Key word for presentation

For many people, creating and holding a presentation involves a great deal of effort. It even leads to buck fever. To make matters worse, if the presentation has to be given in English, it often entails double the effort for native German speakers. We want to make your next presentation a bit more effortless by introducing the most useful phrases and expressions for an English-language performance.

Presentations have the advantage that many standard phrases can be used at various points. Perhaps you wish to welcome the audience, introduce the speaker and the topic, outline the structure, offer a summary, or deal with questions. In all these situations, you can apply a number of useful expressions that will make your presentation a linguistic success.

Welcome

At the beginning of each presentation, you should welcome your audience. Depending on who you are addressing, you should extend a more or less formal welcome.

Good morning/afternoon/evening, ladies and gentlemen/everyone.

On behalf of “Company X”, allow me to extend a warm welcome to you.

Hi, everyone. Welcome to “Name of the event”.

Introducing the speaker

The level of formality of your welcome address will also apply to how you introduce yourself. Customize it to match your audience.

Let me briefly introduce myself. My name is “John Miller” and I am delighted to be here today to talk to you about…

First, let me introduce myself. My name is “John Miller” and I am the “Position” of “Company X”.

I’m “John” from “Company Y” and today I’d like to talk to you about…

Introducing the topic

After the welcome address and the introduction of the speaker comes the presentation of the topic. Here are some useful introductory phrases.

Today I am here to talk to you about…

What I am going to talk about today is…

I would like to take this opportunity to talk to you about…

I am delighted to be here today to tell you about…

I want to make you a short presentation about…

I’d like to give you a brief breakdown of…

Explanation of goals

It is always recommended to present the goals of your presentation at the beginning. This will help the audience to understand your objectives.

The purpose of this presentation is…

My objective today is…

Structure

After presenting the topic and your objectives, give your listeners an overview of the presentation’s structure. Your audience will then know what to expect in detail.

My talk/presentation is divided into “x” parts.

I’ll start with…/First, I will talk about…/I’ll begin with…

…then I will look at…

…next…

and finally…

Starting point

After all this preparation, you can finally get started with the main part of the presentation. The following phrases will help you with that.

Let me start with some general information on…

Let me begin by explaining why/how…

I’d like to give you some background information about…

Before I start, does anyone know…

As you are all aware…

I think everybody has heard about…, but hardly anyone knows a lot about it.

End of a section

If you have completed a chapter or section of your presentation, inform your audience, so that they do not lose their train of thought.

That’s all I have to say about…

We’ve looked at…

So much for…

Interim conclusion

Drawing interim conclusions is of utmost importance in a presentation, particularly at the end of a chapter or section. Without interim conclusions, your audience will quickly forget everything you may have said earlier.

To sum up…

Let’s summarize briefly what we have looked at.

Here is a quick recap of the main points of this section.

I’d like to recap the main points.

Well, that’s about it for this part. We’ve covered…

Transition

Use one of the following phrases to move on from one chapter to the next.

I’d now like to move on to the next part…

This leads me to my next point, which is…

Turning our attention now to…

Let’s now turn to…

Examples

Frequently, you have to give examples in a presentation. The following phrases are useful in that respect.

For example,…

A good example of this is…

As an illustration,…

To give you an example,…

To illustrate this point…

Details

In a presentation, you may often need to provide more details regarding a certain issue. These expressions will help you to do so.

I’d like to expand on this aspect/problem/point.

Let me elaborate further on…

Links

If you want to link to another point in your presentation, the following phrases may come in handy.

As I said at the beginning,…

This relates to what I was saying earlier…

Let me go back to what I said earlier about…

This ties in with…

Reference to the starting point

In longer presentations, you run the risk that after a while the audience may forget your original topic and objective. Therefore, it makes sense to refer to the starting point from time to time.

I hope that you are a little clearer on how we can…

To return to the original question, we can…

Just to round the talk off, I want to go back to the beginning when I…

I hope that my presentation today will help with what I said at the beginning…

Reference to sources

In a presentation, you frequently have to refer to external sources, such as studies and surveys. Here are some useful phrases for marking these references.

Based on our findings,…

According to our study,…

Our data shows/indicates…

Graphs and images

Presentations are usually full of graphs and images. Use the following phrases to give your audience an understanding of your visuals.

Let me use a graphic to explain this.

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

Let the pictures speak for themselves.

I think the graph perfectly shows how/that…

If you look at this table/bar chart/flow chart/line chart/graph, you can see that…

Emphasis

To ensure that your presentation does not sound monotonous, from time to time you should emphasize certain points. Here are some suggestions.

It should be emphasized that…

I would like to draw your attention to this point…

Another significant point is that…

The significance of this is…

This is important because…

We have to remember that…

Paraphrase

At times it might happen that you expressed yourself unclearly and your audience did not understand your point. In such a case, you should paraphrase your argument using simpler language.

In other words,…

To put it more simply,…

What I mean to say is…

So, what I’m saying is….

To put it in another way….

Questions during the presentation

Questions are an integral part of a presentation. These phrases allow you to respond to questions during a presentation.

Does anyone have any questions or comments?

I am happy to answer your questions now.

Please feel free to interrupt me if you have questions.

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to ask.

Please stop me if you have any questions.

Do you have any questions before I move on?

If there are no further questions at this point, I’d like to…

Questions at the end of a presentation

To ensure that a presentation is not disrupted by questions, it is advisable to answer questions at the very end. Inform your audience about this by using these phrases.

There will be time for questions at the end of the presentation.

I’ll gladly answer any of your questions at the end.

I’d be grateful if you could ask your questions after the presentation.

Inquiries

After answering a question from the audience, check that the addressee has understood your answer and is satisfied with it.

Does this answer your question?

Did I make myself clear?

I hope this explains the situation for you.

Unknown answer

Occasionally, it may happen that you do not have an answer to a question. That is not necessarily a bad thing. Simply use one of the following phrases to address the fact.

That’s an interesting question. I don’t actually know off the top of my head, but I’ll try to get back to you later with an answer.

I’m afraid I’m unable to answer that at the moment. Perhaps, I can get back to you later.

Good question. I really don’t know! What do you think?

That’s a very good question. However, I don’t have any figures on that, so I can’t give you an accurate answer.

Unfortunately, I’m not the best person to answer that.

Summary and conclusion

At the end of the presentation, you should summarize the important facts once again.

I’d like to conclude by…

In conclusion, let me sum up my main points.

Weighing the pros and cons, I come to the conclusion that…

That brings me to the end of my presentation. Thank you for listening/your attention.

Thank you all for listening. It was a pleasure being here today.

Well, that’s it from me. Thanks very much.

That brings me to the end of my presentation. Thanks for your attention.

Handing over

If you are not the only speaker, you can hand over to somebody else by using one of these phrases.

Now I will pass you over to my colleague ‘Jerry’.

‘Jerry’, the floor is yours.

Conclusion

We hope that our article will help you in preparing and holding your next presentation. It goes without saying that our list is just a small extract from the huge world of expressions and phrases. As always, the Internet is an inexhaustible source of further information. Here are the links to two websites that we would recommend to you in this context.

usingenglish

BBC

Here’s a step-by-step guide for making presentations in English. You’ll find the phrases you need for each step of your presentation.

Overviews

After you give your opening statement, give a brief overview of your presentation. Say what your presentation is about, how long you will take and how you are going to handle questions.

For example, a presentation to sales staff could start like this:
“Welcome / “Hello everyone.”

(Opening statement)
“As you all know, this company is losing its market share. But we are being asked to increase sales by 20 – 25%. How can we possibly increase sales in a shrinking market?”

(Overview)
“Today I am going to talk to you about how we can do this. My presentation will be in three parts. Firstly I am going to look at the market and the background. Then I am going to talk to you about our new products and how they fit in. Finally, I’m going to examine some selling strategies that will help us increase our sales by 20%. The presentation will probably take around 20 minutes. There will be time for questions at the end of my talk.”

Useful language for overviews

“My presentation is in three parts.”
“My presentation is divided into three main sections.”
“Firstly, secondly, thirdly, finally…”
“I’m going to…
take a look at…
talk about…
examine…
tell you something about the background…
give you some facts and figures…
fill you in on the history of…
concentrate on…
limit myself to the question of…

“Please feel free to interrupt me if you have questions.”
“There will be time for questions at the end of the presentation.”
“I’d be grateful if you could ask your questions after the presentation.”

The main body of the presentation

During your presentation, it’s a good idea to occasionally remind your audience why your presentation and ideas are important or relevant.

“As I said at the beginning…”
“This, of course, will help you (to achieve the 20% increase).”
“As you remember, we are concerned with…”
“This ties in with my original statement…”
“This relates directly to the question I put to you before…”

Keeping your audience with you

Remember that what you are saying is new to your audience. You are clear about the structure of your talk, but let your audience know when you are moving on to a new point. You can do this by saying something like “right”, or “OK”. You can also use some of the following expressions:

“I’d now like to move on to…”
“I’d like to turn to…”
“That’s all I have to say about…”
“Now I’d like to look at…”
“This leads me to my next point…”

If you are using index cards, putting the link on the cards will help you remember to keep the audience with you. In addition, by glancing at your index cards you will be pausing – this will also help your audience to realise that you are moving on to something new.

Phrases for introducing visuals

It’s important to introduce your visual to the audience. You can use the following phrases:

“This graph shows you…”
“Take a look at this…”
“If you look at this, you will see…”
“I’d like you to look at this…”
“This chart illustrates the figures…”
“This graph gives you a break down of…”

Give your audience enough time to absorb the information on the visual. Pause to allow them to look at the information and then explain why the visual is important:

“As you can see…”
“This clearly shows …”
“From this, we can understand how / why…”
“This area of the chart is interesting…”

Summarising

At the end of your presentation, you should summarise your talk and remind the audience of what you have told them:

“That brings me to the end of my presentation. I’ve talked about…”
“Well, that’s about it for now. We’ve covered…”
“So, that was our marketing strategy. In brief, we…”
“To summarise, I…”

Relate the end of your presentation to your opening statement:

“So I hope that you’re a little clearer on how we can achieve sales growth of 20%.”
“To return to the original question, we can achieve…”
“So just to round the talk off, I want to go back to the beginning when I asked you…”
“I hope that my presentation today will help you with what I said at the beginning…”

Handling questions

Thank the audience for their attention and invite questions.

“Thank you for listening – and now if there are any questions, I would be pleased to answer them.”
“That brings me to the end of my presentation. Thank you for your attention. I’d be glad to answer any questions you might have.”

It’s useful to re-word the question, as you can check that you have understood the question and you can give yourself some time to think of an answer. By asking the question again you also make sure that other people in the audience understand the question.

“Thank you. So you would like further clarification on our strategy?”
“That’s an interesting question. How are we going to get voluntary redundancy?”
“Thank you for asking. What is our plan for next year?”

After you have answered your question, check that the person who asked you is happy with the answer.

“Does this answer your question?”
“Do you follow what I am saying?”
“I hope this explains the situation for you.”
“I hope this was what you wanted to hear!”

If you don’t know the answer to a question, say you don’t know. It’s better to admit to not knowing something than to guess and maybe get it wrong. You can say something like:

“That’s an interesting question. I don’t actually know off the top of my head, but I’ll try to get back to you later with an answer.”
“I’m afraid I’m unable to answer that at the moment. Perhaps I can get back to you later.”
“Good question. I really don’t know! What do you think?”
“That’s a very good question. However, we don’t have any figures on that, so I can’t give you an accurate answer.”
“Unfortunately, I’m not the best person to answer that.”

What to say if things go wrong during your presentation

You think you’ve lost your audience? Rephrase what you have said:

“Let me just say that in another way.”
“Perhaps I can rephrase that.”
“Put another way, this means…”
“What I mean to say is…”

Can’t remember the word?

If it’s a difficult word for you – one that you often forget, or one that you have difficulty pronouncing – you should write it on your index card. Pause briefly, look down at your index card and say the word.

Using your voice when making presentations

Don’t speak in a flat monotone – this will bore your audience. By varying your speed and tone, you will be able to keep your audience’s attention. Practise emphasising key words and pause in the right places – usually in between ideas in a sentence. For example “The first strategy involves getting to know our market (pause) and finding out what they want. (pause) Customer surveys (pause) as well as staff training (pause) will help us do this.”

Don’t forget – if you speak too fast you will lose your audience!

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Making Presentations

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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! 

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Итак, Вас застигла врасплох «приятная» новость. На работе начальство радостно объявило, что через неделю Вам предстоит презентация. А поскольку на презентации будут присутствовать иностранные партнеры, то презентация «в обязательном порядке должна быть на английском языке».

До этого жизнь казалась прекрасной, карьера двигалась плавно, но неумолимо в гору, отношения с начальством складывались успешно. И тут в один момент Вы встали перед выбором – «быть или не быть?» Английский язык Вы учили в школе, за неимением практики забыли все, что можно было. Презентации проводили – да, но не на английском же! Единственный вопрос, возникающий в голове: «И что теперь делать?»

1. Первое и главное – не паниковать.
2. Второе – и здесь многие совершают ошибку – постараться заранее представить, как будет проходить презентация. Исходя из заданных предпосылок составить план предстоящей презентации.

   Обычная презентация имеет следующую структуру:

   1. Начало (starting).
   2. Главная часть (introduction and focusing attention).
      • первое (firstly);
      • второе (secondly);
      • третье (thirdly);
      • …
      • наконец (lastly)
   3. Заключение (conclusion).
   4. Ответы на вопросы (answering questions).

   Теперь, когда Вы имеете перед глазами четкую структуру своей будущей презентации, можно приступить к более детальной её проработке.

3. Итак, третье: самое время определиться с форматом Вашей презентации на английском языке. Это может быть формальная встреча (партнеры приезжают в первый раз), или встреча, проходящая в непринужденной неформальной обстановке. В зависимости от того или иного варианта выбираются и фразы для проведения презентации.

Как начать презентацию

Клише для начала презентации

Как правило, обязанность открыть митинг берет на себя начальство, но если у Вас будет в запасе несколько «контрольных» фраз – это не повредит!)

Главная часть

После вступительного слова, обычно наступает Ваша очередь начать презентацию. Здесь будут полезно запастись некоторым количеством вводных фраз и рассказать о структуре презентации.

Клише для главной части

Представляя визуальные материалы своей презентации (как правило, в Power Point или любой другой подобной программе), необходимо также иметь некоторое количество дежурных фраз, которые создают «связки-переходы» между слайдами, и помогают слушателям не потерять основной идеи, заложенной в презентации.

Некоторые фразы, данные ниже, помогут не растеряться и сфокусировать внимание аудитории в наиболее важных точках презентации. Фразы одинаковы для любого типа презентации – формального и неформального.

Фразы для главной части

Также необходимо знать элементарные названия графиков, таблиц и т.д. на английском языке.

pie chart – круговая диаграмма,
table – таблица,
bar chart – гистограмма,
line graph – линейная диаграмма,
market share – сегмент рынка

Неплохо выучить (если не знали) или вспомнить (если знали и забыли) – некоторые полезные термины, которые помогут корректно донести до слушателя основную идею вашей презентации и доходчиво представить информацию в графиках, таблицах и т.д.:

represent – представлять, rise slowly – медленно подниматься, go up steadily – неуклонно подниматься, rise gradually – постепенно расти, rise sharply – резко взлететь, hold steadily – держаться на определенном уровне

descend – снижаться, fall/go down/drop – падать, fall slowly – медленно падать, fall steadily – неуклонно снижаться, drop sharply – резко упасть

justify – подтверждать, currently – в настоящее время, raise the price – поднять цену, compared to – по сравнению с, revenue – доход

rise by 5% – подняться на 5%, drop from … to… — цена упала с … до…, go to the level of 35% — выйти на уровень 35%

Как закончить презентацию

Фразы, заключающие презентацию, как правило, мало отличаются в формальном и неформальном вариантах.

Фразы для окончания презентации

Ответы на вопросы

Конечно, очень хорошо, когда презентация представлена так, что вопросов не возникает. Но плох тот оратор, который не подготовился к возможным вопросам заранее. Поэтому важным моментом в подготовке к презентации на английском языке является, в том числе, и вычисление «слабых» мест своего выступления и подготовке ответов на возможные вопросы in advance.

Тем не менее, все вопросы просчитать, к сожалению, не всегда возможно. Поэтому хорошо, если у Вас будет заготовлено пара шаблонных фраз, которые позволят Вам немного «потянуть» время и собраться с мыслями, если вдруг будет задан совершенно неожиданный трудный вопрос.

Потренироваться в ответах на вопросы Вы можете с любым человеком, который знает английский язык. Это может быть Ваш более продвинутый коллега по работе, репетитор английского или просто хороший знакомый.

Фразы для блока «Ответы на вопросы»

Итак, надеюсь, данная статья поможет начинающим осваивать искусство презентации на английском языке, немного собраться с мыслями и не растеряться во время своего выступления. Особенно это будет важно, если презентация действительно несет ценные и конструктивные предложения!