Practice the vocabulary of presentations and business talks. The expressions here span preparation, delivery, Q&A, and the language of professional public speaking in English.
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Choose the correct response to complete each sentence.
1. During negotiations, it's common to refer to obstacles as __________________________.
Correct answer: stumbling blocks.
2. We had a frank exchange of __________________________. (meaning: opinions)
Correct answer: views.
3. We accomplished a lot, but deep differences still __________________________.
Correct answer: remain.
4. The Mexican __________________________ was made up of 10 members.
Correct answer: delegation.
5. Negotiations __________________________ (meaning: ended unsuccessfully) last week due to profound disagreement between the two parties.
Correct answer: broke down.
6. I think I've made our position very __________________________ = I think I've presented our position very clearly
Correct answer: clear.
7. The two parties ____________________ a six-person bilateral meeting.
Correct answer: convened.
8. One delegation ____________________ the talks after the participants disagreed about the agenda.
Correct answer: walked out of.
9. The two parties __________________________ (meaning: got together/met) in Houston to discuss the recent developments.
Correct answer: convened.
10. The talks were ____________________ (meaning: temporarily stopped) and no one knows when they will resume.
Correct answer: suspended.
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💬 Useful phrases “I'd like to start by giving you a brief overview.” — a standard opening to orient the audience before the main content “Moving on to my next point...” — a transition phrase connecting one section of a presentation to the next “As I mentioned earlier...” — referencing a point previously made to reinforce or connect ideas “The data clearly shows that...” — introducing evidence to support a claim or argument “To put this in perspective...” — providing context to help the audience understand the significance of information “Are there any questions so far?” — an invitation to pause and check comprehension or invite clarification “Let me illustrate this with an example.” — signaling that a concrete example is about to be given “In conclusion, I'd like to highlight three key takeaways.” — introducing a final summary of the most important points