These 37 useful phrases for presentations in English will help you start your presentation, introduce your topic, explain slides and figures, move from one point to the next, and answer questions clearly. You can use them for work presentations, client presentations, project updates, online presentations, training sessions, and interview presentations.
You don’t need to learn all 37 phrases. Choose the sections you need and adapt the examples to your own presentation. A few reliable phrases will make it much easier to organise what you want to say in English.
Watch the video lesson
Watch the full video lesson, or go straight to the written phrases below and choose the part of the presentation you need.
Phrases for starting your presentation
At the beginning, keep it simple. People want to know who you are, why they’re there, and what you’re going to talk about.
1“Thank you for joining today.”
Useful for online meetings, client calls, and internal presentations.
ExampleThank you for joining today. I’ll keep this clear and practical.
2“It’s good to see you all here.”
Use this when you already know the people in the room or on the call.
ExampleIt’s good to see you all here. Today, I’d like to talk about the new reporting process.
3“I’m pleased to be here today.”
A little more formal, but still natural.
ExampleI’m pleased to be here today to talk about our plans for the next quarter.
4“I’m glad you could all make it.”
Warmer and more relaxed. Use it with colleagues or a team you know well.
ExampleI’m glad you could all make it. I’d like to use this time to go through the main changes.
5“Thank you for taking the time to join this presentation.”
Use this when speaking to clients, senior people, or a group that has made time for you.
ExampleThank you for taking the time to join this presentation. I’ll start with a short overview and then move on to the figures.
Introducing yourself and your topic
If everyone knows you, you don’t need a long introduction. If some people don’t know you, give your name, your role, and your topic.
6“My name is [name], and I work in [department/team].”
ExampleMy name is Harry, and I work in the training team.
7“Today, I’m going to talk about [topic].”
One of the safest phrases to use at the start of a presentation.
ExampleToday, I’m going to talk about the results from our latest customer survey.
8“The topic of my presentation today is [topic].”
A little more formal than phrase 7.
ExampleThe topic of my presentation today is our new approach to customer support.
9“I’d like to give you an overview of [topic/project].”
Use this when you’re not going into every small detail.
ExampleI’d like to give you an overview of the project and explain what happens next.
10“I’d like to introduce you to [product/process/idea].”
Use this when you’re presenting something new.
ExampleI’d like to introduce you to the new booking system we’ll be using from next month.
11“This presentation is about [topic/project/area].”
Direct and clear.
ExampleThis presentation is about the main changes to our onboarding process.
Explaining the structure of your presentation
When you tell people the structure, they know what to expect. It also helps you stay calm because you have a clear path to follow.
12“I’ll start with a brief overview of [topic].”
ExampleI’ll start with a brief overview of the current situation.
13“Then I’ll move on to [second point].”
ExampleThen I’ll move on to the main reasons for the delay.
14“After that, I’ll show you [figures/examples/results].”
ExampleAfter that, I’ll show you the sales figures from the last three months.
15“Finally, I’ll explain [next steps/recommendation].”
ExampleFinally, I’ll explain the next steps and what we need from each team.
16“The presentation should take about [number] minutes.”
People like to know how long they’ll be listening.
ExampleThe presentation should take about 15 minutes.
17“If you have any questions, please feel free to ask them at the end.”
Use this when you don’t want people to interrupt during the presentation.
ExampleIf you have any questions, please feel free to ask them at the end.
18“If anything is unclear, please feel free to ask as we go along.”
Use this in smaller meetings when you’re happy to take questions during the presentation.
ExampleIf anything is unclear, please feel free to ask as we go along.
Thank you for joining today. My name is Harry, and I work in the training team. Today, I’m going to talk about the new process.
I’ll start with a brief overview, then I’ll move on to the main changes, and finally I’ll explain the next steps. The presentation should take about 15 minutes. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask them at the end.
Do you use English in meetings too?
Presentations are only one part of speaking English at work. Try 8 real meeting situations and see how easily you can choose the right English when you need to respond quickly.
Take the free quiz →Talking about slides, charts and figures
If you use slides, don’t just show them. Explain what people should look at. A chart can support you, but the audience still needs you to guide them.
19“If you look at this slide, you can see [main point].”
ExampleIf you look at this slide, you can see that sales increased in April and May.
20“You’ll notice on this chart that [trend/result].”
ExampleYou’ll notice on this chart that customer enquiries went up after the campaign started.
21“This slide shows [figures/results/process].”
ExampleThis slide shows the main results from the first round of testing.
22“These figures show that [main point].”
ExampleThese figures show that the new system has reduced waiting times.
23“I’d like to draw your attention to [specific number/detail].”
Use this when one detail is especially important.
ExampleI’d like to draw your attention to the number at the bottom of the slide.
24“The key point here is [main point].”
This phrase tells people what matters most.
ExampleThe key point here is that we need more time before the final launch.
Listen to the lesson
Listen to this lesson on the Speak Better English with Harry podcast, then read on for the rest of the phrases and examples.
Listening and reading together makes the phrases easier to remember.
Explaining your ideas clearly
A presentation should not be only a list of facts. You need to explain what the information means. These phrases help you connect your points.
25“The reason for this is [reason].”
ExampleThe reason for this is that the current process takes too long.
26“This is important because [reason].”
ExampleThis is important because it affects how quickly we can respond to customers.
27“What this means is [explanation].”
ExampleWhat this means is that we need to change the way we handle urgent requests.
28“The main issue is [issue].”
ExampleThe main issue is that the team doesn’t always receive the information on time.
29“The main benefit is [benefit].”
ExampleThe main benefit is that the new system will save time for both teams.
Moving from one point to the next
Tell people when you’ve finished one part and when you’re starting the next one. If you suddenly change topic, people get lost.
30“Let’s move on to the next point.”
ExampleLet’s move on to the next point, which is the project timeline.
31“Now, let’s look at [topic].”
ExampleNow, let’s look at the feedback we received from customers.
32“I’d like to turn to [topic].”
A little more formal.
ExampleI’d like to turn to the budget for the next stage.
33“That brings me to [next point].”
ExampleThat brings me to the final part of the presentation: the next steps.
Checking understanding and taking questions
In a smaller meeting or team presentation, it’s useful to check that people are following you. Use these after an important point or before a new section — not after every slide.
34“Is everything clear so far?”
ExampleThat’s the main change to the process. Is everything clear so far?
35“Does that make sense?”
Common and natural in work meetings.
ExampleWe’ll need to send the report by Thursday instead of Friday. Does that make sense?
36“Would you like me to clarify anything before I move on?”
Use this when the topic is more complex.
ExampleWould you like me to clarify anything before I move on to the next section?
37“I’d be happy to take any questions now.”
Use this at the end of the presentation, or at the end of an important section.
ExampleThat brings me to the end of this section. I’d be happy to take any questions now.
How to end your presentation
At the end of your presentation, don’t just stop. Tell people clearly that you’re finishing. This is enough:
That brings me to the end of my presentation. Thank you for your attention. I’d be happy to take any questions now.
If you want to end with the main message, add a summary line first:
To sum up, the main point is that [main point]. That brings me to the end of my presentation. Thank you for your attention. I’d be happy to take any questions now.
Example: To sum up, the main point is that we need to improve the handover between the sales team and the support team.
Common mistakes in presentations in English
"Today, I'll explain you the results."
- "Today, I'll explain the results."
- "Today, I'll explain the results to you."
- "Today, I'll take you through the results." 🏆
"I'll present you the report."
- "I'll present the report."
- "I'll take you through the report." 🏆
- "I'll go through the report with you." 🏆
"Let's discuss about the figures."
- "Let's discuss the figures."
- "Let's talk about the figures."
"On this slide, you can see many informations."
- "On this slide, you can see a lot of information."
- "This slide shows the main information we collected." 🏆
"These datas show a clear increase."
- "This data shows a clear increase."
- "The figures show a clear increase."
- "The figures show a clear increase in enquiries." 🏆
A simple presentation script you can use
Take this script, adapt the sections in brackets, and use it as a starting point for your next presentation.
Practice your presentation
Think of a real presentation or meeting update you may need to give in English. It could be a project update, a client presentation, a team meeting, a short report, an interview presentation, or a training session.
Complete these sentences aloud:
- Today, I’m going to talk about [topic].
- I’ll start with [first point].
- Then I’ll move on to [second point].
- If you look at this slide, you can see [main point].
- The key point here is [main point].
- The main issue is [issue].
- This is important because [reason].
- That brings me to the end of my presentation.
Don’t worry about sounding perfect. Focus on being clear. That matters more in a work presentation.
What do you say when the questions start?
After your presentation, you may need to explain a point again, answer an unexpected question, disagree, or ask for a moment to think.
Speak Up in Meetings gives you natural English for these situations.
Get Speak Up in Meetings →Final thought
You don’t need complicated English to give a good presentation. You need clear structure, useful phrases and practice.
Choose five or six phrases from this lesson and use them in your next presentation. Once they feel natural, add a few more.
More Business English lessons
If you use English at work, these lessons will help you sound clearer and more professional in meetings, presentations, emails, and everyday business conversations.