Greeting the audience Transitions

 Good morning/afternoon, ladies and gentlemen.  Let's now move on to/turn to...
 Good morning/afternoon, everyone.  I now want to go on to...
 This leads/brings me to my next point,
Introducing the topic which is...
 The aim of this presentation is…  I'd now like to move on to/turn to...
 My presentation today is about…  So far we have looked at... Now I'd like
 Today I’d like to talk about… to...
 My purpose/objective/aim today is...
 What I want to do this morning/afternoon/today Referring to common knowledge
is...  As you know….
 I'm here today to...  As I’m sure you are aware…

Giving the structure Giving examples

 This talk is divided into four main parts.  Let me give you an example...
 To start with/Firstly, I'd like to look at...  such as...
 Then/Secondly, I'll be talking about...  for instance...
 I’ll begin by looking at… Then, I’ll move on  A good example of this is...
to…Towards the end I’ll ……
 Finally, I'll be looking at... Summarizing
 What I'm trying to say is...
Changing the topic  Let me just try and sum that up before we
 Now I’d like to turn to… move on to...
 Now let’s look at…  So far, I've presented...
 Summing up
Focusing your audience’s attention  Summing up...
 What is interesting/important is…  To summarize...
 Notice/Observe that  So, to sum up...
 To recap...
Referring backwards/forwards  Let me now sum up.
 I mentioned earlier…
 We’ll come back to this point later… Concluding
 Let me end by saying...
Visual aids  I'd like to finish by emphasizing...
 As you can see here...  In conclusion I'd like to say...
 Here we can see...  Finally, may I say...
 If we look at this slide...  So, to sum up… / In conclusion (we can
 This slide shows... say that)…
 If you look at the screen, you'll see...  If you have any questions, I’ll be pleased
 This table/diagram/chart/slide shows... to answer them.
 I'd like you to look at this...
 Let me show you... Closing
 Let's (have a) look at...  Thank you for your attention/time.
 On the right/left you can see...  Thank you (for listening/very much).

STRUCTURE OF A PRESENTATION1

Introduction

1
(Adapted from: https://twp.duke.edu/sites/twp.duke.edu/files/file-attachments/oral-presentation-handout.original.pdf; and https://www.uts.edu.au/current-
students/support/helps/self-help-resources/presentation-skills/structure-presentation)
  Introduce yourself if needed, providing your affiliation and/or credibility.
 The introduction should orient the audience to your subject and purpose. To capture interest and set up rapport, it
should tell the audience what to expect.
 Be sure to carefully define the central point (or thesis) that is the basis of your talk and ensure that your supporting
argument or information relates closely to it.
 Create an effective opening that will interest your audience: pose a question, give an amazing fact, or tell a short,
interesting story.
 Reveal your topic to the audience and explain why it is important for them to learn about.
 Give a brief outline of the major points you will cover in your presentation.

Body

 The body of the presentation should meet the promises of purpose and information made in the introduction. The
structure of the presentation is crucial, whether you organize it chronologically, by priority, or theme, the body of
your talk must proceed logically.
 The main points should be brought out one by one, with concise and relevant supportive evidence, statistics or
examples. Give clear explanations. Provide sufficient evidence to be convincing
 You could present each important idea or point several times in different ways, because a listening audience needs
several opportunities to fully absorb meaning.
 You need to state clearly the links between your ideas and always signal when the next point is coming. If you
think something is particularly important, say so and why.

Conclusion

 Similar to a written assignment, the conclusion again states your main points and what has been learned or shown
but you also may raise implications inherent in the findings and offer creative recommendations.
 Signal your conclusion with a transition. (In conclusion….)
 Summarize your points.
 End with “Thank You.”
 If answering questions, tell your audience, “I’ll now be happy to answer any questions.”

HOW TO PREPARE A PRESENTATION2

Step 1. Choose the Right Topic

For short presentations, your topic selection is very important. Some topics just do not lend themselves well to presentations
because they are too complex. Here some crucial points to consider when selecting a presentation topic for a 5-minute
presentation:

- Choose a topic you are already familiar with. This will minimize the time you spend researching your topic.
- Keep it simple. Avoid complex topics that require lots of explanation. If a topic is complex, pick a single, simple
aspect of it to present on, rather than trying to cover it all.
- Stick to one or two main points. Also limit yourself to a minimal number of sub-points. Because your presentation
length is limited, it's unlikely you'll have time for more than that.
- Remember your audience's background. To create an engaging presentation, you must know your audience.

Right now, before you get any further in the process, write out what your topic is in one sentence. To be effective, your
single sentence “topic” must be specific and relevant.

Step 2. Identify the Most Relevant Points

2
(Adapted from: https://business.tutsplus.com/tutorials/5-minute-presentation--cms-29182; https://business.tutsplus.com/tutorials/how-to-write-a-professional-powerpoint-
presentation-discover-the-writing-process--cms-25682; and https://24slides.com/presentbetter/10-lessons-from-5-minute-presentation)
Now that you’ve written out your topic, it’s time to get to the main points. Make a list. Jot down everything that comes to
mind on your topic. Once you’ve done this, go back through the list and highlight (or circle or underline) the points that are
most important.

Step 3. Write an Outline for a Presentation

A presentation outline is simply a plan showing the presentation layout and the essential points you’ll explore. These you’ve
already identified in the step above. Now, organize the points in a logical way, starting with your introduction. The
introduction is the place in the presentation process where you tell your audience what you'll cover in your talk.

Next, you write a topic sentence for each of the main points you've decided you want to cover. For each topic sentence or
main point, you'll now write two to three supporting ideas or arguments.

Your presentation outline needs a conclusion. The most effective conclusions end on as strong a note as the presentation
began. Conclusions generally restate the key points you’ve made in your presentation and finish with a call to action,
compelling story, or memorable quote.

Now that you know how to write a presentation outline, let’s look at how to write a script for a presentation.

Step 4: Sit Down to Write

- Start Strong: Your introduction should consist of two things: an introduction to your topic and a summary of your
outline. It's important to find the right balance with how you approach this. You want to neatly skim over each of
the main points you'll cover, but without giving too much away too early.

Your introduction shouldn’t just be informative, it needs to be engaging, too. It's your opportunity to convince your
listeners that what you've got to say is interesting and worth their attention. It should grab their attention.

Start with a powerful attention grabber, since your presentation is so short, you'll want to pay some extra attention
to the opening. You probably don't have time to show a video or play complex animations. You may not even have
time to play a soundtrack. There are other ways to grab your audience's attention. These quick attention grabbers
are great for short presentations:

o Tell a brief story or anecdote.

o Poll the audience
o Mention a startling statistic
o Show a compelling image

- End Strong: Your conclusion will look and sound a lot like your introduction. The only difference is that your
introduction is to intrigue, and your conclusion is to call your listeners to action. Use direct language and make
impactful summary points. Focus on what you want your listeners to leave your presentation thinking about.