Do you feel nervous when you have to give a presentation in English?
You may know your topic well. You may have good slides. You may use English at work every day. But when it's your turn to speak, the right words disappear.
That's normal. A presentation is different from a normal conversation. You need to start clearly, move from one point to the next, explain your slides, and deal with questions.
In this lesson, I'm going to give you 37 useful presentation phrases in English for work. You'll also see common mistakes to avoid, a short presentation script you can adapt, and a practice task at the end.
You can use these phrases in team meetings, client presentations, project updates, online calls, training sessions, and interview presentations.
Test your meeting English
8 real workplace situations. One quick quiz. Find out exactly where your English holds you back in meetings — and what to say instead.
Take the test →Watch the video lesson first, or use the written guide below to find the phrases you need.
Below, you'll find the phrases organised by the part of the presentation where you need them.
Why presentations in English feel difficult
When you present in English, you need to think about two things at the same time: your message and your words.
Set phrases make that easier. They help you start clearly, move between points, explain slides, and finish in a professional way.
You don't need to memorise a full script. You need a few reliable phrases for each part of the presentation. Let's go through them step by step.
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.
Useful for online meetings, client calls, and internal presentations.
Thank you for joining today. I'll keep this clear and practical.
Use this when you already know the people in the room or on the call.
It's good to see you all here. Today, I'd like to talk about the new reporting process.
A little more formal, but still natural.
I'm pleased to be here today to talk about our plans for the next quarter.
Warmer and more relaxed. Use it with colleagues or a team you know well.
I'm glad you could all make it. I'd like to use this time to go through the main changes.
Use this when speaking to clients, senior people, or a group that has made time for you.
Thank you for taking the time to join this presentation. I'll start with a short overview and then move on to the figures.
Phrases for 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.
My name is Harry, and I work in the training team.
One of the safest phrases to use at the start of a presentation.
Today, I'm going to talk about the results from our latest customer survey.
A little more formal than phrase 7.
The topic of my presentation today is our new approach to customer support.
Use this when you're not going into every small detail.
I'd like to give you an overview of the project and explain what happens next.
Use this when you're presenting something new.
I'd like to introduce you to the new booking system we'll be using from next month.
Direct and clear.
This presentation is about the main changes to our onboarding process.
Phrases for 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.
I'll start with a brief overview of the current situation.
Then I'll move on to the main reasons for the delay.
After that, I'll show you the sales figures from the last three months.
Finally, I'll explain the next steps and what we need from each team.
People like to know how long they'll be listening.
The presentation should take about 15 minutes.
Use this when you don't want people to interrupt during the presentation.
If you have any questions, please feel free to ask them at the end.
Use this in smaller meetings when you're happy to take questions during the presentation.
If 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.
Phrases for 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.
If you look at this slide, you can see that sales increased in April and May.
You'll notice on this chart that customer enquiries went up after the campaign started.
This slide shows the main results from the first round of testing.
These figures show that the new system has reduced waiting times.
Use this when one detail is especially important.
I'd like to draw your attention to the number at the bottom of the slide.
This phrase tells people what matters most.
The key point here is that we need more time before the final launch.
Phrases for 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.
The reason for this is that the current process takes too long.
This is important because it affects how quickly we can respond to customers.
What this means is that we need to change the way we handle urgent requests.
The main issue is that the team doesn't always receive the information on time.
The main benefit is that the new system will save time for both teams.
Phrases for 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.
Let's move on to the next point, which is the project timeline.
Now, let's look at the feedback we received from customers.
A little more formal.
I'd like to turn to the budget for the next stage.
That brings me to the final part of the presentation: the next steps.
Phrases for 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.
That's the main change to the process. Is everything clear so far?
Common and natural in work meetings.
We'll need to send the report by Thursday instead of Friday. Does that make sense?
Use this when the topic is more complex.
Would you like me to clarify anything before I move on to the next section?
Use this at the end of the presentation, or at the end of an important section.
That 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." 🏆
How well do you speak English in meetings?
Try 8 real meeting situations and see your score. Find out which phrases you can start using at work right away.
Take the free test →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 task
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.
Ready to test what you know?
You've covered 37 phrases. Now see how you do in real meeting situations. The quiz takes two minutes and gives you your score straight away.
Test your meeting English →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 first. Use them in your next meeting or presentation. Once they feel easy, 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.
How to make suggestions in English at work
Useful phrases for online meetings in English
How to ask indirect questions in English
Essential phrases for small talk in English
How to use linking words and phrases in English
You can also continue practising with BBC Learning English and the British Council.