How to present in English

When preparing your presentation, think carefully about the words you use.

I am not saying that you need to think carefully about your sentences, I prefer people to be natural and allow their sentences to take on a life of their own, what I am say is that you should build in what is commonly called “Action Verbs”

Action verbs are verbs that describe an action. For example: build, create, design and sell. These words have a very positive meaning and have the ability to catch the attention of your audience. What they do is describe in a positive way something that you or your company have achieved (another action verb)

A great way to build these in to your presentation is through your planning. When you plan your presentation, write down between ten and twenty action verbs. Then when you are translating your notes into English, make sure that you use these verbs.

For example:

“In 2002 we decided to apply for a permit to hold a Formula One race here in Korea. We built our plan around a modern concept creating unique features and designing one of the best racing tracks in the world.

It has taken almost eight years of dedicated hard work, selling and negotiating to get where we are today, but I am please to announce that from 2010, South Korea will have the honour of holding it’s first Formula One Grand Prix.

And we are ready. We have built a fantastic racetrack, designed some of the most cutting edge features and created a complex that the whole of South Korea can be proud of.”

By building in these action verbs, you create a sense of action and power in your presentation and it gives your audience something to be interested in.

Mixing the action verbs with some power adjectives is one of the most effective ways of delivering a memorable and exciting presentation.