{"id":21,"date":"2026-10-22T22:02:00","date_gmt":"2026-10-23T01:02:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/workwords.app\/blog\/presentation-phrases-in-english\/"},"modified":"2026-10-23T10:02:10","modified_gmt":"2026-10-23T13:02:10","slug":"presentation-phrases-in-english","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/workwords.app\/blog\/presentation-phrases-in-english\/","title":{"rendered":"Presentation Phrases in English: Signposting From Hook to Q&A"},"content":{"rendered":"

When you present in English, the audience can\u2019t scroll back. If they lose the thread, they\u2019re gone. That\u2019s why the most useful presentation language isn\u2019t fancy vocabulary: it\u2019s signposting<\/strong>, the short phrases that tell people where you are and what comes next.<\/p>\n

Opening: hook, purpose, roadmap<\/h2>\n

The first 30 seconds decide whether people listen. Skip \u201cToday I\u2019m going to talk about\u2026\u201d and use three moves instead:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Hook:<\/strong> a surprising number, a question or a short story. \u201cLast quarter, one in five new customers left in their first week.\u201d<\/li>\n
  2. Purpose:<\/strong> \u201cI\u2019ll show you why, and what we can do about it.\u201d<\/li>\n
  3. Roadmap:<\/strong> \u201cFirst the problem, then two options, then my recommendation.\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Other openers: \u201cTo start off, I\u2019ll share where we were six months ago.\u201d<\/strong> \u00b7 \u201cLet me set the scene with a quick look at the market.\u201d<\/strong> \u00b7 \u201cWe have a lot to cover, so let\u2019s dive in.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n

    If you need practical notes first: \u201cSome quick housekeeping: we\u2019re recording, and slides will be shared afterwards.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n

    Signposting: moving between sections<\/h2>\n
    \n
    \n

    signpost<\/p>\n

    verb \u00b7 C1<\/span><\/div>\n

    To tell the audience where you are in the talk and what comes next.<\/p>\n

    \u201cGood speakers signpost: first the problem, then two options, then my recommendation.\u201d<\/p>\n

    How to use it:<\/strong> Signposting helps everyone follow, especially people listening in a second language. It also helps you remember your own structure.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
    Purpose<\/th>\nPhrase<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
    Next section<\/td>\n\u201cMoving on to costs, we\u2019re three percent under budget.\u201d<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    Connecting ideas<\/td>\n\u201cThis brings me to my next point: hiring.\u201d<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    Zooming in<\/td>\n\u201cLet\u2019s zoom in on the Brazil numbers for a moment.\u201d<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    Going back<\/td>\n\u201cAs I mentioned earlier\u2026\u201d<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    Comparing<\/td>\n\u201cOn the one hand, the price is high; on the other hand, setup is free.\u201d<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    Contrasting data<\/td>\n\u201cMobile sales grew 40%. By contrast, desktop stayed flat.\u201d<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n

    Explaining slides and data<\/h2>\n