IV. The end of a presentation.

1. Read the passage about the end of a presentation.

The end should be short and concise. It should summarize or highlight the main points you made or emphasize what the audience should have learned. Do not restate everything you said in the body and never introduce new information at this time. A good ending ties together all the parts of your presentation. Avoid false or multiple endings. End with a catchy phrase and leave the audience with a good impression. At the end the first important thing is to sum the main points up.

It is the ending where you need to state your sources of information if you have any. These could include books, magazine articles, or interviews with people. If you’ve used material from the Internet, don’t state entire websites. Just give key search words.

At the end of a presentation you need to make a conclusion, to give recommendations if appropriate, or suggest next steps to take, or say about lessons learnt.

Last, you need to ask for questions. Be sure that you repeat each question before you give an answer. Not only does this ensure everyone hears the question, but it gives you the chance to make sure you understood the question. If you get a question you can’t answer, simply say you don’t know. Never make up an answer or bluff. If possible, provide a resource where the answer could be found. It isn’t practical to offer to look it up and get back to the person. Questions are a good opportunity for you to interact with your audience. It may be helpful for you to try to predict what questions will be asked so that you can prepare your response in advance. You may wish to accept questions at any time during your presentation, or to keep a time for questions after your presentation. Normally, it's your decision, and you should make it clear during the introduction. Be polite with all questioners, even if they ask difficult questions. They are showing interest in what you have to say and they deserve attention. Sometimes you can reformulate a question. Or answer the question with another question. Or even ask for comment from the rest of the audience.

When there are no more questions, a simple “thank you” to finish is enough. Don’t thank the judge for listening or various people for giving you help. As an alternative you may invite discussion. If it’s appropriate, you can invite the audience to sample or inspect your final product or items you used. You could also pass out copies of recipes, a list of websites, or other handouts.

2. Look at the following table which shows examples of function language appropriate at the end of a presentation. You may need to modify the language as appropriate.

Function	Possible language
1. Summing up	•Now, to sum up... •So let me summarise what I’ve said. •So let me recap what I’ve said. •Finally, may I remind you of some of the main points we’ve considered.
2. Making a conclusion	•To conclude,... •In conclusion,... •I’d like to finish with a brief conclusion.
3. Giving recommendations	•In conclusion, my recommendations are... •I therefore suggest … •I propose … •I recommend the following strategy.
4. Thanking the audience	•Many thanks for your attention. •May I thank you all for being such an attentive audience. •Thank you.
5. Inviting questions	•Now I’ll try to answer any questions you may have. •Can I answer any questions? •Are there any questions? •Do you have any questions? •Are there any final questions?