
Let’s look at some guidelines for starting a presentation in English. If you can master this part, you’ll never have to worry about the rest!
Opening in a Presentation in English
While it’s important to have your entire presentation organized and outlined, planning and organization are especially important in the introduction. This is what will guide you through a clear and concise beginning. Let’s look at how to start a presentation with well-organized thoughts .
Introduction Outline
- Introduce yourself and welcome everyone.
- State the purpose of your presentation
- Give a short overview of the presentation
As we say, it’s as easy as 1-2-3. (No need for a more detailed English presentation script!) Let’s examine the first step.
1. Introduce Yourself & Welcome Everyone
The self-introduction is your opportunity to make a good first impression. Be sure to open with a warm welcome and use language that is familiar and natural. Based on your audience, there are a few different expressions you can use to start your presentation.
If you’re presenting to coworkers who may already know you:
- Hello, [name] here. I would like to thank you all for your time. As you may know, I [describe what you do/your job title] I look forward to discussing [topic] today.
- Good morning/afternoon/evening everyone. Thank you for being here. For those who don’t know me, my name is [name], and for those who know me, hello again.
If you’re presenting to people you’ve never met:
- Hello everyone, it’s nice to meet you all. My name is [name] and I am the [job/title].
- Hello. Welcome to [event]. My name is [name] and I am the [job/title]. I’m glad you’re all here.
There are certainly more ways to make an introduction. However, it’s generally best to follow this format:
- Start with a polite welcome and state your name.
- Follow with your job title and/or the reason you’re qualified to speak on the topic being discussed.
2. State the Purpose of Your Presentation
Now that your audience knows who you are and your qualifications, you can state the purpose of your presentation. This is where you clarify to your audience what you’ll be talking about.
So, ask yourself, “ What do I want my audience to get from this presentation? ”
- Do you want your audience to be informed?
- Do you need something from your audience?
- Do you want them to purchase a product?
- Do you want them to do something for the community or your company?
With your goal in mind, you can create the next couple of lines of your presentation. Below are some examples of how to start.
- Let me share with you…
- I’d like to introduce you to [product or service]
- Today I want to discuss…
- I want to breakdown for you [topic]
- Let’s discuss…
- Today I will present the results of my research on [topic]
- By the end of this presentation, you’ll understand [topic]
- My goal is to explain…
- As you know, we’ll be talking about…
When talking about the purpose of your presentation, stick to your goals. You purpose statement should be only one to three sentences. That way, you can give your audience a clear sense of purpose that sets them up for the rest of the presentation.
3. A Short Overview of the Presentation
The final step in starting your presentation is to give a short outline of what you’ll be presenting. People like a map of what to expect from a presentation.
It helps them organize their thoughts and gives a sense of order. Also, it lets the audience know why they’re listening to you. This is what you’ll use to grab their attention, and help them stay focused throughout the presentation.
Here are some examples of how you can outline your presentation:
- Today, I’m going to cover… Then we’ll talk about… Lastly, I’ll close on…
- We’re going to be covering some key information you need to know, including…
- My aim with this presentation is to get you to… To do that we’ll be talking about…
- I’ve divided my presentation into [number] sections… [List the sections]
- Over the next [length of your presentation] I’m going to discuss…
That’s it! It’s as simple as 1-2-3. If you have a fear of public speaking or are not confident about presenting to a group of people, follow these three steps. It’s a simple structure that can get you off to a good start. With that in mind, there are other ways to bring your introduction to the next level too! Read on for bonus tips on how to really engage your audience, beyond the basics.
For a Strong Presentation in English, Engage your Audience
Presentations aren’t everyone’s strongest ability, and that’s OK. If you’re newer to presenting in English, the steps above are the basics to getting started. Once you’re more comfortable with presenting, though, you can go a step further with some extra tricks that can really wow your audience.
Mastering the skill of engaging an audience will take experience. Fortunately, there are many famous speakers out there you can model for capturing attention. Also, there are some common techniques that English-speakers use to gain an audience’s attention.
*How and when you use these techniques in your introduction is at your discretion, as long as you cover the 3 steps of the introduction outline that we discussed earlier.*
Do or say something shocking.
The purpose of shocking your audience is to immediately engage them. You can make a loud noise and somehow relate the noise to your presentation. Or, you can say, “ Did you know that… ” and follow with a shocking story or statistic. Either way, the objective is to create surprise to draw their attention.
Tell a story
Telling a story related to your presentation is a great way to get the audience listening to you.
You can start by saying, “ On my way to [location] the other day… ” or “ On my way here, I was reminded of… ” and then follow with a story. A good story can make your presentation memorable.
Ask your audience to take part
Sometimes a good introduction that captures attention will involve asking for help from the audience. You can ask the audience to play a quick game or solve a puzzle that’s related to your presentation. Also, you could engage the audience with a group exercise. This is a great way to get people involved in your presentation.
There are many more ways to engage the audience, so get creative and see what you can think up! Here are some resources that will help you get started.
Also, if you want to get better at public speaking (and help your English speaking too!), a great organization to know about is the Toastmasters . The organization is dedicated to helping you be a better speaker, and there are many local groups in America. They offer free lessons and events to help you master your English speaking, and also offer additional help to paying members.
The Takeaway
A presentation in English? No problem, as long as your introduction sets you up for success . Admittedly, this can be easier said than done. Native speakers and non-native speakers alike sometimes struggle with getting a good start on their English presentation. But the advice above can help you get the confidence you need to lay a good foundation for your next speech !
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30 useful phrases for presentations in English
For non-native speakers giving a presentation in English can be quite a challenge. There are just so many aspects to consider.
Firstly, the audience. Do you know them well? In which case more informal language can be used. Or are they unfamiliar to you? If this is the case, then more formal expressions should be adopted. Whether you use more formal or informal language, it is important to engage the audience through positive body language and a warm welcome. Your tone of voice and changes in intonation are additional useful tools and you might consider asking them relevant questions (real or rhetorical ).
The audience also needs to see a clear and logical structure to follow you effortlessly. Useful linking expressions, when delivered well, provide effective ‘bridges’ guiding the audience from one point to the next.
Here are 30 useful phrases for presentations in English for effective structure and linking.
Introduction
- Good morning/afternoon everyone and welcome to my presentation. First of all, let me thank you all for coming here today.
- Let me start by saying a few words about my own background.
- As you can see on the screen, our topic today is......
- My talk is particularly relevant to those of you who....
- This talk is designed to act as a springboard for discussion.
- This morning/ afternoon I’m going to take a look at the recent developments in.....
Presentation structure
- In my presentation I’ll focus on three major issues.
- This presentation is structured as follows....
- The subject can be looked at under the following headings.....
- We can break this area down into the following fields....
- It will take about X minutes to cover these issues.
- Does everybody have a handout / copy of my report?
- I’ll be handing out copies of the slides at the end of my talk.
- I can email the PowerPoint presentation to anyone who would like it.
- Don’t worry about taking notes, I’ve put all the relevant statistics on a handout for you
- If you have any questions, I am happy to answer them
- If you don’t mind, I'd like to leave questions until the end of my talk /there will be time for a Q&A session at the end...
Sequencing phrases
- My first point concerns...
- First of all, I’d like to give you an overview of....
- Next, I’ll focus on.....and then we’ll consider....
- Then I’ll go on to highlight what I see as the main points of....
- Finally, I’d like to address the problem of.....
- Finally, I’d like to raise briefly the issue of....
Highlighting information
- I’d like to put the situation into some kind of perspective
- I’d like to discuss in more depth the implications of....
- I’d like to make more detailed recommendations regarding....
- I’d like you to think about the significance of this figure here
- Whichever way you look at it, the underlying trend is clear
- I’d just like to finish with the words of a famous scientist/ politician/ author.......
- Now let’s go out and create opportunities for...!
Improve your confidence in spoken English with our General English course or Individual English training in our centre in London or online.
Hopefully, these phrases help you to vary your vocabulary for clear, well-structured presentations with a logical joined-up flow. The most important thing, of course, is that you are comfortable and confident in your delivery, which helps the audience feels relaxed and ready to be engaged by your subject matter. Good luck!
Glossary
Rhetorical - (of a question) asked in order to produce an effect or to make a statement rather than to elicit information
Audience - spectators or listeners at a public event such as a play, film, concert, or meeting
Effectiv e - successful in producing a desired or intended result
Springboard - springboard is also something that provides an opportunity to achieve something
Handout - a document given to students or reporters that contains information about a particular subject
Q&A – an abbreviation for ‘question and answer’
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Posted: 13 February 2020
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How to Organize Your Introduction for a Presentation in English
May 1, 2018 | Business Professional English , Presentations in English
This lesson on how to organize your introduction for a presentation in English has been updated since its original posting in 2016 and a video has been added.
Getting ready to present in English? Here’s how to make sure your introduction for a presentation in English is successful.
But first… When you think about a presentation, I know you’re thinking about something like a TED video or a presentation at a conference. You’re thinking about a speech, with PowerPoint slides and a big audience.
But did you know we use the same skills when we share new information or ideas with our work colleagues? Or when we tell stories to our friends and family? The situation or speaking task may be different but we still use the same skills.
When presenting information or telling stories, we need to:
- Capture a listener’s attention
- Share information, ideas, or opinions
- Give the important details
- Make your information memorable
- Get your audience (family, friends, colleagues or strangers) to agree, to take action, to change their mind, etc.
So today you’re going to learn how to take the first big step in your English presentation: how to start with a great introduction.
The introduction is the most important part of your presentation. It is the first impression you’ll make on your audience. It’s your first opportunity to get their attention. You want them to trust you and listen to you right away.
However, that first moment when you start to speak is often the hardest. Knowing how to best prepare and knowing what to say will help you feel confident and ready to say that first word and start your presentation in English.
Be sure to include these 5 things in your inroduction.
Lesson by Annemarie
How to Organize Your Introduction for a Presentation in English and Key Phrases to Use
Organize Your Introduction Correctly
Okay, first let’s focus on what you need to include in your English introduction. Think of this as your formula for a good introduction. Using this general outline for your introduction will help you prepare. It will also help your audience know who you are, why you’re an expert, and what to expect from your presentation.
Use this general outline for your next presentation:
- Welcome your audience and introduce yourself
- Capture their attention
- Identify your number one goal or topic of presentation
- Give a quick outline of your presentation
- Provide instructions for how to ask questions (if appropriate for your situation)
Use Common Language to Make Your Introduction Easy to Understand
Great, now you have the general outline of an introduction for a speech or presentation in English. So let’s focus on some of the key expressions you can use for each step. This will help you think about what to say and how to say it so you can sound confident and prepared in your English presentation.
“The introduction is the most important part of your presentation. It is the first impression you’ll make on your audience. It’s your first opportunity to get their attention. You want them to trust you and listen to you right away.”
Welcome Your Audience & Introduction
It is polite to start with a warm welcome and to introduce yourself. Everyone in the audience will want to know who you are. Your introduction should include your name and job position or the reason you are an expert on your topic. The more the audience trusts you, the more they listen.
- Welcome to [name of company or event]. My name is [name] and I am the [job title or background information].
- Thank you for coming today. I’m [name] and I’m looking forward to talking with you today about [your topic].
- Good morning/afternoon ladies and gentlemen. I’d like to quickly introduce myself. I am [name] from [company or position]. (formal)
- On behalf of [name of company], I’d like to welcome you today. For those of you who don’t already know me, my name is [name] and I am [job title or background]. (formal)
- Hi everyone. I’m [name and background]. I’m glad to be here with you today. Now let’s get started. (informal)
Capture Their Attention
For more information about how to best capture your audience’s attention and why, please see the next session below. However, here are a few good phrases to get you started.
- Did you know that [insert an interesting fact or shocking statement]?
- Have you ever heard that [insert interesting fact or shocking statement]?
- Before I start, I’d like to share a quick story about [tell your story]…
- I remember [tell your story, experience or memory]…
- When I started preparing for this talk, I was reminded of [tell your story, share your quote or experience]…
Identify Your Goal or Topic of Presentation
At this stage, you want to be clear with your audience about your primary topic or goal. Do you want your audience to take action after your talk? Is it a topic everyone is curious about (or should be curious about)? This should be just one or two sentences and it should be very clear.
- This morning I’d like to present our new [product or service].
- Today I’d like to discuss…
- Today I’d like to share with you…
- What I want to share with you is…
- My goal today is to help you understand…
- During my talk this morning/afternoon, I’ll provide you with some background on [main topic] and why it is important to you.
- I will present my findings on…
- By the end of my presentation, I’d like for you to know…
- I aim to prove to you / change your mind about…
- I’d like to take this opportunity to talk about…
- As you know, this morning/afternoon I’ll be discussing…
Outline Your Presentation
You may have heard this about presentations in English before:
First, tell me what you’re going to tell me. Then tell me. And finally, tell me what you told me.
It sounds crazy and weird, but it’s true. This is how we structure presentations in English. So today we’re focusing on the “First, tell me what you’re going to tell me” for your introduction. This means you should outline the key points or highlights of your topic.
This prepares your listens and helps to get their attention. It will also help them follow your presentation and stay focused. Here are some great phrases to help you do that.
- First, I’m going to present… Then I’ll share with you… Finally, I’ll ask you to…
- The next thing I’ll share with you is…
- In the next section, I’ll show you…
- Today I will be covering these 3 (or 5) key points…
- In this presentation, we will discuss/evaluate…
- By the end of this presentation, you’ll be able to…
- My talk this morning is divided into [number] main sections… First, second, third… Finally…
On Asking Questions
You want to be sure to let you audience know when and how it is appropriate for them to ask you questions. For example, is the presentation informal and is it okay for someone to interrupt you with a question? Or do you prefer for everyone to wait until the end of the presentation to ask questions?
- If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to interrupt me. I’m happy to answer any questions as we go along.
- Feel free to ask any questions, however, I do ask that you wait until the end of the presentation to ask.
- There will be plenty of time for questions at the end.
- Are there any questions at this point? If not, we’ll keep going.
- I would be happy to answer any questions you may have now.
Capture Your Audience’s Attention
Do you feel unsure about how to capture the attention of your audience? Don’t worry! Here are some common examples used in English-speaking culture for doing it perfectly!
Two of the most famous speakers in the English-speaking world are Steve Jobs and Oprah Winfrey. While Steve Jobs is no longer living, people still love to watch his speeches and presentations online. Oprah is so famous that no matter what she does, people are excited to see her and listen to her.
BUT, if you listen to a speech by Steve Jobs or Oprah Winfrey, they still work to get your attention!
The don’t start with a list of numbers or data. They don’t begin with a common fact or with the title of the presentation. No – they do much more.
From the moment they start their speech, they want you to listen. And they find interesting ways to get your attention. In his most famous speeches, Steve Jobs often started with a personal story. And Oprah often starts with an inspiring quote, a motivational part of a poem, or a personal story.
These are all great ways to help your audience to listen to you immediately – whether your presentation is 3 minutes or 20 minutes.
Here’s how you can do it.
Like Steve Jobs or Oprah Winfrey, start with a:
- Personal story or experience
- Motivational quote or line from a poem or book
- Joke (be careful with this – make sure it translates easily to everyone in the audience!)
- Shocking, bold statement (Think of Steve Jobs’ quote: “ Stay hungry. Stay Foolish .”)
- Rhetorical question ( =a question that you don’t want an answer to; the focus is to make someone think)
And finally, consider audience participation. Ask a question and get your audience to respond by raising hands.
Get the complete Presentations in English Series:
Part 1: How to Prepare for Your Presentation in English
Part 2: How to Start with a Great Introduction in Your Presentation
Part 3: How to Organize Your Presentation in English
Part 4: How to End Your Presentation Powerfully
As I mentioned in the video, I have two question for you today:
- What is the best introduction you’ve ever heard? Have you watched a TED Talk or a presentation on YouTube with a great introduction? Tell me about it. What do you think was great about the introduction?
- What frightens you the most about preparing your introduction in a presentation? Share your concerns with me so I can help you overcome any challenges you have.
Be sure to share in the comments below to get feedback from me and to learn from others in the Confident English Community.
Have a great week! ~ Annemarie
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Thank you, Annemarie. thanks for the generosity of sharing useful and systemative information and content.
This is really a very informative message thank you.. And it’s help me a lot
hi thank you for this It was helpful. You used simple english that i understood well.
How to start with a great presentation on composition
Thankyou for the information . It was much helpful . I will definitely use this information in my presentation 🤗
Hi, I am Thang Sok Do you have a Sample presentation?
This was helpful but can you please tell me how to start a presentation in college because this is for work in a company. My presentation is on laboratory skills and all that
Its informative
Thank you for this video! I’ve learned quite a lot and will want to use all these knowledge in presenting my thesis proposal in 2 months. About your question no. 2, I’d just like to share that the mere fact of presenting in front of many respected professionals makes me already nervous and shaky even if i have studied everything about my presentation. What do you think should i do to deal with my concern?
Could you give me advise, how to start learning English for beginner.How to prepare presentation on any topic and how to make interesting..
Thank u so much for valuable advice. Definitely I will used this in my presentation!!
Thank you very much for these kind of useful advice. I hope my first presentation will be exciting for the audience.Your video is helping me again thanks a lot 😊
hi, i’m B.COM student and I have to prepare presentation about identifying business opportunities. How to start and an attractive attention to my audience.. Please Help me…
very nise and educative piece of information thank you nancy nairobi kenya
i am starting a video speech shooting in night about a famouse person how do i start my speech with a good intro.
Hi again how do you do a introduction goodbye
Hi i do not know what you are talking about
Hi Kate, I’m sorry to hear you’re not sure about the content. I recommend reviewing the video carefully if you haven’t already. Is there something specific you have a question about?
thanks a lot for guiding in such an easier way.
Your write-up on introduction helped a lot, thank you Annemarie. I work for cross-geography team and greetings get lengthy as timezones are different e.g. “Good evening to those joining from US office and good morning to colleagues from India office”. I replaced that with “Thank you everyone for joining”. Is it okay?
Hi Amit, I’m so glad it was helpful. As for your greeting, both of your options are perfectly appropriate and friendly.
How to introduce group members in online presentation?
Great question! I’d love to use that for a future Confident English lesson.
its amazing. i can’t explain in wording. this material helping me a lot. i am so happy after use this website . its make easy for me preparing my presentation more interesting. i am thankful too u.
thanks! i use your materials to teach my students(clinets) how to prepare a presentation. is it ok to use them on my materials?
Hi! I am a student from the USP from Tuvaluan and i take CEE45 so our assessment 2 is to prepared a group presentation and we presented in school. so need your help for how to start an attractive introduction to my teacher and my fellow students, they already kwow me.
Thank you.. very helpful
Very useful
It was very use Gul for or presentations
Hi. I am a 1st year BIT student and I have to prepare a presentation on 3D Printing. how to start an attractive introduction to my teachers, when they already know about me? Can you please help me out? Thank you.
I just took 1st place for my paper that I presented at an international students conference. I used a lot of your techniques to improve my speech and I have no words to say how grateful I am to you. Keep up the good work!
😲WOW!! That’s awesome, Andrew. 🙌Congratulations on your presentation. What a wonderful response to your hard work. I’d love to know what you presentation was about. And thank you for sharing your new here. I’m thrilled to know that my techniques were helpful to you.
The title of the presentation was “Handling burnout: A study regarding the the influence of job stressors over military and civilian personel”. I can sent you my paper through email if you would like to see it.
Hi Andrew, what a fascinating topic. And it’s interesting because I just had a newspaper reporter interview me about burnout as a small business owner. Must be a hot topic. 🙂 And sure, I’d love to see it.
🔥❤ too goodd
Hello Annemarie, Thank you so much for one of the best content on the English presentation, I’ve seen. I have a question: Is it impolite or informal to start the presentation without a greeting? I’m asking this question because I’ve seen a lot of TEDTalks and in only a few of them, they greet the audience and in most of it, they quickly go to the “CAPTURING the ATTENTION” with numbers and pictures. I would be so thankful if you could answer this question as soon as possible, my presentation is so close. Best regards, Helia
Hi Helia, What a great question. It has definitely become more common to skip the greeting and go straight to capturing the attention of the audience and you’re right that we often see this in TED talks. I would say it’s best to know your audience and what might be expected. For example, at more formal, traditional conferences or lecture, it might be more appropriate to start with a welcome. I prefer to welcome/thank my audience quickly at the start when I give presentations. A welcome can be very brief, just one sentence, and then you can quickly go into … Read more »
Hi Annemarie I would like to thank you for giving such types of presentation skills but I have a question can you give me some idea about vote of thinks.
I’m glad the lessons are helpful to you. Could you clarify what you mean by ‘vote of thinks?’ I’m not sure I understand that.
Please can you give me some idea about vote of thanks
Could you clarify what you’re asking for, Bello?
Thanks a lot
Glad it was helpful!
it is agood i learn alot from this english class
Hello.i would like to thank you for giving these beautiful tips to start a presentation.This article helped me a lot.
That’s great, Radha. Glad to hear it.
Thanks for your article. It’s simply for interpersonal skill development.
You’re welcome, Mithun. Glad to know it was helpful.
Hi Annemarie . Thank you so much for giving such helpful guildelines it’s really gonna help me
I’m glad it’s helpful, Swetha! 🙂
thank you for help me
You’re very welcome!
Hi Anne Marie, i ‘m from Catalonia and i came across with your site only by chance and i think it’gonna be so helpful for me to pass the next test for c1 level. Several weeks ago i did some rehersals with my presentation and i was so nervous and terrified about what was expected from me.
Some tips in your youtube channel are so cool !!! Thank you.
Hi Tom, I’m thrilled you’ve found this site in your preparations for your English exam and am glad to know it’s helpful! Best of luck as you continue to prepare.
Hi Annemarie Thanks it’s so useful to develop presentation skill. Fatima
You’re very welcome, Fatima! I’m glad it was helpful.
Awesome, especially this simple and clear motto: “First, tell me what you’re going to tell me. Then tell me. And finally, tell me what you told me.” This three sentences exactly explain the content you need to create a memorable presentation.
Hi Dzmitry,
Yes, I’ve always loved that simple motto on how to do a presentation. 🙂 It’s so easy to remember and tells you exactly what to do.
hello I need to introduce myself to language center. i am going to learn Danish Language and i want to introduce myself to them and i am little bit nervous because my grammar is not good at that level.so will you please guide me how to introduce myself to them with an example. i did go through your examples but that is for professionals and i am just a student (Graduate). I don’t have any experience . Please guide me how to do it.
I was in a confused state about starting a conversation and proceeding in it but when I read the guidelines you mentioned above I became confident. thank you for your innumerable ………….
Thank you so much…… it’s an excellent topic, and it helped me a lot
I’m so glad this was helpful to you! Thank you for sharing.
hi annemarie i have a few questions about a speech i have to make a englishi speech of what i want to become can you help me?
Hi Rebecca,
Thank you for the question. I have several lessons on the topic of presentations in English . However, for personal assistance with English or presentations, I only do that through my one-on-one classes .
thank you so much…… it’s really helpful for me….
You’re very welcome, Shalini.
Thanks its really nice to develop the presentation skills
Awesome. I’m glad it was helpful to you, Mohammed.
I have to give a demo on one of your programs next week. I would like you to check my self introduction – Good afternoon everyone and thank you for all of your presence. Before we get into the session I would like to quickly introduce myself. My name is Dinesh . I am working as a Pharmaceutical sale and promotion of the brands for Arrient Healthcare. I am in this filed for the past ten years. Before becoming trainer I worked as a medical representatives for different pharma company . I am highly interested in learning from people and … Read more »
Please ignore my previous comment. Yea the demo was a success. So hereafter I will say”I have been in this field for the past four years. Actually I worked for different consultancies so I didn’t include an article there.
I have to give a demo on one of your programs next week. I would like you to check my self introduction – Good afternoon everyone and thank you for all of your presence. Before we get into the session I would like to quickly introduce myself. My name is Monica. I am working as a Soft Skill Trainer at Synergy School of Business Skills. I am in this filed for the past four years. Before becoming trainer I worked as a Recruiter for different job consultancy. I am highly interested in learning from people and I think teaching/training is … Read more »
Thank you for sharing your example! One note: “I am in this field for the past four years.” –> Don’t forget, when we’re talking about something that started in the past and continues to now, we use the present perfect. How might you change this sentence to fix the grammar?
Also, we want to add an article to, “… I worked as a recruiter for [a] different job consultancy.”
I wish you much success in your demo this week! Best, Annemarie
Yea the demo was a success! So hereafter I will say”I have been for the past four years. Actually I worked for different consultancies.
I like it but I think capturing their attention is the most difficult part in preparing a presentation. From my little experience, I used to talk about something out of the scope of the presentation in order to grasp their attention. For example, I had a presentation about medical terminology and its parts (suffix, prefix —). So I provided example which is Ultra Violet then I talked about the ultraviolet in the sun and Vitamin D deficiency. They liked the talk because it is very important to them and by this topic I captured their attention more and more.
Hello Fadia, I’m sorry I’m so late in responding to your comment! I agree with you: capturing attention is very challenging to do. It requires understanding your audience, knowing what is important to them, and how to connect with them. In English-speaking culture, we often connect by telling a story or showing we understand a problem the audience has. I think you’re exactly right to talk about something that is maybe “off topic” or out of the scope of the presentation, as you said, to get their attention first. It sounds like you did a great job in your experience!! … Read more »
hi there it was great going through your enlightening presentation skills however i would be even more delighted if you put some quotes for various PPT’s which will give us an instant ideas during the adhoc PPT like myself…just a suggestion.
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5 Killer Ways To Start Your Presentation In English - Tips and Tricks
Ever wanted to be able to deliver a presentation that has the audience on the edge of their seats?
For someone to be sat ‘on the edge of their seats’ means they are fully engaged and locked into your talk, and this is exactly what we want to do when presenting a speech or delivering a presentation.
In this blog article, I’m going to share some of the best ways that professional public speakers and presenters use to open their talk or presentation in English.
How to Organize Your Introduction For a Presentation in English
Every good introduction for a presentation or talk should have a solid formula. Having some structure helps your audience know who you are, why you’re the expert, and what they can expect from your presentation.
As a General Rule of Thumb, Use This Outline For Your Next Presentation:
- Welcome the audience and introduce yourself
- Engage and capture the audience’s attention
- Identify and state your main goal or objective of the presentation
- Run through your agenda and the main topics/themes you will be discussing
- Tell the audience when you will taking questions
1. Introduce Yourself as a Person, Not a Presenter
I’ve noticed that out of the hundreds of presentations I have watched or sat in on, the ones that always grab my attention and make me want to listen are the ones who present themselves as a human as opposed to a presenter.
The reason? Humans like human-to-human interaction. We don’t want to see a robot standing at the podium speaking, we want to hear from a real person with real thoughts and emotions!
There are a few ways we can make our introductions sound a bit more ‘human’ and realistic.
Telling the audience something personal about you or how you got to the position you are in now is a great way to build rapport with the audience.
On the subject of rapport building, this is another fantastic way to establish a connection between you and the audience.
Some ways you can do this are by opening your presentation with:
“I was once like you…”
“My life up until this point has been no different to any of yours…”
“We’ve all felt like….before. That’s why my talk today is all about…”
2. Tell a Story
Presentation and public speaking experts still claim to this day that telling a story is hands down one of the most effective ways to open a presentation.
Humans are hardwired to enjoy and learn from stories. From bedtime stories and campfires to theatres and boardrooms. Every story can be in some way relatable to the audience and listener and this is what makes using a story so powerful - humans connect with stories.
The story can be about you personally and why you’re speaking about this topic in your presentation, or it could be about another person, like your colleague, friend, family member, or boss.
Another option is to tell a fable or historic event that resembles your story and the topic of your presentation. You’ll notice that a lot of presenters and speakers will use these kinds of stories as a metaphor for things they have actually gone through and faced in their lives, and something that the audience will also be able to relate to.
It’s important to point out that we don’t always need to literally tell the audience that we’ll be telling them a story, rather we should leave a 5-second pause at the very beginning and just go straight into it. The story shouldn’t be any longer than a few minutes, and it should get to the point quickly and effectively.
Here are some common ways we can start telling a story in English:
“I’d like to start my talk today by sharing an interesting story with you”
“Something strange happened to me the other day....”
“One of my most vivid memories was…”
“When I was [age], I used to…”
3. Ask a Question
Asking a question is another exciting way to open a talk or presentation. It not only gives the audience something to think about or consider, but it keeps them engaged throughout the entire presentation in the hope that the question will be answered at the end.
Movies do exactly the same thing. They might tease the audience at the beginning of the film with a burning question or problem, and you sit and watch the movie in anticipation in the hope that the answer will soon be revealed.
There are two types of good questions we can ask to start a presentation. The first one is “What of…” questions.
Ask a “What if…” Question
Drawing your audience into your speech right away works brilliantly. Asking a “what if” question invites the audience to follow your thought process.
“What if we were all robots? How different would our everyday lives and society be? What would happen if we were to speak our real minds on a daily basis? How would that affect our interactions and relationships with others?
Ask a Rhetorical Question
A rhetorical question is a question that we don’t expect an answer to, usually because the answer is either obvious to everyone. Rhetorical questions have been around for centuries and famous playwrights like William Shakespeare was a big fan of them. After asking our rhetorical question, we would then go on to explain the topic of the talk/presentation.
Some examples of rhetorical questions are:
“Would you like to work less and make more money? Would you rather be sitting in a hammock all day rather than a stiff office chair? The topic of my presentation today is all about ‘passive income’.
“How great would it be if politics united us as opposed to dividing us? Today I’d like to talk to you all about the dangers of identity politics.”
“Ever wished you were a millionaire and wondered how much easier your life would be? I’m going to share with you today why having a lot of money isn’t actually all it’s cracked up to be and why it didn’t make my life any less difficult.”
4. Open With a Hook
A ‘hook’ is something that captures your attention and engages you straight from the off. A ‘hook’ can be a headline, fact, or shocking statistic. These kinds of openings are very common in scientific presentations or presentations where the speaker wants to emphasize the importance of something.
A good tactic is to leave a slightly long, dramatic pause after you have read your headline, fact, or statistic. This adds drama to our talk and also gives the audience time to digest the information and think about it a little more.
Think about information or data that is relevant to your talk and how it can be used to introduce the topic of your presentation, and consider different ways to present it as your opening.
Here are some examples of how to open with a hook:
“Did you know that the strongest muscle in your body is your tongue?”
“Has anyone ever noticed that the Mona Lisa has no eyebrows?”
“Most people believe that the colder something is, the quicker it will freeze. However, hot water will actually turn into ice quicker than cold water.”
5. Use a Powerful Quote
Our final way to open a presentation in English is to tell the audience a powerful quote that is relevant to your talk. Quotes can brilliantly summarize a complex, big idea making it more enticing for your audience.
“Employ the wise words of a well-known person because the name allows you to tap into his or her credibility, likeability, and notoriety,"
Imagine you’re giving a talk on motivation. You could open with: “Elon Musk once said, ‘If something is important enough, you’ll do it even if the odds are not in your favour.’
The quote needs to have meaning and relevance to the topic, so if you’re doing a talk on the advantages of remote work, don’t use a quote that has anything to do with the negatives of remote work.
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In We Speak Business program, you have 24/7 support and also you have student chat where you can speak with other students from all around the world . Before you join our program and start speaking business English, we strongly recommend you sign up for our free seminar with Andrew Smith , where you can learn:
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- Exclusive resource to improve your speech
Now that you know the top five ways to open a presentation or speech in English, why not have a go at writing some yourself? You can make up an imaginary presentation or use a previous talk you’ve already given or are planning to give.
Try using a few different techniques that we’ve outlined today and see what works best for you, and work on the ones that you struggle with. Using a variety of openings for different presentations is best because you don’t want to be associated as a person who always uses the exact same style of opening.
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Useful English phrases for a presentation
Presentations have the advantage that many standard phrases can be used at various points. Perhaps you wish to welcome the audience, introduce the speaker and the topic, outline the structure, offer a summary, or deal with questions. In all these situations, you can apply a number of useful expressions that will make your presentation a linguistic success.
At the beginning of each presentation, you should welcome your audience. Depending on who you are addressing, you should extend a more or less formal welcome.
Good morning/afternoon/evening, ladies and gentlemen/everyone.
On behalf of “Company X”, allow me to extend a warm welcome to you.
Hi, everyone. Welcome to “Name of the event”.
Introducing the speaker
The level of formality of your welcome address will also apply to how you introduce yourself. Customize it to match your audience.
Let me briefly introduce myself. My name is “John Miller” and I am delighted to be here today to talk to you about…
First, let me introduce myself. My name is “John Miller” and I am the “Position” of “Company X”.
I’m “John” from “Company Y” and today I’d like to talk to you about…
Introducing the topic
After the welcome address and the introduction of the speaker comes the presentation of the topic. Here are some useful introductory phrases.
Today I am here to talk to you about…
What I am going to talk about today is…
I would like to take this opportunity to talk to you about…
I am delighted to be here today to tell you about…
I want to make you a short presentation about…
I’d like to give you a brief breakdown of…
Explanation of goals
It is always recommended to present the goals of your presentation at the beginning. This will help the audience to understand your objectives.
The purpose of this presentation is…
My objective today is…
After presenting the topic and your objectives, give your listeners an overview of the presentation’s structure. Your audience will then know what to expect in detail.
My talk/presentation is divided into “x” parts.
I’ll start with…/First, I will talk about…/I’ll begin with…
…then I will look at…
and finally…
Starting point
After all this preparation, you can finally get started with the main part of the presentation. The following phrases will help you with that.
Let me start with some general information on…
Let me begin by explaining why/how…
I’d like to give you some background information about…
Before I start, does anyone know…
As you are all aware…
I think everybody has heard about…, but hardly anyone knows a lot about it.
End of a section
If you have completed a chapter or section of your presentation, inform your audience, so that they do not lose their train of thought.
That’s all I have to say about…
We’ve looked at…
So much for…
Interim conclusion
Drawing interim conclusions is of utmost importance in a presentation, particularly at the end of a chapter or section. Without interim conclusions, your audience will quickly forget everything you may have said earlier.
Let’s summarize briefly what we have looked at.
Here is a quick recap of the main points of this section.
I’d like to recap the main points.
Well, that’s about it for this part. We’ve covered…
Use one of the following phrases to move on from one chapter to the next.
I’d now like to move on to the next part…
This leads me to my next point, which is…
Turning our attention now to…
Let’s now turn to…
Frequently, you have to give examples in a presentation. The following phrases are useful in that respect.
For example,…
A good example of this is…
As an illustration,…
To give you an example,…
To illustrate this point…
In a presentation, you may often need to provide more details regarding a certain issue. These expressions will help you to do so.
I’d like to expand on this aspect/problem/point.
Let me elaborate further on…
If you want to link to another point in your presentation, the following phrases may come in handy.
As I said at the beginning,…
This relates to what I was saying earlier…
Let me go back to what I said earlier about…
This ties in with…
Reference to the starting point
In longer presentations, you run the risk that after a while the audience may forget your original topic and objective. Therefore, it makes sense to refer to the starting point from time to time.
I hope that you are a little clearer on how we can…
To return to the original question, we can…
Just to round the talk off, I want to go back to the beginning when I…
I hope that my presentation today will help with what I said at the beginning…
Reference to sources
In a presentation, you frequently have to refer to external sources, such as studies and surveys. Here are some useful phrases for marking these references.
Based on our findings,…
According to our study,…
Our data shows/indicates…
Graphs and images
Presentations are usually full of graphs and images. Use the following phrases to give your audience an understanding of your visuals.
Let me use a graphic to explain this.
I’d like to illustrate this point by showing you…
Let the pictures speak for themselves.
I think the graph perfectly shows how/that…
If you look at this table/bar chart/flow chart/line chart/graph, you can see that…
To ensure that your presentation does not sound monotonous, from time to time you should emphasize certain points. Here are some suggestions.
It should be emphasized that…
I would like to draw your attention to this point…
Another significant point is that…
The significance of this is…
This is important because…
We have to remember that…
At times it might happen that you expressed yourself unclearly and your audience did not understand your point. In such a case, you should paraphrase your argument using simpler language.
In other words,…
To put it more simply,…
What I mean to say is…
So, what I’m saying is….
To put it in another way….
Questions during the presentation
Questions are an integral part of a presentation. These phrases allow you to respond to questions during a presentation.
Does anyone have any questions or comments?
I am happy to answer your questions now.
Please feel free to interrupt me if you have questions.
If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to ask.
Please stop me if you have any questions.
Do you have any questions before I move on?
If there are no further questions at this point, I’d like to…
Questions at the end of a presentation
To ensure that a presentation is not disrupted by questions, it is advisable to answer questions at the very end. Inform your audience about this by using these phrases.
There will be time for questions at the end of the presentation.
I’ll gladly answer any of your questions at the end.
I’d be grateful if you could ask your questions after the presentation.
After answering a question from the audience, check that the addressee has understood your answer and is satisfied with it.
Does this answer your question?
Did I make myself clear?
I hope this explains the situation for you.
Unknown answer
Occasionally, it may happen that you do not have an answer to a question. That is not necessarily a bad thing. Simply use one of the following phrases to address the fact.
That’s an interesting question. I don’t actually know off the top of my head, but I’ll try to get back to you later with an answer.
I’m afraid I’m unable to answer that at the moment. Perhaps, I can get back to you later.
Good question. I really don’t know! What do you think?
That’s a very good question. However, I don’t have any figures on that, so I can’t give you an accurate answer.
Unfortunately, I’m not the best person to answer that.
Summary and conclusion
At the end of the presentation, you should summarize the important facts once again.
I’d like to conclude by…
In conclusion, let me sum up my main points.
Weighing the pros and cons, I come to the conclusion that…
That brings me to the end of my presentation. Thank you for listening/your attention.
Thank you all for listening. It was a pleasure being here today.
Well, that’s it from me. Thanks very much.
That brings me to the end of my presentation. Thanks for your attention.
Handing over
If you are not the only speaker, you can hand over to somebody else by using one of these phrases.
Now I will pass you over to my colleague ‘Jerry’.
‘Jerry’, the floor is yours.
We hope that our article will help you in preparing and holding your next presentation. It goes without saying that our list is just a small extract from the huge world of expressions and phrases. As always, the Internet is an inexhaustible source of further information. Here are the links to two websites that we would recommend to you in this context.
usingenglish
- What is the difference between American English (AE) and British English (BE)?
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25 Powerful English Presentation Phrases to Impress Your Audience
Does giving a presentation make you feel a little nervous?
Well, you’re not alone.
To help you shake off those nerves, let’s take a look at how you can prepare yourself to give amazing presentations with some business English phrases you can depend on.
Greeting Your Audience
1. good morning/afternoon/evening, everyone., 2. welcome to [name of event]., 3. first, let me introduce myself. i am [name] from [company]., beginning your presentation, 4. let me start by giving you some background information., 5. as you’re aware, …, transitioning to the next topic, 6. let’s move on to…, 7. turning our attention now to…, providing more details, 8. i’d like to expand on…, 9. let me elaborate further., linking to another topic, 10. as i said at the beginning, …, 11. this relates to what i was saying earlier…, 12. this ties in with…, emphasizing a point, 13. the significance of this is…, 14. this is important because…, 15. we have to remember that …, making reference to information, 16. based on our findings, …, 17. according to our study, …, 18. our data shows …, explaining visuals, 19. i’d like to illustrate this point by showing you…, 20. this chart shows a breakdown of …, restating your point, 21. in other words, …, 22. to put it simply, …, 23. what i mean to say is …, concluding your presentation, 24. in conclusion, let me sum up my main points., 25. thank you for your attention. now i am happy to answer any questions you might have., the top 3 tips for preparing your business presentation in english, 1. have a plan, 2. use visuals, 3. structure your presentation well.
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You’re now standing in front of your audience. Before you begin your presentation, start by greeting your audience, welcoming them to the event and introducing yourself.
Sample sentence: Welcome to our 3rd Annual Sales Leadership Conference.
After you have given an introduction, you are ready to begin speaking about your topic. Use these phrases to get started.
Use this phrase to give your audience a brief overview of the topic you’ll be discussing. This is a good way to give them an idea of what’s going on and to bring them up to date.
If you’re bringing up a topic that your audience already knows about or is aware of, then you can use this phrase to introduce this known topic.
Sample sentence: As you’re aware , the CEO of DHL Express has often said that globalization is here to stay.
Before you move on to your next point, be sure to make it clear to your audience that you’re now starting a new topic. Let them know exactly what that new topic will be. The two phrases below are very similar in meaning, and they can both be used for transitions.
Sample sentence: Let’s move on to our second sales strategy.
Sample sentence: Turning our attention now to the results of our 2016 customer survey.
Use these phrases to tell your audience that you’ll be giving them a more detailed explanation of the topic. Both the words ‘expand’ and ‘elaborate’ mean to explain more fully.
Sample sentence: Now I’d like to expand on my point about increasing our market share.
When making reference to a point you made earlier, or to remind your audience about something you said before, use these phrases to that link.
This phrase lets you remind your audience about a point you made earlier. It can also be used to emphasize a point or theme.
Sample sentence: As I said in the beginning , we’ll see an increase in profit if we follow these five steps.
This phrase will help you make connections between ideas in your presentation. It shows that two different ideas are connected.
Sample sentence: This relates to what I was saying earlier about increasing production to meet the year-end demand.
Sample sentence: This ties in with the way we’ve been doing business for the past 20 years.
Use these phrases to draw attention to an important point that you want your audience to note.
The word “significance'” is similar in meaning to “importance.”
Sample sentence: The significance of this is , if we complete this project on schedule, we’ll have more people available to work on the next project.
Sample sentence: This is important because any marketing effort we put in now will help to boost demand for our products in the long run.
Sample sentence: We have to remember that people are our most important resource.
Very often, you may need to support your discussion points by drawing attention and making reference to information and data from studies, reports and other sources.
Sample sentence: Based on our findings, 74% of our market is made up of teenagers who find our clothing line stylish and upbeat.
Sample sentence: According to our study, 63% of working people in this city go directly to the gym after work.
Sample sentence: Our data shows that more than 23% of men in this town who used to drive to work now prefer to save money and the environment by cycling instead.
To present a clearer picture of your point, you may show your data, information or examples in the form of visuals such as charts, tables and graphs.
The word “illustrate” means “show,” usually with examples, data or visuals.
Sample sentence: I’d like to illustrate this point by showing you a chart of the number of people in each age group who prefer to shop online.
A “breakdown” refers to the detailed parts or figures that make up the total picture. A breakdown is often used in a presentation to show all the smaller parts behind something bigger.
Sample sentence: This chart shows a breakdown of the ingredients we use in our gluten-free products.
Sometimes in order to emphasize your point, you have to state it in a way that’s easier for your audience to understand and remember. This often involves rephrasing, simplifying or clarifying your point.
Use this phrase to rephrase or reword your point in another way.
Sample sentence: In other words , we need to change our current design to make it more attractive to older children.
Use this phrase to simplify points that are complex or difficult to understand.
Sample sentence: To put it simply , we’ll need you to work harder at making this launch a success.
Use this phrase to explain your point in a way that’s easier for your audience to understand.
Sample sentence: What I mean to say is that we need to change the way we market our products.
This is the very end of the presentation. You have said everything you need to say, and now you need to finish it nicely. You may also have some time for questions. If there is time for questions, invite your audience to ask any questions they have.
As part of your closing statement, “sum up” (summarize, state briefly) your speech by mentioning the main points of your speech.
End your presentation by thanking your audience and offering to answer their questions.
Always have a plan. Spend some time thinking about not only what you’re going to say but how you’re going to say it.
This is the point at which you should watch other people giving presentations. Watch some TED talks and public speeches, and use them to help you structure and plan your own presentation.
Find both and more (like movie clips, news segments, industry insider tips, etc.) on FluentU with the added benefit of interactive subtitles, review quizzes and transcripts. All these learning tools on top of the authentic English content will help you grow your vocabulary and confidence.
Use FluentU to define any word as you watch, study key words that may be useful in your own presentation and even practice speaking these words through the program’s personalized quizzes.
If English isn’t your native language, it’s very important that you think about what language you’re going to be using. Think about all the vocabulary, phrases and grammar that will make your message clear and easy to understand.
What are the big ideas you want to explain for your presentation? Which words will express these ideas best? I recommend:
- Have a clear goal in mind to help you stay on track and be logical. Whenever you feel lost during the presentation, just remember this clear, main goal. An example of a goal could be to convince potential clients to work with you. Whenever you don’t know what to say next, remember to focus on the advantages you want to present and on examples of what you did in the past to deserve their trust. Encourage them to ask you questions related to this goal.
- Research content. If you know your facts, you already have the core of your presentation prepared. Write these facts down on topic cards, give out handouts (papers) with important information or include them on your PowerPoint slides.
- Prepare the delivery. Rehearse giving the presentation several times. Some people like recording themselves, others prefer practicing in front of a mirror or having friends listen to them while presenting. Choose the method that works best for you.
- Decide whether you are going to read or speak freely. Reading can sound unnatural, but you can use certain tricks to avoid this. You can underline important sentences which you can memorize, so that from time to time you can stop reading, say your memorized lines and look at the audience. In this way, reading can be made more natural. Make sure you slow down so that the audience can follow you.
Speaking freely is much better if you can remember everything you want to say, because you will seem more knowledgeable, prepared and confident. However, this can be more stressful.
Using some visuals can make your presentation more entertaining, easier to understand and can get your points across more convincingly. My advice:
- Decide whether you need a PowerPoint presentation or not. Do you have graphs, results or other things like this to show? Then yes, you need one. Are you just telling a story? Then you probably do not.
- Do not fill your slides with too much information. Use a maximum of seven short lines of text—even seven can be too many. Highlight key words so the audience can see the main ideas right away. Use bullet points rather than full sentences.
- If you are presenting graphs or charts , give the audience time to read them. Do not show a huge table of data if they audience will not have time to read and understand it. Make sure you try reading each slide while timing yourself to see how long it takes, so you do not jump to the next slide too early during your presentation.
It is a common mistake to give an unclear and unorganized presentation. This happens when the presenter just starts speaking without a clear goal in mind. They might suddenly realize their allotted speaking time has ended, or that the audience is bored because they are not following what is being said. Here’s what you should do instead:
- Decide on three main points (or less) that you want to make. Audiences can’t usually focus on more than three points.
- Tell them from the beginning what points you will be making. Audiences like to know what to expect. Tell them the main goals of your presentation directly in the introduction.
- Presenting main points: firstly, secondly, last but not least
- Making additions: moreover, furthermore, in addition, besides, what’s more
- Making purposes clear: in order to, so as to
- Presenting reasons and causes: on account of, due to, since, seeing that
- Presenting consequences: consequently, as a result, therefore
- Expressing contrast: in spite of, despite, although, even though, however, nevertheless, in contrast, on the contrary
So with this, you’ve mastered the 25 most commonly used phrases used in presentations and my three favorite tips.
Once you learn them, I think you’ll find them very useful to you in any presentation.
Become familiar with them and I promise you’ll feel much less nervous in your next presentation.
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How to Start a Presentation
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Video Length: 3:27
Updated on: 04/09/2021
Lesson Time: 1–2 hrs.
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Lesson Description
In this Business English lesson plan for adults, students watch a video and do a listening exercise about how to start a presentation. It includes discussion questions and conversation activities about presentations. Students learn some important vocabulary terms and phrases from the video. The post-viewing section includes activities on vocabulary context usage and choosing the tenses used in the video. The grammar activity features the usage of going to + [base verb]. There are additional speaking tasks included, as well as a quiz and review section.
Video Description
How to start a presentation is one of the most important things your presentation needs to have. Starting with a good, engaging story is a strong way to open your presentation and connect with your audience. This tip explains why the cliche sentence "Today I'm going to talk to you about..." should be avoided and different ways you can find inspiration for a good story to tell your audience.
Lesson Activities
Lesson Topics
Presentations, Business, Professional Skills, Career Skills
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How to Start a Successful Presentation in English even though your English is a bit rusty
One of the targets many people aim when learning English is to gather the abilities required in order to give a complete presentation in English. This is usually where students feel a lot of pressure, they need to use the new language properly and also organize and remember the ideas they want to convey usually during a pre-established tight period of time.
Today we are going to give you some useful tips for you to start a presentation in English the best way possible.
Get people’s attention
You have to capture audience’s attention from the very first moment. You can do this with your first line, but there are other ways just before you say your first line that can help you become the center of attraction in the room.
Here’s where you can be as creative as possible. These are some original ways to let your imagination fly and start your presentation in English:
- Start with a video Videos are a very powerful resource to call people’s attention. Try to find something interesting related to the topic your presentation is about and cause some impact from the very first moment.
- Use a quote You can quote someone recognized or famous who’s referring to the topic you’ll talk about. Talk a little bit about it or ask for people’s opinion.
- Tell a story This is very basic, just tell a short story in order to connect with the audience and why they should listen to what you are saying.
Memorize the first line of your presentation in English
It can be intimidating to give a presentation in English. Trying to memorize your whole presentation as written can make your speech clumsy and unnatural. Nevertheless, remembering the first line you’ll tell the audience is a great step for a strong start. Prepare a short and concise line, maybe introducing yourself (only if they don’t know you), greeting the audience or maybe with a question about the topic you are going to talk about.
Before your presentation, write different ways to tell that first line and read them aloud. Choose the 0ne you think is the best one, or maybe ask someone for a second opinion.
Convey ideas from the audience
This is a great opportunity to find your comfort zone within your audience. Don’t use too many question, but four or five questions you ask the audience in a 6-8 minutes presentation can give you a small break to organize your ideas. It can also help you remember something you’ve forgotten, or even help you controlling the pace.
You don’t have a clear idea about how to start your presentation in English? Well, do it with a question! Or even a joke!
Prepare yourself for your presentation in English
Don’t memorize your whole speech! Don’t even try. It’s way better if you highlight the most important parts of your presentation and write different ways to express the same idea. This won’t only help you seal the idea in your mind but also give you different ways to communicate it to the audience.
It’s important that you state the purpose of your presentation since the very beginning. You can gather around that point but don’t let yourself or the audience deviate too far from the main point.
As part of our online Business English course , you can get ready for your presentation efficiently. Send your slides to your teacher and rehearse intensively for a couple of weeks before the presentation. You will have no fear on the D-day, you’ll know the material, you won’t be scared to answer questions and you’ll be much more comfortable.
Key Vocabulary for a Presentation in English
Screen Slides Visual aids White board Data projector Body language Eye contact Handout Figures Chart
to start with … turning now to … For example, … Compared to last year … In conclusion … Finally …
- ← The Miracle of Online English Conversation Lessons
- First Certificate in English exam (FCE) – speaking test →
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IMAGES
VIDEO
COMMENTS
1. Introduce Yourself & Welcome Everyone · Hello, [name] here. I would like to thank you all for your time. As you may know, I [describe what you do/your job
Introduction · Good morning/afternoon everyone and welcome to my presentation. · Let me start by saying a few words about my own background. · As
Do you want to start your English presentation with impact and confidence? In this video, we provide essential tips and strategies for
Before you start with the slide presentation you organized, consider telling a short, relevant story, as it can help build rapport with the
It is polite to start with a warm welcome and to introduce yourself. Everyone in the audience will want to know who you are. Your introduction
How to Organize Your Introduction For a Presentation in English · Welcome the audience and introduce yourself · Engage and capture the audience's
The level of formality of your welcome address will also apply to how you introduce yourself. Customize it to match your audience. Let me
Contents · 1. Good morning/afternoon/evening, everyone. · 2. Welcome to [name of event]. · 3. First, let me introduce myself. I am [name] from [
In this Business English lesson plan for adults, students watch a video and do a listening exercise about how to start a presentation.
Get people's attention · Memorize the first line of your presentation in English · Convey ideas from the audience · Prepare yourself for your presentation in