Intermediate· B1–B2Study & school10 min

Giving a short class presentation

Introduce a topic, guide listeners through your points and answer a question.

The scene

You are giving a three-minute presentation about your hometown to your English class. Your teacher introduces you and asks a question at the end.

Speaker A
Teacher
Speaker B
You (presenter)

Your goals

  • Open a presentation with a clear plan
  • Use signposting language to move between points
  • Answer a question from the audience

Key vocabulary

Press the speaker to hear each word or phrase.

  • to present

    to talk formally to a group about a topic

    Today I'm going to present my hometown.

  • to outline

    to give the main points briefly

    First, I'll outline my talk.

  • to move on

    to change to the next point

    Let's move on to the food.

  • to sum up

    to give a short summary at the end

    To sum up, it's a small but lively city.

  • population

    the number of people living in a place

    It has a population of about 80,000.

  • famous for

    known by many people because of something

    It's famous for its old bridge.

  • audience

    the people listening to a talk

    Thank the audience at the end.

Useful phrases

  • Today I'm going to talk about …

    Introducing your topic

  • I'll cover three points: …

    Giving the plan

  • First, … / Next, … / Finally, …

    Ordering your points

  • Let's move on to …

    Changing to a new point

  • To sum up, …

    Concluding

  • That's a great question.

    Responding to a question

Practice studio: speak the dialogue

Pick your role and press Start. Your partner's lines are read aloud; then say your line into the microphone (or type it) and see which words you got right.

Your role

  1. Teacher

    OK, everyone, next is Carlos. He's going to talk about his hometown.

  2. You (presenter)

    Thank you. Hi, everyone. Today I'm going to talk about my hometown, Valparaíso, in Chile.

  3. Teacher

    Go ahead, Carlos.

  4. You (presenter)

    I'll cover three points: where it is, what it's famous for, and what to eat there.

  5. Teacher

    Mm-hmm.

  6. You (presenter)

    First, Valparaíso is on the coast. It's famous for its colorful houses on steep hills. Let's move on to the food.

  7. Teacher

    Sounds delicious already.

  8. You (presenter)

    Finally, you have to try empanadas. To sum up, it's a colorful, creative city by the sea. Thank you for listening.

  9. Teacher

    Thank you, Carlos. Quick question: what's the best time of year to visit?

  10. You (presenter)

    That's a great question. I'd say spring, from September to November, because it's warm but not too busy.

You speak 5 lines as You (presenter); Teacher is read aloud for you.

Speech recognition is done by your browser (in Chrome and Edge this uses the browser maker's online service). Nothing is stored by AltFTool.

Your turn: speak freely

Answer out loud in your own words. There is no score here: aim for full sentences and fewer filler words.

  1. 1. Give a one-minute presentation about your hometown using 'First', 'Next' and 'Finally'.

  2. 2. Introduce a topic and outline three points you will cover.

  3. 3. Answer this question about your topic: 'What's the best time to visit?'

Quick quiz

Choose an answer to see if you are right and why.

  1. 1. Which sentence gives the plan of a presentation?
  2. 2. Which phrase introduces the conclusion?
  3. 3. What is 'signposting' in a presentation?
  4. 4. How can you start answering a question?

0 of 4 answered

Common mistakes

  • Avoid: I will speak about my city, is very nice.

    Say: I'm going to talk about my city. It's very nice.

    Every sentence needs a subject: add 'it'.

  • Avoid: It is famous of its houses.

    Say: It's famous for its houses.

    Use 'famous for'.

  • Avoid: To resume, it is a nice city.

    Say: To sum up, it's a lovely city.

    'Resume' means continue; for a summary use 'to sum up' or 'in summary'.

Tips

  • Tell the audience your plan at the start; it makes a short talk easy to follow.
  • Practice out loud with a timer, at least three times.
  • Look at the audience and pause between points instead of reading every word.

Questions about this lesson

How do you start a presentation in English?

Greet the audience, name your topic ('Today I'm going to talk about…') and give your plan: 'I'll cover three points.'

How do you end a presentation in English?

Summarize with 'To sum up,…', then say 'Thank you for listening. Are there any questions?'

Finish the lesson

Finish the practice studio and the quiz and this lesson is marked complete for you.

Next lesson: Defending your opinion in a seminar

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