(Much improved version of this worksheet now available in this very cheap e-book)
Without looking below, listen to your teacher read out some phrases and hold up one of the two cards that you have been given depending on whether it is used to open or close presentations.
Label the sections below with S for starting or E for ending.
(That’s a) (very) good question/ point./ That’s an interesting question.
I’m glad you asked me that.
Sorry, I should have mentioned that.
Thanks for your question.
I expected that question.
I’m sure many people have the same question.
As (a few of/ some of/ many of/ most of/ almost all of) you know, I’m… and…
For those of you who don’t know me already,…
I should probably start by introducing myself. I…
I think most of you know me, but I’ll introduce myself anyway.
By the end of my presentation, I want to show you that…
I aim to prove to you that…
I intend to change your mind about…
The purpose/ aim of today’s presentation is…
My purpose in presenting this to you is…
Did anyone perhaps have any questions about…?/ I imagine there are some questions about…
Did you know that…?
Have you ever wondered…?
I think this is an important/ interesting topic because…/ You should all be interested in this topic because….
Does that answer your question?
Is that what you wanted to know?
Is that a bit clearer now?
Do you need more details?
Here is a link for access to today’s PowerPoint slides.
Here is a list of possible further reading on the topic.
You can read more about it via the links on this last slide.
There is a list of original sources on the last page of the handouts that I gave you.
I hope that after this presentation all of you/ most of you/ at least some of you will remember…
I will consider my presentation to be successful if…
My goal today is…
I think all this proves that…
I hope after hearing all I said about… you all/ most of you/ some of you…
I hope I have convinced you that…
If anyone still has any questions, I’ll be happy to answer them individually.
If you have any further questions, please come up and talk to me (individually/ afterwards).
If you have any more questions, please email me at this address and I’ll do my best to answer them.
If anything I say isn’t clear, please put up your hand and let me know.
If you have any questions, please raise your hand and ask at any time.
Please feel free to interrupt me at any time.
If no one else has any questions I will leave it there.
I can see that the next presenter is eager to get started, so…
I seem to have run out of time.
I’m sure you are all ready for lunch, so…
I’ve already gone on for too long, so…
It is quite difficult to draw conclusions, but…
The conclusion I would draw from all that would be…
What conclusions can we draw from all the information we have seen today? Well,…
If there is one thing I’d like you to take away from this presentation, it is…
I’d now be interested to hear your views on what I have said.
I’d now like to invite questions and discussion.
I’m sure you have plenty of questions, so please fire away.
(Are there) any (more) questions?
I’m sure you are all quite tired so…
I know some of you have already heard me talk about this, but…
I’m sure after the last presentation you are all…
I can see that some of you…
My presentation is divided into…/ I’ve divided my presentation into… parts
I’ll start/ begin/ commence with/ by…
First/ Firstly/ First of all
Second/ Secondly/ Then/ Next
Last/ Lastly/ Finally/ Last of all
Right/ Okay/ So/ Well
Can I have your attention, please?
I’d like to get started, if I may./ Shall we get started?/ Let’s make a start.
Right/ So/ Okay
If there are no questions so far…
Let’s start with…
I’d like to start by talking about…
This first slide shows…
Thank you for listening.
Thank you for your kind attention.
Thank you very much for your attention.
Thanks again for…
Thanks for your time.
Thanks for all your great questions.
I really appreciate having had this opportunity to share my ideas with you.
That brings me to the end of my presentation.
That is the end of my presentation.
The reason why I want to tell you about this is…
I chose this topic because…/ To explain why I chose this topic,…
I…, which is why I’m going to talk to you about…
I… but my presentation is about…
My connection to my presentation topic is…
The topic/ subject/ title of my presentation is…
I’m going to talk to you about…
I’d like to speak to you today about…
I’ll talk about/ present/ explain/ discuss/ focus on…
There is a famous joke/ an old joke/ a Chinese joke on this topic which goes…
How many people here…?/ Please raise your hand if you…
You may have seen/ have probably seen in the news that…
There’ll be a Q&A session at the end.
If you have any questions, I’ll be happy to answer them at the end.
I will leave ten minutes at the end for questions.
To recap,…
To restate my main point,…
To sum up… / To summarise…
We’ll focus on/ look at/ examine…
I’d like to start by explaining the title of my presentation.
In my presentation today,…/ In this presentation,…
What I want to show you/ tell you about/ talk to you about/ present to you is…
We’ll now move on to the Q&A stage.
And now, if anyone has any questions, I’d be happy to answer them.
I will now answer any questions you may have.
Yes, what is your question please/ what would you like to ask me/ what would you like to know?
Yes, please go ahead./ Yes, please ask away.
Yes, the gentleman in the corner with the green tie./ Yes, John.
Yes, do you have a question?
Cards to hold up
| Starting | Ending |
| Starting | Ending |
| Starting | Ending |
| Starting | Ending |
| Starting | Ending |
| Starting | Ending |
Without looking above, try to remember and/ or think of as many phrases as you can for all the functions below:
Starting
Getting people’s attention/ Starting the introduction
Showing awareness of the audience/ Connecting with the audience
Introducing yourself
Giving personal information
Explaining the content
Explaining your aim
Hooking the audience
Explaining the organization/ structure of the presentation
Explaining when to ask questions
Ending the introduction/ Starting the body of the presentation
Ending
Summary/ Conclusion
Ending the presentation and starting the Q&A
Dealing with questions
Ending the Q&A
Thanking at the end
Giving further information
Try to find sections with those functions above.
Check with the answer key on the next page.
Answer key
Starting
Getting people’s attention/ Starting the introduction
Right/ Okay/ So/ Well
Can I have your attention, please?
I’d like to get started, if I may./ Shall we get started?/ Let’s make a start.
Showing awareness of the audience/ Connecting with the audience
I’m sure you are all quite tired so…
I know some of you have already heard me talk about this, but…
I’m sure after the last presentation you are all…
I can see that some of you…
Introducing yourself
As (a few of/ some of/ many of/ most of/ almost all of) you know, I’m… and…
For those of you who don’t know me already,…
I should probably start by introducing myself. I…
I think most of you know me, but I’ll introduce myself anyway.
Giving personal information
The reason why I want to tell you about this is…
I chose this topic because…/ To explain why I chose this topic,…
I…, which is why I’m going to talk to you about…
I… but my presentation is about…
My connection to my presentation topic is…
Explaining the content
The topic/ subject/ title of my presentation is…
I’m going to talk to you about…
I’d like to speak to you today about…
I’ll talk about/ present/ explain/ discuss/ focus on…
We’ll focus on/ look at/ examine…
I’d like to start by explaining the title of my presentation.
In my presentation today,…/ In this presentation,…
What I want to show you/ tell you about/ talk to you about/ present to you is…
Explaining your aim
By the end of my presentation, I want to show you that…
I aim to prove to you that…
I intend to change your mind about…
The purpose/ aim of today’s presentation is…
My purpose in presenting this to you is…
I hope that after this presentation all of you/ most of you/ at least some of you will remember…
I will consider my presentation to be successful if…
My goal today is…
Hooking the audience
Did you know that…?
Have you ever wondered…?
I think this is an important/ interesting topic because…/ You should all be interested in this topic because….
There is a famous joke/ an old joke/ a Chinese joke on this topic which goes…
How many people here…?/ Please raise your hand if you…
You may have seen/ have probably seen in the news that…
Explaining the organization/ structure of the presentation
My presentation is divided into…/ I’ve divided my presentation into… parts
I’ll start/ begin/ commence with/ by…
First/ Firstly/ First of all
Second/ Secondly/ Then/ Next
Last/ Lastly/ Finally/ Last of all
Explaining when to ask questions
If anything I say isn’t clear, please put up your hand and let me know.
If you have any questions, please raise your hand and ask at any time.
Please feel free to interrupt me at any time.
There’ll be a Q&A session at the end.
If you have any questions, I’ll be happy to answer them at the end.
I will leave ten minutes at the end for questions.
Ending the introduction/ Starting the body of the presentation
Right/ So/ Okay
If there are no questions so far…
Let’s start with…
I’d like to start by talking about…
This first slide shows…
Ending
Summary/ Conclusion
To recap,…
To restate my main point,…
To sum up… / To summarise…
I think all this proves that…
I hope after hearing all I said about… you all/ most of you/ some of you…
I hope I have convinced you that…
It is quite difficult to draw conclusions, but…
The conclusion I would draw from all that would be…
What conclusions can we draw from all the information we have seen today? Well,…
If there is one thing I’d like you to take away from this presentation, it is…
Ending the presentation and starting the Q&A
That brings me to the end of my presentation.
That is the end of my presentation.
We’ll now move on to the Q&A stage.
And now, if anyone has any questions, I’d be happy to answer them.
I will now answer any questions you may have.
I’d now be interested to hear your views on what I have said.
I’d now like to invite questions and discussion.
I’m sure you have plenty of questions, so please fire away.
(Are there) any (more) questions?
Did anyone perhaps have any questions about…?/ I imagine there are some questions about…
Dealing with questions
Yes, what is your question please/ what would you like to ask me/ what would you like to know?
Yes, please go ahead./ Yes, please ask away.
Yes, the gentleman in the corner with the green tie./ Yes, John.
Yes, do you have a question?
(That’s a) (very) good question/ point./ That’s an interesting question.
I’m glad you asked me that.
Sorry, I should have mentioned that.
Thanks for your question.
I expected that question.
I’m sure many people have the same question.
Does that answer your question?
Is that what you wanted to know?
Is that a bit clearer now?
Do you need more details?
Ending the Q&A
If anyone still has any questions, I’ll be happy to answer them individually.
If you have any further questions, please come up and talk to me (individually/ afterwards).
If you have any more questions, please email me at this address and I’ll do my best to answer them.
If no one else has any questions I will leave it there.
I can see that the next presenter is eager to get started, so…
I seem to have run out of time.
I’m sure you are all ready for lunch, so…
I’ve already gone on for too long, so…
Thanking at the end
Thank you for listening.
Thank you for your kind attention.
Thank you very much for your attention.
Thanks again for…
Thanks for your time.
Thanks for all your great questions.
I really appreciate having had this opportunity to share my ideas with you.
Giving further information
Here is a link for access to today’s PowerPoint slides.
Here is a list of possible further reading on the topic.
You can read more about it via the links on this last slide.
There is a list of original sources on the last page of the handouts that I gave you.
Test each other in pairs:
– Read out phrases and see if your partner can remember if they are for starting or ending
– Read out phrases and see if your partner can remember which function above it is has
– Choose one function above and help your partner come up with as many of examples as possible
– Choose starting or ending and help your partner come up with at least one example of each function for that part of presentations.
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PDF for easy saving and printing: opening closing presentations game
Related pages
Teaching Presentation Skills: Interactive Classroom Activities e-book (including nearly 200 pages on starting and ending presentations)
TEFLtastic 