English Spoken Word and Phrases

To begin with, at the beginning, Secondly, in the second

starting with, initially, place,next,next point/topic/,next
First, in the first place, at first, at time, in following month/week,
first,first of all Then, after that, following
this/that,
Sequencing On the next occasion,
subsequently
Thirdly, in the third place At the end, finally,to finish
So far, later on, earlier, later, with,to conclude,
afterwards,
And, also, as well as, too Above all, most of all, least of all
Adding Moreover, furthermore, Similarly, likewise
idea/topic/ In additon,additionally, Even, even though, even if
Along with, apart from this Besides, beside this/that
addition
Not only…but also
On the other hand, however On the other hand, however
Althoug, even though, yet,though Althoug, even though, yet,though
Contrasting/ Despite /inspite of , unlike,otherwise Despite /inspite of ,
Comparing Against, to oppose,in opposition unlike,otherwise
Another distinction
On the contrary, in contrast,but,yet, Similarly,likewise, in comparison
Alternatively, where as,instead of Just as, in the same way, as like
To differ from, another distinction Similar to, in relation to,
Any way, to get to the main point As I mentioned/said before
The main point I want to make is… The main point I want to make
Gettint to So in answer to your question is…
Piont Come to the point, not relevent So in answer to your question
This has nothing to do with my
argument
As ageneral rule,generally/ As everyone knows
Generally/ideally/strictly speaking It is generally accepted that
Statement In most cases It is a fact that
Nobody will deny that There can be no doubt that…
Everyone knows that

Definitions It means, it refers, consists of ,

Take/look at the example For example,for instance,such as,

Examples A good/clear exp. of this may To illustrate,to explain,demonstrate
be../this is..
Suppose that,specifically, In particular, to be exact
Explanations Thr reason for this is… To be precise, in other words,
Clarifications This is because…this is due to…. More precisely, specifically
Analyzing Several points to consiser…
Break this down into several parts..First..
Let us look at this ….step by step..
Rephrasing What I mean to say is… What I am trying to say…
What I want to say is… It is obvious that…
Correction/ It may sound strange… May be I am not making myself
Repair/ clear, I want to say that….
Or, rather, I mean,,,should I say.. To put it in another way
I prefer A to B because… Above all,significantly,indeed,
Preference/ If I have/had choice…I will/would Notably,mainly,clearly,
Emphasis/ definitely choose… Undoubtadly, certainly,no doubt
Surely, absolutely, obviously
I would much/rather do..A than B.. Frankly, honeslty,after all
I think, I suppose, actually,
To tell the truth, I am afraid
A major advantage of this… One major drawback is…
Another important merit is .. Another disadvatage is..
The final benefit is… The final limitation is that..
Ad/dis ad/ On the one hand.. on the other hand..
An argument for/in favour of/against
Some people think that.. other say
that
Past Present
In the past,before,earlier,previously At present,presently,currently,now
Recent past By now, until, today, immediately
Formarly,yestarday,recently, Simultanously,at the same time
Not long ago During, all the while
Future How/when events occur in time
In the future/tomorrow/henceforth Momment
Time After Suddenly,all at once,instantly
Short time Immediately,quickly,soon,
After a short time,after a while As soon as,in a while/
A little more Frequencey
Soon,later,later on, following Infrequently,temporarily,
Periodically,gradually, slowly,
Repeatedly,merely
During,meanwhile,in meantime
Eventually,generally,usually,never
Often,most often,seldom,rarely
 Own Opinion Other’s Opinion
From my perspective,point of view From a economical/social..point
In my opinion/I think/suppose/most of view
people Would agree that… Some people believe…
It seems to me that..I feel strongly… It is often/said/claimed/argued
After a long thought, I have come to believed that..
the conclusion that… It is found that
Opinions/ This is only my opinion but…. X-argues/claim/asserts/concludes/
Justify The reason I believe this is.. Expressing disagreement
opinion/ The most imortant evidence I don’t agree/accept
Expressing supporting my belief is…. with/that..opinion/view..
Opinion/ Ifeel that .I have the feeling that.. I am of a different opinion…
Idifference I am convinced that/well , I would say
Agreeing with an idea Disagreeing with an idea
I am certain that+reason.. There is non justificaiton for..
For me it is obvious that… I am completely against..
I am convinced that.. There is no evidence to support..
It has long been my believe that.. I do not agree with the idea..
To admit/confess/agree that.. No strong opinion
Expressing support There could be a case for saying..
You are quiet right.. It would appear that…
That’s a very important/interesting point It is sometime argued that..
You took the word out of my mouth Admittedly.,However..
Condition Effect/result/consequence
Unless,until, Therefore/as a result/consequence
Whether/if,/lest Certainty
Provided that/so that, Obviously/certainly/undoubtedly
Condition/ Depending on/subject to, in case Surely/of course/plainly/definitely
Cause/effect/ Cause/reason Doubt
Certainty/ Since/as/so/cause/reason What might happen I am not sure
Because of /due to /owing to the fact One possibility is..
For the reason that It is hard to predict the future
That’s interesting though difficult.. but.i suppose we might..
Idont know about the /never thouht about it I am not sure if..i doubt that..
Conclusion/ In conclusion/summary/ to repeat/again/once more/again
Summary/ Lastly/finally/at last/in short to review/over and over
Repeat/ To sum up/to conclude/to recap What else…
To bring to an end/last of all/
Last but not least…
Suming up I would like to say that…
In conclusion we can say that…
Just to give you the main point again
To cut a long story short…
 At Beginning of senctence At Middle of senctence
Ok/all right I mean/guess
Well/well anyway Absolutely/actually/really/sure
So/so then Sereously/definitely/
By the way At the end of a sentense
Fillers Any how Though,isnt it/am I right/got my point
You know
What I mean is…
So.. where was I …

At that time/…
Stages of Then..
A Before/after..
story When..
Eventually
Words that ADD information:

Words that ADD informationalsoandanotherbesidefirst, second, third,...furthermorein

additionmoreover

• The little girl put on her yellow shirt and brown overalls.

• Chris is on the basketball team this semester at Indiana School for the Deaf. In addition,
he is on the soccer team.

• We will be here for one more week so we can finish up our work. Another reason we
are staying longer is because we do not want to miss the Deaf Way conference.

• First of all, pour a half-cup of milk in the bowl; second, add two eggs; and third, stir the
mixture.

• I admire I. King Jordan because he is the first deaf president of Gallaudet. Besides that, I
admire him because he is a great long distance runner. Furthermore, he is a dedicated
family man. All in all, there is not much to dislike about the man, except he is too
perfect!

• Crystal likes camping in the mountains. Also, Crystal is an experienced hiker.

• Texas School for the Deaf is perfectly located. Moreover, it has a strong academic
program. For example, the school has a preschool program where both deaf and hearing
children learn together.

Words that show CONCLUSION:

Words that show CONCLUSIONfinallyin conclusionto concludeto sum up

• There were a lot of problems discussed at the meeting. Finally, after a few hours, we
were able to prioritize the problems in the order we wanted to solve the problems.

• Many parents and students have been complaining about the program. For example,
scores on the end-of-grade tests have gone down from last year; teachers are not very
motivated; and everyone is frustrated. To sum up, some improvements in the middle
school program need to be made.

• To conclude, I want to wish you all a very happy holiday season.

• There was a malfunction in the smoke machines and lights, the curtains would not open
and close properly, and one of the actors was sick with no stand-in. In conclusion, the
play was a disaster.
Words that REPEAT information

Words that REPEAT informationin factin other wordsonce againto put it another wayto repeat

• That area is very dangerous for you to bike in. To repeat, I warn you not to go there.

• Lisa decided not to go to King Islands. In fact she told me, "No, way."

• I feel that our last Student Council meeting did not go well. In other words, it was a fine
mess.

• Sally has lost an oar on her boat and she is in big trouble. To put it another way, Sally
has to find a different method of rowing or she will sink!

Words that show COMPARISON:

Words that show COMPARISONas ... asin like manneras iflikeby comparisonlikewisein
comparisonsimilarly

• At St. Rita School for the Deaf, a private school, there is a dress code that mandates how
the students are to dress. The boys must wear a pair of pants and dress shirts. Similarly,
the strict dress code requires plaid skirts and blouses for the girls.

• Like her grandmother, Sally loves the Gallaudet Homecoming football game.

• The news reported that Montana would be very cold this week. I said, "Likewise,
Rochester will be, too."

• Ronda bought a new Saturn car; so in like manner the rest of her friends did the same
thing.

• By comparison, Greensboro, N.C. is much smaller than Washington, D.C. is.

• The cat acts as if he is the boss of the house.

• The cat is as proud as a king.

• Bob loves to go to parties. In comparison, Sue loves to stay at home with her family.

• Compared to seven years ago when the printer worked well, it has been "ill" a great deal
of the time in recent weeks.

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Words that show CONTRASTS or DIFFERENCES:

Words that show CONTRASTS or DIFFERENCESalthoughbuthoweverin contrastin spite

ofneverthelessnonethelessrather thanthoughunlikeyet

• I am not able to go to the beach with you. Nevertheless, thanks for asking me.

• Karen's cat, Salem is so unlike Midnight. Midnight likes to nap a lot and Salem likes to
play a lot.

• The idea of attending the play at Gallaudet is nice. However, the Theoretical Issues in
Sign Language Research conference is scheduled at the same time.

• He prefers to attend the play rather than attending the conference.

• Though I eat green beans because they are healthy, I hate them.

• Although Steven was extremely tired, he washed the dishes.

• The play was great, nonetheless, I was sick of seeing it after the fourth time.

• Amber, Sharon, and Megan went to Busch Gardens for the day. In spite of the cold
weather, they enjoyed themselves.

• Sharon and Megan enjoyed the Loch Ness Monster ride, but Amber thought that
Alpengist was faster and had more twists.

• Sharon has not visited the Land of the Dragons, yet if she had had a kid, she would have
gone by now.

• Alexander Graham Bell believed in oral education for deaf children. This is in contrast
to Edward Miner Gallaudet who believed in using American Sign Language to educate
deaf children.

Words that show a TIME relationship:

Words that show a TIME relationshipafter so much timeafter thatat firstbeforebeginning,

endingeventuallyearliereven whenever sincefollowingfrom then onfrom, toin
timelastlatermeanwhilenear, farnextnowoversoonstillthe next day, nightthenwhile

• Stephen went to pick up Irene before he stopped by McDonald's for lunch.

• Karen was out with her friend last night.

• We need to wash our clothes, after that we can go to the Taste of D.C. festival.

• I can't wait to watch "NYPD," it is coming on soon. You can watch the rerun later this
week.
• Finally, I will get to see Rick Schroder. He has not been acting much since he was a
teenager.

• The beginning of the movie was sadder than the ending.

• After so much time waiting in the long line, the boys finally got their hamburgers.

• The Van Gogh art exhibit was shown earlier this month in Washington, D.C.

• Wait until tonight, then you will be able to see the full moon over Gallaudet's Chapel
Hall.

• The show is not over until the actors take their final bows at the end.

• While Missy was driving to work, she saw a deer by the roadside. She slowed down to
watch the deer for a short time, then continued on her way to work.

• Even when Sally was able to, she did not bother to finish her ASL project.

• Clerc met with Gallaudet to prepare for the Congressional meeting scheduled for the next
day.

• The next night was very dark and stormy. Of course, it was Halloween night!

• "Next, please," the lady called when it was my turn to go up to the booth to have my
paycheck cashed.

• Bobby's broken ankle will heal in time for the Maryland Deaf Festival.

• That house felt very creepy inside; meanwhile, it was sunny outside.

• Eventually, Sally got tired of John calling her on the TTY all the time since she was not
interested in him.

• She was still asleep when I got back home from work.

• Now, please get this truck fixed because I need it to get to school on time!

• Schools for the deaf used Sign Language until the dreadful conference in Milan; from
then on, most schools for the deaf employed the oral method.

• Super Kmart is near Landmark Mall, but Ames is far away from the mall. So it would
be easier to shop at Super Kmart.

• It will take two hours to go from Point A to Point B. Can you figure out how many hours
it is from Point A to Point C?

• At first, I thought it was a dead animal. As I walked closer, I saw it was only a worn-out
coat on the ground.
 • Looking beyond this month, I predict that funding will be much better for this program.

• Everyone hid out in the hall during the hurricane, hoping they would be safe.

• Rebecca has not eaten at Lone Star ever since she became sick from eating the food.

• Following "Friends" and "Mad about You," "ER" will be shown. "ER" is supposed to
have two Deaf actresses on the show tonight.

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Words that LIMIT or PREPARE for an example:

Words that LIMIT or PREPARE for an examplefor examplefor instanceto illustratesuch as

• Not all birds eat berries. For example, vultures eat dead animals.

• Jeff is an interesting person to know. To illustrate, he knows a lot about the history of
the Deaf community in Ireland.

• There are things that need to be done to improve the company. For instance, we can
begin by organizing the files.

• I have a few things to take care of such as paying bills, cleaning the house, and going to
the post office.

Words that show CAUSE (explain why):

Words that show CAUSE (explain why)becausebecause ofcaused by

• Midnight was not able to move around well because his hind legs were in casts. He broke
them when he fell off the bookshelf.

• Did you see the tragic accident on I-85 south? It was caused by a drunk driver.

• Because it is raining today, the homecoming game and the food booths will be cancelled.

• I was late to work because of the heavy traffic.

Words that show EFFECT/RESULT:

Words that show EFFECT/RESULTSas a resultconsequentlyfor this/that reasonthat is

whythereforethus

• It is raining today thus we are not going to the beach.

 • The weather is supposed to be drizzly and chilly today; as a result, the Deaf Festival will
be cancelled.

• I was too tired; therefore I decided not to go to the state fair last night.

• In 1903, William E. Hoy, a deaf baseball player, caught a fly ball in the ninth inning in
spite of heavy fog. Consequently, Los Angles won the pennant for that year.

• Ricky worked all day, from 8am until 11pm. That is why he stayed home instead of
going camping with us.

• The school bus broke down last week and has not been repaired yet. So for that reason,
our dance group is unable to go to Washington, D.C. to perform at Kennedy Center.

Words that ASSERT OBVIOUS TRUTH or GRANT OPPOSITION:

Words that ASSERT OBVIOUS TRUTH or GRANT OPPOSITIONcertainlyconceding

thatgranted thatin factnaturallyno doubtof courseundoubtedlywithout a doubt

• There is no doubt that the dog buried the bone in the garden.

• Jeff told us an undoubtedly true story that was very scary.

• The judge, without a doubt, thinks capital punishment is wrong.

• Of course, Sarah is going to the beach this weekend with her parents. She needs a break
from Gallaudet.

• Naturally Steven is not going to agree with that plan. In fact, he thinks that the idea of
setting up a business selling scarves on K Street would surely fail.

• Certainly, you may borrow my book on the history of the American Deaf Community.
But, be sure to return it to me next week.

• Granted that Bob promised to send some money to help with the bills, yet this doesn't
mean that he will.

• Conceding that Sally is a strong skater, Rachel still believes she will be able to beat her
in the Olympics. Rachel wants to become the first deaf ice skater to receive a gold medal.
 Types of Speech Transitions

There are many types of speech transitions. Each type highlights a different verbal relationship.
For example, one type of transition highlights the contrast between two different ideas.

Each of these types is cataloged below. For each type, we list just a few of the possible words
and phrases. Can you think of others?

1. Transition between Similar Ideas or Points

• Likewise …
• Similarly …
• This is just like …
• In a similar way …
• We see the same thing if we consider …

“Speech transitions smooth over the boundary between two ideas, and reveal the
relationship between the words just spoken and those about to be spoken.”

2. Transition between Contrasting Ideas or Points

• However …
• Conversely …
• On the contrary …
• On the other side …
• On the other hand …
• If we flip that around …
• Yet, we cannot ignore …
• The opposing argument …
• If we examine the opposite side, we see …

3. Transition to elaborate upon an idea

• Also …
• Moreover …
• In addition …
• Furthermore …
• In other words …
• Not only that, but …

4. Transition to Numbered Ideas or Points (or Process Steps)

• First … (The first step is …)

• Second … (The second step is …)
• Third … (The third step is …)
• Last … (The last step is …)
5. Transition to show Cause-Effect Relationship

• Therefore …
• As a result …
• Consequently …
• For that reason …
• This is important because …

6. Transition to a Supporting Example

• For instance …
• For example …
• As an example …
• To illustrate this …
• What’s an example of this? …
• But does this happen in real life? Yes …

7. Transition to a Supporting Demonstration

• Now that we’ve covered the theory, let’s see it in action …

• To reinforce what we’ve learned, let’s see a demonstration …
• I’ve prepared a demonstration to show how this works.
• Let’s see a demonstration which applies what we’ve learned.

“When executed well, speech transitions help make a speech understandable.

When executed poorly, speech transitions can obscure meaning and frustrate audiences.”

8. Transition to a Supporting Quotation

• X said: …
• In 1968, X said: …
• This idea was expressed clearly by X who said …

9. Transition from Introduction into Speech Body

• Let’s begin …
• To get started, let’s examine …
• Let’s get started talking about …
• Now that we’ve given an overview, let’s start with …

10. Transition from Speech Body into Conclusion

For a short speech, you might conclude with a single statement:

• In short …
 • In summary …
• In conclusion …

In a longer presentation, your conclusion might include a review of a the key points:

• Let’s summarize the key lessons …

• Let’s recap what we’ve covered today …

11. Transition to Another Speaker

In a team presentation, it is necessary to transfer control between speakers.

The abrupt way to do this is to simply have one person stop talking, and then have the other
person start talking. It is much smoother, however, to pass the verbal baton to the next speaker
(X):

• To talk about our next topic, we have X …

• I’ll pass the microphone to X who will describe …
• To guide us through a demonstration of this, we have X …

12. Transition Back to an Earlier Point

There are many occasions when you need to jump back to an earlier idea to add additional
information. e.g. after a break, following an exercise, or returning from an unplanned
interruption

• Let’s return …
• Let’s revisit …
• Let’s go back to …
• We introduced X earlier; let’s explore that further now.

Avoid Faulty Transitions

When executed well, speech transitions help make a speech understandable.

When executed poorly, speech transitions can obscure meaning and frustrate audiences.

Beware these three types of faulty transitions:

1. Miscount Transition
This faulty transition occurs when a speaker begins counting main points, but does not do
so consistently. (e.g. First, Second, Next, Next, Third, Third, …) Faulty counting can also
occur when a speaker tries to number both the main points and the sub-points and gets
mixed up.
2. Incompatible Transition
This faulty transition occurs when a speaker uses a transition word or phrase which
 doesn’t match the relationship. (e.g. they start with the word “however”, but they follow
it with an example)
3. Tangential Transition
Transitional phrases like “That reminds me…”, “Ironically…”, or “As an aside…” are
dangerous because they often lead to an off-topic diversion which blurs the focus of the
speech and wastes time for you and your audience. Just. Don’t. Do. It.

Emotional State: Curiosity (when you want them to be gripped by an unshakable desire to
click and read more):

• Secret
• Confidential
• Controversial
• Underground
• What no one tells you
• Have you heard
• Cover-up
• Forbidden
• Banned
• Behind the Scenes
• Secret agenda
• Secret plot
• Insider
• Off-the record
• Blacklisted
• Censored
• Concealed
• Confessions
• Unbelievable
• Covert
• No one talks about
• Hidden
• underground
• Insider’s Scoop
• Intel

Emotional State: Urgency (If you want then to take action now now now):

• Magical
• Instantly
• Missing Out
• Left behind
• Magnificent
• Miracle
• Most Important
 • Profitable
• Proven
• Quick
• Remarkable
• Results
• Revolutionary
• Safe
• Save
• Sensational
• Should
• Startling
• Strongly agree/ recommend
• Strongly suggest
• Superb
• Superior
• Tremendous
• Truly
• Trustworthy
• Urge
• Worthwhile
• Deadline
• Limited
• Seize
• bargain
• Discount
• Explode
• Extra
• Fortune
• Freebie
• Jackpot
• Reduced
• Instant Savings
• Skyrocket
• Immediately
• Imminently

Emotional State: Confusion and Helplessness (Especially useful when questioning Status
Quo, making them realize what they are missing out or “us vs them” style content)

• doubtful
• uncertain
• indecisive
• perplexed
• embarrassed
• hesitant
• disillusioned
• distrustful
• misgiving
• unsure
• tense
• stressed
• uncomfortable
• dishonest
• disdainful
• manipulative
• judgmental
• argumentative
• authoritative
• condescending
• distracted
• disoriented
• off-kilter
• frenzied
• blushing
• awkward
• incapable
• paralyzed
• fatigued
• inferior
• vulnerable
• distressed
• pathetic
• distraught
• doomed
• overwhelmed
• incompetent
• incapacitated
• trapped
• squirming
• jittery
• woozy
• twitching
• compulsive
• uncaring
• uninterested
• unresponsive
• terrified
• suspicious
• anxious
• alarmed
• panicked
• threatened
• cowardly
• insecure
• Deceived
• Helplessness
 • Disempowered

Emotional State: Anger (This is a high physiological arousal emotional state that can help drive a
number of actions such as getting support for a cause or sharing content because of the sheer
outrage felt)

• Ordeal
• Outrageousness
• Provoke
• Repulsive
• Scandal
• Severe
• Shameful
• Shocking
• Terrible
• Tragic
• Unreliable
• Unstable
• Wicked
• Aggravate
• Agony
• Appalled
• Atrocious
• Corrupting
• Damaging
• Deplorable
• Disadvantages
• Disastrous
• Disgusted
• Dreadful
• Eliminate
• Harmful
• Harsh
• Inconsiderate
• enraged
• offensive
• aggressive
• frustrated
• controlling
• resentful
• malicious
• infuriated
• critical
• violent
• vindictive
• sadistic
• spiteful
 • furious
• agitated
• antagonistic
• repulsed
• quarrelsome
• venomous
• rebellious
• exasperated
• impatient
• contrary
• condemning
• seething
• scornful
• sarcastic
• poisonous
• jealous
• ticked off
• revengeful
• retaliating
• reprimanding
• powerless
• despicable
• self-hating
• desperate
• alienated
• pessimistic
• dejected
• vilified
• unjustified
• violated

Emotional State: Safe and Satisfied (Great for Sales Pages when you want people to feel
secure in their choice)

• Accurate
• instantly
• Advantage
• Always
• A cut above
• Bargain
• Certain
• Certainly
• Confident
• Convenient
• Definitely
• Delighted
• Easy
• Ecstatic
 • Effective
• Emphasize
• Extremely
• Freedom
• Guaranteed
• Highly effective/ likely
• Introducing
• First ever
• Investment
• conscientious
• approving
• honored
• privileged
• adaptable
• relaxed
• Astonishing
• Astounded
• assured
• fulfilled
• genuine
• authentic
• self-sufficient
• reliable
• sure
• secure
• stable
• honest
• truthful
• supportive
• excellent
• responsible
• solid
• trusting
• supported
• Absolutely
• Bargain
• clarity
• transparency
• humility

Emotional State: Happy and Alive (Health based products or services):

• blissful
• joyous
• delighted
• overjoyed
• gleeful
• thankful
• festive
• ecstatic
• satisfied
• cheerful
• sunny
• elated
• jubilant
• jovial
• fun-loving
• lighthearted
• glorious
• innocent
• child-like
• gratified
• euphoric
• on top of the
• world
• playful
• courageous
• energetic
• liberated
• optimistic
• frisky
• animated
• spirited
• thrilled
• wonderful
• funny
• intelligent
• exhilarated
• spunky
• youthful
• vigorous
• tickled
• creative
• constructive
• helpful
• resourceful
• at ease
• comfortable
• pleased
• encouraged
• surprised
• content
• serene
• bright
 • blessed
• Vibrant
• Bountiful
• Glowing

Emotional State: Inspired (as part of content that is meant to inspire and make them feel
like they are capable and in charge)

• motivated
• eager
• keen
• earnest
• inspired
• enthusiastic
• bold
• brave
• daring
• hopeful
• upbeat
• assured
• clear
• balanced
• fine
• okay
• grateful
• carefree
• adequate
• fulfilled
• genuine
• authentic
• forgiving
• sincere
• uplifted
• unburdened
• confident
• self-sufficient
• reliable
• sure
• unique
• dynamic
• tenacious
• cooperative
• productive
• exuberant
• in the zone
• responsive
• conscientious
• approving
 • honored
• privileged
• adaptable
• Empowered
• Focused
• Capable

Emotional State: Relaxed and Peaceful (Products or services that offer mental peace and
relaxation):

• calm
• at ease
• comfortable
• content
• quiet
• certain
• relaxed
• serene
• bright
• blessed
• balanced
• grateful
• carefree
• fulfilled
• genuine
• authentic
• forgiving
• sincere
• uplifted
• unburdened
• confident
• self-sufficient
• glowing
• radiant
• beaming
• reflective
• smiling
• grounded
• unhurried
• open-minded
• efficient
• non-controlling
• unassuming
• trusting
• supported
• fluid
• light
• spontaneous
 • aware
• healthy
• meditative
• still
• rested
• waiting
• laughing
• graceful
• natural
• steady
• centered
• placid
• Clear
• Stoic
• Aligned

8 Presentation openers that grab your audience from the get-go

Your message is concrete. Your argument is watertight. But are you opening your
presentation in the most engaging way? Here are 8 tried-and-tested techniques for opening
your presentation with a bang.

1) Amplification technique

Take something minor and demonstrate it's a serious problem. Take something farfetched and
make it seem real. Take something alien and make it close to home. The surprise factor will have
them hanging on to your every word.

Good for – Grabbing your audience's attention, challenging expectations.

Example – It's widely accepted that girls tend to do better than boys in school. Philip Zimbardo
begins his talk with a series of startling facts – 'Boys are 30 percent more likely than girls to drop
out of school [...] Girls outperform boys now at every level, from elementary school to graduate
school' – turning this idea into a nationwide issue.

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The reverse of this is to take something seemingly scary or complicated and make it very simple.

We know that Malaria kills half a million people each year, and we've had a cure for it since the
1600s. Wait, what? Now speaker Sonia Shah has our full attention.

https://www.ted.com/talks/sonia_shah_3_reasons_we_still_haven_t_gotten_rid_of_malaria?lang
uage=en
2) Sensory technique

Stimulate your audience's imagination by describing a scene in vivid detail, or ask them to
remember a particular memory and recall what they saw, smelled, heard and felt. You could even
make them aware of their physical surroundings in some way.

Tying what you're saying up with physical memories will help your audience retain information
for longer.

Good for – Creating a lasting impression, making your ideas come alive.

Example – Amy Cuddy makes her audience 'do a little audit' of their bodies. She asks them 'how
many of you are sort of making yourselves smaller? Maybe you're hunching, crossing your legs,
maybe wrapping your ankles?' Activating the audience's sensory awareness (before revealing
what those body habits mean) gives her talk greater resonance.

https://www.ted.com/talks/amy_cuddy_your_body_language_shapes_who_you_are/transcript?la
nguage=en

3) Personalisation technique

Even well-meaning people sometimes won't act until an issue affects them personally. Make the
problem relevant to your audience by showing that it's relevant to (or is caused by) them or their
community.

An effective twist on this is revealing an unimagined connection between our current actions and
things happening in the future or in far-flung places.

Good for – Making your audience care, making complex ideas simple.

Example – Emily Wapnick asks the audience 'Raise your hand if you've ever been asked the
question "What do you want to be when you grow up?"', bringing cultural attitudes towards skills
and work into the spotlight and revealing how it affects our perceptions of ourselves.

https://www.ted.com/talks/emilie_wapnick_why_some_of_us_don_t_have_one_true_calling/tran
script?language=en

4) Puzzle technique

Opening with a puzzle piques your audience's curiosity from the get-go. It could be a problem, a
riddle or the conundrum at the heart of your theory. It could be a real-world puzzle or a metaphor
for the ideas in your talk.

Leave the puzzle open-ended but direct your audience to some place they can find the answer if
you want them to continue engaging with your content after the talk. Or, promise to tell them the
answer at the end so they listen throughout.
Good for – Waking up your audience's brains, inspiring curiosity.

Example – If someone gave you a candle, some thumbtacks and some matches, could you attach
the candle to the wall so the wax doesn't drip onto the table? Dan Pink's candle puzzle challenges
us and provides a springboard for discussion of what motivates us in the workplace.

http://www.ted.com/talks/dan_pink_on_motivation/transcript?language=en

5) Question technique

Your questions could probe the listener's personal memories, sense of identity, or general
knowledge – whatever gets the cogs turning. Asking questions can be an effective way of
prompting your audience to have an 'aha!' moment.

Opening questions are usually rhetorical as you're asking the listener to self-analyse, but you
might like to direct them somewhere that they can share their ideas or experiences with you.

Good for – Helping the audience recognise a problem or come to some conclusion.

Example – Kelly McGonigal asks her audience to raise their hand if they've experienced
different levels of stress over the past year. Almost the whole audience responds
and demonstrates, very quickly and simply, how endemic a problem stress is.

https://www.ted.com/talks/kelly_mcgonigal_how_to_make_stress_your_friend/transcript?langua
ge=en

6) Quotation technique

Quoting a famous person is an easy way to borrow a little of their power, especially if it's
someone respected by your audience. If they're a more obscure choice, there's no harm in
reminding your audience of that person's credentials.

Your audience may read personal things into your choice, so choose carefully. People are likely
to have personal associations with famous quotes or speakers so be mindful of these too.

Good for – Giving your talk respectability, summing up an argument or an idea.

Example – Elizabeth Nyamayaro's chosen quote – 'As Africans, we must uplift all the people of
Africa' – serves as the heart and soul of her entire presentation. It expresses the principles at the
heart of her work, and tells her audience something of her as a person.

https://www.ted.com/talks/elizabeth_nyamayaro_an_invitation_to_men_who_want_a_better_wo
rld_for_women/transcript?language=en

7) Story technique
Stories are perhaps the most effective tool for inspiring empathy and understanding in the
listener. It's also a vastly underrated skill in the business world, even though it can engage your
audience's minds in incredible ways.

Telling a personal story may make us feel vulnerable, but it's an opportunity to show confidence
and character. Telling the story of someone you admire demonstrates your values. The story of a
customer proves you listen and take pride in providing a good service.

Good for – Explaining ideas in an accessible way, synchronising the audience's emotions with
your own.

Example – Peter Attia begins his story 'I'll never forget that day back in the spring of 2006' –
and now nor will we. His story is powerful not just because it's illustrative of the wider problem
he's describing – but because he expresses genuine emotion as he tells it.

https://www.ted.com/talks/peter_attia_what_if_we_re_wrong_about_diabetes?language=en

8) Humour technique

Making a joke makes your audience feel warmer towards you and more receptive to your ideas.
The best presentation jokes involve self-deprecating humour, so being able to laugh at yourself is
a must. You could also exaggerate a story for effect.

Your sense of humour tells your audience a lot about your values and can be a shortcut to
building trust. It may also help them feel more comfortable about sharing their ideas and joining
in if that's a part of your presentation. Good for – Relaxing your audience, building
rapport. Example – Shawn Anchor's perfect comic timing makes this opening anecdote side-
splittingly funny. The humour makes it easier for us to open up to what he's trying to
say, making the serious message of his talk all the more impactful.

PRESENTAITON TIPS

• Story
• Question
• Shocking headline/static
• Powerful quote
• Show a gripping photoU
• Use a prop or creative visual aid
• Play a video
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The 20 most influential words, via David Ogilvy

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9 word for shareable contentSecret

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