good words to use in presentation

60 Useful and Impactful Phrases for Presentations in English: A Quick Glimpse for Presenters

Introduction.

Are you up for a presentation in English but don’t know how to start yet? Preparing and making a persuasive presentation in English is quite challenging and taxing. You have to consider a lot of things before you can finalize it. A good presentation relies heavily on the words or phrases you use to clearly convey your message to your target audience.

Then, what kind of phrases for presentations in English should you use to persuade your audience and get them involved in your presentation?

In this article, we are going to talk about useful and impactful phrases for presentations in English that you can effectively use in your future presentations. Before that, let us discuss first the importance of these phrases in English presentations.

The Importance of Having Impactful Phrases for Presentations in English

In the business world, presentations play a significant role because they make reports easier to convey and understand. Presentations delivered in English are impactful and are often commended. Thus, having impactful phrases for presentations in English is an additional advantage to get your audience’s attention and be on track.

Say for example you are assigned to lead a new project and you are tasked to give a progress report to your boss. It would not be nice to give him just verbal updates about the progress of the project you handle. It would be better to show him the things that have been working well so far, and things that have been a worry. With just a verbal report, your boss might not be able to understand clearly.

With that, using a presentation is important for him to clearly visualize what is going on with the project. Presentations also give you the chance to be constructively corrected. It also serves as a formal report.

Using impactful phrases for presentations in English leaves a lasting impression on your audience. These phrases can greatly enhance the effectiveness of your report. The more you use persuading phrases or expressions in your presentations, the greater the chance you have to be recognized.

Do you want to be recognized and commended? This article is for you, so keep reading and we’re with you all throughout.

People commending the speaker in her presentation.

Useful and Impactful Phrases for Presentations in English

Aim for a long-lasting impression on your audience by using the following useful and impactful phrases in your next presentation in English.

Setting a bright atmosphere

At the beginning of the presentation, you would want your audience to interact with you throughout so setting a warm and bright atmosphere before it is crucial. You can use the following expressions:

“Good day, everyone! Who’s up for a game?”
“It’s nice to see everyone with a smile today.”
“I am glad you all came to attend this meeting.”
“Before we start, let’s have an icebreaker first to keep everyone going!”
“Have you ever…?”

Remember to get your audience engaged right at the beginning of your presentation.

Setting your audience’s expectations

In some presentations, the audience expects more of what you can give, so it is good to give them a brief overview of what the presentation is about and what will happen.

“This presentation will last about 30 minutes.”
“All questions and concerns will be attended to after the presentation.”
“We will allocate spare time for your questions and concerns.”
“The first part of the presentation would be…”
“There will be more slides in the presentation so please bear with me.”
“This presentation will take longer than usual.”
“If you have questions during the presentation, please write them on these pieces of paper so we can answer them later.”
“Please take down notes for your reference.”
“Handouts will be distributed to everyone.”
“There will be more games and interaction in this presentation.”
Starting your presentation

It is always nice to warmly welcome your audience before going deeply into your topic.

“I would like to formally welcome everyone today.”
“Please sit comfortably and relax.”
“Let’s start this presentation by introducing myself. My name is _________.”
“My name is ______ and I am from _______ department.”
“I’d like to share a quote from …”
“I have an anecdote to share and I’d love everyone to listen.”
“What do you think about the quote shared by…?”

Sometimes, it is better to start your presentation with an anecdote or a quote related to your presentation.

Introducing your topic

You may use the following phrases for presentations in English when introducing your topic.

“Today, I will be talking about…”
“The topic of my presentation today is about …”
“My presentation is relevant to…”
“I am glad to present to you the progress of …”
“As you can see, I am here to report about…”
“There are three major topics that I’m going to discuss today.”
Discussing the content of your topic: showing images, graphs, and illustrations

When discussing the content of your presentation, it is good to use the following expressions.

“As you can see in the graph…”
“Here is an example illustration of…”
“Look at the graphic on the screen.”
“This illustration/graph shows the result of…”
“Things don’t look good in this image so…”
“I visualize this project as…”
“You can see the graph showing the trends…”
Engaging your audience

It’s okay to pause for a while and get your audience involved in your presentation.

“What do you think about it?”
“Do you have any additional insights?”
“Please feel free to share your thoughts about it.”
“Your opinion really matters.”
“Kindly let me know if you have questions or clarifications.”
“I’d love to hear your thoughts about this.”
“Who would like to share their personal thoughts on this?”
Emphasizing or highlighting important information
“This is very important because…”
“The good thing about this one is that…”
“Our key takeaway for this matter is…”
“The most important thing in this project is the…”
“The decrease will not affect our sales target…”
Entertaining questions and concerns

Some members of the audience inevitably ask you questions about your presentation so it is best to be prepared. If not, might as well be polite instead.

“Thank you for your question, Mr./Ms. _____.”
“That’s a very good question.”
“Thank you for raising that concern.”
“I’d love to answer your question, but let me finish this first.”
“I will attend to all your questions after the presentation.”
Ending your presentation and leaving a long-lasting impression

You may not impress all in the audience with your presentation but you must know how well you delivered your presentation. End it with a bang, and leave a lasting impression on your audience.

“This is not easy, but I know we can do this.”
“Thank you so much for sparing your precious time on this presentation.”
“I really appreciate your presence in this meeting.”
“We are all in this together, so let’s start making a difference.”
“I’d like to commend our workers for…”
“Good job to everyone for a job well done.”
“Kudos! Let’s continue to be productive and excellent.”
“You’re all amazing.”

You can also end your presentation with a quote or a personal anecdote for your audience to remember you.

These phrases for presentations in English are helpful ways to make your presentation easy to understand as well as impactful. These are just examples of phrases you can use when presenting in English. You can always experiment and create sounding phrases to persuade your audience.

By knowing these phrases, you enhance the effectiveness of your delivery as well as your communication skills. This is your way to overcome your fear of speaking English . Most importantly, the impression you will leave to your listeners will last for a long time.

What to consider when preparing a presentation?

Presentations can be simple depending on your target audience, the context, and the time frame. These are just a few of the things you have to consider when preparing a presentation. You can also ask yourself the following questions.

Know your target audience. Who are the attendees? Your presentation must be appropriate for the listeners.
Where is the presentation? Check the situation.
How long will the meeting last? How much time is allocated for your presentation?
What data should you present? Think about the most important highlight in your topic.
Should you use a PowerPoint presentation? This is better than just speaking without material.
Are games or activities suitable for the presentation? If not, never mind. You’ll just waste your time.
What interactive activities should you include? This is nice to get your audience engaged.
What if you cannot answer the questions? Anticipate and prepare a backup answer.

Presentations are always easy when you know how to consider things during your preparation. Things do not always go easy, especially when it is your first time. However, just be confident and relax. Your goal is to deliver a good and effective presentation, but most of all, to impress your audience.

Get ready for your next presentation…

You have just learned some useful and impactful phrases for presentations in English. Now you are ready for your next presentation. Focus and think about your primary goal: the impression.

March 12, 2024

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Learning English with Oxford

The latest language learning tips, resources, and content from oxford university press., useful phrases for giving a presentation in english.

by Oxford University Press ELT
Posted on April 21, 2023 February 2, 2024

Giving a presentation in English can be challenging, but with these helpful phrases, you can feel confident and ready to make a good presentation in English.

Starting your presentation

So how to start a presentation in English? Begin by saying hello and welcoming everyone. You can also thank the audience for being there with you.

The beginning of the presentation is one of the most important parts because you need to make sure your audience is interested from the start.

You could tell a short story, give a fact, or simply tell the audience a little bit about yourself, e.g. ‘ Let me start by telling you a little bit about myself …’

Then, introduce what your presentation is about by giving an opening statement or an overview of your session. For example, ‘Today, I am going to talk to you about …’ or, ‘Today, we’ll be looking at/focusing on …’.

You can also tell the audience, ‘ If you have any questions, please raise your hand and I’ll be happy to answer them’ … or ‘ We’ll have time at the end for questions.’

Presenting the topic

When you get into the main part of giving your presentation in English, remember that what you’re saying to your audience is new information. Speak slowly, organise your ideas, and make sure your pronunciation is clear. You can learn more about boosting your pronunciation here .

Use expressions to order your ideas and introduce new ones. You can use words and phrases to sequence like, firstly/first of all, secondly, then, next, following this, and lastly/finally.

If you want to introduce the opposite point of view, you can use language like however, on the other hand, contrary to this and then again.

It’s a good idea to link what you are saying back to previous things you have said. This shows you have a well-organised presentation and also helps keep people engaged. For example, ‘as I said previously/at the beginning …’, ‘as you may remember’ and ‘this relates to what I said about ….’

Highlighting information during your talk

When you are giving a presentation in English, you might want to highlight a particular piece of information or something that’s important. You can use phrases such as ‘Let’s focus on …’, ‘I want to highlight …’, ‘Pay attention to …’, ‘Let’s look at …’, ‘I want to briefly address …’, or ‘Now, let’s discuss ….’ You can use these phrases after your sequencing words to help you with your structure.

You can also highlight information by asking your audience their opinion of what you are saying or having them engage with the presentation in some way. For example, you could ask a question and have the audience raise their hands if they agree, or disagree, or if you want to find out how many of them have experience with the situation you’re discussing. Asking questions is a good way to make sure you still have the audience’s attention after you’ve been speaking for a while.

You can also highlight information on your visuals if you’re using them. Use bright, impactful pictures and colours, and don’t include too much writing on your slides.

Finalising the talk

At the end of the presentation, you should summarise your talk and remind the audience of the things you have discussed, and the new information you have given them. You can say things like ‘In summary, we have looked at …’, ‘I’d like to finish by …’, and ‘We’re coming to the end of the presentation. We’ve discussed …’.

You can then ask the audience for any questions you haven’t already answered.

What are your experiences of giving a presentation in English? Do you have any other tips to add? Share below!

Billie Jago is an ELT writer and teacher trainer, specialising in digital & assessments. She is the founder of the professional development podcast ELTcpd and co-founder of the digital ELT content agency, otterelt .

Author: Oxford University Press ELT

Every year we help millions of people around the world to learn English. As a department of the University of Oxford, we further the University’s objective of excellence in education by publishing proven and tested language learning books, eBooks, learning materials, and educational technologies. View all posts by Oxford University Press ELT

before You start your presentation ,try please to mention the time duration . sometimes people should be informed so that we can take a coffe break or cigarettes break in order to make evry one happy with the topics

Here is the tip I would add according to my experience :

end your presentation on a positive note, for example with a funny sentence /image /meme / an inspirational quote, in short something that will make your talk pleasant to remember.

Valentina T.

You need to chill out and show calmness and confidence. You should rehearse your presentation on the stage some time before its previously stated time.

Clear, cogent & commanding. Thanks.

I think to get better respond to presentation you can do some mistakes in it and then explain it the end or in the next presentation. Because if anyone would like to learn something also should show involvement.