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25 English Presentation Phrases to Impress Your Audience

Does giving a presentation make you feel a little nervous?

Well, you’re not alone.

According to Forbes , giving a presentation makes 80% of us feel nervous !

The good news is that feeling nervous might be a good thing. This feeling pushes us to prepare ourselves better, and as long as you’re well prepared, you’ll do just fine.

So then, let’s take a look at how we can  prepare ourselves to give amazing presentations in English . Today, we’re going to focus on the business English phrases you can count on (depend on) to make your presentation go more smoothly from start to finish.

But first, here are some tips to use when preparing for your presentation.

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Greeting Your Audience

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.

1. Good morning/afternoon/evening, everyone.

2. welcome to [name of event]..

Sample sentence: Welcome to our 3rd Annual Sales Leadership Conference.

3. First, let me introduce myself. I am [name] from [company].

Beginning your presentation.

After you have given an introduction, you are ready to begin speaking about your topic. Use these phrases to get started.

4. Let me start by giving you some background information.

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.

5. As you’re aware, …

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.

Transitioning to the Next Topic

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.

6. Let’s move on to…

Sample sentence: Let’s move on to our second sales strategy.

7. Turning our attention now to…

Sample sentence: Turning our attention now to the results of our 2016 customer survey.

Providing More Details

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.

8. I’d like to expand on…

Sample sentence: Now I’d like to expand on my point about increasing our market share.

9. Let me elaborate further.

Linking to another topic.

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.

10. As I said at the beginning, …

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.

11. This relates to what I was saying earlier…

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.

12. This ties in with…

Sample sentence: This ties in with the way we’ve been doing business for the past 20 years.

Emphasizing a Point

Use these phrases to draw attention to an important point that you want your audience to note.

13. The significance of this is…

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.

14. This is important because…

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.

15. We have to remember that …

Sample sentence: We have to remember that people are our most important resource.

Making Reference to Information

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.

16. Based on our findings, …

Sample sentence: Based on our findings, 74% of our market is made up of teenagers who find our clothing line stylish and upbeat.

17. According to our study, …

Sample sentence: According to our study, 63% of working people in this city go directly to the gym after work.

18. Our data shows …

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.

Explaining Visuals

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.

19. I’d like to illustrate this point by showing you…

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.

20. This chart shows a breakdown of …

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.

Restating Your Point

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.

21. In other words, …

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.

22. To put it simply, …

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.

23. What I mean to say is …

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.

Concluding Your Presentation

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.

24. In conclusion, let me sum up my main points.

As part of your closing statement, “sum up” (summarize, state briefly) your speech by mentioning the main points of your speech.

25. Thank you for your attention. Now I am happy to answer any questions you might have.

End your presentation by thanking your audience and offering to answer their questions.

The Top 3 Tips for Preparing Your Business Presentation in English

1. have a plan.

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.

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.

2. Use Visuals

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.

3. Structure Your Presentation Well

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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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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52 Phrases for Better Flowing English Presentations

/ Steven Hobson / Business English , English Presentations , Vocabulary

Do you give English presentations at work, but feel that you could communicate your message in a more objective, fluid way?

Maybe you have an English presentation coming up and want to make sure that your speech is clear and structured so that your audience doesn’t lose concentration and stays with you all the way to the end.

A technique that can help you achieve objective, clear, and structured English presentations, is to use linking phrases that join the separate parts of your presentation together.

English presentations normally consist of an introduction, the main body, individual parts of the main body, and the ending or conclusion.

To help maintain your audience’s attention, you need to signal when you are going from one part to another.

In this article, I teach you 52 phrases that do exactly this – linking the different parts together, and therefore, making your presentation flow better. You’ll find that these phrases will act as ‘signposts’ for the audience when you finish one part and start another.

52 Phrases to Improve the Flow of Your English Presentations

The introduction.

All good presentations start with a strong introduction.

There are a number of different ways you can begin your English presentation. Here’s a simple, but effective introduction structure which works for most types of business presentations:

Introduce – Introduce yourself and greet your audience. Introduce the presentation topic – Explain the reasons for listening. Outline – Describe the main parts of the presentation. Question policy – Make it clear to your audience when they can ask questions: during or at the end?

Here are some phrases which you can use to structure the introduction in this way:

1. Good morning/afternoon (everyone) (ladies and gentlemen). 2. It’s a pleasure to welcome (the President) here. 3. I’m … (the Director of …)

Introduce the presentation topic

4. By the end of the talk/presentation/session, you’ll know how to… / …you will have learned about… / 5. I plan to say a few words about… 6. I’m going to talk about… 7. The subject of my talk is…

8. My talk will be in (three parts). 9. In the first part… 10. Then in the second part… 11. Finally, I’ll go on to talk about…

Question Policy

12. Please interrupt if you have any questions. 13. After my talk, there will be time for a discussion and any questions.

 Main Body

Now that you have finished the introduction, we now need to transition to the main body, and its individual parts in a smooth way.

There are three parts of the main body of a presentation where linking phrases can be used:

Beginning the Main Body Ending Parts within the Main Body Beginning a New Part

Here are some phrases which you can use for these parts:

Beginning the Main Body

14. Now let’s move to / turn to the first part of my talk which is about… 15. So, first… 16. To begin with…

Ending Parts within the Main Body

17. That completes/concludes… 18. That’s all (I want to say for now) on… 19. Ok, I’ve explained how…

Beginning a New Part

20. Let’s move to (the next part which is)… 21. So now we come to the next point, which is… 22. Now I want to describe… 23. Let’s turn to the next issue… 24. I’d now like to change direction and talk about…

Listing and Sequencing

If you need to talk about goals, challenges, and strategies in your English presentation, listing phrases can help link these together and improve the flow of your speech. If you have to explain processes, sequencing phrases are helpful:

25. There are three things to consider. First… Second… Third… 26. There are two kinds of… The first is… The second is… 27. We can see four advantages and two disadvantages. First, advantages… 28. One is… Another is… A third advantage is… Finally…

29. There are (four) different stages to the process. 30. First / then / next / after that / then (x) / after x there’s y. 31. There are two steps involved. The first step is… The second step is… 32. There are four stages to the project. 33. At the beginning, later, then, finally… 34. I’ll describe the development of the idea. First the background, then the present situation, and then the prospect for the future.

After you have presented the main body of your English presentation, you will want to end it smoothly.

Here are typical sections transitioning from the main body to the ending of the presentation, and then inviting the audience to ask questions:

Ending the Main Body Beginning the Summary and/or Conclusion Concluding An Ending Phrase Inviting Questions and/or Introducing Discussion Thanking the Audience

Ending the Main Body

35. Okay, that ends (the third part of) my talk. 36. That’s all I want to say for now on (the 2017 results).

Beginning the Summary and/or Conclusion

37. To sum up… 38. Ok, in brief, there are several advantages and disadvantages. 39. To conclude… 40. I’d like to end by emphasizing the main points. 41. I’d like to end with a summary of the main points.

42. I think we have seen that we should… 43. In my opinion, we should… 44. I recommend/suggest that we… 45. There are three reasons why I recommend this. First, … / Second, … / Finally,…

An Ending Phrase

46. Well, I’ve covered the points that I needed to present today. 47. That sums up (my description of the new model). 48. That concludes my talk for today.

Inviting Questions and/or Introducing Discussion

49. Now we have (half an hour) for questions and discussion. 50. So, now I’d be very interested to hear your comments.

Thanking the Audience

51. I’d like to thank you for listening to my presentation. 52. Thank you for listening / your attention. / Many thanks for coming.

Linking phrases are like the skeleton which holds your presentation together.

Not only do they improve the flow and help guide the audience, but by memorizing them they can also help you remember the general structure of your presentation, giving you increased confidence.

To help you memorize, I recommend saying the linking phrases on their own from the beginning to the end of your presentation while you practice.

I also suggest memorizing the introduction word for word. By doing this, you will get off to a great start, which will settle your nerves and transmit a positive first impression.

Author: Steven Hobson

Steven is a business English coach, a certified life coach, writer, and entrepreneur. He helps international professionals build confidence and improve fluency speaking English in a business environment.

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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...! 

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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’ 

Related blog posts 

• Business English Work and Careers: 50 words you need to know
• Email writing: how to start and end an email in English  
• 5 Tips for Polite and Diplomatic Language  

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Posted: 13 February 2020

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How to give a good presentation in English

Updated November 10, 2022

For many people, giving an oral presentation is extremely nerve-racking, but the task becomes even more daunting if you are doing the presentation in English, as a non-native speaker. After all, while you may be able to communicate in everyday situations, public speaking is a different prospect entirely. Nevertheless, learning to give excellent presentations in English can be extremely beneficial, especially when you consider that  English is the international language of business , and practice makes perfect. To make the task slightly easier, we have compiled some top tips for delivering excellent presentations in the  English language , so that you can impress your employers, deliver a great sales pitch to clients, present important findings to your team, or get that excellent grade for oral presentation at school or university.

Our top tips to give an excellent presentation in English

Top 5 presentation tips, useful vocabulary to use in presentations, learn languages at your pace, think about your delivery.

Although what you say is important, the secret to delivering a great speech lies in the way you say things. In particular, when delivering a presentation in English, you should focus on speaking clearly and at a steady pace, so that your audience can understand you easily.

During a presentation , your nerves may get the better of you, causing you to speed up. However, this can make your speech far less clear, so it is important to practice pacing. You should also feel free to take the occasional pause to catch your breath, gather your thoughts, or have a drink of water; especially before introducing a new idea.

Furthermore, you must avoid speaking in a monotone voice, which can make a presentation seem dull and boring, regardless of the content. When rehearsing your speech, focus on placing emphasis on keywords and changing tone depending on what you are saying. If in doubt, watch videos of great speeches and pay attention to  how  they speak.

• Introduce yourself and establish the topic(s) you are going to discuss. Before you begin, people will want to know who you are and why they should listen to what you have to say, while pinpointing exactly what you are going to discuss can help to establish realistic expectations amongst the audience.
• Provide an overview of the presentation.   During this phase, you might want to briefly explain the format of your presentation and some of the key points. You may even wish to state some of your conclusions, which you can then expand upon throughout the remainder of the speech.
• Make sure you acknowledge when you are changing topics.   If you are giving a presentation that lasts more than a few minutes, it is inevitable that some people will tune out at certain parts, because people have short attention spans. Marking a shift in topics is a great way to ‘win back’ those who have tuned out.
• Establish early that you will take questions at the end.   Giving a presentation is difficult enough, without constant interruptions. At the same time, people may have valid questions about your presentation and the facts contained within it. State early on that you will answer questions after you have finished.
• Practice your presentation frequently.   Even native speakers will practice giving an important speech ahead of time. One tip is to give your speech in front of a mirror, so you can practice making gestures at the right time. Try to get through your entire speech without using too many filler words like ‘erm’ and ‘ahh’.

Introductory phrases:

The beginning of your presentation is one of the most important parts, because it sets the tone for what is to come. During your introduction, you will likely need to explain who you are, what your position is and what you are going to be discussing. The following may be helpful as introductory phrases:

“Hello everyone, my name is…” “Good morning/afternoon/evening, my name is… and I am a…” “Welcome everybody. Today I am going to talk about…”

Changing focus:

During your presentation, there may be times where you need to shift the focus, in order to make all of the points you wish to make. Drawing attention to any changes of focus can serve to give your presentation a clearer structure and can also help to keep the attention of listeners. Some examples of phrases you might use include:

“I would like to shift focus now to…” “Next, we need to consider…” “This leads me to my next point…”

Drawing attention to the slides:

In many cases, your presentation will include visual aids, such as slides on a screen, or handouts. The inclusion of visuals can help to back up the points you are making, while also making the presentation more interesting or exciting. To introduce your slides or other visual aids, you may find the following phrases helpful:

“If I could draw your attention to…” “This chart/graph/table illustrates…” “If you look up at the screen…” “I would like to show you this…” “On your handout, you may see…”

Summarising a presentation:

At the end of a presentation, it is important to summarise the main points you have made, so that you can remind listeners of what has been said. This is a chance to point out which parts of the presentation you think are especially important, and ensure everybody leaves with the key pieces of information. Useful phrases include:

“To summarise…” “In conclusion…” “I would like to recap…” “To sum up what has been said…” “So, we have covered…”

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The Presentation

Most presentations are divided into 3 main parts (+ questions):

As a general rule in communication, repetition is valuable. In presentations, there is a golden rule about repetition:

• Say what you are going to say...
• then say what you have just said.

In other words, use the three parts of your presentation to reinforce your message. In the introduction, you tell your audience what your message is going to be. In the body, you tell your audience your real message. In the conclusion, you summarize what your message was.

We will now consider each of these parts in more detail.

Introduction

The introduction is a very important - perhaps the most important - part of your presentation. This is the first impression that your audience have of you. You should concentrate on getting your introduction right. You should use the introduction to:

• welcome your audience
• introduce your subject
• outline the structure of your presentation
• give instructions about questions

The following table shows examples of language for each of these functions. You may need to modify the language as appropriate.

The body is the 'real' presentation. If the introduction was well prepared and delivered, you will now be 'in control'. You will be relaxed and confident.

The body should be well structured, divided up logically, with plenty of carefully spaced visuals.

Remember these key points while delivering the body of your presentation:

• do not hurry
• be enthusiastic
• give time on visuals
• maintain eye contact
• modulate your voice
• look friendly
• keep to your structure
• use your notes
• signpost throughout
• remain polite when dealing with difficult questions

Use the conclusion to:

• (Give recommendations if appropriate)
• Thank your audience
• Invite questions

Questions are a good opportunity for you to interact with your audience. It may be helpful for you to try to predict what questions will be asked so that you can prepare your response in advance. You may wish to accept questions at any time during your presentation, or to keep a time for questions after your presentation. Normally, it's your decision, and you should make it clear during the introduction. Be polite with all questioners, even if they ask difficult questions. They are showing interest in what you have to say and they deserve attention. Sometimes you can reformulate a question. Or answer the question with another question. Or even ask for comment from the rest of the audience.

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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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10 Tips for Improving Your Public Speaking Skills

Few are immune to the fear of public speaking. Marjorie North offers 10 tips for speakers to calm the nerves and deliverable memorable orations.

Marjorie North

Snakes? Fine. Flying? No problem. Public speaking? Yikes! Just thinking about public speaking—routinely described as one of the greatest (and most common) fears—can make your palms sweat. But there are many ways to tackle this anxiety and learn to deliver a memorable speech.

In part one of this series,  Mastering the Basics of Communication , I shared strategies to improve how you communicate. In part two, How to Communicate More Effectively in the Workplace , I examined how to apply these techniques as you interact with colleagues and supervisors in the workplace. For the third and final part of this series, I’m providing you with public speaking tips that will help reduce your anxiety, dispel myths, and improve your performance.

Here Are My 10 Tips for Public Speaking:

1. nervousness is normal. practice and prepare.

All people feel some physiological reactions like pounding hearts and trembling hands. Do not associate these feelings with the sense that you will perform poorly or make a fool of yourself. Some nerves are good. The adrenaline rush that makes you sweat also makes you more alert and ready to give your best performance.

The best way to overcome anxiety is to prepare, prepare, and prepare some more. Take the time to go over your notes several times. Once you have become comfortable with the material, practice—a lot. Videotape yourself, or get a friend to critique your performance.

Communication Strategies: Presenting with Impact

Search all Communication programs.

2. Know Your Audience. Your Speech Is About Them, Not You.

Before you begin to craft your message, consider who the message is intended for. Learn as much about your listeners as you can. This will help you determine your choice of words, level of information, organization pattern, and motivational statement.

3. Organize Your Material in the Most Effective Manner to Attain Your Purpose.

Create the framework for your speech. Write down the topic, general purpose, specific purpose, central idea, and main points. Make sure to grab the audience’s attention in the first 30 seconds.

4. Watch for Feedback and Adapt to It.

Keep the focus on the audience. Gauge their reactions, adjust your message, and stay flexible. Delivering a canned speech will guarantee that you lose the attention of or confuse even the most devoted listeners.

5. Let Your Personality Come Through.

Be yourself, don’t become a talking head—in any type of communication. You will establish better credibility if your personality shines through, and your audience will trust what you have to say if they can see you as a real person.

6. Use Humor, Tell Stories, and Use Effective Language.

Inject a funny anecdote in your presentation, and you will certainly grab your audience’s attention. Audiences generally like a personal touch in a speech. A story can provide that.

7. Don’t Read Unless You Have to. Work from an Outline.

Reading from a script or slide fractures the interpersonal connection. By maintaining eye contact with the audience, you keep the focus on yourself and your message. A brief outline can serve to jog your memory and keep you on task.

8. Use Your Voice and Hands Effectively. Omit Nervous Gestures.

Nonverbal communication carries most of the message. Good delivery does not call attention to itself, but instead conveys the speaker’s ideas clearly and without distraction.

9. Grab Attention at the Beginning, and Close with a Dynamic End.

Do you enjoy hearing a speech start with “Today I’m going to talk to you about X”? Most people don’t. Instead, use a startling statistic, an interesting anecdote, or concise quotation. Conclude your speech with a summary and a strong statement that your audience is sure to remember.

10. Use Audiovisual Aids Wisely.

Too many can break the direct connection to the audience, so use them sparingly. They should enhance or clarify your content, or capture and maintain your audience’s attention.

Practice Does Not Make Perfect

Good communication is never perfect, and nobody expects you to be perfect. However, putting in the requisite time to prepare will help you deliver a better speech. You may not be able to shake your nerves entirely, but you can learn to minimize them.

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About the Author

North is a consultant for political candidates, physicians, and lawyers, and runs a private practice specializing in public speaking, and executive communication skills. Previously, she was the clinical director in the department of speech and language pathology and audiology at Northeastern University.

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3 Tips for Presenting in English When You’re Not a Native Speaker

• Deborah Grayson Riegel

Spend most of your time practicing, not perfecting your slides.

Many leaders quickly lose their confidence and competence when making business presentations. For a subset of them — those who need to present in English when it isn’t their native language — the stakes and the stress can feel even higher. Meanwhile, the need for leaders to be able to present in English is required for global collaboration. There are several strategies nonnative English speakers can employ to help them feel more confident before, during, and after a presentation. Rehearsal and repetition are crucial steps. The goal here is “overlearning” your presentation. This will help your presentation to become embedded in your long-term memory and therefore less susceptible to the effects of stress. It will also help you speak spontaneously, if you can trust that your core content is safely stored (and able to be retrieved) from your long-term memory. Don’t agonize about your accent, but do slow your speaking speed. And pause early and often, which serves two benefits – first, to help your audience comprehend your message, and second, to give you a break.

As a coach and international business school instructor, I have worked with hundreds of current and future leaders who are accomplished, bright, and capable — and who quickly lose their confidence and competence when making business presentations. For a subset of these leaders — those who need to present in English when it isn’t their native language — the stakes and the stress can feel even higher. Meanwhile, the need for leaders to be able to present in English is growing at a rapid pace. According to Harvard Business School Associate Professor Tsedal Neely , author of The Language of Global Success , “English is required for global collaboration and global work.”

Nevertheless, being compelled to speak in your nonnative language can lead to feelings of frustration, pressure, and insecurity. As Neely reports, “When nonnative speakers are forced to communicate in English, they can feel that their worth to the company has been diminished, regardless of their fluency level.” Add to that the burden of making formal business presentations in front of superiors, decision-makers, and key stakeholders in your nonnative language, and the anxiety is significantly greater.

While researching our book, Tips of the Tongue: The Nonnative English Speaker’s Guide to Mastering Public Speaking , my co-author Dr. Ellen Dowling and I interviewed many leaders in this situation, and asked them to share their experiences.

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One leader whose primary and secondary languages are Hebrew and Spanish, but who presents primarily in English, admitted that she felt “self-conscious” about her “weird and funny accent” that seemed to get heavier the more nervous she felt. She also shared that she felt less capable of spontaneity — and less smart — when she presented in English. A Chinese leader shared, “When I can’t find the word I need, I grasp the easiest word instead. So a disaster would be like saying ‘you guys’ at a formal conference.” And a Korean leader was even more concerned: “I think one will be good at delivering what they’ve prepared, but if the presentation goes beyond this scope, the situation can turn your brain to mush, and it becomes a disaster.”

Of course, even native English speakers often anticipate disaster when making presentations (including those of us who have been public speakers for decades). But for nonnative speakers, the anticipatory and situational anxiety associated with their unique challenges — being understandable, choosing the right words, speaking spontaneously — can be overwhelming. Moreover, if these concerns interfere with your willingness or ability to make business presentations, the impact can be career limiting.

Here are three strategies nonnative English speakers can employ to help them feel more confident before, during, and after a presentation:

Spend significantly more time practicing your delivery than perfecting your deck. When we asked our clients to share with us the proportion of time spent planning, designing, and perfecting their PowerPoint slides compared to practicing speaking the presentation aloud, most of them admitted that they spent almost no time doing the latter . While this is often a problem for native speakers too, for nonnative English speakers, rehearsal and repetition are especially crucial steps in preparing for a successful presentation. The goal here is “overlearning” your presentation — pushing on with practice even when it seems like you’ve done enough. This will help your presentation to become embedded in your long-term memory and therefore less susceptible to the effects of stress. It will also help you speak spontaneously, if you can trust that your core content is safely stored (and able to be retrieved) from your long-term memory.

Don’t agonize about your accent, but do slow your speaking speed. Everyone has an accent of some sort, including native English speakers. (I’m a native New Yorker, and our accent is infamous worldwide.) Even people who live in different parts of one country can be identified by their accents. Your accent can be a problem for your listeners, however, if they have difficulty understanding you. An unfamiliar accent is particularly problematic in the first minute or two of your presentation when your audience must initially strain to understand you. According to their research in Frontiers in Human Neuroscience , authors Kristin J. Van Engen and Jonathan E. Peelle say that audiences who are listening to accented speech  of  any  kind  experience “reductions  in intelligibility, comprehensibility, and   processing speed — the same effects caused by hearing loss or background noise.” By slowing down your speaking pace, you help your audience to better manage the barriers to really hearing and understanding you. Choose your opening words deliberately and pronounce them carefully, being sure to articulate your words, not just rush through them. As your presentation continues, the problem becomes less acute as the audience will slowly develop an ear for your accent and find it easier to understand what you are saying.

Pause early and often. Pausing in your presentation serves two benefits — first, to help your audience comprehend your message, and second, to give you a break. Van Engen and Peelle found that understanding accented speech requires listeners to draw on additional cognitive resources, not only to understand and remember what has been said but also to manage other information or tasks while listening to accented speech. When you pause, you give your listeners an opportunity to rest from drawing upon their cognitive resources, and to absorb what you’re saying. But your pause is also an opportunity for you — you get to remember or consider what you want to say next, check your notes, read cues from the audience, or even take a sip of water. You can also use a pause to build rapport with your audience by checking with them about your pace and pronunciation by saying something like, “Let me  pause  for  a  moment here. I know that I am making complete sense to myself in [Spanish/French/Japanese/Hindi/your native language]. How am I doing in English?” Not only will you likely get some immediate positive and supportive feedback from your audience, but you will also be able to take a break, breathe, and gather your thoughts.

For both native and nonnative English speakers, perfection is overrated. But with some extra attention, effort, and commitment, nonnative English speakers can present with confidence, competence, and cultural comfort.

• Deborah Grayson Riegel is a professional speaker and facilitator, as well as a communication and presentation skills coach. She teaches leadership communication at Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business and has taught for Wharton Business School, Columbia Business School’s Women in Leadership Program, and Peking University’s International MBA Program. She is the author of Overcoming Overthinking: 36 Ways to Tame Anxiety for Work, School, and Life and the best-selling Go To Help: 31 Strategies to Offer, Ask for, and Accept Help .

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Tips for Effective Presentations

• Connect with your audience. Interact with your listeners and make them feel as if they are a part of the conversation. A passionate speaker is sure to attract an audience.
• Concentrate on your central message. Focus on the message you want to relay to your audience by providing key points.
• Use visuals. Providing supporting visuals will allow your audience to further understand your message. You can use images, charts, graphs, and the like.
• Maintain eye contact. Eye contact is essential for face-to-face communication. This is sure to attract attentive listeners.
• Start out strongly. For any speech, such as a valedictorian speech , you’ll want to give a good first impression. A few minutes into your speech, you should be able to build a strong connection with your audience.
• Tell stories. Creating mental scenarios for your audience will help them pay attention. This speech in pdf will allow them to understand the point of your presentation and the morals that must be remembered.
• Move around. If possible, do not limit yourself to one position. Walk around and use hand gestures to emphasize your points. Allow your listeners to feel your passion for the subject.
• Come prepared. Have your materials ready and be sure to practice beforehand. You don’t want to be left stuttering during your presentation. This will only make your audience doubt your credibility.

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• Speaking exams
• Typical speaking tasks

Oral presentation

Giving an oral presentation as part of a speaking exam can be quite scary, but we're here to help you. Watch two students giving presentations and then read the tips carefully. Which tips do they follow? Which ones don’t they follow?

Instructions

Watch the video of two students doing an oral presentation as part of a speaking exam. Then read the tips below.

Melissa: Hi, everyone! Today I would like to talk about how to become the most popular teen in school.

Firstly, I think getting good academic results is the first factor to make you become popular since, having a good academic result, your teacher will award you in front of your schoolmates. Then, your schoolmates will know who you are and maybe they would like to get to know you because they want to learn something good from you.

Secondly, I think participating in school clubs and student unions can help to make you become popular, since after participating in these school clubs or student union, people will know who you are and it can help you to make friends all around the school, no matter senior forms or junior forms.

In conclusion, I think to become the most popular teen in school we need to have good academic results and also participate in school clubs and student union. Thank you!

Kelvin: Good evening, everyone! So, today I want to talk about whether the sale of cigarettes should be made illegal.

As we all know, cigarettes are not good for our health, not only oneself but also other people around. Moreover, many people die of lung cancer every year because of smoking cigarettes.

But, should the government make it illegal? I don’t think so, because Hong Kong is a place where people can enjoy lots of freedom and if the government banned the sale of cigarettes, many people would disagree with this and stand up to fight for their freedom.

Moreover, Hong Kong is a free market. If there's such a huge government intervention, I think it’s not good for Hong Kong’s economy.

So, if the government wants people to stop smoking cigarettes, what should it do? I think the government can use other administrative ways to do so, for example education and increasing the tax on cigarettes. Also, the government can ban the smokers smoking in public areas. So, this is the end of my presentation. Thank you.

It’s not easy to give a good oral presentation but these tips will help you. Here are our top tips for oral presentations.

• Use the planning time to prepare what you’re going to say. 
• If you are allowed to have a note card, write short notes in point form.
• Use more formal language.
• Use short, simple sentences to express your ideas clearly.
• Pause from time to time and don’t speak too quickly. This allows the listener to understand your ideas. Include a short pause after each idea.
• Speak clearly and at the right volume.
• Have your notes ready in case you forget anything.
• Practise your presentation. If possible record yourself and listen to your presentation. If you can’t record yourself, ask a friend to listen to you. Does your friend understand you?
• Make your opinions very clear. Use expressions to give your opinion .
• Look at the people who are listening to you.
• Write out the whole presentation and learn every word by heart. 
• Write out the whole presentation and read it aloud.
• Use very informal language.
• Only look at your note card. It’s important to look up at your listeners when you are speaking.

Useful language for presentations

Explain what your presentation is about at the beginning:

I’m going to talk about ... I’d like to talk about ... The main focus of this presentation is ...

Use these expressions to order your ideas:

First of all, ... Firstly, ... Then, ... Secondly, ... Next, ... Finally, ... Lastly, ... To sum up, ... In conclusion, ...

Use these expressions to add more ideas from the same point of view:

In addition, ... What’s more, ... Also, ... Added to this, ...

To introduce the opposite point of view you can use these words and expressions:

However, ... On the other hand, ... Then again, ...

Example presentation topics

• Violent computer games should be banned.
• The sale of cigarettes should be made illegal.
• Homework should be limited to just two nights a week.
• Should school students be required to wear a school uniform?
• How to become the most popular teen in school.
• Dogs should be banned from cities.

Check your language: ordering - parts of a presentation

Check your understanding: grouping - useful phrases, worksheets and downloads.

Do you think these tips will help you in your next speaking exam? Remember to tell us how well you do in future speaking exams!  

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How to Start a Presentation [+ Examples]

Published: September 13, 2023

The first step in mastering the art of delivering powerful presentations is understanding how to start a presentation properly.

In this post, you'll discover strategies for crafting a solid presentation opening, designing an impactful opening slide, and delivering a memorable presentation.

Table of Contents

Why Your Presentation Opening Matters

How to start a presentation, opening slide examples, best practices for starting a presentation.

The opening of your presentation sets the tone for your entire session.

Within the first few minutes, most of your audience will decide whether they find your expertise, experience, and topic compelling enough to warrant their attention.

Think of it this way: Your opening is a preview of your presentation like a trailer is a preview of a movie. If the five-minute trailer isn’t engaging or impactful, why should the audience bother sitting through the half-hour movie?

Your opening shapes the expectations of your audience and entices them to stay engaged throughout the session.

And although you’ll still need to work to maintain their attention, getting it right from the start will spare you the challenge of re-engaging a disinterested audience right from the beginning of your presentation.

This opening statement is powerful because rather than lead with his “credentials” or “accolades,” as the audience most likely expects, he defies that expectation.

He creates a sense of intrigue that instantly piques the audience's curiosity and compels them to pay closer attention.

Infuse humor.

In Tom Thum's TedTalk titled Beatbox Brilliance , he sets a lighthearted tone by stepping on stage wearing oversized sunglasses and declaring, “My name is Tom, and I've come here today to come clean about what I do for money.”

As you might expect, this humorous approach not only elicits laughter but also surprises the audience, who are intrigued and pleasantly surprised at the tone he sets for the presentation.

Ask a question.

Graham Shaw's presentation titled “ Why people believe they can’t draw - and how to prove they can ” begins with, “Hi, I've got a question for you - how many people here would say they can draw?”

Seeing as this is a relatively lighthearted question that’s simple to answer, the audience responds immediately.

Now, what makes this a powerful opening technique is that Graham then goes on to say:

“When people say they can’t draw, I think it's more to do with beliefs rather than talent and ability. When you say you can’t draw, that’s just an illusion, and today I’d like to prove that to you.”

By immediately challenging a widely held belief among the audience and promising to debunk it during the presentation, he employs a powerful technique that keeps the audience fully engaged.

This approach makes the audience feel “invested” in the outcome of the presentation and curious as to whether he can back up his claim.

2. Tell your audience why they should be listening to you.

Getting your audience’s attention is just one part of the equation. Once you have it, you must also explain why they should “keep” listening to you. Here are some ways to do this:

Highlight relevant personal experience.

In Phil Waknell’s opening section, he talks about how he’s spent the last ten years helping conference speakers, business leaders, and entrepreneurs prepare and deliver powerful presentations .

This immediately signals to the audience that he’s someone worth listening to and positions him as a credible source of insights based on the wealth of experience he has gathered.

Highlight your expertise.

During the opening section of Dr. Lara Boyd’s presentation titled “ After watching this, your brain will not be the same ,” she says, “I’m Dr. Lara Boyd, and I’m a brain researcher here at the University of British Columbia.”

Sharing her credentials as a brain researcher is crucial to gaining her audience's trust — especially considering the technicality of her topic.

But even while creating presentations outside fields like brain research, sharing qualifications and credentials in your opening section can be a powerful technique.

This helps you position yourself as a credible authority and reinforcing your audience's confidence in your ability to deliver valuable information.

Tell your audience what’s in it for them.

In Mel Robbins’ opening section for her presentation titled “ How to stop screwing yourself over ,” she ends her introduction by saying:

“I’m here for you. I’m going to tell you everything I know in less than 18 minutes about how to get what you want.”

Although she started the section by highlighting her experiences and expertise, she went further by explicitly stating the benefits her audience can expect from her presentation.

Doing this is a great way to create a compelling reason for your audience to invest their time and attention and emphasize the value of the presentation you’re about to deliver.

3. Introduce your topic.

If your topic is relatively simple to grasp or your audience is particularly knowledgeable, introducing your topic can be as easy as “Today, I’m going to be talking to you about how we’ve built a six-figure software company in 6 months.”

However, if your topic is more complex or unfamiliar to the audience, you must do a bit more heavy lifting in your opening section.

For example, Sam Bern’s “ My philosophy for a happy life ” presentation discusses how he lives a happy life despite having Progeria disease.

However, because this condition might be unfamiliar to some audience members, he takes some time in his opening section to talk about the illness before delving into the meat of his presentation.

Similarly, if you’re presenting on a complex topic or to an audience that isn’t knowledgeable, it’s essential to consider this when crafting your opening section.

4. Leverage storytelling.

Stories can create immersive experiences that captivate the audience and convey a core message.

For example, in the opening section of Sam Bern's presentation, he tells a story about his struggles while trying to achieve his goal of becoming a drummer in his school marching band, despite living with Progeria disease.

This sets the tone for his entire presentation by conveying an inspiring message of fighting against and succeeding despite the odds.

Another great example is the opening section of Josh Kaufman’s presentation, titled “ The First 20 Hours — how to learn anything ,” where he tells a story about his experience as a time-strapped first-time parent.

This story enhances the presentation as Josh eventually shares that this experience triggered his interest in studying how to become an efficient learner.

Finally, Amy Morins’s presentation “ The Secret of Becoming Mentally Strong ” is another excellent example of leveraging storytelling.

Amy starts her presentation with a thought-provoking story about observing a Facebook friend's seemingly perfect life.

She then highlights how such comparisons can lead to negative thought patterns and emphasizes the importance of cultivating mental resilience.

This relatable story not only resonates with her audience but also sets the stage for her message on building inner strength.

All these presentations are great examples that highlight how incorporating story-telling in your openings can be a powerful tool for creating memorable and impactful presentations.

Your presentation slides play a crucial role in determining the impact and effectiveness of your presentation.

In this section, you’ll find examples of 8 powerful opening slides across various use cases that not just support but enhance the presentation openings:

1. “ Blackboard is Getting an Upgrade ”

Although these are very different methods of injecting humor at the start of a presentation, they show how infusing humor can be a powerful tool for adding a touch of personality and creating a more enjoyable presentation for the audience.

4. Keep it short and sweet.

While it's important not to rush through the start of your presentation, keeping your opening concise is equally important. But remember, concise does not mean sacrificing substance; it simply means delivering information efficiently.

Essentially, you want an opening section that allows you to create a solid initial impression without losing the audience's interest.

So, how long should this opening secretion be?

Most successful presentation openings are under three minutes, and many are shorter, often clocking in at under one minute.

5. Embrace authenticity.

Contrary to popular belief, there isn't a specific personality that makes someone a better presenter. In fact, the most impactful presentations have been delivered by individuals with diverse characters.

Take, for instance, the contrasting styles of Tom Thum’s irreverent humor and animated mannerisms and Sam Bern, who adopts a relaxed and conversational approach. Despite their differences, both speakers have garnered millions of views for their talks.

So, rather than emulating or mimicking their presentations, the key takeaway is to embrace authenticity.

Allow your personality to shine through, lean on your strengths, and be human in your delivery.

Mastering the Art of Captivating Presentations

Starting a presentation is a skill that is as much an art as it is a science. Thankfully, it is also a skill that can be learned and honed.

By implementing the strategies in this guide and refining them through experience, you’ll become a master at delivering impactful presentations that command attention and leave a lasting impression.

All from the moment you step onto the stage.

Don't forget to share this post!

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How to Give the PERFECT Presentation in English

If you are new here please read this first.

If I had to name The KEY to your success in giving a presentation, it would be PREPARATION and PRACTICE.

If you think about it, it’s not really a rocket science – you have to prepare slides for the presentation and that’s half of the job already done!

Yes, it’s the actual slides that make up the main part of the presentation and in theory you could give a decent presentation just by switching between the slides and describing what you see in them!

Therefore it would seem to follow that all you have to do to ensure successful performance during a presentation is to prepare the slideshow in a way that enables you to more or less read all the information off the screen, right?

Well, slide preparation is obviously crucial in order to give a presentation, there’s no doubt about that!

I mean – preparing the slides and presenting all the information to the audience is what makes the presentation a presentation.

For those unaware – if you’re just standing in front of people talking about a specific subject, it’s called a SPEECH.

Adding some visual clues to your speech makes it a PRESENTATION – at least in my opinion.

In reality, to engage the audience and make the presentation flow nicely, reading information off the slides just doesn’t cut it:

• You have to know how to address the audience.
• You have to use the best means of expression to comment on the slides.
• And you also have to use the proper English phrases to stress the main points and draw conclusions during the presentation!

That’s exactly where English presentation phrases step in , so without further ado let me give you the very cream of the crop!

Presentation Opening Statements

I’d like to take this opportunity – this is a typical phrase you can use to thank everyone for attending the presentation: “Hello everyone, my name is such and such, and I’d like to take this opportunity to thank you all for coming along!”

I’m honored to be here – this is how you express your gratitude for being invited to give the presentation.

Having been given this opportunity to – this is another handy phrase to use when expressing gratitude during the opening statement of the presentation: “I’m really thankful for having been given this opportunity to speak in front of such a large audience!”

Without further ado – this may be an overused phrase, but it doesn’t make it less useful! Basically you can use it whenever you’re ready to proceed to the next stage of the presentation: “So, without further ado, let me introduce the main concepts I’m going to cover in this presentation!”

Providing an Overview of the Presentation

I’m going to address – when you’re announcing the topic of your presentation, this English phrase comes in very handy: “In this presentation I’m going to address the rise and fall of the Roman Empire.”

Give you a quick rundown – “rundown” is a synonym for “summary”: “Now I’m going to give you a quick rundown of the various companies I’m going to mention during this presentation.”

I’ll walk you through – here’s an example of how this phrase can be used: “… and then I’ll walk you through the different stages of a product lifecycle.”

Here are the main points we’re going to cover – this is a really practical phrase you can use in your presentation to list all the main points.

And finally, I’ll wrap up this presentation by looking at – here’s how you specify what you’ll do at the very end of the presentation: “And finally, I’ll wrap up this presentation by looking at how the new budget is going to affect the ordinary working class people.”

How to Mention Specific Facts and Present Data

…to paint a clearer picture for you! – this English idiomatic expression means “to make it clearer for you” and is perfect during presentations: “So, in order to paint a clearer picture for you, let me bring up this slide where you can see…”

This is a classic example of – when presenting specific facts, you can use this phrase to stress that the subject in question is a typical representation of the issue at hand: “Please have a closer look at this specimen – it’s a classic example of a mutated fish which is a direct result of waste water contamination!”

The most pressing issue – it simply means the most important issue.

Many studies have shown that – this is how you introduce some facts you don’t have a specific reference for, but you know them to be true: “Many studies with lab rats have shown that consuming genetically modified food increases the incidence of certain types of cancer.”

So, where were we? – if there’s been a short interruption during the presentation, this is how you resume it: “All right, so, where we? If I’m not mistaken, we were looking at the current euro currency rate…”

Ranging from … to – this is how you describe a range of objects: “As we already know, our competitors offer all kinds of children’s clothing ranging from shoes to school uniforms, so the best option for us is to specialize in a specific line of children’s clothing.”

More detailed information on it – if you have to tell your audience where they can find more information on a particular topic, this is the sentence to use: “… and you can find more detailed information on last year’s fiscal policy by visiting this website…”

Anything below (above)… is considered to be – this English presentation phrase helps you describe values below or above a certain threshold: “… and anything below 7 is considered to be a poor performance figure.”

Another important factor to consider – this phrase helps you to move on to the next point in the presentation: “Another important factor to consider when looking at the sales figures is the stock levels, so let me bring up this slide where you can see…”

Which brings us to the next point – this phrase is ideal in a situation when you have to make a transition from the previous point to the next one: “When dealing with crime, high conviction rate alone isn’t going to solve the problem, we have to look at how to avoid ex-convicts re-offending again, which brings us to the next point – rehabilitation.”

Currently stands at – do you have to present a specific figure during your presentation? This is the perfect way of doing it: “As you can see in the chart, the unemployment rate currently stands at 6% which is a 10-year low.”

Current estimate is around – when presenting estimates, this is a very handy phrase to use: “Speaking of last month’s turnover, the current estimate is around 70 thousand dollars, but we have to wait on the accountant’s report to get the exact figure.”

Speaking in purely … terms – a perfect phrase introducing a statement where you’re going to use industry-specific language: “Speaking in purely technical terms, the current average downtime is acceptable, so I don’t think this particular incident requires special attention.”

To put it in perspective – this English phrase is handy when you’re providing more information on the matter to make the audience understand the full scale of the issue: “Our company profits have dwindled heavily over the last few years. To put it in perspective – 10 years ago we could afford to employ twice as many staff members.”

The biggest contributing factor – when describing the major contributor to the issue, this is the phrase you want to use: “The biggest contributing factor in the high unemployment figure is unemployment among 18 – 25 years olds.”

Accounts for the vast majority of – do you have to specify what kind of data makes up the majority of the data pool? This is how you do it: “According to latest reports, burglaries and thefts account for the vast majority of reported crime.”

Working with Presentation Slides

As you can clearly see – this is a perfect phrase for drawing everyone’s attention to the slide: “As you can clearly see in this chart, the demographic explosion coincided with the massive increase in oil production.”

This image allows us to see – another great way of insuring that people have a closer look at your slide: “Now, this image allows us to see that the actual situation in the region is much different from what the mainstream media is reporting.”

Move on to the next slide – pretty self-explanatory; this is simply how you fill the gaps in your speech while you’re switching between the slides: “And now we’re moving on to the next slide where we’re going to have a closer look at how…”

Let me give you a more technical insight into – you can use this sentence right before bringing up a slide containing detailed information on a specific subject such as a chart or a diagram.

Emphasizing the Main Points During a Presentation

Let me remind you once more – this phrase is used when you’re about to repeat something you’ve stated previously during the presentation.

As I mentioned before – this English presentation phrase carries pretty much the same meaning as the previous one and can be used to put emphasis onto something by mentioning it again.

It’s worth mentioning that – when discussing factors that don’t play the central role in the issue but are also important, this is the phrase you want to use: “And by the way, it’s worth mentioning that the educational background also contributes to a lower birth rate.”

Plays a significant role in – this is how you introduce very important facts to the listeners of your presentation: “As a matter of fact, country’s geographical location plays a significant role in its foreign policy.”

Let’s not forget – nice English phrase to use when emphasizing a point that could be easily ignored: “And let’s not forget that the federal government funding in our sector has been reduced by 10% this year, which makes the whole issue of wage increase even more difficult.”

That’s exactly where… steps in – this is how you provide a solution to a problem: “Our current staff members can’t deal with the ever-increasing call volumes, and that’s exactly where outsourcing steps in!”

Let me draw your attention to the fact that – pretty self-explanatory phrase, isn’t it?

Everybody agrees at this stage that – this is how you explain that there’s a widespread acceptance of a particular fact – “And I think everybody agrees at this stage that global climate change is happening.”

Let me reiterate – this phrase is useful in situations when you have to repeat something to stress its importance: “And let me reiterate – one third of school children are obese, so it’s obvious that this issue needs to be tackled right now!”

Drawing Conclusions

It’s safe to assume that – this is how you begin a sentence where you’re going to make a safe assumption: “Considering that our sales figures have remained steady over the last few years, I think it’s safe to assume that this year’s figures are going to be in line with our expectations.”

Predicated on the assumption that – this phrase sounds very sophisticated, but if you memorize it, it becomes very easy and you can use it to explain reasons why certain things happen: “Next year’s budget recommendations are predicated on the assumption that the economy will grow by another 1.5%”

Figures can be extrapolated to – this fancy phrase can be used to describe the concept of using the available data from one particular range of subjects when making assumptions about a related group of subjects: “The 18 – 25 year old male customer conversation rate is 1.5% which can be extrapolated to 26 – 40 year olds, thus giving us the sales forecast of 150 thousand dollars.”

It begs the question – when something you’re discussing leads to a new question to be asked, this is the phrase to be used: “As you can clearly see, the current abstinence level is unacceptable, and it begs the question – what can be done about that?”

Shows the correlation between – if you want to explain that two processes are related, this is how you do it: “This chart clearly shows the correlation between the number of fast food outlets and cancer incidence in the general population.”

Inevitably leads to – when one thing always leads to another, this is the phrase you can use when describing this phenomenon during your presentation: “… it’s not really a solution because increase in social welfare handouts inevitably leads to the so-called “culture of entitlement.”

Which is a direct result of – do you have to explain the fact that a particular phenomenon occurs because of something else? Then do it this way: “…profits have gone up by 5% which is a direct result of the recent measures introduced to deal with absenteeism.”

Summing Up the Presentation

On the finishing note – this is how you start the ending of your presentation: “On the finishing note, I’d like to thank everyone for coming along!”

To sum it up – this phrase is quite similar to the previous one – the only difference being that “on the finishing note” doesn’t necessarily require you to draw any conclusions while this one actually does: “So, to sum it up, the third production line model is the most efficient one, and that’s what our company should go for.”

The bottom line is – this phrase can be actually used interchangeably with “to sum it up”, and it’s a perfect way of announcing the main premise of the entire presentation: “So, the bottom line is – based on all the available data, it’s not economically viable to maintain the current staff levels.”

I hope you find these phrases useful when preparing for a presentation.

I also hope you put on a great show  when giving the presentation!

P.S. Would you like to find out why I’m highlighting some of the text in red? Read this article and you’ll learn why it’s so important to learn idiomatic expressions and how it will help you to improve your spoken English!

P.S.S. Are you serious about your spoken English improvement? Check out my English Harmony System HERE!

P.S. Are you serious about your spoken English improvement? Check out the English Harmony System HERE!

Thank you ever so much dear Robby. Really very helpful article.

Thank You ever so much dear Robby. Really helpful work. Well done.

Hi Ghazale,

I’m really glad you find this article useful, you’re welcome!

Thanks a bunch dear Robby. I got the most out of your great article. You explained everything in detail. Must have a heart of gold to share such marvelous information with your readers:)

Yes Sergio, I agree that the techniques you just mentioned are useful in terms of audience engagement but please let me point out that they don’t contradict with the main structure of the presentation. They’re just small additions, if you like; the purpose of this article was to provide my readers with a bunch of useful phrases to use when structuring and doing a presentation and obviously such attention hooks as asking rhetoric questions etc is something that anyone can use as they see fit!

No problem, you’re welcome!

Thanks a lot for the post Robby, by far one the most useful I have ever read. However, some experts say we should start a presentation with a question, a remark or something that holds the audiencie attention and makes them interested in what will come next. Similarly, the end of the presentation would be one phrase, statement, quotation, that invites to reflexion or action, depending on the purpose of the presentations. Could you elaborate a little bit on that?

Thanks Robby, you helped me to disappear my doubt and exaggerastions that plants in my mind for years. Best

Sorry for missing your e-mail!

Speaking of whether I’m focusing mostly on American or British phraseology, just let me tell you one thing – 99.9% of English I use is understood worldwide!

People tend to believe that there are huge differences between American and British English while in reality it’s a gross exaggeration.

Please read more about it here: http://accentadventure.com/american-phrases/ and also refer to the comments below the article.

Hi Dear Robby I have a question and sent an email to you about one month ago, but I haven’t any answer. I want to know the phrases you use in your articles belongs and common in British English or American English?I’m interested in American English vocabularies, phrases. How many phrases you introduce in your articles can be use in American English that the Americans who understand well and are familiar with them?

You’re welcome Alphonse, I’m really glad these phrases will come in handy for you!

Wow this is very useful. I always think of some transitional phrases for my presentations at school and only a few comes to mind. Thanks for compiling them up.

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English Speech Topics for Students

• Updated on  
• Apr 3, 2023

Writing an exciting and thoughtful speech requires one to select a good topic, research it thoroughly, and formation of individual opinions to express the same. School students are usually asked to speak on a contemporary topic to help them become good public speakers as well as learn the art of expressing oneself in front of an audience. While many speech competitions often allot topics beforehand, you might also have heard of extempore where topics are given on the spot for speech. This blog brings you a list of common English speech topics as well as some helpful tips and tricks that can assist you in effectively expressing your thoughts and opinions in front of an audience.

Quick Read: English Speaking Books

This Blog Includes:

List of best english speech topics for students, 1-minute speech topics, 2-minute speech topics, easy topics for speech in english, english speech topics on environment, english speech topics on technology, english speech topics on independence day, english speech topics on diwali, english speech topics on corruption, english speech topics on feminism, english speech topics on mother’s day, english speaking topics on capitalism, engish speech topics on gandhi jayanti, english speech topics on reading, english speech topics on communism, english speech topics on deforestation, english speech topics on international women’s day, english speech topics on social issues, english speech topics on important days & events, english speech topics on greatest leaders in india & around the world, english speech topics on indian culture, english speech topics on proverbs, english speech topics on human rights, english speech topics on education, english speech topics on the importance of water, miscellaneous speech topics, types of persuasive speech topics, tips for writing and speaking a speech.

Speeches are all about one’s thoughts. It should not be copied from somewhere. It is all about what the speaker thinks of any given topic. Take a look at the following list of English Speech Topics on different contemporary issues as well as concepts.

• The Best Day of My Life
• Social Media : Bane or Boon?
• Pros and Cons of Online Learning
• Benefits of Yoga
• If I had a Superpower
• I wish I were ______
• Environment Conservation
• Women Should Rule the World!
• The Best Lesson I have Learned
• Paperbacks vs E-books
• How to Tackle a Bad Habit
• My Favorite Pastime/Hobby
• Why should every citizen vote?
• Fear of Missing Out (FOMO): Is it real or not?
• Importance of Reading
• Importance of Books in Our Life
• My Favorite Fictional Character
• Introverts vs Extroverts
• Lessons to Learn from Sports
• Beauty is in the eye of the beholder
• Importance of Kindness
• Is there Value in Homework?
• Things I learned in Lockdown
• How can food be recycled?
• Should Art be a part of the school curriculum?
• Should schools teach sign language?
• Women make better presidents/prime ministers
• Why books are better than their movies?
• Life was better when technology was more simple.
• Impact of technology on our health
• Should children’s reality shows be banned?
• Learning in the Wake of Covid-19
• Hard Work vs Smart Work
• What Makes Learning Fun?
• The Coolest Inventions You’ve Seen
• Men should wear pink
• Importance of AI in Education
• Importance of Extracurricular Activities
• Should exams be banned?
• How to Tackle Bullying in Schools?
• Importance of Education
• Is it beneficial to learn a Second Language?
• Music has healing power.
• Love is more powerful than hate
• Social Impact of Covid-19
• How can Online Learning be Fun?
• Make Public Transport Free?
• Should violent video games be banned?
• Learning about all world religions in schools is important

Exploring English Speech Topics? You must also take a look at Extempore Topics !

• Climate Change
• Depletion of the Ozone Layer
• Reducing Water Levels
• Deforestation
• Global Warming
• Waste Management
• Water-Saving Techniques
• Reducing the Green Cover of Earth
• Endangered species need protection
• Importance of fishing regulations
• Importance of investing in alternative fuels
• Impact of ocean acidification on marine organisms
• The misuse of the term “sustainable development” by environmentalists
• Microbial benefits
• E-Waste Management
• Natural Disasters and their impact on economic growth
• Energy alternatives – Only solution to the environmental damage
• Extinction of rare species
• World Environment Day
• Disaster Management
• Over and Improper Use of Natural Resources
• Air, Water and Soil Pollution
• Efficiency of Recycling
• Technology and Mental Health
• Privacy in the Digital Age: Navigating the Challenges of Data Collection and Surveillance
• The Impact of Technology on Society
• Artificial Intelligence: The New Normal
• The Role of Social Media in Communication and Social Interactions
• Sustainable Technology: Innovations for a Greener Future
• The Rise of E-commerce
• Gaming Technology: Entertainment, ESports and Interactive Experiences
• The Digital Divide: Bridging the Gap for Equal Access to Technology
• The Ethical Dilemmas of Emerging Technologies
• The Journey of Independence Day
• The Significance of Independence Day
• Remembering the Founding Fathers
• The Spirit of Independence
• Independence Day and Volunteering
• Independence Day Speeches
• India’s Road to Freedom
• Independence Day and National Identity
• Independence Day in Digital Age
• Independence Day and Women Empowerment
• Diwali: The Festival of Lights and Its Significance in Hindu Culture
• Diwali and the Victory of Good Over Evil
• Diwali and the Art of Giving
• Diwali and the Spirit of Forgiveness
• Diwali and Cultural Exchanges
• Diwali and the Essence of Joy
• Diwali and Social Responsibility
• Diwali and Artistic Expressions
• The Rituals and Traditions of Diwali
• Diwali and the Symbolism of Light
• Understanding Corruption
• The Economic Consequence of Corruption
• Corruption and International Aid
• Media and Corruption
• Fighting Corruption
• Corruption in Politics
• The Role of Transparency and Accountability in Curbing Corruption
• The Role of Technology in Combating Corruption
• Whistleblowing and Protecting Mechanism
• Corruption in Business and Corporate Practices
• Understanding Feminism
• The Future of Feminism
• Feminism and Parenting
• Feminism and Online Activism
• Feminism and Environmental Activism
• Feminism and Reproductive Rights
• The Gender Pay Gap: Examining Inequalities in the Workplace
• Feminism and its Evolution
• Feminism and Body Positivity
• Feminism and Media Representation: Encouraging Authentic and Diverse Portrayals of Women
• Expressing Gratitude and Love to Mothers
• The Influence of Mothers in Shaping Our Values and Beliefs
• Motherhood and Education
• Mother’s Day and Volunteerism
• Mother-Daughter Relationship
• The Role of Mothers in Shaping Society
• Mother’s Day Crafts and DIY Gifts
• Learned Lessons from Mothers
• Mother’s Day Around the World: Cultural Traditions and Celebrations
• Capitalism: An Introduction to the Economic System and its Principles
• The Future of Capitalism
• Pros and Cons of Capitalism
• Capitalism and Globalisation
• Capitalism and Consumerism
• Capitalism and Financial Crisis: Undertaking the Risk and Mitigation Measures
• Capitalism and Environmental Sustainability
• Capitalism and the Role of Government
• Corporate Social Responsibility in Capitalism
• Capitalism and the Digital Economy
• Mahatma Gandhi: The Father of the Nation and His Ideals
• Remembering Gandhi: Reflecting On His Life and Legacy
• Gandhi’s Influence on the Indian Independence Movement
• Satyagraha: The Power of Truth and Nonviolent Resistance
• Gandhi’s Philosophy of Swaraj
• The Role of Women in Gandhi’s Freedom Struggle
• Gandhi’s Teaching on Education and Moral Values
• Gandhi’s Lasting Legacy
• Gandhi’s Vision for a Just and Inclusive Society
• The Relevance of Gandhi’s Principles in Today’s World
• The Influence of Reading on Emotional Intelligence and Empathy
• Reading and Mental Health
• Benefits of Reading
• Reading and Empowerment
• The Role of Reading in Academic Success and Lifelong Learning
• Promoting a Reading Culture: Encouraging Reading Habits in Society
• Reading Biographies and Memoirs
• Reading and Social Connections
• The Joy of Reading: Escaping Into the Different Worlds and Characters
• Reading and Personal Identity
• The Current State of Communism
• Communism: An Introduction to the Ideology and Its Historical Context
• The Evolution of Communist Movements
• The Role of the State in a Communist Society
• The Fall of Communist Regimes
• Communism and Religious Freedom
• Communism and Gender Equality
• Communism and Workers’ Rights
• The Criticisms of Communism
• Deforestation: Causes, Consequences and Global Impact
• Deforestation and Climate Change
• Deforestation and Carbon Sequestration
• Deforestation and Individual Actions
• Deforestation and Wildlife Trafficking
• Deforestation and Sustainable Development
• Deforestation and Indigenous Communities
• Deforestation and Biodiversity Loss
• Deforestation and Forest Fires
• The Importance of Forests
• Women Empowerment
• Education of Girl Child
• Unemployment
• Casteism 
• Reservation
• Importance of Maintaining Hygiene
• Child Labour
• Social Distancing
• Organ Donation
• Importance of the Right to Education
• Child Trafficking
• Multiculturalism
• Struggles of Immigrants
• Impact of Globalisation
• Adult education

Quick Read: TOEFL Speaking Topics

• Independence Day
• Mother’s Day
• World Population Day
• World Health Day
• Ambedkar Jayanti
• Gandhi Jayanti
• Human Rights Day
• Zero Discrimination Day
• Women’s Day
• Anti-Terrorism Day
• Hindi Diwas 

Check out this list of all the important national and international days in 2021 !

• Mahatma Gandhi
• Jawaharlal Nehru
• Raja Rammohan Roy
• George Washington
• Albert Einstein
• APJ Abdul Kalam
• Nelson Mandela
• Kailash Satyarthi
• Diversity in India
• The Role of Yoga and Meditation in Indian Culture and Its Global Impact
• The Importance of Traditional Indian Clothing
• Indian Folklore
• Indian Festivals
• The Art of Indian Dance
• Traditional Indian Medicine (Ayurveda)
• Indian Epics and Mythology
• Social Customs and Etiquettes in Indian Society
• Indian Sports and Games

Also Read: Speech on Indian Culture

• Honesty is the best policy
• When there’s a will, there is a way
• Actions speak louder than words
• Knowledge is Power
• Ignorance is Bliss
• Don’t judge a book by its cover
• Hard work is the key to success

Explore these proverbs & their meanings through this blog on Difficult Phrases !

• The Role of International Organisations in Promoting and Protecting Human Rights
• The Universal Declaration of Human Rights: A Milestone in Human History
• Gender Equality: Breaking Barriers and Empowering Women
• Ensuring a Safe and Sustainable Environment for the Next Generation
• The Right to Education: Empowering Minds
• Bridging the Gap Between the Rich and Poor
• Human Rights and Armed Conflicts
• Global Fight to Combat Human Trafficking
• Human Rights and Climate Change
• Religious Freedom: Tolerance and Coexistence in a Diverse Society

To know what to mention in such speech topics, explore the Great Personalities in the World !

• Importance of teacher in your life
• SAT scores for college application
• Student bullies should be expelled
• Consequences of cheating in exams
• Homeschooling is better than normal schooling
• Importance of value education
• Importance of sports and physical exercises
• Schools vs colleges
• What is the difference between a school, college and university in the USA?
• The Water-Energy Nexus
• The Essence of Water: Exploring the Live-giving Properties of H2O
• Water as a Driver of Economic Growth and Prosperity
• Water Security: Ensuring Equal Access and Quality for All
• Water and Agriculture
• The Role of Water in Ecosystems
• Water and Blue Economy
• Water Diplomacy: Promoting Collaboration for Transboundary Water Management
• Water and Cultural Significance: Exploring Symbolisms and Rituals
• Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH): Foundational for Human Health and Dignity

Check Out: Synonyms List

• Article 370
• Women rights
• The Constitution of India
• Youth of India
• Culture of India
• Importance of Unity
• Generation Gap
• Importance of Value Education
• Old Age Homes
• Family Values
• Leadership skills
• Rise of Smart Classes
• Grading System
• Importance of Practical Education
• Benefits of Co-Education
• Importance of Co-Curricular Activities
• The uselessness of Power-Point Presentations
• Rise of Technology
• Excessive usage of the Internet
• Speech on Fear
• Speech on Dependence on Technology
• Importance of Social Media
• Speech on India of My Dreams
• Indian Education System
• Speech on My India

While exploring persuasive English speech topics, you must make sure that they are stimulating, engaging, concise and clear. There are three main types of Persuasive Speech topics which are:

1. Factual Persuasive Speech : These topics include facts, figures and statistics to thoroughly analyse the given topic and assess whether it’s true or false.

2. Policy Persuasive Speech : Discussing policies, laws and reforms, these speech topics critically examine the advantages and disadvantages of the given policy or law and suggest the improvements that can be made.

3. Value Persuasive Speech : Mainly focusing on social or political issues, these speech topics present the critique and argument of whether certain actions are morally right or not.

While speaking on a particular topic, there are certain things that you must keep in mind to make your speech expressive and effective. Before providing you with a comprehensive list of English speech topics, let’s take a look at some useful topics that help you in acing any topic you are speaking on.

• Always research the topic. If you are participating in an extempore, then make sure to go through the common and popular topics as well as the unconventional ones that you might get. Preparation is the key to delivering an impressive speech.
• Show your interest in the topic. Whether you are given a topic on the spot or you are prepared for the speech, it is always pivotal that you seem interested in speaking about it. Relate the given issues to your own life and this will help you in giving it your twist.
• Pay extra attention to your body language and enunciation. While a gesticulative approach will make you seem outward, having timid body language can cause a wrong impression. Further, if you find it difficult to enunciate complicated words, use simpler ones and even if you fumble, don’t spend too much time hovering over them during your speech.
• Ensure that the choice of words you are using is simpler and corresponds to the level of the vocabulary of your audience. If you include a longer word that is lesser known, try explaining its meaning. Further, make sure to adhere to the tone of the environment you are speaking in. Schools, colleges and professional spaces require you to adhere to a formal tone while giving a speech in an informal environment would demand a different use of vocabulary.
• Ponder upon the different viewpoints on a topic . Try to present a holistic view of the given topic but don’t forget to present your opinion on it as well. Along with this, don’t try to take sides unless the topic demands you to.
• Involve your audience, if possible. This way, you will be able to interact with the people and it will also be useful in fighting the fear of public speaking.
• Don’t mug up a speech. It becomes evident when someone just speaks on a topic continuously and the audience might realise that you have memorized it or you might forget a certain part which will let the whole speech fade away from your brain. Instead, make notes about the topic in your mind, remember certain keywords and try to maintain a particular flow in your speech.
• Incorporate humour in your speech in a way that you do not offend anyone or overdo it but get a positive reaction from the audience. Humour is a great way of lightening the mood as well as ensuring the whole speech is interactive and engaging.

While preparing for English Speech topics, you must also check out IELTS Speaking Topics !

Juvenile delinquency is acceptable. Prostitution should be legal. Underage driving should be punishable by law. Beauty pageants for children should be banned. Prisoner’s right to vote. Voting rights should not be universal. Guns should be banned from college campuses.

A three-minute speech is undoubtedly a wonderful starting point for public speaking. This is because you need to communicate with your audience more effectively when you just have a short amount of time. In addition, the speech ought to be concise, pertinent, and clear.

Life is the gift of God in the form of trust that we will make it meaningful in whatever we can. We are all unique individuals. No one is born like you and no one will ever be, so cherish your individuality. Many times, I come across people accusing God of things that they don’t have. They always cursing their lives.

 2-minute speeches are  short and crisp speeches of about 260-350 words .

Special Topics may feature  a particular literary theme, an historical era, a genre, a single author or group of authors, specific regional or national literature, or other topics defined by the teaching professor . 

Thus, we hope that this list helps you in preparing for different English speech topics. Gearing up for IELTS ? Sign up for an online demo session with our experts at Leverage Edu and we will assist you in preparing for its different sections as well as improving your reading, listening, speaking and writing skills to ensure that you ace the exam with flying colours!

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Prepare your presentation with Microsoft 365 Copilot

You’ve been asked to give a new presentation and Microsoft 365 Copilot can help! For this example, we’ll imagine you’re a professional landscaper and you’ve been asked to present to a local community organization about tulips.

Start from an outline

Often the best way to prepare a new presentation is to create an outline of what you plan to cover. For our example we’ll start with Copilot in OneNote.

Start OneNote.

Navigate to the section where you want your presentation outline to live.

Create a new page for your presentation.

Start Copilot from the ribbon.

The Copilot pane will open on the right, waiting for your prompt. You can use natural language, and the more details you can give Copilot the better your results will be.

You could just enter:

Create an outline for a 45-minute presentation on tulips.

But you’ll get better results if you do a couple more things.

Give it context

Start by telling it what role you want Copilot to play in creating this content.

Act as a professional landscaper. Create an outline for a 45-minute presentation on tulips.

By setting that context first, you let the AI know how you want the content framed.

Give it more details

Try adding to your prompt details about what you want it to cover, and who the audience is.

Act as a professional landscaper speaking to a group of interested community members. Create an outline for a 45-minute presentation on tulips. Include sections on the history of the flower, different types, best time to plant, care and feeding.

Now when you run the prompt, you’ll get a more detailed response.

Tip:  Don’t be afraid to play around with the specifics – add or remove details, change the order, try different contexts.

If you’re happy (or mostly happy) with the draft outline Copilot has created, select the copy button in the Copilot pane and paste the outline onto your OneNote page.

Review and edit

Now you’ll want to add your own touches. Go through the outline and add or remove things as you see fit.

Tip:  OneNote excels as a research tool. Don’t be afraid to add your own notes, copy in content from websites, or add other supporting materials to the page that will be helpful as you prepare your presentation.

Create your handout

When you’re happy with your outline it’s time to create some handouts for the audience. Select your outline in OneNote and copy it to the clipboard. Then open Microsoft Word to a new, blank, document.

When Word opens the Copilot dialog should appear. Let’s give it a prompt:

Act as a professional landscaper creating an article for an audience of interested community members. Make it clear, simple, and engaging. Base it off this outline: <paste outline from OneNote>.

Copilot will draft an article for you based on your presentation outline.

Save to OneDrive

Before you spend much time editing your handout, save it to OneDrive. This will make sure your work is saved as you go and it’s key to our final step in preparing the presentation.

Go through the article and make sure that what Copilot added is what you wanted. Edit for voice and tone and make sure any facts it’s added are accurate. Remove anything you don’t want and add anything it missed.

Tip:  You can ask Copilot to add more content if you like. Place the cursor where you want that content to be, then click the Copilot button on the ribbon. Tell it what you want. Add two paragraphs about other plants that look good with tulips.

Go to the Insert tab, select Pictures , and then Online Pictures . Search for “Tulips” and select one or more nice images to make your article more appealing.

Create the slide deck

Now it’s time to let Copilot in PowerPoint get to work.

Open PowerPoint to a new, blank, deck.

Select Copilot from the ribbon

In the prompt box type Create from followed by a / .

Note:  It may take a few minutes for a new file to appear in the file picker. If you don't see the file even when you start typing the file name, wait a few minutes then try again.

Copilot in PowerPoint will build a draft presentation based on your Word document, complete with images and speaker notes.

As always, it’s important that you review the draft Copilot has created. Add any additional slides or information you want, remove any that you don’t.  Add your own expertise where appropriate.

If you want to change any of the images Copilot has added just right-click the image and select Change picture .

Tip:  Practice with Speaker Coach When you’re happy with the presentation you might want to practice it once or twice with Speaker Coach before the big day. For more information see  Rehearse your slide show with Speaker Coach.

Give it a try!

Next time you have a presentation to create let Microsoft 365 Copilot help you at each step of the way.

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Key Highlights from the 2024 Budget Presentation Speech on Agriculture, Livestock, and Fisheries

The presentation of the 2024 budget unveiled a comprehensive strategy aimed at revitalizing the agriculture, livestock, and fisheries sectors in Zambia. Addressing the challenges of climate change, high input costs, and inadequate infrastructure, the government is committed to boosting food security, reducing poverty, and enhancing export potential. Here are the key highlights from the budget presentation:

Production Challenges: Crop and livestock production have fallen below their potential due to multiple factors, including the adverse impacts of climate change, rising input costs, and insufficient infrastructure.

Maize Production: Zambia successfully produced 3.2 million metric tonnes of maize in the 2022/2023 season, sufficient to meet domestic demand. However, increased demand from neighbouring countries resulted in higher maize and mealie meal prices.

Price Benefits: Higher maize prices are expected to benefit farmers, alleviate poverty, and contribute to foreign exchange earnings.

Reducing Production Costs: The government is implementing measures to lower maize production costs, including reducing fertilizer prices and encouraging millers to reduce mealie meal prices.

Comprehensive Agriculture Transformation: The Comprehensive Agriculture Transformation Support Programme will be launched, with a focus on extension services, finance, irrigation, value addition, and storage.

High-Tech Farm Blocks: Farm blocks will be developed to promote high-tech agriculture, increasing competitiveness and export potential.

Infrastructure Investments: Significant investments in infrastructure include road construction, bridges, powerlines, and irrigation systems within farm blocks.

Climate Change Adaptation: Climate change adaptation will incorporate smart agricultural technologies, conservation agriculture, and early warning systems.

Livestock Sector Improvements: In the livestock sector, priorities include enhancing animal health, identification, and traceability, with regional veterinary laboratories being established. Animal Identification: An online system for animal identification and traceability is being piloted, with plans to capture approximately 5 million cattle by December 2024.

Legal Reforms: Legal reforms through the Animal Identification and Traceability Bill will strengthen animal traceability.

Livestock Breeding Programme: A community-based livestock breeding program aims to provide high-quality breeding stock to farmers.

Forage and Pasture Production: Initiatives for forage and pasture production aim to enhance livestock carrying capacity and climate resilience.

Fish Hatcheries: The establishment of fish hatcheries will increase fingerling production, helping to reduce the fish deficit.

Promoting Sustainable Fisheries: Sustainable capture fisheries will be promoted through fishing bans and enhanced surveillance.

Agriculture Credit Window: An agriculture credit window will be established to support small-scale farmers and public service workers with affordable financing for inputs, equipment, and irrigation systems.

These highlights demonstrate the government’s holistic approach to improving agriculture, livestock, and fisheries sectors, with a strong emphasis on food security, poverty reduction, and expanding export opportunities. The budget reflects a commitment to address challenges and seize opportunities in these vital sectors of the economy.

The only highlights are the failures of this liar hh. They called our father a chakolwa but he did more than hh will ever do. What was price of mealie meal under ecl vs now ?

ECL IS A FINISHED MAN HE WAS IN CONTROL OF ZERO HAVE YOU HEARD OF THE SONG “PUPPET ON A STRING” ?????

Go ask your f00Iish father hh

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How to use ChatGPT to do research for papers, presentations, studies, and more

ChatGPT is often thought of as a tool that will replace human work on tasks such as writing papers for students or professionals. But ChatGPT can also be used to support human work, and research is an excellent example. 

Whether you're working on a research paper for school or doing market research for your job, initiating the research process and finding the correct sources can be challenging and time-consuming. 

Also:  5 handy AI tools for school that students, teachers, and parents can use, too

ChatGPT and other AI chatbots can help by curtailing the amount of time spent finding sources, allowing you to jump more quickly to the actual reading and research portion of your work.

Picking the right chatbot 

Before we get started, it's important to understand the limitations of using ChatGPT . Because ChatGPT is not connected to the internet, it will not be able to give you access to information or resources after 2021, and it will also not be able to provide you with a direct link to the source of the information. 

Also :  The best AI chatbots: ChatGPT and other noteworthy alternatives

Being able to ask a chatbot to provide you with links for the topic you are interested in is very valuable. If you'd like to do that, I recommend using a chatbot connected to the internet, such as Bing Chat , Claude , ChatGPT Plus , or Perplexity . 

This how-to guide will use ChatGPT as an example of how prompts can be used, but the principles are the same for whichever chatbot you choose.

1. Brainstorm

When you're assigned research papers, the general topic area is generally assigned, but you'll be required to identify the exact topic you want to pick for your paper or research. ChatGPT can help with the brainstorming process by suggesting ideas or even tweaking your own. 

Also:  How ChatGPT (and other AI chatbots) can help you write an essay

For this sample research paper, I will use the general topic of "Monumental technological inventions that caused pivotal changes in history." If I didn't have a specific idea to write about, I would tell ChatGPT the general theme of the assignment with as much detail as possible and ask it for some proposals. 

My prompt: I have to write a research paper on "Monumental technological inventions that caused pivotal changes in history." It needs to be ten pages long and source five different primary sources. Can you help me think of a specific topic? 

As seen by the screenshot (below), ChatGPT produced 10 viable topics, including "The Printing Press and the Spread of Knowledge", "The Internet and the Digital Age", "The Telegraph and the Communication Revolution", and more. 

Also:  How to use the new Bing (and how it's different from ChatGPT)

You can then follow up with ChatGPT to ask for further information. You can even tweak these topics with an angle you like more, and continue the feedback loop until you have a topic you are settled on. 

2. Generate an outline

Once you have selected a topic, you can ask ChatGPT to generate an outline, including as much detail for your assignment as possible. For this example, I used the first topic that ChatGPT suggested in the previous step.

My prompt: Can you give me an outline for a research paper that is ten pages long and needs to use five primary sources on this topic, "The Printing Press and the Spread of Knowledge"? 

ChatGPT generated a 13-point outline that carefully described the areas I should touch on in my paper, as seen in the photo (above). You can then use this outline to structure your paper and use the points to find sources, using ChatGPT as delineated below. 

3. Tell ChatGPT your topic and ask for sources

Now that you have a topic and outline established, you can ask ChatGPT about the topic of your project and ask it to deliver sources for you.

My prompt: Can you give me sources for a ten-page long paper on this topic, "The Printing Press and the Spread of Knowledge"?

ChatGPT outputs a list of five primary and five secondary sources that you can include in your paper. Remember, because ChatGPT can't give you internet links, you will need to seek out the specific resources on your own, whether that's Googling or visiting your school library. 

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When I asked Bing Chat the same question, it provided sources with clickable links that you can use to access the material you need quicker. For that reason, I would use Bing Chat for this step. 

4. Describe a specific idea and ask for sources

Instead of describing the whole topic, you can also use a chatbot to find sources for a specific aspect of your paper.

Also:  How (and why) to subscribe to ChatGPT Plus

For example, I asked ChatGPT for sources for a specific bullet in the paper outline that it generated above. 

My prompt: Can you give me sources for the social and intellectual climate of when the printing press was generated?

As in the prior example, ChatGPT generated five primary and five secondary resources for the topic. 

Using this feature for smaller chunks of your essay is a good alternative because it gives you more options on sources and provides tailored insight that you can use to carefully craft your piece. 

5. Ask for examples of a specific incident

I use this prompt a lot in my workflow because I can sometimes remember that something specific happened, but can't pinpoint what it was or when it happened. 

This tool can also be used when you need to find a specific example to support your topic. 

Also:  How to use ChatGPT to write an essay

In both cases, you can ask ChatGPT to help you identify a specific event or time period, and incorporate those details in your article. 

In our essay example, if I wanted to include a rebuttal and delineate a time when implementing technology had negative impacts, but couldn't think of an incident on my own, I could ask ChatGPT to help me identify one.

My prompt: What was a time in history when implementing technology backfired on society and had negative impacts?

Within seconds, ChatGPT generated 10 examples of incidents that I could weave into the research as a rebuttal. 

6. Generate citations

Creating a page of the works you cited, although valuable and necessary for integrity, is a pain. Now, you can ask ChatGPT to generate citations for you by simply dropping the link or the title of the work, and asking it to create a citation in the style of your paper. 

Also:  How to make ChatGPT provide sources and citations

I asked ChatGPT to generate a citation for this article for ZDNET. As seen by the photo (above), the tool asked me to include the access date and the style for the citation, and then quickly generated a complete citation for the piece.

ChatGPT generated: 

Great, here's the MLA citation for the web link "How to Use ChatGPT to Write an Essay" from ZDNET, accessed on September 15: "How to Use ChatGPT to Write an Essay." ZDNET, https://www.zdnet.com/article/how-to-use-chatgpt-to-write-an-essay/. Accessed 15 Sept. 2023.

If you used something other than a website as a source, such as a book or textbook, you can still ask ChatGPT to provide a citation. The only difference is that you might have to input some information manually. 

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Previewing the future of Alexa

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Over the last few years, we’ve often talked about how we’re living in a golden age of artificial intelligence (AI). Ideas that seemed like science fiction not so long ago are now a reality—and there’s no better example of that than Alexa. What started as a sketch on a whiteboard has evolved into an entirely new computing paradigm—one that has fundamentally changed how people across the world interact with technology in their homes. Having passed half a billion devices sold, and with tens of millions of interactions every hour, Alexa has become part of the family in millions of households. We’ve always thought of Alexa as an evolving service, and we’ve been continuously improving it since the day we introduced it in 2014. A longstanding mission has been to make a conversation with Alexa as natural as talking to another human, and with the rapid development of generative AI, what we imagined is now well within reach. Today, we’re excited to share an early preview of what the future looks like.

This is an early look at a smarter and more conversational Alexa, powered by generative AI. It’s based on a new large language model (LLM) that’s been custom-built and specifically optimized for voice interactions, and the things we know our customers love—getting real-time information, efficient smart home control, and maximizing their home entertainment. We believe this will drive the future of Alexa, enabling us to enhance five foundational capabilities:

1. Conversation

We’ve studied a lot about conversation in the last few years, and we know that being conversational goes beyond words. In any conversation, we process tons of additional information, such as body language, knowledge of the person you’re talking with, and eye contact. To enable that with Alexa, we fused the input from the sensors in an Echo—the camera, voice input, its ability to detect presence—with AI models that can understand those non-verbal cues. We’ve also focused on reducing latency so conversations flow naturally, without pause, and responses are the right length for voice—not the equivalent of listening to paragraph after paragraph read aloud. When you ask for the latest on a trending news story, you get a succinct response with only the most relevant information. If you want to know more, you can follow-up.

2. Real-world utility

To be truly useful, Alexa has to be able to take action in the real world, which has been one of the unsolved challenges with LLMs—how to integrate APIs at scale and reliably invoke them to take the right actions. This new Alexa LLM will be connected to hundreds of thousands of real-world devices and services via APIs. It also enhances Alexa’s ability to process nuance and ambiguity—much like a person would—and intelligently take action. For example, the LLM gives you the ability to program complex Routines entirely by voice—customers can just say, “Alexa, every weeknight at 9 p.m., make an announcement that it’s bed time for the kids, dim the lights upstairs, turn on the porch light, and switch on the fan in the bedroom." Alexa will then automatically program that series of actions to take place every night at 9 p.m.

3. Personalization and context

An LLM for the home has to be personalized to you, and your family. Just as a conversation with another person would be shaped by context—such as your previous conversations or the situational context—Alexa needs to do the same. The next generation of Alexa will be able to deliver unique experiences based on the preferences you’ve shared, the services you’ve interacted with, and information about your environment. Alexa also carries over relevant context throughout conversations, in the same way that humans do all the time. People use pronouns, catchphrases, and build up context of the places, times, or scenes we talk about. Ask Alexa a question about a museum, and you’ll be able to ask a series of follow-ups about its hours, exhibits, and location without needing to restate any of the prior context, like the name or the day you plan to go.

4. Personality

Customers have told us time and again that they love Alexa’s personality. You don’t want a rote, robotic companion in your home, and I’d argue Alexa’s personality is one of the biggest reasons for Alexa’s broad adoption. As we’ve always said, the most boring dinner party is one where nobody has an opinion—and, with this new LLM, Alexa will have a point of view, making conversations more engaging. Alexa can tell you which movies should have won an Oscar, celebrate with you when you answer a quiz question correctly, or write an enthusiastic note for you to send to congratulate a friend on their recent graduation.

There should be no trade-off between trustworthiness and performance. Customers around the world have welcomed Alexa into their home, and to be truly useful in their daily lives, we must continue to create experiences that they both love and trust. While the integration of generative AI brings infinite new possibilities, our commitment to earning our customers’ trust will not change. As with all our products, we will design experiences to protect our customers’ privacy and security, and to give them control and transparency.

To our knowledge this is the largest integration of an LLM, real time services, and a suite of devices—and it’s not limited to a tab in a browser. And we’re just getting started—with generative AI, we’re also able to enhance a number of core components of the Alexa experience.

One of these components is how customers start an interaction with Alexa. This will build on the experience that exists today by enabling customers who choose to enroll in Visual ID to start a conversation with Alexa simply by facing the screen on an Echo Show—no wake word required. The result is the most natural conversation experience we’ve ever built. Secondly, we built a whole new conversational speech recognition (CSR) engine using large models . As humans, we often pause during conversation to gather our thoughts, or emphasize a point, and identifying those cues is incredibly hard for an AI. This new CSR engine is capable of adjusting to those common natural pauses and hesitation—enabling more flowing, natural conversation. Finally, generative AI has enabled us to enhance our text-to-speech technology, using a large transformer model to make Alexa much more expressive and attuned to conversational cues.

What this means is that Alexa will adapt to your cues and modulate its response and tone akin to human conversations. Ask Alexa if your team won, and it will respond in a joyful voice if so; if they lost, the response is more empathetic. Ask Alexa for an opinion, and the response will be more enthusiastic, as it would if a friend was sharing a point of view.

To demonstrate how far we’ve come, here’s a reminder of how Alexa sounded when we first launched:

And here is what Alexa will sound like early next year:

Combined, these enhancements will take what is already the world’s best personal AI, and make it even better. I’ve been using these new capabilities over the past few months, and it feels just as transformative as the first time I experienced talking to Alexa a decade or so ago. That’s not to say it’ll be perfect—Alexa will make mistakes—but, like it always has, the experience will continue to get better over time.

We’re at the start of a journey—a foundation that we believe will lead to a new version of Alexa powered by generative AI. We’ll continue to develop and add more capabilities as part of a free preview, which will be available to Alexa customers in the U.S. soon. We know customers will have lots of feedback, and we can’t wait to hear it.

Stay tuned for more. In the meantime, here is an early look at Alexa’s new capabilities.

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