PROFESSIONAL

SKILLS:
PRESENTATIONS

1
The information collected and presented here has been adapted from various
sources:

http://englishplusplus.jcj.uj.edu.pl/presentation/practical-information/

http://www.google.es/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CCEQFjAA&url=
http%3A%2F%2Ffaculty.washington.edu%2Frturner1%2FORAL%2520CLASSROOM%2520PR
ESENTATIONS.ppt&ei=DY1MVLzaIsGNaJWwgsgL&usg=AFQjCNFAtFKsmH9nbG79xe-
BnAYnAhLbuQ&bvm=bv.77880786,d.d2s

http://www.presentationprep.com/how-to-present-in-english-non-native-speaker/

http://speakspeak.com/resources/general-english-vocabulary/presentation-language-phrases

http://www.learnnc.org/lp/pages/647

http://www.google.es/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=7&ved=0CDIQFjAG&url=
http%3A%2F%2Fhplengr.engr.wisc.edu%2FRubric_Presentation.doc&ei=05ZMVP2dJZDUauD
5gbAB&usg=AFQjCNFDDMD0bG-tRRlRzk10eTOPfuqPOQ

http://www.google.es/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=8&ved=0CFoQFjAH&url=
http%3A%2F%2Fwww.education.vic.gov.au%2Flanguagesonline%2Ftoolkit%2Fcommunication
%2Fdocs%2Foral%2520presentation%2520rubric.doc&ei=DY1MVLzaIsGNaJWwgsgL&usg=AF
QjCNH56Kon0L2wImi-YHJCv9XvvY_F2w

http://www.english-at-home.com/business/vocabulary-and-phrases-for-making-
presentations/

http://www.empa.ch/plugin/template/empa/*/50158

http://www.staffs.ac.uk/schools/business/bsadmin/staff/s3/pdfs/oralassess.pdf

http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/business/talkingbusiness/unit3presentati
ons/expert.shtml

http://www.garrreynolds.com/preso-tips/deliver/

http://www.englisch-hilfen.de/en/words/charts.htm

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PRESENTATIONS: LOGICAL STRUCTURE
1. INTRODUCTION

General purposes:

1. To introduce the topic to the audience;

2. To stimulate the audience’s interest in the topic;
3. To let the audience know how the speaker intends to develop the topic.
Condense the whole presentation into a single sentence and refer to it several times in the presentation
(first of all in the introduction).

2. BODY OF THE PRESENTATION

The purpose of the presentation body is to develop the thesis/topic.

• Major points should be obvious, and clearly related to the topic.

• In longer presentations, the body should contain an internal summary to (1) review
for the listener what has already been covered and (2) forecast what is to come.

3. CONCLUSION

Don’t come to an end after the last major point has been developed, it is too abrupt. There has to be a
conclusion.

Effective conclusions can occur in a variety of forms.

1. A review of the major points, with an emphasis on the thesis.

2. An application of principles discussed in the presentation.
3. Telling a story which serves as an example of the major ideas developed in the
presentation.
SUPPORTING MATERIAL

Supporting material has three major roles to play with regard to the ideas and major points of the
presentation:

 To help the listeners understand them.

 To help the listeners remember them.

 To get the listener to accept them, particularly in a persuasive presentation.

Effective supporting material is necessary to manage the audience’s attention. An endless stream of
statistics or facts and figures is not going to keep your audience focused on the presentation.

A mixture of expert opinion, statistics, specific instances and anecdotes is necessary to hold the
audience’s attention.

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 IN A NUTSHELL… CLARITY, CONSISTENCY, EFFECTIVENESS
Preparation: Keep it simple.
• Give your presentation a logical structure: (1) introduction (what you’re going to say); (2)
main body (development); (3) conclusion (summing up).
• Don’t crowd slides with text. They should contain only the information necessary to
illustrate your point Remove information which is irrelevant or not related to the topic.
• If there are issues you cannot express in a clear way, better not to talk about them.
• Find time to rehearse: make yourself familiar with your own voice, check and adjust time
and see coordination between visuals and the points you want to make.
• Keep to the time. It is better to shorten the presentation by three minutes than to extend it
by three minutes.
• Leave time for questions from the audience. See questions as a way of getting your
message across, not as something negative.
• Use good (audio)visuals to get your message across efficiently. Visual aids should speak for
themselves in illustrating your point. Give listeners time to take them in.
• Have your presentation edited. Correct grammatical and spelling errors.

Delivery
• Use a ‘hook’ (to make the audience want to hear more) at the beginning and a ‘take home
message’ at the end.
• Do not read out every single thing you have written on a slide, it is counterproductive.
• Do not read extensively from your notes. You should know your material well enough.
• Try not to digress too much, digressions take much longer than we think.
• Speak clearly and avoid raising your voice, whispering or mumbling “under your breath”.
• Try to maintain the natural pace of speaking appropriate for a formal, rather than
everyday situation.
• Make pauses in places which you consider critical for your presentation.
• Try to control your body language; avoid excessive gesticulation.
• Maintain eye contact with your listeners but do not focus on one person.
• Don’t turn your back to the audience if you want to show something on the screen and
don’t “talk to the screen” either.
• Observe your audience’s reactions and act consequently (skipping, explaining, etc.).
• Do not finish abruptly.
• Thank the audience for their attention and encourage them to ask questions.
• If you do not know the answer to a question, don’t be afraid to admit it.
• Show enthusiasm; engage the audience.

Other issues:
• Font size: title between 36 & 44; body between 24 & 32. Avoid italicized fonts. Be consistent.
• Colours (foreground and background): contrast. Not too many.
• Transitions, graphics, audios, videos (use images sparingly; to visualize, not to decorate).
• Words per screen: about 50 words. Average adult: maximum reading speed of between 200
and 300 words per minute. Handouts.
• Time for each slide on the screen (theory: average of 2mins; btw 5 secs & 4 mins.).

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DELIVERY
1. Show your passion. Try to connect with your audience in an honest and exciting way.
2. Start strong. First impressions are powerful. The first 2-3 minutes of the presentation are the
most important: this is what the audience will give you at the beginning to engage them.
3. Keep it short. Audiences have short attention spans when passively sitting and listening. Better
to have the audience wanting more than to feel that they have had more than enough.
4. Make good eye contact. Try looking at individuals rather than scanning the group.
5. Know your slides inside out.
6. If possible, learn the names of participants. They like to be called by their name and it
keeps them on their toes.
7. Speak slowly and clearly. Especially with non-native English. Slow down or you will lose your
audience. Everyone has an accent, so having an accent is not a problem. Don’t mumble.
8. Don’t speak in a flat monotone. This will bore your audience.
9. Use simple language. Try to use short words and sentences.
10. Don’t waffle. Do not talk in a vague or trivial way.
11. Do not give unnecessary apologies. Don’t apologise for what you’re saying (‘I’m sorry if this
is boring’).
12. Avoid assertions and truisms. Do not say something is true if you don’t know; don’t say
obvious things.
13. Avoid jargon. Use plain English to explain what you mean.
14. Avoid idioms. An idiom used incorrectly sounds hilarious or ridiculous and will detract from
the seriousness of your talk.
15. Don’t use slang. In a professional environment, slang is out of place, even if you hear native
English speakers do so. Use the best English you can and you will make a better impression.
16. Don’t use crutch/filler words. Try your best not to overuse certain crutch words or sounds
(like ummm, you know, etc.) while you are trying to remember the right word. It can be quite
annoying for the listener.
17. Use verbs instead of nouns. Spoken English sounds more natural when you use more verbs.
18. Use active verbs instead of passive verbs. They are much easier to understand.
19. Use linking words. Examples are: on the contrary, similarly, nevertheless, therefore, in
addition, etc. They make it easier for your listeners to follow your argument.
20. Write down & adapt numerical information. Make sure important numbers and statistics
are written on your slides so the audience does not miss this critical information. Adapt the style
of writing and saying the numbers to the country where you are making your presentation.
21. Don’t use acronyms/abbreviations without explaining them. The first time you use such
a term, say or write it in full, followed by the acronym. After that, you may use the shorter
version.
22. Use a remote-control device. With a handheld remote you can move away from the podium
and closer to your audience.
23. Keep the lights on. Go for a compromise between a bright screen image and ambient room
lighting. Turning the lights off -besides inducing sleep- puts all the focus on the screen, and the
audience should be looking at you more than the screen.
24. Remain courteous, gracious and professional at all times. Even if someone is being
difficult, at all times be a gentleman/lady and courteously deal with them. Remain in control.

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Section of presentation
Welcoming
Introducing yourself
Introducing the topic
Overview (outline of
presentation)
Questions during or after the
presentation
Starting the presentation
Starting a new section
PRESENTATIONS: SIGNPOSTING
Signpost language
Good morning/afternoon ladies and gentlemen.
Good morning and welcome to…
Thank you all very much for coming today.
I hope you all had a pleasant journey here today.
My name is … and I am responsible for….
My name is …. From (company) where I am responsible for…
Let me introduce myself; my name is … and I am responsible for….
The subject/topic/theme of my talk/presentation is ...
I'm going to talk about ...
The purpose of today’s presentation/my presentation today is to…
In my presentation I’d like to show you/I’m hoping to give you an
update on…
My topic today is…
My talk is concerned with ...
After my talk there will be time for discussion and any questions.
So that concludes the introduction.
Now let’s move to the first part of my talk, which is about…
I’m going to divide/I have divided this/my talk into (four) parts.
I’m going to examine/cover…
I’m going to fill you in on the…
There are a number of points I'd like to make.
Basically/ Briefly, I have three things to say.
I'd like to begin/start by ...
Let's begin/start by ...
First of all, I'll... … and then I’ll go on to …
Then/ Next ...
Finally/ Lastly ...
I’d like to give you an overview of/a brief outline of…
My presentation will take (about) thirty minutes…
In today’s presentation I’m hoping/I’d like to cover 3 points…
Firstly … secondly … thirdly…
Please (feel free to) interrupt me if you have any questions.
I’d be grateful if you could ask your questions after the presentation.
If you have any questions you’d like to ask, please leave them until the
end, when I’ll be happy/I’ll do my best to answer them.
To begin with/to start with...
Let’s start by looking at…
I’d like to start / let’s start with/by looking at…
Moving on now to …
Now let’s move on to…
Now I’d like to move on to…
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 Next I’d like to look at…
Turning to...
Let’s turn now to …
The next issue/topic/area I’d like to focus on …
I’d like to expand/elaborate on …
Now we'll move on to...
Moving on to the next part/section, I’d like to…
I'd like now to discuss...
Let's look now at…
Now let’s take a look at...

Analysing a point and giving Where does that lead us?

recommendations Let's consider this in more detail...
What does this mean for...?
Translated into real terms...
Why is this important?
The significance of this is...

Giving examples For example, ...

A good example of this is...
As an illustration, ...
To give you an example, ...
To illustrate this point...

Introducing a visual/referring to I’d like to show you…

a visual This graph shows/represents…
Let’s compare the....
Take a look at this…
If you look at this, you will see…
This chart illustrates the figures…
This chart gives you a breakdown of…
This clearly shows…
Here you see a comparison between ...
One advantage is ... another is… a third advantage is… finally…
We can see two advantages and one disadvantage …
On the one hand… on the other hand ...
First ... second

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Finishing/closing a section So that concludes…
So that’s an overview of…
I think that just about covers…
I’d like now to turn to…
Now I’d like to look at…
That's all I have to say about...
We've looked at...
So much for...
That’s all I wanted to say about…
Let’s move on to (the next part, which is…)…
So now we come to…
So we’ve seen first the background, then the present situation and
then the prospects for the future.

Summarising and concluding That brings the presentation to an end.

That concludes my talk.
That brings us/me to the end of my presentation.
Unfortunately, I seem to have run out of time, so I’ll conclude very
briefly by saying that …..
Finally, I’d like to finish by…
… some conclusions and recommendations.
To conclude...
In conclusion ...
In short ...
Right, let's sum up, shall we?
Well, that’s about it for now, we’ve covered…
In brief, today we…
To sum up ...
To summarise...
Let's summarise briefly what we've looked at...
If I can just sum up/summarise the main points...
Finally, let me remind you of some of the issues we've covered...
I’d like to end by emphasizing the main point(s).
That’s an overview of…
Now, just to summarise, let’s quickly look at the main points again.
So, to remind you of what I’ve covered in this talk, …
I'd like now to recap...

Thanking Thanks for listening.

Thank you for listening.
Thank you for your attention.
I’ll have to come to that later, perhaps after the break since we’re
running out of time.
I’d like to thank you all for your attention and interest.
I’d like to end by thanking you (all) for coming today.

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Invitation to discuss / ask
questions
Re-wording questions (to give
yourself time)
Answers
Referring to a previous point
Paraphrasing and clarifying
Thanks for listening. Now I’d like to invite your comments.
Now we have (10 minutes) for questions and discussion.
So now I’d very interested to hear your comments.
I’m happy to answer any queries/ questions.
Does anyone have any questions or comments?
If anyone has any questions, I’ll be pleased to answer them/I’ll do my
best to answer them.
Please feel free to ask questions.
If you would like me to elaborate on any point, please ask.
Would you like to ask any questions?
Any questions?
I’ll have to come to that later, perhaps after the break since we’re
running out of time.
So you would like further clarification on our strategy?
That’s an interesting question. How are we going to transfer
responsibilities? By….
Thank you for asking. What is our plan for next year?
Let me just say it in another way.
Perhaps I can rephrase that.
Put another way, what you’re asking is…
Does this answer your question?
Did I explain myself?
Did that help?
Do you follow what I am saying?
I hope this explains the situation.
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/not able to answer at the moment. Perhaps I
can get back to you later?
Good question! I really don’t know. Let me find out and I’ll get back
to you.
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. Please get in
touch with…
As I mentioned earlier...
As we saw earlier…
You may recall that we said/that I explained…
Simply put...
In other words.......
So what I’m saying is....
To put it more simply....
To put it another way....
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 ASSESSING ORAL PRESENTATIONS
Teacher Rubric: Oral presentations
 This is a sample rubric for teachers to assess students’ oral presentations. The criteria are based on the standards for LOTE
and Communication.
 This rubric is designed to be integrated into a scoring sheet. A complete grading sheet typically has a scoring system attached
to performance descriptors, and space for comments.
Criteria Below expected level
Topic introduced.
Introduction of
topic
Some understanding of topic
shown. Some links and
connections made between
ideas. Points are usually
Development of
developed with minimum
topic detail. Information is usually
relevant.
Some eye contact was made.
Techniques used to engage
audience were minimal, or
Ability to engage
mainly ineffective.
and involve
audience
Attempts were made to tailor
Suitability of the presentation content to the
presentation for intended purpose of informing,
purpose and interesting or persuading.
audience
Presenter occasionally spoke
Voice: clarity, clearly and at a good pace.
pace, fluency
[Source: www.education.vic.gov.au/languagesonline]
At expected level
Topic introduced clearly, and
purpose of talk was made clear.
Good understanding of topic
shown. Links and connections
between ideas made clear.
Information was relevant and
expressed in own words. Points
were developed with sufficient
and appropriate details.
An interesting approach taken
to topic. Speaker used
techniques such as visual aids
and props, anecdote, surprising
facts, direct audience
participation.
The presentation content and
structure was tailored to the
audience and to the intended
purpose of informing,
interesting or persuading.
Presenter usually spoke clearly
to ensure audience
comprehension. Delivery was
usually fluent.
10
Above expected level
Topic introduced clearly and in
an interesting way. Purpose of
talk was made clear. Outline of
points was given.
A very good understanding of
the topic shown. Links and
connections between ideas
made clear. Information was
relevant and well expressed in
own words. Points were well-
organised and developed with
sufficient and appropriate
details.
Speaker monitored audience
and adapts presentation
accordingly. An interesting or
original approach taken to the
topic. Speaker used techniques
such as visual aids and props,
anecdote, humour, surprising
facts, direct audience
participation.
The presentation content,
structure and delivery were
closely tailored to the audience
and to the intended purpose of
informing, interesting or
persuading.
Presenter spoke clearly and at a
good pace to ensure audience
comprehension. Delivery was
fluent and expressive.
 The vocabulary of the
presentation was mainly
Vocabulary,
appropriate for the topic. The
sentence
presentation content was
structure, occasionally grammatically
grammar correct.
Pronunciation occasionally
Pronunciation correct, but often hesitant and
inaccurate.
Greetings and general
Cultural presentation are not culturally
conventions for inappropriate.
oral presentation
No visual aids were used; OR
Visual aids were occasionally
appropriate and related to the
Use of visual aids
spoken message.
An attempt was made to
Conclusion of
conclude the presentation.
topic
Not all questions could be
Answering answered. Questions answered
questions from with difficulty, and little
audience knowledge of the topic was
demonstrated.
The vocabulary of the
presentation was appropriate
for the topic. Sentence
structures were usually correct.
The presentation content was
usually grammatically correct.
Pronunciation and intonation is
usually correct.
Greetings are culturally
appropriate. Questions are
answered appropriately.
Visual aids supported the
presentation effectively. They
clarified and reinforced the
spoken message.
The presentation was summed
up clearly.
Most questions answered.
Answers showed good
knowledge and understanding
of the topic. Language was
mainly correct.
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The vocabulary of the
presentation was appropriate
for the topic. A variety of
phrases and sentence structures
were used. The presentation
content was grammatically
correct.
Pronunciation and intonation is
correct and confident.
Greetings are culturally
appropriate. Gestures, stance
and eye contact are
appropriate. Questions are
answered appropriately.
Visual aids were carefully
prepared and supported the
presentation effectively. They
clarified and reinforced the
spoken message. The aids
added impact and interest to
the presentation.
The presentation was summed
up clearly and effectively, with
key points emphasised.
Questions answered with little
difficulty. Very good knowledge
of the topic was demonstrated.
Language was correct and
fluent.
 Scoring Rubric for Oral Presentations
[Source: hplengr.engr.wisc.edu/Rubric_Presentation.doc]

Category Scoring Criteria Total Score

Points

The type of presentation is appropriate for the topic and 5

Organization audience.

(15 points) Information is presented in a logical sequence 5

(introduction, body, conclusion).
Questions at the end. 5
Introduction is attention-getting, lays out the problem 5
well, and establishes a framework for the rest of the
presentation.
Technical terms are well-defined in language 5
Content appropriate for target audience.
(45 points)
Presentation contains accurate information. 10
Material included is relevant to the overall 10
message/purpose.
Appropriate amount of material is prepared, and points 10
made reflect well their relative importance.
There is an obvious conclusion summarizing the 5
presentation.
Speaker maintains good eye contact, is appropriately 5
animated (e.g., gestures, moving around, etc.) and
keeps the interest of the audience.
Speaker uses a clear, audible voice. 5
Delivery
(40 points) Delivery has a good pace (speed) and goes smoothly. 5
Good language skills and pronunciation. 5
Audiovisual aids are informative and effective. 5
Length of presentation is within assigned time limits. 5
Information was well communicated. 10
Score Total Points 100

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DATES
[Source: Haigh, R. (2012. 3rd ed.), Legal English. Routledge]

When using British English, dates should be written as follows:

• 21 March 2000 – NOT 21st March 2000 or March 21, 2000.

• 7 April 2006 – NOT 07 April 2006.
• 1991-95 – NOT 1991-1995 or 1991/95

In American English dates are written differently, since the month is placed before the day, and
a comma is often placed after the day: May 2nd, 2012.

A hyphen can be used to replace “to” in phrases such as “during the period July-October 2012,
but not in “from … to” or “between … and”. For example, write:

• … from July 2012 to October 2013,

AND
• … between July and October 2012 (NOT between July-October 2012)

NUMBERS
[Source: Haigh, R. (2012. 3rd ed.), Legal English. Routledge]

The rule is that all numbers ten and below should be spelled out and numbers 11 and above
should be put in numerals. However, there are certain exceptions to this:

If numbers recur through the text or are being used for calculations, then numerals should be
used.

If the number is approximate (e.g. “around three hundred years ago”) it should be spelled out.

Very large numbers should generally be expressed without using rows of zeros where possible
(e.g. €4.5 million instead of €4,500,000). In contracts, the use of both words and numbers is
common in order to increase certainty. For example, FOUR THOUSAND THREE HUNDRED
EUROS (€4,300).

Percentages may be spelled out (thirty per cent) or written as numbers (30 per cent).

Numbers that begin sentences should be spelled out.

In English writing, the decimal point is represented by a dot (.) and commas are used to break
up long numbers. Commas CANNOT be used to represent a decimal point. Therefore the
number six thousand nine hundred and sixty eight and three quarters is written like this in
English:

6,968.75

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 PRESENTATIONS: DESCRIBING CHARTS

Type of chart Name

Table

Pie chart

Bar chart

Line graph

Flow chart

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Phrases to describe charts
The pie chart is about ...
The bar chart deals with ...
The line graph (clearly) shows ...
The slices of the pie chart compare the ...
The chart is divided into ... parts.
The chart highlights ...
... has the largest (number of) ...
... has the second largest (number of) ...
... is as big as ...
... is twice as big as ...
... is bigger than ...
More than ... per cent ...
Only one third ...
Less than half ...
The number ... increases/goes up/grows by ...
The number ... decreases/goes down/sinks by ...
The number ...does not change/remains stable

Describing charts
• Increase/fall (adjectives): gradual, marked, moderate, sharp, significant, slight, steady,
steep, dramatic, considerable, sudden, small, rapid, slow.
• Position: highest level, lowest level, peak, reached a peak, stood at, remain the same.
• Nouns of movement: decline, decrease, drop, fall, fluctuation, improvement, increase,
recovery, reduction, rise, flow, lift, downward trend, upward trend.
• Verbs of movement: bottom out, double to, fluctuate, level off, plummet, plunged, soared,
remained steady, decrease, drop, go up, go down, fall, grow, increase, rise.
• Comparing: more, far more, many more, a lot more, substantially more, considerably more,
significantly more, slightly more, fractionally more; as many, twice as many, three times as
many, not as many.
• Considerable: amount, degree, difference, doubt, extent, impact, influence, interest,
number, power, risk.
• Important: aspect, contribution, decision, difference, point, question, reason.
• Major: change, concern, contribution, difference, factor, issue, problem, role, theme.
• Significant: difference, effect, impact, increase.
• Widespread: allegation, assumption, belief, destruction, opposition, practice, protest,
support, use.

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EXAMPLE OF CHART DESCRIPTION

The pie charts illustrate the primary reasons that people came to and left the UK in 2007. At first
glance it is clear that the main factor influencing this decision was employment.
Having a definite job accounted for 30 per cent of immigration to the UK, and this figure was very
similar for emigration, at 29%. A large number of people, 22%, also emigrated because they were
looking for a job, though the proportion of people entering the UK for this purpose was noticeably
lower at less than a fifth.
Another major factor influencing a move to the UK was for formal study, with over a quarter of
people immigrating for this reason. However, interestingly, only a small minority, 4%, left for this.
The proportions of those moving to join a family member were quite similar for immigration and
emigration, at 15% and 13% respectively. Although a significant number of people (32%) gave
‘other’ reasons or did not give a reason why they emigrated, this accounted for only 17% with regards
to immigration.

HOW TO SAY PERCENTAGES THAT ARE NOT EXACT

Percentage Qualifier
77% just over three quarters
77% approximately three quarters
49% just under a half
49% nearly a half
32% almost a third

proportion / number /
Percentage amount / majority /
minority
75% - 85% a very large majority
65% - 75% a significant proportion
10% - 15% a minority
5% a very small number

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