At one point or another, it’s highly likely (there’s a good chance) that you will have to give a presentation for work. No matter what field you are in, presentations are a necessary and an unavoidable part of life in the business world, so you’ll need some good go-to presentation phrases.

If you work a lot internationally or often need to use English for work, there may come a time when you have to give a presentation in English as well. If this is the case for you, read on for a few presentation phrases in English.

Good morning/Good afternoon.

A proper greeting is always handy (convenient- not a smartphone!) to have in your back pocket, no matter what the situation. Remember that first impressions count (are important, matter), and people always want to feel welcome and important, even in a large group. Making a good first impression could make or break (be a deal breaker, could make the difference between success and failure) your presentation, so play it safe and open your presentation with a confident (strong, sure) greeting.

As you are/may be aware…

Does your presentation need some background information (context, explanation) but you’re pretty sure that everyone present knows this information? A little recap (review) never hurts, as it can give a little refresher on the situation. Sometimes, all the information isn’t present in people’s minds, so make sure it is with this little phrase.

For example:

  • As you may (already) be aware, company profits have been steadily increasing since the beginning of the year.

Turning your attention to…

Want to add a smooth topic transition to your presentation? Or do you want people to look at a certain part of your slide? Keep this phrase on hand (nearby, in use) so you can easily and seamlessly (without stopping or effort) direct where people should now look during your presentation.

For example:

  • Turning your attention to the chart on the left hand side, you can see the projected profits from now until the end of the year.

Let me elaborate further.

If you want to expand on (elaborate, talk more about) a topic and explain some of the details further, you can indicate that you are going to do so with this sentence. Sometimes, some aspects (parts) of a presentation need a little more explanation than others, so this is one of the best presentation phrases to use if you need to elaborate on a topic.

Our data shows…

Very, very often, you will need to support your argument with data or facts. No one will believe you if you just say something and ask people to take it as fact with nothing to support it…normally! This is a good phrase to use if you are getting ready to support (back up, your argument (side, opinion) with data that you have collected.

Some other options you can use in this case would be: based on our findings…, or as this study by XYZ shows…, etc.

For example:

  • Our data shows that our customers shop mainly between 4pm and 8pm, as you can see in this chart here.

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

If you have any sort of chart or graph to back up a point you’ve made, use this phrase to direct people’s attention to it. Illustrate in this sense means “to show,” and is a great phrase to use if you have visuals in your presentation.

For example:

  • I’d like to illustrate this point by showing you this graph, which shows the number of completed transactions during each hour of the day.

Thank you for your attention.

Just like having a proper (good, strong, official) welcome is important, having a proper closing statement is, too. People want to feel that their presence (being there, attendance, participation) at your presentation is appreciated. That’s why it is always good to close out (finish, end) your presentation by thanking the audience for their time and being in attendance.

As my mom would say, remember your “magic words”, even (especially!) in the office.

Do you have any presentation phrases you regularly use in in your English presentations? What are they? Share them with the community in the comments below!

Did you like this blog? Share it with others! Let us know what YOU think!

Looking for grammar? Try Tricky Adjectives and Adverbs, when to use Which and That, Order of Adjectives, Its vs It’s, and Present Continuous tense!

Erin Duffin lives in Hamburg, is an English teacher, blogger, yoga instructor, and knows that you will be more confident with these presentation phrases! Go ahead and give them a try! 

Looking for more phrases, ways to use English everyday, or get the conversation started? Sign up for our blog or check out the website!