Language for introductions

Greeting

Good morning/afternoon/evening, ladies and gentlemen.

Welcome to ….

Name and position

Let me just start by introducing myself. My name is ….

As some / most of you already know, I am ….

I’m in charge of/ responsible for ….

Title/subject

The title / subject /topic of today’s presentation / talk is ….

Today, I’d like to speak about ….

What I’d like to talk about is ….

Objective

The objective of this presentation is to present ….

This talk will act as a springboard for discussion…

The aim today is to give some background about ….

Main parts/outline

I’ve divided / split my talk into four main parts / sections.

First, what I want to do is give you some background ….

Second / third, we will look at / move on to …

Then / Next/ After that / Finally, I will speak about / examine …

Visuals

I will be using the whiteboard and flipchart.

I will be using the overhead projector.

Length of presentation

The presentation will take / last about … minutes.

I will speak for about … minutes.

I plan to be brief. About … minutes.

Questions

If you have any questions, please feel free to interrupt.

Please interrupt me as we go along if you have any questions.

I’d be glad to take any questions at the end of my presentation.

Audience

I know that you have travelled a long way.

I’m very grateful that you could come today.

It’s nice to see so many faces.

I look forward to your comments on this.

Link to start

OK. Let’s start with the first point which is …

All right. We can begin by looking at…

Language for closing a presentation

Signaling the end

That brings me to the end of my presentation.

Right. That covers everything I wanted to say about ….

So, that’s all I have to say.

Summarising

To sum up then, …

In brief, …

Before I finish, let me just go over …

If I can briefly summarise, …

Concluding

To conclude, I’d like to say that ….

I’d like to finish by saying …

In conclusion, …

Final recommendation

It seems to me, then, that we should …

I would therefore recommend/ advise that …

Support

I have prepared a handout which I will pass round.

I’ll give you my e-mail address in case you want to follow up on something I said.

Closing

Thank you for listening so attentively.

Thank you for your attention.

I hope that this has been useful.

Inviting questions

I’d be glad to answer any questions.

So, do you have any questions?

Are there any questions?

Yes, the gentlemen/ lady sitting there.

The essential stages of a report

All reports need to be clear, concise and well structured. The key to writing an effective report is to allocate time for planning and preparation. With careful planning, the writing of a report will be made much easier. The essential stages of successful report writing are described below. Consider how long each stage is likely to take and divide the time before the deadline between the different stages. Be sure to leave time for final proof reading and checking. 

Stage One: Understanding the report brief

This first stage is the most important. You need to be confident that you understand the purpose of your report as described in your report brief or instructions. Consider who the report is for and why it is being written. Check that you understand all the instructions or requirements, and ask your tutor if anything is unclear. 

Stage Two: Gathering and selecting information

Once you are clear about the purpose of your report, you need to begin to gather relevant information. Your information may come from a variety of sources, but how much information you will need depends on how much detail is required in the report. You may want to begin by reading relevant literature to widen your understanding of the topic or issue before you go on to look at other forms of information such as questionnaires, surveys etc. As you read and gather information you need to assess its relevance to your report and select accordingly. Keep referring to your report brief to help you decide what information is relevant. 

Stage Three: Organising your material

Once you have gathered information you need to decide what will be included and in what sequence it should be presented. Begin by grouping together points that are related. These may form sections or chapters. Remember to keep referring to the report brief and be prepared to cut any information that is not directly relevant to the report. Choose an order for your material that is logical and easy to follow. 

Stage Four: Analysing your material

Before you begin to write your first draft of the report, take time to consider and make notes on the points you will make using the facts and evidence you have gathered. What conclusions can be drawn from the material? What are the limitations or flaws in the evidence? Do certain pieces of evidence conflict with one another? It is not enough to simply present the information you have gathered; you must relate it to the problem or issue described in the report brief. 

Stage Five: Writing the report

Having organised your material into appropriate sections and headings you can begin to write the first draft of your report. You may find it easier to write the summary and contents page at the end when you know exactly what will be included. Aim for a writing style that is direct and precise. Avoid waffle and make your points clearly and concisely. Chapters, sections and even individual paragraphs should be written with a clear structure. The structure described below can be adapted and applied to chapters, sections and even paragraphs.

• Introduce the main idea of the chapter/section/paragraph

• Explain and expand the idea, defining any key terms.

• Present relevant evidence to support your point(s).

• Comment on each piece of evidence showing how it relates to your point(s).

• Conclude your chapter/section/paragraph by either showing its significance to the report as a whole or making a link to the next chapter/section/paragraph.

Stage Six: Reviewing and redrafting

Ideally, you should leave time to take a break before you review your first draft. Be prepared to rearrange or rewrite sections in the light of your review. Try to read the draft from the perspective of the reader. Is it easy to follow with a clear structure that makes sense? Are the points concisely but clearly explained and supported by relevant evidence? Writing on a word processor makes it easier to rewrite and rearrange sections or paragraphs in your first draft. If you write your first draft by hand, try writing each section on a separate piece of paper to make redrafting easier.