PREPARING THE MAIN POINTS FOR A PRESENTATION
DEFINITION: Main points are the major divisions of the body of a presentation.
Each main point introduces one idea, or makes one claim, that helps to advance the central idea (thesis) of the presentation.
LIMIT the number of main topics in the body of the presentation. Develop between two to five main points. Audiences often have trouble following a presentation that tries to cover too many major topics.
PHRASE main points in parallel language if possible. The similarity in wording that parallel phrasing introduces will help your audiences identify the major topics of the presentation.
STATE main points as concisely as possible. Use simple, declarative sentences to introduce each point you wish to make in the presentation.
BALANCE the development given to each main point. Each topic should receive roughly the same amount of time. If some points are developed at great length while others are just briefly noted, the presentation gives the impression that some main points are unimportant.
CONNECT each main point to the thesis of your presentation. The best way to avoid wandering off on a tangent is to ask yourself why this particular point is pertinent to the central idea of the presentation you are giving. Avoid the temptation to explore amusing facts and ideas which, while interesting in an of themselves, have very little to do with the central goal of your presentation.
USE clear transitional statements to indicate movement to a new point. Transitions alert the audience that you are finished with one point and are moving on. Without them, you risk leaving your audience behind as you advance to a new topic.
GUIDELINES FOR USING SUPPORTING MATERIALS IN A PRESENTATION Definition: The term supporting materials refers to the information a person provides to develop and/or justify a idea that is offered for a listener’s consideration. Supporting materials serve a variety of functions in oral presentations: to clarify the speaker’s point, to emphasize the point, to make the point more interesting, and to furnish a basis that enables others to believe the speaker’s point. Without supporting materials, an oral presentation is little more than a string of assertions (claims without backing). General Guidelines for Supporting Materials 1. Pertinence: Each piece of support should be clearly relevant to the point it is used to support. 2. Variety: The presentation should not rely excessively on one type of support (such as examples) but should instead use a number of different forms of support. 3. Amount: The presentation should include a sufficient amount of support (enough to make the ideas presented both clear and compelling to the audience). 4. Detail: Each piece of support needs to be developed to the point that audience members can both understand the item of support and can see how the item backs up the point it is used to support. 5. Appropriateness: Each piece of supporting material should meet the demands that the audience and the occasion place on the kind of material that is likely to be received favorably. A “scholarly” audience, for example, will probably place higher demands on the speaker’s sources of information than a “general” audience would. A “graphic” description of a particular topic, while entirely fitting in some occasions, might be out of place in another. Specific Guidelines for Supporting Materials Supporting materials are usually offered in recurring forms. Depending upon the form of support provided, you should ask yourself some questions to determine if you are making the best possible use of that kind of material: For Examples/Narratives: For Statistics: For Testimony: For Comparison/Contrast: |
(Do not confuse with the 4 types of sentence structure.)
There are four types of English sentence, classified by their purpose:
- declarative sentence (statement)
- interrogative sentence (question)
- imperative sentence (command)
- exclamative sentence (exclamation)
Sentence types are sometimes called clause types.
1 | declarative | statement: It tells us something | John likes Mary. | . |
2 | interrogative | question: It asks us something | Does Mary like John? | ? |
3 | imperative | command: It tells us to do something | Stop! Close the door. | ! or . |
4 | exclamative | exclamation: It expresses surprise | What a funny story he told us! | ! |
1. Declarative Sentence (statement)
Declarative sentences make a statement. They tell us something. They give us information, and they normally end with a full-stop/period.
The usual word order for the declarative sentence is:
- subject + verb...
Declarative sentences can be positive or negative. Look at these examples:
I like coffee. | I do not like coffee. |
We watched TV last night. | We did not watch TV last night. |
Declarative sentences are the most common type of sentence.
2. Interrogative Sentence (question)
Interrogative sentences ask a question. They ask us something. They want information, and they always end with a question mark.
The usual word order for the interrogative sentence is:
- (wh-word +) auxiliary + subject + verb...
Interrogative sentences can be positive or negative. Look at these examples:
Do you like coffee? | Don't you like coffee? |
Why did you go? | Why didn't you go? |
3. Imperative Sentence (command)
Imperative sentences give a command. They tell us to do something, and they end with a full-stop/period (.) or exclamation mark/point (!).
The usual word order for the imperative sentence is:
- base verb...
Note that there is usually no subject—because the subject is understood, it is YOU.
Imperative sentences can be positive or negative. Look at these examples:
Stop! | Do not stop! |
Give her coffee. | Don't give her coffee. |
4. Exclamative Sentence (exclamation)
Exclamative sentences express strong emotion/surprise—an exclamation—and they always end with an exclamation mark/point (!).
The usual word order for the exclamative sentence is:
- What (+ adjective) + noun + subject + verb
- How (+ adjective/adverb) + subject + verb
Look at these examples:
- What a liar he is!
- What an exciting movie it was!
- How he lied!
- How exciting the movie was!
Note the form and function of the above four types. In general, we use the declarative form to make a statement. We use the interrogative form to ask a question. We use the imperative form to issue a command. We use the exclamative form to make an exclamation.
But function and form do not always coincide, especially with a change in intonation. For example, we can use the declarative form to give a command—You will now start the exam. Or we can use the interrogative form to make an exclamation—Wow, can Jo play the piano! We can even ask a question with the declarative form—Bangkok is in Thailand? So it is important to recognize this and not be confused when the function does not always match the form.
Contributor: Josef Essberger