presentation practice exercises

7 Public Speaking Exercises to Level Up Your Presentation Skills

• The Speaker Lab
• July 22, 2024

Table of Contents

Whether you are a seasoned speaker or just starting, public speaking exercises are crucial for refining your skills and boosting your confidence. These exercises go beyond simply rehearsing your material. They help you develop essential skills like body language , voice control, and audience engagement. Let’s explore some of the best public speaking exercises to improve your presentation prowess.

Power Posing: A Confidence Booster

Have you heard of “ power posing “? This psychological technique can increase your confidence before a big presentation. It involves standing in a posture that signals power and confidence for two minutes. Some examples include standing with your hands on your hips or with your arms raised in a V-shape. The idea is that, just like how you use your body language to communicate to others, you can also use it to communicate to yourself. When your brain registers that you are posing confidently, it releases hormones that increase your confidence .

When preparing to go on stage for a presentation, try out a few power poses. Public speaking is, after all, often about projecting confidence. How you feel internally can greatly influence how others perceive you.

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The Power of Non-Verbal Communication

You’ve probably heard the saying “it’s not what you say, but how you say it.” When it comes to public speaking, this saying rings true. Your body language speaks volumes to your audience, sometimes even louder than words. As a result, public speaking exercises that focus on nonverbal communication skills are invaluable.

Using Eye Contact to Connect with Your Audience

Think about how you feel when someone maintains good eye contact while speaking to you. Chances are that you feel more heard and respected than if they practiced poor eye contact. When public speaking, you want to create the same feeling with your audience.

Effective eye contact establishes a connection with individuals, creating intimacy and engagement. Staring blankly at one person for an extended time can feel uncomfortable and unnatural, though. The trick is to spread your gaze around the room, connecting briefly with individuals. Treat it as if you’re having mini-conversations with different people.

Refining Your Non-verbal Communication

In addition to eye contact, your stance and gestures significantly impact how your message resonates. One of the best ways to refine your body language is through public speaking exercises like the one below.

To get started, record yourself practicing a speech. After all, it can be extremely valuable to watch and hear yourself as your audience would experience you. Alternatively, you can use this tool to record yourself and your screen. As you watch the recording back, look for these key elements:

• Open Posture: Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and your arms relaxed. Imagine an invisible string pulling you slightly upwards from the crown of your head. Avoid hunching or crossing your arms, as these postures might make you appear closed off or unapproachable.
• Purposeful Movement: When appropriate, move around the stage with intention. Instead of pacing nervously, connect movement with transitions in your speech to emphasize a point or engage different parts of the audience. Remember, too much movement can be distracting, and not all stages permit freedom of movement.
• Gestures: Utilize your hands and arms to complement your words. Practice hand gestures that feel natural to you, ensuring they’re not exaggerated to the point of distraction. Don’t forget to review your recordings to ensure your movements look and feel authentic and enhance, rather than distract, from your delivery.

Tongue Twisters: The Ultimate Public Speaking Warm Up

Public speaking often requires articulate speech and clear pronunciation. This is where tongue twisters shine as excellent warm-up exercises for speakers of all levels.

Mastering the quick, repetitive sounds of tongue twisters, like the classic “she sells seashells,” improves your pronunciation clarity. This makes your speech delivery smoother.

Consider practicing tongue twisters before presentations as a warm-up routine. This is helpful whether in front of large formal audiences or even close friends. It significantly improves articulation and breath control, especially if you struggle with feeling anxious. Tongue twisters are fun, lighthearted, and effective, making them a great public speaking exercise.

Impromptu Speaking: Mastering the Art of Thinking on Your Feet

Impromptu speaking, where you speak without extensive preparation, can be incredibly daunting, even for seasoned public speakers. Although nerve-wracking, the reality is that many real-life speaking situations demand some level of off-the-cuff thinking. Utilizing public speaking exercises can be the key to thinking clearly under pressure.

Just imagine being asked an unexpected question in a Q&A session. The better you can formulate clear, engaging answers spontaneously, the more confident you’ll feel. This even applies to impromptu speech situations at your job, a work party, or even at an event or wedding. Impromptu speaking is truly a valuable communication skill with applications beyond the stage.

Impromptu Public Speaking Exercises

Instead of waiting for an impromptu opportunity, create one yourself. Practice the exercises below in order to hone your ability to think on the spot.

Random Object Speech

Grab a household object (a spoon, a book, anything.) and set a timer for 2-3 minutes. The goal is to deliver a cohesive, interesting “speech” about the item. This exercise hones your ability to generate ideas and structure thoughts spontaneously.

“Yes, and…” Improv

Grab a friend (the more, the merrier) and play a round of “Yes, and…” improv. One person starts with a statement and the next person builds on it with “Yes, and…” continuing the narrative. This cultivates active listening skills and spontaneous storytelling, which is excellent for building public speaking confidence.

Public Speaking Games: Interactive Activities to Sharpen Your Skills

Who says practicing public speaking can’t be enjoyable? Games provide a light-hearted platform to try different public speaking activities. They allow you to hone your presentation skills in a fun, collaborative setting. Plus, practicing in a group fosters teamwork and allows you to observe and learn from one another’s speaking styles.

Photo Storytelling

Gather a collection of interesting images (they can be anything from personal photographs to random finds online). Have each participant choose a random image and craft a short story about it, presenting their narrative to the group.

This game hones skills like:

• Developing narrative flow
• Using descriptive language to engage listeners
• Thinking creatively and quickly

“Sell It” Challenge

In the “Sell It” Challenge, each person picks a random object (like a pen or stapler) and attempts to “sell” it to the group. This is done by highlighting its extraordinary (or not-so-extraordinary) qualities with humor and enthusiasm. It encourages creativity in speech because the success of their pitch hinges solely on their public speaking ability and persuasive prowess.

This public speaking game is ideal for encouraging:

• Practicing persuasion techniques
• Promoting quick thinking
• Adding humor into presentations

Analyzing the Masters: Learning from the Best Public Speakers

One of the best ways to enhance your public speaking skill is by studying successful public speakers. Watch those who deliver inspiring messages at events like TED Talks . By observing different elements of these popular speeches and implementing similar techniques, you’ll enhance your speaking skills.

Here are some ways you can study public speakers to advance your public speaking practice:

• Observe Delivery Techniques: Pay attention to the speaker’s voice modulation, pace, and strategic pauses. Also notice body language like their hand gestures, eye contact, and movements on stage. Finally, analyze the structure, storytelling elements, humor (if used), and closing remarks. The more talks you analyze, the more you’ll start noticing patterns, techniques, and effective approaches.
• Imitate Their Style: Once you’ve made a list of the elements that impressed you, try to integrate these public speaking tips into your own speaking. Practice those pauses, the impactful closing, or adapt their storytelling approach. Emulating these masters is not about copying, but more about studying effective techniques.

Additional Tips and Tricks for Powerful Presentations

Mastering any new skill requires practice and the right approach. Whether preparing for a presentation at work, an important interview, or a talk at an upcoming industry event, there are tons of public speaking exercises to choose from. Choose methods that are effective for your personal needs and practice consistently. Finally, don’t forget to seek out feedback so that you continue to build on improvements.

Here are some tips for delivering great presentations:

• Practice Makes Perfect: Embrace opportunities to present, whether it’s to friends and family, your team at work, or at local speaking clubs. The more experience you have, the less daunting the stage becomes. Public speaking is just like any skill. The more you practice talking, the easier it becomes.
• Know Your Audience: Tailoring your message to resonate with your target demographic is crucial for audience engagement. Understanding the group’s interests, demographics, and why they are listening can help make your presentation even more impactful.
• Storytelling Captivates: Weaving narratives throughout your presentation will help listeners connect more deeply with your message. It will also make it more engaging and memorable. People connect to emotions, vulnerability, and a touch of relatability, so put in the work to find your own story, then practice telling it.

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FAQs About Public Speaking Exercises

What are 5 public speaking tips.

Engage your audience with eye contact and a clear, audible voice. In addition, speak at a moderate pace and utilize pauses for emphasis. Don’t be afraid to use humor. In order to maintain audience engagement, tailor your delivery to your specific audience. Most importantly, project confidence through a relaxed and approachable demeanor.

How do I get over the fear of public speaking?

One strategy is to change your perspective. Instead of fearing judgment, envision your talk as an exciting opportunity to share your valuable insights. Picture your audience members genuinely interested in your message. This can significantly reduce anxiety.

What makes someone a good public speaker?

Good public speakers possess a unique ability to convey information with clarity and purpose, but most importantly passion and authenticity. They are engaging storytellers who can capture and hold their audience’s attention.

Mastering public speaking is an ongoing endeavor. Thankfully, public speaking exercises are effective ways to polish your skills and overcome common fears. Embrace opportunities to practice whenever you get a chance. Consistent efforts in honing these skills will cultivate your confidence, stage presence, and ultimately contribute to making your future presentations impactful. Remember, the best public speakers weren’t born that way; they practiced.

• Last Updated: July 14, 2024

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14 Fun & Interactive Presentation Games for Teams and Students

So you've got an audience to energize, students to engage, or a team that needs a little extra fun — playing an interactive presentation game is an easy way to do just that.

We've done the research and found the best of these games for you: we looked specifically for games that are simple to set up, fun to play, and flexible enough to be used with a variety of presentations and audiences. Most of these activities work virtually with Zoom/PowerPoint and can also be used in person.

Which of these 14 presentation games do you like best? Take a look and let us know your favorites:

1. Live Trivia Competition

A great way to ramp up the excitement and engagement is to enable a little bit of friendly competition. Trivia is an easy way to do this—plus, it can be whole-group inclusive and large-audience friendly (if you use the right tools).

Here's a great trivia game you can run with your team, students, or any large audience. It's already created for you with questions and scoring built in to make it even easier:

Here's how to play:

• Make a free account here: https://slideswith.com/  
• Click the slide deck and copy it. 
• Launch the trivia game by clicking "Start Event."
• Invite your group to join in and submit answers using their mobile devices (show the winners automatically).
• Interact and play during your presentation!

This trivia game has questions on many topics to keep your audience's attention and appeal to everyone. It only takes 10-15 minutes to play, so it's a great game for long discussions! Also, this interactive activity is free for up to ten participants and is totally customizable.

2. Sing and Swing 

To really liven up your group, encourage your listeners to play Sing and Swing. This activity is best for long presentations because it boosts energy, creates a fun, light-hearted environment, and makes people laugh a lot. 

Here's how to play: 

• Before your presentation, pick a well-known song and rewrite the chorus (replace parts of it with words and phrases from your presentation) 
• When you're ready to play, show the song on your screen. 
• Invite your audience to sing it with you!

If you have a fun group or a class of energetic students, consider adding choreography to engage your audience even more. 

3. 20 Questions

If you want a presentation game that requires your listeners to talk more than you, 20 Questions is the one to play! A classic and simple activity, this game immediately boosts engagement and gets people laughing. 

Here's how to play: Have someone put an appropriate image or word on the screen behind you (this can be an audience member you trust or a colleague or co-presenter). To make things more fun, put on a blindfold so that everyone knows you can't cheat. From there, ask 20 "yes or no" questions to guess what's displayed on the screen. Your group should respond "yes" or "no" to guide you to the correct answer. 

4. Scavenger Hunt Challenge

To get your audience out of their seats, a scavenger hunt challenge is one of the best interactive games for presentations. It'll immediately energize your audience , team, or students while giving them a fun way to learn.  

There are tons of in-person and virtual scavenger hunt ideas you can use to dive deeper into your topic or help everyone learn about one another. But if you want a ready-to-play game that you can instantly launch without having any tech skills, here's a fun one to play: 

• Use an email address and password to create a free account here: https://slideswith.com/ (a free account guarantees up to ten people can play at no charge). 
• Click the game and press "Copy and use this slide deck." 
• In the top right corner, click "Start Event."
• Ask listeners to join the game by using their mobile devices to scan the QR code. Players should continue using their mobile devices to submit answers to questions.
• Have everyone start hunting for items! 

This activity is a particularly fun game because it's a photo-hunt, show-and-tell challenge! That means your audience will not only get out of their seats to find items, but they'll also get to take pictures and share and discuss photos of what they find. This conversational element will help engage your group! 

5. Group Word Clouds

Whether you're speaking to team members, students, or conference-goers, this activity lets you ask questions and get your listeners' thoughts on specific topics. 

This game is the perfect way to start your presentation, especially if you're discussing something with a wide range of opinions or are unsure how much your listeners know about a certain subject. Group Word Clouds is also beneficial if you want to do a quick meeting pulse or know how your listeners feel going into your presentation—understanding their energy levels and mood can help you adjust (if necessary) to get maximum engagement and excitement.

To enjoy this activity, keep things simple by using a tool that already offers a ready-to-play Group Word Clouds game. Here's a popular one you can launch immediately: 

• Create a free account by entering an email and password here: https://slideswith.com/  
• Click the game and then copy it (the button to do so is right underneath the slide deck).
• Press "Start Event" in the top right corner. 
• Tell participants to play by scanning the QR code. 
• Create word clouds and have fun!

This interactive game only takes 5-10 minutes to play, so it's a fast, fun way to engage your audience and feel out the room. Players can use their mobile devices to answer questions. This activity is also free for up to 10 people and is easy to personalize.

6. The Get to Know You Game

This activity is one of the best presentation games if you have a small group that doesn't really know each other. The Get to Know You Game is a creative way to do introductions, and it's really simple.

Here's how to play the game: Before the event, ask group members to bring a favorite song or item to the presentation (you can do this by emailing them). When you're ready to play, ask each person to introduce themself, present their song or item, and explain why they picked it. For those sharing a song, have them play it on their phones before they explain why it's their favorite. 

7. Live Poll Questions 

When you have a large group, it's not easy to find ways to boost engagement—but poll questions are the solutions, especially when they're live and interactive. With this unique setup, large groups engage by answering questions and seeing their answers displayed in a fun way. 

Your job is to make sure you actually find a game that showcases responses uniquely to captivate your group. For a quick and great option, here's a popular icebreaker activity that promises to display responses using fun formats like word clouds, donut charts, live graphs, and per-player: 

• Create an account for free to access the game:  https://slideswith.com/  
• Click the slide deck and press the button to copy it. 
• Look in the top right corner of the deck and press "Start Event."
• Invite your group to play the game. They only need to use their mobile devices to scan the QR code. 
• Start polling your audience!

This activity is one of those fun presentation games everyone will want to enjoy, so invite all of your team members and students to participate. This game can accommodate up to 250 players and takes 5-10 minutes to complete. Tell your group to use their mobile devices to submit their responses. 

8. Assumptions 

This interactive game is a great way to break up your presentation to see who's paying attention and who can answer questions pertaining to your topic. 

• Ask your audience to stand up (for virtual presentations, make sure everyone's video is on). 
• Show true or false statements on the screen one by one. 
• Tell people to raise a hand if they think the statement is correct and sit down if they think it's incorrect.
• Continue until one person is left standing.
• Award the winner. 

This activity can be as short and challenging as you want. Also, if your presentation is long, you can play multiple rounds to break up your speaking time and test your audience throughout your discussion.  

9. Controversial Questions 

Want to see where your audience, students, or team lands on controversial topics? Then, energize your presentation with a fun, creative game called Controversial Questions. This activity has prompts that inspire lively debates, so it's a great way to get your group excited and chatty. 

However, to maintain a positive environment, make sure to find a tool that offers an office-friendly, classroom-friendly, and conference-friendly game. You don't want to sour the mood by creating uncomfortable division during your presentation. To make sure this game is fun and light-hearted, here's a popular one that's suitable for all audiences and ages: 

• Sign up for a free account by inputting an email address and password here:  https://slideswith.com/pricing  
• Click the game and press the button that says, "Copy and use this deck." 
• Press "Start Event" (the button is in the top right corner). 
• Have participants join the fun by asking them to scan the QR code with their mobile devices. 
• Get controversial and play! 

This interactive game for presentations asks fun (but appropriate) questions like:

• Does pineapple belong on pizza?
• Does the person flying in the middle seat get both armrests?
• Should the toilet roll go over or under? 

Players should use their mobile devices to submit answers. Up to ten people can play for free, and you can customize the game by updating the questions!

10. Word of the Day 

With this activity, you can keep your audience, team, or students engaged throughout your entire presentation. This  game requires listeners to be alert and recognize whenever you say the word of the day. 

Here's how to play: At the beginning of your presentation, tell your group the word of the day (it can also be a phrase if you'd prefer). Say that you'll weave the word into your presentation and that your audience must shout it out whenever you mention it. 

11. Mini Activity: Group Icebreaker

Whether you're doing an in-person or virtual presentation, you need to warm up your audience to get things started on a positive note. The best way to do that is with a quick icebreaker game. 

However, make sure your questions are fun, positive, and engaging. You can easily do this by finding a game that already has the best icebreaker questions included. Here's one that's ready to play (and requiring no tech skills to launch): 

• Input an email address and password to make a free account here: https://slideswith.com/  
• Click the deck and copy it (press "Copy and use this deck). 
• Click the button in the top right corner that says "Start Event."
• Invite participants to play by asking them to scan the QR code. 
• Break the ice to warm up your audience!

Your group should use their mobile devices to submit responses to poll questions. Also, this game accommodates up to 250 players, but only ten people can join for free.

12. Process of Elimination 

This activity is one of the best games for presentations because it's simple yet fun and great at helping listeners get to know each other. You can play it at the beginning of your presentation or in the middle to give your group a chance to stretch their legs. 

• Before your event, create a list of "yes or no" questions. 
• Once you're ready to play, tell your group to stand up (if you're doing a virtual presentation, make sure everyone's video is on). 
• Ask each question one by one. 
• Tell attendees to stand if their answer is "yes" and sit if their answer is "no." 

The questions can relate to your topic or be totally random. Also, if you'd prefer to thin out the number of people standing, you can take a creative twist and ask your questions by saying something like this: "Stay standing if (insert scenario)." When phrasing each question this way, the game will end with one person standing. To acknowledge the winner, you can give them a round of applause or award them a prize. 

13. Conference Opener Icebreaker 

If you're speaking at a big conference, you need an interactive game for presentations that can get everyone involved and ensure every voice is heard. To achieve these goals, you should create an icebreaker game that works for large groups . 

Using an easy, intuitive template is the best step to take. That way, you don't have to start from scratch or spend hours making your game. For a template that requires no code or tech-savviness to build on, here's the best option: 

• Sign up by making a free account here: https://slideswith.com/  
• Click on the game. On the next page, click the button to copy and use the deck. 
• Customize the template using the instructions HERE . 
• During your presentation, press "Start Event" in the top right corner. 
• Ask the group to use their mobile devices to scan the QR code and join the fun. (Also, make sure participants use their mobile devices to submit answers.) 
• Play and engage your audience!  

This template has fun, interactive features built in to keep your large audience engaged. Those features include polls, word clouds, and ratings. Just make sure you sign up for a paid plan to accommodate the large number of people in your group—the free account only works for up to ten players. 

14. Two Truths and a Lie 

This classic game is a fun, energizing way to help your listeners get to know one another. It's perfect for small in-person or virtual groups and is an ideal activity for the beginning of your presentation. 

Here's how to play: Pick any topic (for the purposes of this article, the topic will be "movies"). In no particular order, say two movies you've really watched and one you haven't watched. Ask your audience to guess which statement is the lie. The winner picks the next topic and says two truths and a lie. 

Be Memorable With Presentation Games

Oftentimes, people forget presentations within a week or even days, and that's because the discussions are boring. But you don't work hard preparing a presentation for it to be forgotten. If you want your message to stick, all you have to do is make it enjoyable without being corny.  

If you want to be remembered and actually get people engaged, you need to make your presentation fun and enjoyable, without coming off as corny or desperate to please. Ivan Dimitrijevic, 10 Secrets of Making Every Presentation Fun, Engaging, and Enjoyable

Luckily, the interactive presentation games in this article are unique and exciting—they're far from corny. So, use them for your upcoming presentations to make your messages compelling and memorable. 

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Activities to Improve Presentation Skills: Training Exercises and Practices

• Presentation Skills
• March 19, 2024

Ever wondered what sets a great presentation apart? It’s more than just the words you use. Think about this, voice modulation, or how you say things, plays a substantial role at 38%. Your body language like hand gestures or eye contact, or how you carry yourself, takes a commanding lead at 55%.

Surprisingly, the content—the words you speak—only contributes 7% to a successful presentation. This interesting fact reveals that being an impressive presenter is like having a special recipe. It’s not just about what you say but how you present yourself. 

In this blog, we’ll dive into the world of presentation skills, and here’s the exciting part—we’ll make the learning process enjoyable by exploring games and activities that can transform you into an outstanding communicator even in front of a large group. Let’s explore the elements that can make you a standout presenter on your professional journey!

Importance of Presentation Skills

In the professional world, the ability to deliver a compelling presentation goes beyond sharing information; it’s about creating a memorable impact on your audience.

Here’s why presentation skills are important:

1. Communication Mastery

Presentation skills are at the forefront of effective communication. It’s not just about what you say; it’s how you say it. A well-delivered presentation ensures your message is heard and understood, fostering clear and meaningful communication.

2. Professional Credibility

A skilled presenter commands professional credibility. The ability to articulate ideas with clarity and confidence instils trust and respect from colleagues, superiors, and stakeholders. Credibility is a cornerstone for career advancement and building strong professional relationships.

3. Influence and Persuasion

Presentations are powerful tools for influencing and persuading others. Whether pitching a proposal, leading a team meeting, or advocating for a project, effective presentation skills enable you to sway opinions, gain support, and drive initiatives forward.

4. Career Advancement

Professionals with polished presentation skills often find themselves on a fast track to career advancement. The capacity to deliver compelling presentations positions you as a valuable asset to the organisation, setting the stage for leadership roles.

5. Confidence Building

Mastering presentation skills significantly contributes to building confidence. The more skilled you become at presenting, the more confident you feel in expressing your ideas. Confidence is contagious and can inspire confidence in others, creating a positive and dynamic work culture.

Now that we understand the pivotal role presentation skills play in professional success, let’s dive into engaging activities that can serve as effective tools for improvement.

Activities To Enhance Presentation Skills

These activities go beyond traditional training methods, offering a dynamic and enjoyable way to refine your presentation prowess.

Explore the following activities to elevate your skills:

Activity 1: Pecha Kucha

Pecha Kucha is a unique presentation style that challenges individuals to communicate their message with precision and impact. Originating from Japan, the term “Pecha Kucha” translates to “chit-chat” in English, and the format was first introduced in 2003 by architects Astrid Klein and Mark Dytham . Here’s how Pecha Kucha works:

20 Slides, 20 Seconds Each: 

Presenters create a slideshow with precisely 20 slides. The catch? Each slide is displayed for only 20 seconds. This strict time constraint adds an element of urgency, compelling presenters to deliver their message succinctly.

Concise and Focused Content

With only 20 seconds per slide, presenters must convey their content in the most essential and impactful points. This format discourages information overload and encourages a clear and focused presentation.

To excel in creating a Pecha Kucha presentation, consider the following tips:

Thematic Consistency: Maintain a consistent theme or message throughout your 20 slides to ensure coherence and a unified presentation.

Powerful Visuals: Prioritise impactful images, diagrams, or concise text on each slide to enhance the visual appeal and complement your spoken content.

Scripted Timing: Practise your presentation to synchronise with the 20-second time limit per slide. This ensures a smooth and well-timed delivery during the actual presentation.

Succinct Messaging: Craft concise and memorable messages for each slide, focusing on the main points to avoid overwhelming the formal audience with information.

Engaging Transitions: Plan smooth transitions between slides to keep the audience engaged. The rapid pace should feel natural and purposeful.

Feedback Seeking: Seek feedback from peers or mentors to gather insights on your Pecha Kucha presentation’s clarity, impact, and effectiveness.

Activity 2: Gush About Something You Don’t Like 

In this unconventional activity, participants are tasked with passionately speaking about something they don’t like. The challenge lies in transforming a negative subject into a positive and engaging presentation.

The objective is not to dwell on criticism but to practise the art of constructive communication and find positive aspects even in seemingly unfavourable situations.

Key Elements of the Activity:

Positive Framing: Participants must employ positive framing, emphasising constructive aspects or potential solutions related to a disliked subject. This requires creative thinking and the ability to reframe perspectives.

Expressive Communication: The activity encourages a person to maintain a passionate and expressive tone while discussing a disliked topic. This helps develop spontaneity and enthusiasm, key elements of engaging communication.

Audience Engagement: Engaging the audience is crucial in this activity, which also acts as an ice breaker. Participants must capture attention by injecting humour or providing relatable anecdotes, ensuring the presentation remains interesting despite the negative subject.

Improvisation Skills: The unpredictability of this activity fosters improvisation skills. Participants must think on their feet, respond to potential audience questions or objections, and navigate the presentation with adaptability.

Benefits of Gushing About Something You Don’t Like:

Participating in this activity provides several benefits. It cultivates the ability to find positives in challenging situations, fostering a constructive mindset. Expressive communication skills are honed through the challenge of maintaining enthusiasm, even when discussing a disliked topic. Engaging the audience under these circumstances enhances overall presentation skills, and the fun exercise sharpens improvisation skills by navigating unexpected turns.

Ultimately, this activity transforms negativity into an opportunity for growth, allowing participants to develop a positive and adaptable approach to communication challenges.

Activity 3: Photo Story

The Photo Story storytelling activity is a creative and engaging way to enhance presentation skills by incorporating visual storytelling. Participants are tasked with creating a presentation using a series of carefully selected photos as visual aids.

Each image becomes a piece of the narrative puzzle, and the presenter must seamlessly articulate the story, connecting each photo to the overarching message.

Visual Narrative Building: Participants select a sequence of photos telling a story. The challenge is to ensure that each image contributes meaningfully to the narrative, creating a cohesive and interactive visual journey.

Storytelling Skills: The activity focuses on developing storytelling skills. Presenters must describe the images and weave them into a compelling story. This enhances the ability to convey messages in a narrative format, making presentations more memorable.

Emphasis on Visual Communication: Photo Story underscores the importance of visual communication. Participants learn to use visuals effectively, recognising the impact of images in conveying emotions, themes, and key points. This skill is transferable to other aspects of presentation design.

Audience Engagement through Imagery: Engaging the audience is achieved through the power of imagery. Participants must captivate their audience by explaining the significance of each photo, fostering a deeper connection between the audience and the presented content.

Benefits of Photo Story:

Engaging in the Photo Story activity yields numerous benefits. It enhances storytelling capabilities, making presentations more engaging and memorable. The emphasis on visual communication contributes to creating visually appealing presentations in various professional contexts.

Additionally, the activity cultivates the ability to structure information coherently and captivate audiences through compelling visuals and narrative elements.

Overall, Photo Story is a versatile tool that improves presentation skills and promotes creativity and effective visual communication.

Activity 4: 30 Seconds Without Filler Words

The “30 Seconds Without Filler Words” activity is a great exercise designed to enhance public speaking skills by promoting clarity, coherence, and the elimination of filler words. Participants are challenged to speak on a random topic for 30 seconds without using common filler words such as “um,” “uh,” or “like.”

This activity aims to sharpen communication skills, encourage mindful expression, and minimise distractions to create a more impactful and engaging presentation style.

Elimination of Filler Words: The primary focus is on eliminating filler words that often diminish a presentation’s impact. Participants are encouraged to speak fluently and confidently, avoiding unnecessary pauses or distractions.

Mindful Communication: The activity cultivates mindful communication by prompting participants to recognise their speech patterns. This heightened awareness contributes to more intentional expression.

Pacing and Time Management: Participants must effectively manage their time within the 30-second limit, emphasising the importance of pacing in public speaking. This skill is transferable to various presentation scenarios where time constraints are a factor.

Enhanced Message Impact: Presenters create a more polished and professional impression for the whole room by eliminating filler words. The message becomes clearer, and the overall impact of the presentation is heightened, contributing to a more effective communication style.

Benefits of 30 Seconds Without Filler Words:

Engaging in this activity yields several benefits. It fosters an awareness of speech patterns, enabling participants to identify and eliminate filler words from their presentations. The emphasis on fluent and coherent expression enhances overall public speaking skills along with nonverbal communication, making presentations more impactful and engaging.

Moreover, the activity instils valuable lessons in time management and pacing, crucial elements in delivering concise and effective presentations. Ultimately, “30 Seconds Without Filler Words” is a targeted exercise that empowers participants to refine their communication style and deliver presentations with increased clarity and confidence.

The Power of Presentation Skills Training

Starting a presentation skills training course is like discovering a secret weapon for professional success. A skilled trainer can guide you through the intricacies of effective communication, helping you harness the true power of your voice.

Practice speaking under the guidance of experts allows you to refine your delivery, build confidence, and captivate your audience with every presentation.

Most people may underestimate the impact of a well-delivered presentation, but with the right training, you can elevate your skills to new heights.

In a presentation skills training course, you’ll discover the art of engaging an audience through various mediums. A seasoned trainer will train you on different types of presentations, teaching you to adapt your approach based on the context and audience.

Whether you write a speech, deliver a pitch, or participate in a video conference, the course equips you with the skills to excel and make your presentation successful.

A great trainer understands that effective communication goes beyond words. They emphasise the importance of non-verbal cues, teaching you to read and respond to your audience in the session. For example, when you actively listen, you can tailor your presentation to address the specific interests of your audience, ensuring they not only listen but also relate to your message.

Good presentation involves understanding these two truths: the significance of non-verbal communication and the importance of audience engagement.

In presentation skills training, every session is an opportunity to refine your abilities and unlock your full potential as a communicator.

So, if you’re interested in making a lasting impression and mastering the art of persuasive communication, a presentation skills training course is your pathway to success, offering opportunities for public speaking activities and discussion.

Rishabh Bhandari

Rishabh Bhandari is the Content Strategist at Kapable. Rishabh likes to transform complex ideas into captivating narratives relatable to the target audience. He loves telling stories through his content. He believes that stories have the power to shift mindsets and move mountains. He has 3 years of experience in educational blog writing and copywriting.

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Exercises to Improve Presentation Skills | Become a Better Public Speaker

Before I begin, though, there is an important point that you really have to understand. Developing public speaking skills takes time. If you have a presentation tomorrow morning and you are just now looking for exercises to improve public speaking skills, guess what? You are probably too late.

Someone called our 800 number last week looking for help with an upcoming presentation. I asked him, “How long have you known about this fear?”

He replied, “Well, I guess all my life.”

So he knew he needed help a long time ago but waited until just a few weeks before his biggest presentation to try to do something about it. That would be like a teenager just starting to learn to drive a week before taking the driver’s test. You can probably do it. However, the teen would do much better if he or she practices an hour or two every week for an entire year. If you practice the public speaking tips below a little at a time on a regular basis, you will slowly become a great public speaker. If you try to do it in a week, you probably won’t improve a lot.

Don’t Do These Things. They Will Not Help You Become a Better Public Speaker.

Before I give you my go-to tips for an effective presentation, here are a few terrible ideas that get reposted on the internet. Don’t do these things! They will not help you become a better presenter. In fact, most of these things will actually make you more nervous.

Yup. Many of the things that friends and coworkers tell you to do to become a better speaker actually cause nervousness.

Never Try to Memorize a Speech Word-for-Word.

The first thing that most people do to practice a presentation is to write it out word-for-word. (That is a huge mistake, by the way.) The second thing they try to do is memorize the presentation. These two mistakes cause more people to experience the fear of public speaking than anything else that I have seen.

I’ll give you an example. The first time I got really nervous about a presentation was when I was in college. I worked for a huge company during a summer internship. At the end of the summer, I had to give a presentation about the experience. I wrote out my presentation and read it over and over until I had the delivery down to almost exactly 15 minutes. (That was the time that was given to me.)

However, the more that I read the speech, the more canned and boring it sounded to me. So, just like most people do, I decided to try to memorize the speech. Obviously, that will make me sound better, right? Well, not exactly. Keep in mind that I was nervous already, So by increasing the complexity of the presentation (trying to memorize it,) I just made myself even more nervous.

I flew through the presentation at break-neck speed and sat down humiliated at my performance. So don’t do what I did way back then. Don’t write the presentation word-for-word and don’t try to memorize it.

Don’t Practice in Front of a Mirror.

There is another big challenge with practicing this way. You don’t get any critical feedback. The good news is that there is a much better way to practice. Ask a coworker, friend, or family member to listen to your speech. As you communicate your ideas in front of an audience just watch how they react. When you say something clearly, you will see them nod slightly. This lets you know you are communicating well.

If you see confusion on the face of your listener, that means something you said wasn’t quite understood. This lets you alter your delivery. No one is going to create a perfect speech the first time they present it. However, if you improve the presentation every time you practice, you will get better and better at delivering it as well.

By the way, if you want to increase your nervousness even more use a video recording device (cellphone camera, etc.) to coach yourself. This type of practice takes the “practice in front of a mirror” mistake to an entirely new level. (Don’t do that.)

Filler Words Are Normal. Don’t Try to Totally Eliminate Them.

Anything you reinforce you will get more of. So, if you focus on trying to reduce filler words, you will most likely — at least in the short term — use more filler words. Plus, if you totally eliminate filler words altogether, you create a bigger problem.

Have you ever watched a politician give a speech and think, “Something is just not right about that person?” The delivery may seem mechanical. You may hear the words and think that the person just doesn’t seem that genuine. Interestingly, this happens from over practice and overtraining. The speech will sound canned and robotic.

A good example of this occurred in the 2016 presidential debates. The last two candidates in the Republican Primary were Ted Cruz and Donald Trump. After the last debate, the consensus among “experts” was that Cruz handily won the debates. Trump was often seen stumbling over words and not completing sentences. Cruz, though, was an expert debater. When all the votes were counted, though, Trump won the Primary by quite a lot. The same thing happened in the Trump and Clinton debates.

When we talk to coworkers at lunch or have drinks with friends, we naturally use filler words in conversations. They make us human. When all of those filler words go away, we sound mechanical. Don’t get me wrong, when people get nervous, they often over-use filler words. The filler words become annoying. The secret, though, is not to eliminate the filler words. The secret is to reduce the nervousness. Then the filler words are reduced automatically.

The Best Exercises to Improve Presentation Skills. These Things WILL Help You Become a Better Public Speaker.

If you really want to become an effective speaker, you want to practice speaking in front of a group as often as you can. In fact, the only way to reduce stage fright is to present more and have a series of successes. The reason why most people feel nervous when they present is just that they do this skill so infrequently. For instance, if you only drove a car once every two years, you will likely be terrified every time you got behind the wheel.

Think about developing public speaking skills like dating. Both people who go on a first date will likely be very nervous, In fact, the person asking for the date will probably be terrified just before the question is asked. The second date will be equally as terrifying. However, as both people enjoy each date, the nervousness is replaced by more positive emotions. Over time, both people become more comfortable on the dates than being alone.

However, what would happen if the dates only occur once every year or once every couple of years. The person will never feel that comfort level. He or she will be starting from the initial nervousness level every single time. So the best way to improve your presentation skills is to… well… get up and present more.

The following exercises will help, though.

Speak Up in Team Meetings.

When others disagree, though, you also realize that this isn’t the end of the world. A little debate actually helps you improve your ideas. The best part about this type of presentation is that it is informal and fairly risk-free. Most ideas shared in team meetings are quickly forgotten once the meeting is over. So you get a chance to practice your presentation delivery without any long-term consequences.

If you want to lower the risk even more, try asking a simple question during the team meeting. Often, great speakers are not the people who have important things to say. Instead, they are the people who ask the right questions to get the audience thinking differently.

Obviously, don’t make the meetings drag on longer by constantly adding to the conversation. A little practice goes a long way. Your goal is to increase your comfort level speaking in front of people . That is why asking a question to get your team members talking more can help improve your speaking skills. It can also help improve your interpersonal communication as well.

Design a Better Speech.

All the exercises to improve presentation skills will fail if you create a terrible speech. If you try to tell your audience EVERYTHING you know about a topic, your speech will be terrible. Your audience will then see you as a terrible speaker.

This is why I mentioned not writing out your speech or trying to memorize the speech. Instead, try to put yourself in the shoes of the audience member. Ask yourself what you would want or need to know from listening to the presentation? Then jot down the most important points that come to mind. By starting with your audience in mind, you will be able to quickly identify just a few key points to cover in the presentation.

You can begin to practice thinking this way over time by making this a repeatable exercise.

Here is an example. Think about something you do every day at work. Pick something that you know inside and out. Because you do this all the time, you will think of it as being simple. However, someone who has never done this thing will likely have trouble doing it.

For instance, in my industry, I write a lot of articles. After writing for years, it is second nature to me. A new person may struggle with it, though.

My wife owns a bakery. She creates iced cookies that are works of art. My daughter worked at a clothing store for a while. She got really good at putting together outfits. Each of these skills can be broken down into a step-by-step process and taught to a new person.

This type of exercise can help you get practice creating compelling presentations. A simple step-by-step process is easy to remember.

The Best Public Speaking Exercise Is to Practice Personal Anecdotes.

For instance, if I am designing a presentation about how to write a blog post, one of my main points might be about creating a compelling title. I can ask myself, “How do I know this is important?” or “When did I learn the value of this tip?” The answer to that question is likely a good story.

In fact, years ago, I went to an ASTD (now ATD) convention in Atlanta, GA. The convention was HUGE. They had hundreds of different breakout meetings throughout the three days. Obviously, I couldn’t attend all of them. So, I went down the list first just looking at the titles. I quickly eliminated any title that didn’t sound interesting or informative. Then, with the titles that I had left, I crossed out a few more that didn’t match up to the quality of my high rankers. Only then did I take the time to look at the speaker bio and description.

Keep in mind, this was for breakout sessions. Your potential readers will do the same thing even more quickly when they scan your blog on a Google search. A compelling title will make them more likely to click on your post to read more.

Remember that your experience on a given topic is what your audience has come to hear. These personal stories are what peaks your audience’s attention. You can practice these anecdotes in conversations with friends or coworkers. In fact, this is an easy exercise to improve presentation skills that can become a daily task.

You Will Find a Lot of Effective Exercises in Public Speaking Classes.

If time is short and you don’t have a year or so to develop your public speaking skills, you might try a good public speaking class . The exercises in these classes break down the most important skills in presenting and give each participant the chance to master each component. For details about upcoming classes in your area, click the link above or complete the form below.

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• 10 public speaking exercises

Public speaking practice exercises:

- the top 10 to tuck into your toolkit.

By:  Susan Dugdale  

Here's a collection of public speaking practice exercises covering the principal elements often requiring specific and sustained work. (Competency is an ongoing journey!)

The 10 aspects are:

• breathing ,
• vocal warmups for: face, jaw, lips, and throat,
• using video to become conscious of any habitual unhelpful gestures we may make as we present,
• recording ourselves  to hear our voices as others hear us,
• eye contact ,
• sounding real (becoming congruent) ,
• speech rate ,
• articulation ,
• body language ,
• and planning to succeed .

The exercises are simple, easily put into practice and will help you deliver your presentations more effectively. 

Make them part of your regular preparation routine and you'll be delighted with the increased poise, confidence, and control you develop. ☺

1. Breathe!

The first of these public speaking practice exercises focuses on breath because in order to speak well, we need to breathe well and that means fully using the lungs.

Being anxious or nervous is often expressed through shallow breathing which in turn affects the voice. It pushes the tone up, reducing its range and effectiveness.

• Stand with your feet a comfortable shoulder width apart.
• Support the weight of your body through your hips and legs rather than locking your knees.
• Consciously release and relax your shoulders.
• If you're holding your stomach in, let it go.
• Place your hands on your stomach. When you are breathing well your hands will rise on an in-breath and fall on an out-breath.
• Breathe in through your nose to the count of 4. Count slowly: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4. As you inhale feel your diaphragm, and see your hands, rising.
• Breathe out through your mouth to the count of 4 and now feel your diaphragm expanding and see your hands lowering.
• Do several rounds of inhale and exhale to a 4 count while making sure you keep your shoulders, stomach and legs relaxed.
• Once you have mastered the 4 count, increase it. Through regular practice you will soon be able to extend it for a 8 or even 10 count.

Extra breathing exercises

Click the link to find more public speaking breathing exercises .

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2. Hum, ha and yawn - vocal warmups

Humming, ha-a-a-ing and yawning will help you relax and tune-up your vocal equipment. A double win!

Hum a single note, simple tune or a scale gently, making sure your lips and cheeks are relaxed. You'll feel the vibrations resonating through your face and throat.

To 'ha' take in a full breath and on the release or out breath say 'ha-a-a-a-a-a-a' gently until you run out of air. Make sure your mouth is open and relaxed. Repeat several times.

Yawning releases tension in the jaw and if you're at all anxious, this is a place you'll feel it. Let that tension go by opening your mouth and yawning widely without strain. Add sound. 'Ahhh', 'eeeee' or 'oooooo' - until all the air in your lungs is gone. Repeat until your throat and jaw are relaxed.

3. Mirror, mirror on the wall*...

Many of us get anxious about what we look like to the audience when we're giving a speech. Others of us are not aware of habitual gestures we make.

Solve the problem by looking. Video yourself while presenting.

You'll see what you do and become aware of what you want to change. It can be quite an eye-opener!

*A while ago the advice was to practice in front of a full-length mirror. A video camera is the modern version.

4. Recording yourself speaking

What's the quality of your voice?

• Do you know what you sound like?
• What is your voice doing when you are speaking?
• How does it come across?
• Have you got any verbal mannerisms you are unaware of?

A recording will let you know. You'll hear those rising inflections at the ends of sentences, ums and ahs, and whether or not you're mumbling or racing your words.

Recording yourself allows you to hear yourself as others do and that's invaluable information. If you have a recorder, use it and if you have a video camera, better still. You can combine hearing and seeing yourself.

Understand the effect of your voice

For more about the impact of your voice on other people see  voice image .

5. Eye contact in public speaking

This exercise focuses on the question: who, exactly are you speaking to when you are delivering a speech? 

It's customary, particularly in Western cultures, in an everyday conversation to make eye contact with the person we're speaking to.

It makes the conversation more meaningful for both parties. As the speaker, you feel you're being heard or listened to. As the listener, you feel you're being spoken to directly.

However ...

What happens when you give a speech to many people?

Making eye contact with members of your audience has the effect of making them feel as though you are talking to them personally. It's an acknowledgement, creating a bond for the duration of your speech, and beyond.

It works best when you spread your eye contact through the audience which means you'll meet the eyes briefly of a person in the front, then another on your right, someone on your left and then someone in the middle or back of the audience.

The contact is sufficient for them to feel spoken to directly and because you've directed your gaze left, right, and center that perception will be shared by the audience as a whole.

Practice meeting the eyes of one person for approximately 3-5 seconds, then another, and another, the next time you make a speech. You'll be amazed how much more connected to the audience you'll feel.

For more on the importance of eye contact, cultural differences, and exercises...

6. Sounding real or genuinely believable

If you're saying, "I'm really happy to be here today.", but sounding like, "I'm totally bored and can't wait to get off the stage.", your speech is going to create conflict for the audience because your words are saying one thing while your tone or expression is saying another. They are contradicting each other - not aligned, or congruent, and the people listening will be confused. Can they really trust or believe what you are saying?

• happy, then bored, then sad, try angry, now bitter, then teasing, and now, cynical.

The idea is to really listen to how you say the words, how you fill them with meaning. Ideally, there'll be noticeable differences between them.

The happy - sad difference

A happy person saying the same sentence as an unhappy one sounds different. The stresses or inflections they place on the words are different. They are spoken at a different rate and even, at a different pitch.

By playing with the way you deliver your words you'll develop more flexibility and with more flexibility you'll be more able to find the most appropriate way to express your words and have them interpreted in the way you intended.

Click the link to find more public speaking exercises for vocal variety .

7. Slowing speech rate

How fast do you speak?

A common response to feeling anxious about making a speech is to get faster and faster until the words are flying out of your mouth and become a blur in the ears of your listeners.

Curing fast through fear

The best public speaking exercise to cure 'fast through fear' is practice and a good way to do that is to consciously hear what you're saying by recording your speech.

Try saying at least a minute of it at varying speeds from very slow to very fast. Now listen to the result.

Which speed is more effective? What conveys your message and gives your audience time to hear and understand it?

Too much speed, or too little, will alienate listeners. The truth is that you need a flexible speaking rate, fitting the content (what you're saying) and the needs of the audience. Some parts of your speech will be slower and others will be faster.

More help with finding the best speech rate

Click the link for more public speaking practice exercises to help you achieve a flexible speaking rate .

Do check this page too and give yourself the power of the pause . Understanding the power of silence and how to use to it effectively will also help you bring a fast speech rate down as well as helping you to emphasize your main points clearly.

8. How to speak clearly - articulation

If you are a mumble merchant you'll have people constantly asking you to repeat yourself because they don't understand what you're saying. Blurring your words or running them together blocks communication.

To stop it you need to enunciate or articulate clearly. That means using the tip of the tongue, the teeth and the lips to shape the sounds of a word cleanly. This public speaking exercise, old fashioned tongue twisters, is designed to do just that.

Start slowly and carefully making sure each word is pronounced crisply and then practice going faster and faster.

Here's a couple to begin with.

Red leather, yellow leather... Red lorry, yellow lorry...

You know New York, You need New York, You know you need unique New York.

More articulation practice

You'll find a whole lot more tongue twister drills on this page of diction exercises .  Each focuses on different sound or letter combinations. Choose the ones you know you need to practice and have fun with them!

There's audio examples to listen to, too!

9. Body language in public speaking

In a speech, the words you say are only part of your total communication package. What makes up the rest of it is what you say non-verbally, with your body.

To be a more effective speaker the non-verbal communication, (what you do with your body while you are speaking), needs to actively complement your speech. In other words, they need to work together harmoniously!

To look confident, as well as sounding confident, practice standing tall, on both feet, in an 'at ease' position. Let your shoulders relax and breathe fully.

You can practice standing tall anywhere - in a supermarket queue, at home or at work.

Feel the difference it makes. Become aware of how empowering it is to have your head held high, to have your shoulders relaxed, to be standing on both feet.

Once you know how good and strong that feels as soon as you catch yourself slumping or hunching your shoulders, you can easily reverse it.

More about body language

Click the link to find out more about body language and how to use it in public speaking.

10. Bring it on! Planning ahead for success

A competent speaker plans ahead . They will have thought through as many possible angles of their presentation as they can. In doing so they will have identified the areas that could go wrong and will have taken steps to correct them BEFORE they can happen in reality.

So what could go side-ways in your presentation?

• Can everyone see them easily?
• If you hand them around while you are talking will that disrupt and distract from your speech?
• Would it be better to wait until you've finished?
• Have you checked for power sockets?
• Is the lead you're planning to use long enough?
• Do you need to bring a screen?
• Who is going to set the equipment up for you? No one? Have you practiced doing that for yourself?

Have you checked all the gear in the room you're going to use? The microphone? The lights? The whiteboards? (Have you got markers?)

Do you know the name of the person who is going to introduce you and where you going to meet them before your talk?

Go through your entire speech presentation looking at it from a 'what could go wrong' angle. For each possibility you discover, make a plan to meet it.

Thorough planning and preparation reduces the possibility of everything turning to chaos. Deciding to 'wing it' increases it.

Click the link to get yourself a printable 'bring-it-on' presentation checklist of items to consider and adapt it for your own use. 

The time to begin practicing is now

Please don't wait until you have to give a speech to begin practicing any of these public speaking exercises you know you need. They'll deliver benefits in all areas of your life - more confidence, more conscious control over how you present yourself.

More fun public speaking activities

Click the link to find all the many public speaking games and activities on site. Use them in a classroom, for a public speaking group, or for yourself.

And lastly, if this content was useful to you please share and 'like' it. See right to do that. Thank you. ☺

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7 ESL Activities for Public Speaking

Public speaking can be a scary thing.

Also known as glossophobia , the fear of public speaking is a major source of anxiety for roughly 75% of people worldwide .

However, public speaking is an essential skill everyone needs to have , including language learners.

The good news is that it gets easier with practice, which is why you should try out some of the below activities for public speaking that will help improve your or your students’ skills.

1. Watch TED Talks and observe body language

2. practice mimicking body language, 3. recite famous speeches, 4. give presentations in small groups, 5. prepare solo presentations using powerpoint, 6. do improvised presentations on random topics, 7. do some drama activities.

Download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you can take anywhere. Click here to get a copy. (Download)

Playing videos from TED Talks is a fantastic way for you to see people giving professional-quality presentations in English. The TED Talks website is filled with hundreds of different speakers, with topics ranging from the fascinating world of technology to the meaning of life.

Here’s a list of excellent TED talks presentations for ESL students , along with guidelines on how to use them in the classroom.

Think about things you like and don’t like about the presentation as you watch the video. Once the presentation has ended, write down the positive and negative aspects you observed. This will get you thinking about what kind of techniques you can implement in your own speeches, as well as which mistakes to avoid.

To give yourself or your students a well-rounded learning experience, you could add FluentU   to your toolbox. FluentU is a language learning program that allows you to watch a library of authentic English videos with interactive dual-language subtitles. This can be a great way to break down what each video contains.

Good public speaking skills aren’t just about using clever words and speaking clearly— body language is equally as important . Incidentally, there’s a TED Talk you can watch covering the power of body language.

Start by brainstorming different types of body language, like gestures, postures and facial expressions. You can select actions like smiling, frowning, crossing your arms and more. After introducing body language, try matching your examples to various emotions and messages.

The results of this can be surprising because some meanings of expressions and gestures vary depending on the culture. Gestures that may seem polite could be offensive in other countries. For example, the “thumbs up” sign may seem universal for good job , but in Australia, Greece and the Middle East, it could be construed as an offensive insult.

Once you’ve elicited examples of positive and negative body language, practice how to use good body language in your presentations .

Making a speech is difficult enough, but writing a good one can feel like an impossible challenge to a beginner ESL learner.

Take some of the pressure off by reciting famous speeches. That way, you can focus on speaking skills without diving into writing or grammar.

Speeches can be taken from historical figures, social media and even movies. For beginners, you could work with a selection of famous short poems . For advanced students, try a longer speech, such as John F. Kennedy’s “Moon Speech.”

Standing alone in front of the class can be a nerve-wracking experience, even for the most gifted of learners.

If you aren’t ready for solo presentations, work in small groups so all of the attention isn’t focused on one individual learner. This can be done in just about any context, from proposing a business idea to describing how to cook your favorite food.

If you’re teaching this exercise, monitoring your students’ activity can be difficult with several groups working at the same time, so have your students assess each other.

Give every student a scoring sheet with criteria covering things like voice projection, timing, entertainment and ease of understanding. As your students listen, each group can score their partners based on this criteria. Then, you can use their scoring sheets to give feedback at the end of the class.

When you feel ready to come up with your own material, try preparing your own presentations with the help of PowerPoint.

PowerPoint slides are a great visual aid, as well as a way to make the presentation easier for nervous students.

Make sure the topic is a suitable difficulty level, and ideally, something you’re interested in. Just make sure to give enough time to write a presentation script and create the PowerPoint slides to go along with it.

I recommend planning the project in advance so there’s time to work on the presentations. Students who don’t have PowerPoint on their computer can use Google Slides as an alternative . It’s free and just as effective.

Once you or your students have built up some confidence in speaking, you can start trying some real  challenges , like on-the-spot presentations.

Do this by writing out a list of different topics and putting them in a hat, bag or any other object you or the students have to stick your hand into. These topics could be anything from my dream job  to the importance of a healthy diet.

Randomly select one topic, and without any preparation time, talk to the class or another audience for as long as they can about their chosen topic.

Public speaking doesn’t have to be about presentations. You can change things up a bit by trying some drama activities  as well.

These could include role plays and reenactments of famous movie scenes. While acting, students still use skills like good body language, voice projection, intonation and even improvisation  to make their dialogue sound natural and convincing.

While lectures and note-taking can be beneficial, nothing compares to the hands-on experience you can get from practicing public speaking.

That’s why you should implement some of the above activities for public speaking into your lessons or personal learning plans to improve confidence and overall speaking quality.

Related posts:

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Practice Exercises

Practice what you learn with interactive exercises, which can be completed in your web browser or VR headset. Take these exercises as part of our courses or standalone.

Roleplay with Generative AI

Practice difficult conversations, sales pitches, negotiations, interviews, and more.

Presentation Skills

Deliver a presentation in small meeting rooms and larger conference venues, with AI feedback.

Debating Skills

Practice your debating skills on any topic with AI-powered avatars. Moderated or one-on-one debate.

Online Presentations

Practice how to deliver successful video-conferencing presentations on Zoom, WebEx, Teams, and more.

Impromptu Speech Training

Practice thinking on your feet by talking about a wide range of random images.

Analyze your Business Writing

Improve the readability of your written emails, memos, proposals, and more with this review tool.

Elevator Pitch

Practice pitching yourself, your company, or your product in two different elevator scenes.

Active Listening Exercises

A variety of listening exercises, including the Goldilocks exercise and a conference call.

Online Sales Pitching

Deliver an online sales pitch, answer client questions, receive feedback and self-evaluate.

Business Ethics

Experience bullying, embezzlement, sexual harassment, misappropriation of funds, and taking credit.

Learning a Speech

This exercise helps you learn your speech, starting with the main points and then the sub-points.

Video-Based Interviews

Practice answering interview questions that have been asked at Google, P&G, Deloitte, and more.

Facilitator Training

Practice delivering a training program to different audiences and venues. Get feedback on your performance.

Saying 'No'

Practice saying 'no' to your customer or boss using methods described by psychologist Trevor Powell.

Media Ambush

Experience being ambushed by the media in a hotel lobby and practice answering hostile questions.

Press Conference

Practice presenting your press statement or other material at a small press conference.

Eye Contact Training

Improve your eye contact and review your performance with gamification and heatmaps.

Sound and Visual Distractions

Learn how to deal with distractions, including mobile phones ringing and lighting.

Impromptu Speaking: Table Topics

Practice organizing your thoughts by answering questions under time pressure (game by Toastmasters).

In-Person Sales Pitching

Pitch to new sales prospects, answer questions, and receive feedback on your performance.

Business Networking

Practice your networking skills and build stronger connections with people at two events.

In-Person Job Interview

Practice concise and effective communication while answering interview questions.

TV, Radio, or Podcast Interview

Practice being interviewed on TV, radio, or a podcast. Answer questions and receive feedback.

Vocal Exercises

A strength training workout to warm up your voice and develop your pitch, pace, pause, and projection.

Literary Techniques

Learn about key literary techniques you can use in your next speech or presentation.

Down-the-Line Interview

Practice reading a transcript at different speeds, with just a camera in the room with you.

Impromptu Storytelling

Practice your storytelling by talking about a given topic and incorporating new words as you go.

Body Language Practice

Deliver a presentation and then watch yourself back to self-evaluate your body language.

Test your Speaking Pace

Exercises to measure your speaking pace and help you understand how different speeds sound.

How to Give Feedback

Practice giving both positive and negative feedback to your colleagues in the workplace.

Sexual Harassment Prevention

Experience common sexual harassment situations from a first-person perspective.

Practice Answering Questions

Practice answering questions after your presentation using a 4 step process.

Selling Generic Products

Practice selling products that lack unique features. Try pitching each generic product for 2 minutes.

Business Negotiations

Practice your negotiation skills with AI in a range of business settings.

Short Online Exercises

Employee feedback examples, practice creating analogies, different perspectives, pitch variation for a speech, speaking at different paces, start practicing your skills with hands-on exercises.

How-To Geek

How to practice your presentations with powerpoint's presenter coach.

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Microsoft Office vs. Google Docs, Sheets, Slides: Which Is Best?

Celeb facebook ads keep trying to scam me (and i'm not the only one), 5 reasons why i stopped using ubuntu, quick links, how the presenter coach helps you with your presentations, what you'll need, how to launch the presenter coach in powerpoint, reading your rehearsal report.

Microsoft PowerPoint now has a Presenter Coach to let you rehearse your presentations before going to the audience. This coach gives you a detailed report telling you how well you did and suggesting areas for improvement. Here's how to use it.

Consider the Presenter Coach in PowerPoint as a trusted friend who listens to you practice performing  your presentations . This coach reviews your entire presentation and creates a report detailing your performance.

For example, it will grade you on how fast you speak and how much you use filler words like "um" and "ah." It will also inform you of words you might want to avoid and encourage you not to simply read the words on your slides aloud.

Basically, if you need a second opinion on your presenting style, this is a great way to get it.

Related: 8 Tips to Make the Best PowerPoint Presentations

To use the Presenter Coach in PowerPoint, you must have:

• a Microsoft account or a Microsoft 365 work or school account
• a working internet connection
• a microphone (so that PowerPoint can listen to what you're saying)

Also, the Presenter Coach only works if you use the English language in PowerPoint. Other languages are not yet supported as of April 2021.

PowerPoint's Presenter Coach works for any presentation. You can use it with your commercial, educational, and even family presentations.

To start using this feature, open your presentation with PowerPoint.

In the PowerPoint window, click the "Slide Show" tab on the ribbon at the top of the window.

If you don't see the Slide Show tab, you're probably in Slide Master View. Close this view by selecting "Slide Master" at the top and then clicking "Close Master View."

In the Slide Show tab, click "Rehearse with Coach" to open PowerPoint's Presenter Coach.

Your presentation will open in fullscreen mode. To activate the Presenter Coach, click "Start Rehearsing" in the bottom-right corner of your window. Optionally, enable "Show real-time feedback" if you want the coach to give you tips while you're still presenting.

Now, begin your presentation like you normally would. If you enabled the real-time feedback option, you'll see some tips appear in the bottom-right corner of your window.

Press "Esc" when you're done presenting to exit fullscreen mode. PowerPoint will now open your rehearsal report.

It's important to read and analyze the Presenter Coach's report properly. This will help you find areas for improvement and see whether you're doing well.

The report will vanish as soon as you close the report window. To save the report, take a screenshot of it.

Here's what each section in the report tells you about your presentation:

• Summary : Summary tells you the amount of time you spent practicing your presentation. It also shows the number of slides you rehearsed.
• Fillers : In the Fillers section, you'll see the filler words (umm, ah) that you used during your presentation. Using these filler words makes you sound less confident, and you should try to avoid using them.
• Sensitive Phrases : Sensitive Phrases highlights culturally sensitive phrases that you used in your presentation, which you might want to avoid. It considers the following areas sensitive: disability, age, gender, race, sexual orientation, mental health, geopolitical topics, and profanity.
• Pace : The Pace section tells you the pace of your presentation. If you were too fast or too slow, you'll find that information here.
• Originality : Microsoft suggests that you avoid reading out the text written in your presentation slides, as this makes your presentation boring. Instead, you should use original content in your speech. The Originality section informs you if you only read the text from your slides.

Now that you know where you need to improve, click the "Rehearse Again" button at the top of the report to re-present your presentation. When you're done, PowerPoint will make another report detailing your new presentation performance.

Related: How to Add Music to Your PowerPoint Presentation

• Microsoft Office

PowerPoint 101: The Ultimate Guide for Beginners

Are you struggling with PowerPoint? You need a quick design in PowerPoint but don't know where to start? Don't worry, you have nothing to be ashamed of.

In this article, we're going to refresh the most important PowerPoint basics so you can take advantage of this Microsoft software and create high-impact presentations at any time!

Millions of users worldwide use Microsoft 365 services , making PowerPoint the presentation design software with the highest market share. And with good reason! PowerPoint's features stand out for its usability and originality . We can tell you that PowerPoint is pretty intuitive software, and it's a great option to choose when working with presentations on a daily basis. So, are you ready for a quick PowerPoint 101 class?

Let ' s see what you ' re going to learn today with this PowerPoint Guide :

What is PowerPoint?

What are the best uses of powerpoint, powerpoint basics: what are the components of powerpoint workspace, mastering powerpoint: what are the main features of powerpoint, what are powerpoint templates and where to find them, time to practice how to make a presentation in powerpoint.

Microsoft PowerPoint is a presentation design software that is part of Microsoft 365 . This software allows you to design presentations by combining text, images, graphics, video, and animation on slides in a simple and intuitive way.

Over time, PowerPoint has evolved and improved its accessibility to users. For this reason, it has been adapted to the main operating systems and modalities:

• PowerPoint Online

Additionally, you can use Word and Excel in this online version. That way, you'll be able to make real-time changes in the cloud without fearing losing your files. Sounds great, right?

PowerPoint has a versatile range of uses. Here's a list of the different tasks you can complete with this presentation design software:

• Business presentations or Pitch decks.
• Marketing, Sales and HR plans.
• Project briefs and timelines.
• Inductions to new employees.
• Seminars and educational classes.
• Professional portfolio of photos or designs.
• Presentations of a research summary.
• Presentations for special occasions.

These are just a few examples of the multiple possibilities this Microsoft software offers. Your imagination is the only limit!

Stay tuned as we continue with this PowerPoint 101 Guide...

In order to deeply understand this presentation design software, you need to recognize its main components. Now it's time to learn about the PowerPoint basics!

A quick note before going any further: when opening PowerPoint, some of the commands in the ribbons will look grayish and won't be highlighted when you hover the mouse over them.

This happens since some commands need to be selected in order to function. For example, if you want to change the color of a text, you first need to select it.

That being said, let's start with this Guide for PowerPoint beginners:

PowerPoint Main Window

The first aspect to learn is PowerPoint Main Window. To facilitate the explanation, we've organized its main elements with numbers from 1 to 10:

Based on that, the main components of PowerPoint window are the following:

1. Quick Access Toolbar: allows you to customize commands to have them at hand. You only have to select it and go to "More commands."

2. Title Bar: shows you the name of your file and other "Suggested options" like Slide Master View . These options will vary depending on the use you give to the commands.

3. File Tab: you will see the Home Menu (PowerPoint backstage) by selecting it. There, you can create a new presentation, save it, print it, export it, and many other options.

4. The Ribbon: it's where PowerPoint tabs and tools are. These tools can also be called "commands" or “features.”

5. More Button or Down Arrow: these arrows allow you to view more tools or layout options in PowerPoint.

6. Slides Pane: shows your slides in thumbnail size. By right-clicking, you can access additional options for customizing each slide. Perfect for PowerPoint beginners!

7. Slide: PowerPoint's blank canvas and the frame to be seen when presenting the file.

8. Placeholders: they are dotted boxes that will store your content.

9. Status Bar: allows you to view the slide number, grammatical errors, speaker notes, and the comments on your file.

10. Zoom: allows you to enlarge or minimize your PowerPoint workspace. The range goes from 10 to 400%.

PowerPoint Tabs

The PowerPoint tabs are the control desk of your presentation . Since PowerPoint's features are too many, they're organized in tabs.

You can come and go between tabs as you need. Once you click on a tab, it will open its ribbon, and there, you'll be able to see all the tools related to that particular category.

This PowerPoint tutorial for beginners will give you an overview of all PowerPoint tabs . Pay attention to the following list:

• Transitions Tab
• Animations Tab
• Slide Show Tab
• Recording Tab

1. Home Tab

The Home tab is the most common tab of PowerPoint. This is the tab you'll probably use the most if you're designing a presentation deck from scratch.

It allows you to add new slides and change the text characteristics : font, size, boldness, underlining, alignment, etc. If you've ever used Microsoft Word, these features will be familiar to you.

Also, you will find commands to edit the characteristics of the geometric shapes you insert. This includes: fill color, line color, sharpe effects, among others.

2. Insert Tab

The Insert tab is exactly what its name says it is. In this ribbon, you'll find all the options concerning adding a new element to your PowerPoint presentation .

You can insert a picture, some geometric shapes, icons, WordArt graphics, among others. We can tell you that this tab is really helpful for PowerPoint beginners!

For example, if you have a lot of data in PowerPoint , you could add a chart or diagram to show your information in a more visual way. Also, you can embed videos or music into PowerPoint really easily.

• PowerPoint tip for beginners: To be able to write text on your slides, you need a text box. So, if you're designing your presentation from scratch, remember to go first to the Insert tab and add a text box to start writing.

3. Design Tab

If you are one of those people who enjoy choosing the design of a PowerPoint presentation, this tab will be your favorite.

The Design tab offers a wide range of premade designs , allowing you to get more polished slides. Even better, if you explore its ribbon, you can adjust the color palette and change the overall style of your PowerPoint deck.

The PowerPoint interface, as this basic PowerPoint Tutorial, is really intuitive. We believe that you won't have any problem with this tab!

4. Transitions Tab

Using transitions in PowerPoint is a dynamic way to move from one slide to the next during a presentation. This feature is PowerPoint's stamp, so don ' t miss it!

Some PowerPoint transitions are really classic, like wiping the old slide to present the new one. Others are somewhat over the top, like the “Vortex” or the “Airplane” effect.

If you click on each kind of transition, you'll see a preview on how it would look when presenting. Really cool, right?

5. Animations Tab

In case you want to add special effects for certain elements in your slides , the Animations tab in PowerPoint will interest you.

Like the Transitions tab, you will find various animation effects in this ribbon. It's a matter of trying and choosing the best one according to your needs!

6. Slide Show Tab

As its name says, the Slide Show tab is about presenting your slides . We really like that it gives you several options to show up your presentation!

Considering that you're a PowerPoint beginner, you're not likely to use the Slide Show tab very much.

But if you're curious about this command, you must read our article: How to Make a PowerPoint Slideshow that Runs Automatically?

7. Review Tab

The Review tab is not often used by PowerPoint beginners either.

However, if your job is related to writing or if you work at an international company, this tool can be extremely useful!

With this tab, you can check the slide's spelling, translate the text in real-time, and add comments to your slides . This last function can be helpful to give feedback to a colleague.

8. View Tab

This View tab allows you to change the view of your PowerPoint slides and make handouts from them, among other things.

As you can see, the majority of its commands are really specific. So you won't have any issues while designing, test and see!

In this section, our favorite command for PowerPoint beginners is Slide Master . Explore more about this tool in our guide!

9. Recording Tab

In the last versions of this design presentation software, PowerPoint added the Recording tab. As its name says, it allows you to record all your presentation slides .

This ribbon has advanced commands, so the most common action for a PowerPoint beginner is to take a screenshot or record the screen sequentially .

10. Help Tab

Finally, there is the Help tab. If you have any problem or question concerning how to use PowerPoint, you may go here to look for a solution.

In the latest versions, Windows has added a “Show Training” option. You can click this command to practice the PowerPoint basics since it will download training templates.

As a beginner in PowerPoint, you must recognize the objective of each PowerPoint tab to be able to master the software . But, in order to conduct an outstanding presentation deck, you also need to dominate its most important features. Let's see some of them in the next section!

If you feel ready to delve deeper into PowerPoint's tools, this section is for you.

As you may know , 24Slides specializes in creating outstanding presentations for any Design Project . So, we asked one of our experts about her favorite PowerPoint features, and we want to share them all with you!

Carmen Navarrete , Graphic Designer at 24Slides, highlighted the following features that will make your presentations stand out from the crowd:

PowerPoint Feature #1: Crop to Shape

This first PowerPoint feature is simple but effective!

Let's see how to use it:

• First, choose an image you want to cut and insert it into your workspace.
• Once inserted, select it with the mouse.
• Go to the "Picture Format" tab.
• Press the arrow of the "Crop" button (right side of the screen).
• Select "Crop to Shape."
• Choose your favorite shape and customize your PowerPoint presentation!

PowerPoint Feature #2: Merge Shapes

If you don't like any figure enough, you can create one from scratch!

This is possible thanks to the "Merge Shapes" option. Follow these steps to unleash your creativity:

• First choose an image you want to cut.
• Check the list of PowerPoint shapes (Insert tab > Shapes).
• Choose two or three figures you want to merge (they can be the same figure).
• Select the figures you are going to merge (see the image).
• Once selected, go to the "Shape Format" tab.
• Press the "Merge Shapes" option and the type of merge you want (test and choose!).

• A new figure will appear, and you must fill it with the image from the first step.
• Stay on the Shape Format tab and go to "Shape Fill" (button in the middle of the ribbon).
• Select "Picture Fill" and browse for your image.
• Select the image to fill your new figure, and that's it!

• PowerPoint tip for beginners: When your merged figure is ready, paste the image to the background of your slide to achieve a better result. This way, you can use your image as a canvas and see if both elements fit well.

PowerPoint Feature #3: Insert Icons

This PowerPoint feature is quite easy to follow for PowerPoint beginners!

Just follow these steps:

• Go to the Insert tab.
• Select the "Icons" option.
• A Microsoft 365 library will open, where you can search for the required icon.
• Now, you must insert it into your presentation and adapt it to your design.
• If you have an active Microsoft 365 subscription, you'll have access to a larger number of icons in PowerPoint.

• PowerPoint tip for beginners: If you want to learn more about icons in PowerPoint, read our article on How to Use Icons to Make Amazing PowerPoint Presentations .

PowerPoint Feature #4: Insert SmartArt

PowerPoint's SmartArt is one of the most popular and accessible tools to dominate while learning about PowerPoint basics.

To use it in your slide deck, you must:

• Select SmartArt.
• See all SmartArt categories and choose your favorite based on your needs.
• Add the text you have prepared and adapt it to your presentation.

We want to give you some ideas to master this SmartArt tool in PowerPoint: you can make timelines , flowcharts , and even a Venn diagram in just a few seconds. Try and see!

PowerPoint Feature #5: Remove Background

If you don't know how to use Photoshop and want to remove the background from an image, in this PowerPoint 101 Guide, we show you how:

• First choose the image you want to remove the background from.
• Insert the image in the PowerPoint workspace.
• Select the image and go to the "Picture Format" tab.
• Select "Remove Background" (first option on the left).
• You can keep and remove parts of the image with the first two tools of the ribbon (see image).
• Keep in mind that all the sections highlighted in purple will be deleted.

• We recommend zooming in to keep or remove parts of the image with more detail.
• Once you're done, press the "Keep Changes" button.
• Finally, adapt the new image to your PowerPoint presentation.

• PowerPoint tip for beginners: Choose a high-contrast photo or image for best results. In other words, the outline of the person or object you want to cut out must have clear edges and cannot blend with the image's background color.

PowerPoint Feature #6: Add Speaker Notes

The latest PowerPoint feature is a command you can use to prepare your speech before presenting to an audience.

Learning how to add speaker notes in PowerPoint is simple:

• Select the slide that needs some notes.
• Usually, there is a footer below the slide, but if not, you will have to activate it.
• Go to the View tab and select "Notes."
• The Speaker Notes section will appear, and you can add whatever you want!

• PowerPoint tip for beginners: In case you want to practice your entire presentation and have a lot of notes, go to the View tab and select "Notes Page" (fourth command). You'll be able to see all your Speaker Notes faster!

PowerPoint Feature #7: PowerPoint Translator

If you've ever wondered how to translate your PowerPoint Slides, we'll explain the step by step here:

• Go to the Review tab.
• Select the text you want to translate.
• Press the “Translate” button.
• A panel will open on the right side of the screen.
• Choose the language you need and you'll see the translation in real-time.
• If you press Insert, the text will change to the new translation!

PowerPoint Feature #8: Screen Recording

The process of recording your screen in PowerPoint is straightforward and intuitive. Let's see:

• Go to the “Record” or “Recording” tab.
• Press the "Record Slide Show" button or the “From Beginning” button (depending on your PPT version).
• A new window will open.
• Select the red record button and start recording!
• When you're done, select “Export.”
• By default, the video will be 1080p. If you want to lower the video quality, go to "Customize export."
• Name the video, save it to a folder and that's it!

As you may have noticed, this software has endless PowerPoint design options for beginners. We encourage you to try and test each functionality!

However, we're clear that PowerPoint has different features, so it can be hard to know where to start. That's why understanding PowerPoint basics is crucial if you truly want to master this software!

Our PowerPoint 101 Guide continues; stay tuned to discover more great stuff about this Microsoft software. Keep reading!

A PowerPoint template is a pre-made design that you can use for your own means, and that will save you a lot of time!

Templates in PowerPoint are a great resource for designing since all the structure is already done, and you only have to update the content . We can tell you they're the perfect resource for PowerPoint beginners!

They can be incredibly specific. For example, there are templates for a SWOT analysis or a complete Marketing report. Otherwise, templates can also be very general, with several slides with a similar design.

If you struggle with the artistic part of designing presentations, downloading PowerPoint templates will be a life changer!

How to download PowerPoint templates for free?

If you didn't know, 24Slides has an extensive repository of PowerPoint templates. But how to obtain them? It's really simple:

• First, create an account on our Free Templates Website with the button “Register” (that way, you can download everything without problems!).
• Think about the graphics you need and the ideal structure for your presentation deck (you can also change the color palette later!).
• Download it in PowerPoint format (if you prefer it in Google Slides format, you'll also find this type in our repository).
• Edit and change everything you need for your PowerPoint presentation!

24Slides Designers specialize in business and corporate PowerPoints, but you'll also find other types of templates on our website: Data templates, Timelines, Roadmaps, Matrixes, Diagrams, and more.

Keep in mind that a well-designed PowerPoint deck helps you communicate stronger messages to your audience . Don't waste this opportunity to make your presentation shine!

If you want to learn more about how to master PowerPoint, do not miss the last section. We'll show you some PowerPoint basics from the software itself!

A PowerPoint 101 Guide wouldn't be that useful with no examples. So, if you enjoy the step-by-step guides, this section is for you.

Below, we'll show you how to make a simple PowerPoint presentation. But first, here are some tips to be more efficient in the process:

• Be clear about what type of presentation you're going to create (is it corporate, playful, or more creative?).
• Make a draft with the most important information you need to add and, thus, generate a good structure in your presentation .
• Get inspired by examples on the internet , but adapt them to your needs and audience.
• If you will create a business presentation, keep in mind your brand identity .
• Make sure your PowerPoint works , you may need to update to the latest version or pay for the subscription.

Step 1: Make a draft to structure your presentation

As we said before, writing a draft or script of your content will be vital to start on the right foot as a PowerPoint beginner.

This advice is so important that we choose it as the first step to learning how to make a PowerPoint presentation. Remember: Planning is key!

Regarding the process of planning, we share some good practices:

• If your presentation will be very long , write down all subtitles and content in a Word document. This will help you organize your ideas and give a correct sequence to your narrative. In addition to avoiding redundancies in the message you want to communicate.
• If your presentation will use many visual resources , we recommend choosing high-quality images. This will help you have a starting graphic base. Some good free image repositories are Freepick , Unsplash , and Adobe Stock .
• If your presentation is based on data , have all your results summarized or your most relevant conclusions at hand. The idea of making a PowerPoint presentation is to show your information in the simplest way possible for your audience.

Step 2: Create a new document in PowerPoint

Once you check that all the functions are working fine with the software, please open it and go to the File tab. If you've ever used Word or Excel, you'll probably find this Home Menu familiar.

In short, this is the main page of PowerPoint, where you can create a new presentation or open an older one. Let's see:

In order to follow this part of our PowerPoint Tutorial correctly, take into consideration the following points:

• On the lower side of the screen, you'll find your recently opened PowerPoint files. This option is great for saving some time.
• If you don't find the presentation you're looking for, click on the “Open” option at the left bar and find older files.
• Don't forget to save your presentation with a relatable name so you won't lose sight of it!

Step 3: Choose the perfect design for your presentation

With your information ready in a draft, it's time to choose the design of your PowerPoint slide deck. You must imagine that the available design options are endless!

For practical reasons, you have three options regarding the design:

• Start a design from scratch (very difficult for a PowerPoint beginner).
• Choose an established PowerPoint design or layout.
• Download a PowerPoint template and modify some details.

Don't worry if you don't know how to continue! In this PowerPoint 101 class, we're going to explain step by step the second option:

How do you set a default design in PowerPoint?

• First, go to the Design tab.
• Open the list of options by clicking on the third arrow.
• Choose the design you like the most for your PowerPoint presentation.

If you want to explore more PowerPoint designs, there is a way to research online. For that, you only need to:

• Go to the File tab (first tab, next to the Home tab).
• Select "More themes" (see image).

• Use the search engine and write the keyword you want (it can be related to your business or it can be a color).
• Check the list of PowerPoint themes and choose your favorite.
• Wait a few minutes while it loads and keep designing in PowerPoint!

How do you change the layout of one slide in PowerPoint?

In this PowerPoint 101 Guide, you will also learn how to configure the layout of each slide.

Keep in mind that to have a high-impact presentation, you must adapt your slides' design to the type of content you'll add. And using layouts is perfect for this purpose.

To change the layout type in PowerPoint, follow these steps:

• Right-click on the slide you want to change.
• Select the "Layout" option.
• You will find more than ten layout models.
• Choose the one that best suits your content.
• Repeat these steps for each slide (if you wish or require).

How do you customize your slides in PowerPoint?

The design process in this PowerPoint 101 Guide doesn't stop there.

You also can customize your presentation's color palette , font style, background format , and graphics effects .

Just go to:

• Design tab > Variants.
• Select Colors, Fonts, Effects or Background Styles (as you need).
• If you're inspired and want to create your own background in PowerPoint, select Background Styles > Format Background.
• Finally, custom your slides as you want!

Step 4: Add all your information to your presentation

Now, it's time to add all your information to your slides. If your script is long, take your time to copy each part of it.

In this PowerPoint Tutorial, we're going to show how our design is going so far. We design at your side!

Step 5: Add transitions or animations to your presentation

The stamp of PowerPoint is its transitions and animations! Naturally, our PowerPoint 101 has considered these essential commands.

If you want to add them to your presentation and make your speech more fluid, follow these steps:

• Go to the tabs section of PowerPoint.
• Select "Transitions" or "Animations" and try your favorite effects.
• Remember that if you select Transitions, these will modify the entire slide, while Animations can be added to each element individually.

When choosing one Animation, you can eliminate it if you aren't 100% convinced. You only need to:

• Select the Animation number that appears on the corner.
• Press the "Delete" or "Backspace" button on your keyboard.
• Choose another Animation in PowerPoint if you want!

This “PowerPoint for dummies” is full of tips and tricks! So here is one more: Don't overuse transitions or animations in PowerPoint ; they can make your presentation slower and unprofessional . Use this tool in a subtle way!

Step 6: Refine the final details

As always, every final product must be reviewed. Especially if you're learning the PowerPoint fundamentals with us.

We recommend reviewing each slide of your PowerPoint presentation one final time. In this process, you will be able to:

• Add icons if your presentation requires it.
• Change any image or illustration if they don't convince you.
• Change transitions or animations.
• Customize your presentation's color palette .
• Proofread your slides' text or add more information.
• Add speaker notes to your presentation.

Step 7: Slideshow your presentation

When your presentation is finished, it's essential to know how to make a PowerPoint slideshow. This way, you can see your slides from the exact same perspective your audience will see them.

To slideshow your presentation in PowerPoint, follow these simple steps for PowerPoint beginners:

• Position yourself on your first slide.
• Go to the bottom right of the software.
• Select the "Slide Show" button (see image).
• Have a look of your presentation by clicking on each slide or pressing the right arrow on your keyboard.
• To go out from the Slide Show mode, you have to press the ESC key.

Now you can present your slides like an expert!

When you master this presentation design software, you'll be able to create amazing things in PowerPoint : infographics, diagrams, charts, pitch decks, business cards, calendars, you name it!

This was our PowerPoint Guide for beginners. We hope that our compilation today will be useful for conducting more professional presentations in the future and, why not, achieve all your goals!

Don't forget to share this PowerPoint 101 Guide with your co-workers or whoever you want!

Want to boost your beginner PowerPoint skills? Check out this content:

• How to Work with Multiple Images in PowerPoint
• How to Add a Timer to Your Powerpoint Presentations
• PowerPoint Charts, Graphs, & Tables Made Easy | Tips & Tricks
• How To Use PowerPoint Design Ideas - All Questions Answered!
• 36 Fun Icebreakers for Your Next Presentation
• The Cost of PowerPoint Presentations: Discover the hidden expenses you might overlook!

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Practice Projects for PowerPoint

Powerpoint Project 5 Practice Document

In this practice project for Powerpoint, students will create a powerpoint presentation following the example given. Students will be required to have slides enter with custom animation and differing …

Powerpoint Project 4 Practice Document

In this practice project for Powerpoint, students will creat a basic powerpoint where slides advance automatically. …

Powerpoint Project 3 Practice Document

In this practice project for Powerpoint, students will create a basic powerpoint based on the example given. Students will need to create and insert a chart and have different parts of the slide …

Powerpoint Project 2 Practice Document

In this practice project for Powerpoint, students will follow basic instructions to create a powerpoint where slides and text appear with different animations. …

Powerpoint Project 1 Practice Document

In this practice project for Powerpoint, students will create a basic powerpoint based on the example given. Students will need to write titles, insert pictures and use different animations for key …

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Use These 7 Exercises to Become a Public Speaking Pro

Having a good pitch can either make or break your business--so start honing those skills..

Your pitch serves as a gateway between every new person you meet and their contribution to your enterprise. Land the pitch , and you'll open the door to a bigger conversation that could lead to a new client, a new adviser, or maybe even new funding. Slip up , and you might not get an opportunity for further discussion.

Of course, stronger business ideas naturally lend themselves to more convincing pitches than their weaker counterparts, but there's only so much you can do to perfect your business plan. The real key to a successful pitch is delivering it in a personable, compelling, and effective way, and that requires strong public speaking skills .

If you're trying to perfect your pitch, try these seven public speaking exercises to help you get there.

1. Explain your idea to a child.

This exercise is all about conveying your business idea in as few terms and as simply as possible. Children have far less experience in the real world than adults, and need ideas simplified for them--meaning you have to remove all those fancy-sounding buzzwords and fluff sentences. The twist is that even though you'll simplify your pitch, you'll actually end up with one that carries more meaning. Use this to get used to using simple, concise phrases.

2. Practice small talk.

Small talk is your reliable segue into your pitch. Never walk up to a stranger and immediately pitch to him--instead, start up a short conversation about the weather, about the venue, or about a piece of clothing he's wearing. To get a better feel for the rhythms and niceties of small talk, practice it on a daily basis. Find someone new to talk to every day--gradually, you'll become more comfortable with it.

3. Write out your main points.

Written exercises help your mind visualize and absorb information better than speaking exercises. Your pitch might sound great in your head when you speak it audibly, but when you write it out, you might find that you're forgetting a major point, or that one of your points isn't necessary to include. Chart out your pitch's main points on paper, and use that as a platform to improve.

4. Perfect your posture.

Posture may not seem like a big deal, but it can improve your image (and first impressions) while simultaneously improving your diction and delivery. Stand up straight and tall with your shoulders back and your hands in front of you or at your sides (not in your pockets). Make eye contact with people and breathe deeply--it makes a big difference.

5. Experiment with variations.

Don't practice your pitch over and over using the same vocabulary and the same speech patterns. Eventually, you'll sound like a robot. Instead, intentionally play with different words, different phrasing, and different main points altogether. This form of practice prevents that robotic, over-rehearsed sound and makes you seem like a more natural speaker.

6. Play with your pacing.

Different people speak at different rates, but you might find that your pitch is better heard spoken slowly than quickly. Play around with different styles of pacing, and listen to which sounds better. You might enlist the help of an outside party to do this. No matter where you settle, you'll at least get different forms of practice in, further diversifying your potential approaches and forms of delivery.

7. Record your pitch.

Last but not least, use a recording device to listen (and watch) yourself speak. You'll likely find there are subtle tics or choke points that you don't notice about yourself from a first-person perspective, interfering with your delivery. For example, you might discover that you pause too long, or that you tend to shrug your shoulders after every line. Use these recording sessions to iron out these disruptions and flaws.

Repeat these exercises as necessary until you feel comfortable rolling out your pitch to a wider audience. Remember, even a "perfect" pitch can (and will) be rejected by a percentage of the people you talk to, so try not to take things personally. Keep your delivery light and natural, and seek out diverse new audiences to maximize your chances of success.

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Presentation Skills EAP Worksheets and Activities

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4-3-2 Presentation Fluency

Eap presentation fluency practice - speaking activity: giving a short presentation, freer practice, fluency practice - pair work - intermediate (b1) - 30 minutes.

Presentation Language

Eap presentation language worksheet - reading and writing exercises: unscrambling, writing phrases - speaking activity - preparing and delivering a presentation - pair work - intermediate (b1) - 40 minutes.

Present with Style

Eap academic presentation skills worksheet - reading and writing exercises: matching, categorising, ranking, identifying, rewriting sentences - intermediate (b1) - 45 minutes.

Impromptu Speech Practice

Eap presentation skills worksheet - reading and writing exercises: identifying, matching, brainstorming, creating an outline - speaking activity: presenting - group work - upper-intermediate (b2) - 45 minutes.

Presentation Preparation and Practice

Eap academic presentation skills worksheet - reading and writing: ordering, matching, identifying, gap-fill - speaking: delivering a presentation - group work - upper-intermediate (b2) - 60 minutes.

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There are a lot of resources that are useful for teaching English. I downloaded the games which are handy and use them in my classes. With the games, my students never skip class or feel tired to learn English. The resources for teaching English helped my students progress in grammar, vocabulary, writing and comprehension. They also helped me a lot to guide my students to learn in a practical way.

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When I need to add or change an activity from my school’s curriculum, I always turn to TeachThis. While our curriculum is usually very good, it sometimes doesn’t fit well with my students. With TeachThis, I can easily find activities that match my topic and level, and the resources make my classes more interesting and varied. I look forward to the monthly newsletter and exploring new materials for inspiration. Please keep it up!

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Presentation Skills   Icebreakers and Energisers

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Counts as 1 download.

Creatively Speaking

Aims: • To give participants an opportunity to practice speaking in front of others, with a particular emphasis on the skills needed to think quickly.

Time: This exercise will take about 15 minutes to run. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing 20 minutes for completion.

Group Size: This module can be used with groups of up to 20 participants.

You'll Need: • A set of the Creatively Speaking Cards (one card per participant). • Blu-tac. • A stopwatch.

Notes: The timings suggested are for a group of up to 10 participants. Larger groups will need more time.

Just Beat It - Misinterpretations in Communication

Aims: • To demonstrate the dangers of making assumptions about others' knowledge when communicating. • To recognise situations where the recipient might not interpret our message in the way we intended.

Time: This exercise will take about 10 minutes to complete. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing about 30 minutes for completion.

Group Size: This module can be used with groups of almost any size.

You'll Need: • Nothing other than the materials provided.

Making Messages Memorable - The Rule of Three

Aims: • To explain the Rule of Three. • To demonstrate the impact of repeating three-word slogans during presentations or training. • To show the value of audience participation.

Time: This exercise will take about 10 minutes to complete. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing 15 minutes for completion.

Group Size: This module can be used with groups of up to 15 participants.

You'll Need: • A set of buzzers will add to the competitive atmosphere but are not essential.

One Man Brand - How Images Add Impact to Our Message

Aims: • To help participants get to know each other. • To encourage participants to think about their personal ‘brand’. • To understand the power of images to convey messages.

Time: This exercise will take about 15 minutes to complete. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing about 20 minutes for completion.

Group Size: This module can be used with groups of any size.

You'll Need: • Blank name tent cards and pens for your participants.

Notes: If using this icebreaker in very large groups ask participants to work in small teams and introduce themselves to those team members rather than the whole group.

Patsy’s Pie Making Challenge - Making the Message Memorable

Aims: • To explore ways to make messages memorable. • To understand why making messages memorable is essential to delivering a successful training session/presentation.

Time: This exercise will take about 15 minutes to complete. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing 20 minutes for completion.

Group Size: Suitable for use with groups of up to 20 participants.

You'll Need: • A collection of objects that your participants use as part of creating the story of Patsy’s Pie Making Challenge. • A soft ball.

Presentation Skills - Icebreaker

Aims: • To encourage participants to start thinking about what makes an effective presentation. • To identify the things to avoid in presentations.

Time: This exercise will take about 10 minutes to complete. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing 20 minutes for completion.

Group Size: This module is suitable for use with groups of up to 15 participants.

You'll Need: • Flipchart paper and pens.

Seeing Things Differently - When Messages get Lost in Translation

Aims: • To introduce different styles of information gathering. • To help participants recognise that we all have a different viewpoint or perspective. • To understand the importance for trainers/presenters to be aware of how their messages may be perceived.

You'll Need: • A single apple (or other type of fruit) for your participants to see.

Setting Up - Train the Trainer

Aims: • To help participants understand why it is important to arrive early to set up the training room. • To understand the impact of a well laid out and inviting training room on delegates. • To identify the key equipment they need to bring with them when running a training session.

Time: This exercise will take about 20 minutes to complete. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing 30 minutes for completion.

Group Size: Suitable for use with groups of almost any size.

You'll Need: • Resources to create a stimulating learning environment. A recommended list of equipment is provided on Page 2 of the Trainer Notes.

The Paper Folding Exercise - Visual Communication

Aims: • To show the importance of giving information visually as well as orally. • To demonstrate how different people will interpret the same information differently.

Time: This exercise will take about 5 minutes to complete. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing 10 minutes to complete this module.

Group Size: This module is suitable for use with groups of almost any size.

You'll Need: • Two sheets of A4 paper for each participant (and for you too).

Notes: We’d like to thank Mick Duncan of CWT-Chamber Training for contributing the idea for this exercise.

True or False? - Persuasive Communication

Aims: • To identify techniques that can make our spoken communication more influential.

Group Size: This module can be used with groups of up to 10 participants.

Notes: This exercise can be run with more participants, but additional time will be needed.

Presentation Vocabulary Exercises

Below you will find listed all the different exercises that you can do to learn or improve your use of vocabulary in presentations on Blair English.

For each exercise there is a description of what it is about and what level of English you need to do it (from 'lower-intermediate' to 'advanced').

To do or look at an exercise, simply click on the box or the title of the exercise.

• Vocabulary for Beginning a Presentation Level: Upper-Intermediate Vocabulary for opening a presentation and introducing its content in a clear and concise way.
• Vocabulary for Describing Data & Charts in Presentations Level: Upper-Intermediate How to describe graphs, charts and tables to an audience professionally.
• Expressing Opinion and Referring in Presentations Level: Upper-Intermediate Vocabulary for expressing your opinion in a presentation and referring to earlier parts of the presentation.
• Vocabulary for Summarizing & Finishing Presentations Level: Upper-Intermediate Vocabulary for summarizing, predicting the future and finishing in a presentation.
• How to Answer Questions in Presentations Level: Upper-Intermediate Vocabulary for answering and dealing professionally with questions from the audience.

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This is me, Chris Clayton, the owner and main writer for Blair English. I'm also a part-time English teacher in sunny Spain. I have a love of history and the web. I hope you find the website useful.

Why is AST SpaceMobile redeeming the Public Warrants?

AST SpaceMobile, Inc. (“AST SpaceMobile” or the “Company”) has elected to redeem its outstanding publicly listed warrants (the “Public Warrants”) pursuant to the Warrant Agreement, dated as of September 13, 2019 (the “Warrant Agreement”), by and between AST SpaceMobile, Inc. (f/k/a New Providence Acquisition Corp.) and Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company as warrant agent (“CST” or the “Warrant Agent”). The Public Warrant redemption is permitted by Section 6.1 of the Warrant Agreement because the Company’s Class A common stock (the “Class A Common Stock”) has been at least $18.00 per share for twenty (20) trading days within the thirty (30) day trading period ending on August 23, 2024 (which is the third trading day prior to the date of this redemption notice).

What do I have to do to exercise my Public Warrants?

At the direction of AST SpaceMobile, CST (as Warrant Agent) has delivered a Notice of Redemption to each of the registered holders of the outstanding Public Warrants and the Depositary Trust Company (“DTC”), which includes instructions on exercising your Public Warrants.

Each Public Warrant entitles the holder thereof to purchase one share of Class A Common Stock at a cash price of $11.50 per Public Warrant exercised (the “Exercise Price”).

Public Warrant holders of record may exercise their Public Warrants by sending (i) a fully and properly completed “Election to Purchase” (a form of which is attached as Annex A to the Notice of Redemption), duly executed and indicating, among other things, the number of Public Warrants

being exercised and (ii) the exercise funds via wire transfer, to the Warrant Agent: Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, One State Street, 30th Floor, New York, New York 10004, Attention: Compliance Department, Telephone Number (212) 509-4000.

Wire instructions will be provided by the Depository Trust Company and will otherwise be provided upon request to the Warrant Agent.

The fully and properly completed Election to Purchase and the exercise funds must be received by Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company by 5:00 p.m. New York City Time on the Redemption Date . 

What if I hold my Public Warrants through a broker?

DTC has alerted broker participants. Most warrant holders hold their Public Warrants in “street name” (that is, through a broker), and if you hold Public Warrants through a broker and want information on how to exercise, you should contact your broker to exercise your Public Warrants and for instructions on timing and procedure for exercising your warrants .

For information, you may contact:

• Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, One State Street, 30th Floor, New York, New York 10004, Attention: Compliance Department, Telephone Number (212) 509-4000. 

Why is AST SpaceMobile redeeming the Public Warrants in this fashion?

The Company has elected to redeem the Public Warrants pursuant to Section 6 of the Warrant Agreement.

Each Public Warrant entitles the holder thereof to purchase one share of Class A Common Stock at the Exercise Price.

Holders of Public Warrants will not have the ability to exercise on a “cashless” basis.

Any Public Warrant that is not exercised prior to 5:00 p.m. New York City Time on the Redemption

Date (as defined below) will be redeemed for $0.01 per Public Warrant (the “Redemption Price”). 

What is the deadline for exercising the Public Warrants?

Because AST SpaceMobile has exercised its right to redeem its Public Warrants, Public Warrant holders wishing to exercise must do so prior to 5:00 p.m. New York City Time on September 27, 2024 (the “Redemption Date”). The rights of Public Warrant holders to exercise their Public Warrants will terminate immediately prior to this time.

Note that, if you hold Public Warrants through a broker, you may need to take action before September 27, 2024 , because securities transactions, including warrant exercises, generally take 1 business day to settle, or be completed.

If you fail to exercise your Public Warrants within this timeframe, your Public Warrants will be redeemed for the Redemption Price and you will not receive any shares of Class A Common Stock. Contact your broker for more information.

What happens if I do not exercise my Public Warrants before the Redemption Date?

At 5:00 p.m. New York City Time on the Redemption Date and thereafter, any Public Warrants that remain unexercised immediately at 5:00 p.m. New York City Time on the Redemption Date will be void and no longer exercisable and their holders will have no rights with respect to those Public Warrants, except to receive the Redemption Price or as otherwise described in the Notice of Redemption for holders who hold their Public Warrants in “street name.” 

When will the Public Warrants cease trading on the NASDAQ?

The Public Warrants will cease trading on the Nasdaq at 5:00 p.m. New York City Time on the Redemption Date.

How many warrants and shares were outstanding prior to the warrant redemption announcement?

As of August 27, 2024, the Company had approximately 11.6 million warrants outstanding, including 7.6 million Public Warrants and 4.0 million private warrants, and approximately 157,592,766 shares of Class A common stock outstanding, 39,747,447 shares of Class B common stock outstanding and 78,163,078 shares of Class C common stock outstanding. Only the Public Warrants are subject to this redemption.

Will the Company be offering an option to exercise Public Warrants on a “cashless” basis?

No. The Company will not be offering the opportunity to exercise on a “cashless” basis prior to the Redemption Date. All holders of Public Warrants seeking to exercise their warrants must pay the Exercise Price.

Will the Company’s private placement warrants also be redeemed at this time?

No. The Warrant Agreement does not give the Company the right to redeem the private placement warrants that were issued under the Warrant Agreement in a private placement simultaneously with the initial public offering of New Providence Acquisition Corp. and still held by the initial holders thereof or their permitted transferees.

No Offer or Solicitation 

Nothing in this FAQ shall constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy nor shall there be any offer of any of the Company’s securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to the registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such jurisdiction.

Further Information

This FAQ does not replace the Notice of Redemption or change, amend or modify any of its terms. Copies of the Notice of Redemption and Press Release announcing the warrant redemption were filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) on August 28, 2024 and are available for viewing on our website under the “Investors – SEC Filings” tabs and on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov .

Forward Looking Statements

This FAQ contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Forward-looking statements include statements related to the redemption of the Public Warrants. Forward-looking statements are predictions, projections and other statements about future events that are based on current expectations and assumptions and, as a result, are subject to significant risks and uncertainties. Many factors could cause actual future events to differ materially from the forward-looking statements in this FAQ, including risks and uncertainties set forth in the sections entitled “Risk Factors” in AST SpaceMobile’s annual and quarterly reports and other filings with the SEC. These filings identify and address other important risks and uncertainties that could cause actual events and results to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements included in this FAQ speak only as of the date they are made. Readers are cautioned not to put undue reliance on forward-looking statements, and AST SpaceMobile assumes no obligation and does not intend to update or revise these forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise. AST SpaceMobile does not give any assurance that it will achieve its expectations.

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• Types of Sentences Exercises

Enhance Your Grammar Skills with Types of Sentences Exercises

Types of sentences are the building blocks of effective communication . Each type—declarative, interrogative, imperative, and exclamatory—serves a different purpose in writing and speaking. Understanding different types of sentences is essential for good writing. This page offers a range of exercises to help you learn and practice sentence structures. Whether you're working on simple, compound, or complex sentences, these activities are designed to make grammar easy and enjoyable. Use these exercises to improve your writing skills and build confidence in using different types of sentences effectively.

What is a Sentence?

By definition, in linguistics, a sentence is defined as a string of words in an order that expresses a complete thought, i.e. it has a subject and a predicate. In other words, a sentence is an arrangement of words in an order that communicates complete thought within the grammatical rules of the language.

A string of words that does not make complete sense or makes partial sense for communicating thought between two parties is a phrase. The difference between a phrase and a sentence is that a phrase can not make complete sense on its own when isolated, but a sentence can make complete sense even without much context.

Some examples of sentences are :

I will get up at 5 AM.

Sonia is playing in the snow.

Raj wants to eat pizza for dinner.

Who are you meeting with today?

Then again, some examples of phrases are :

Going for a shower

the national flower of India

on the shelf

the hospital staff

Now that we understand the difference between a sentence and a phrase, we can look at how sentences are made.

Types of Sentences

Here are the types of sentences:

Declarative Sentence : A statement that provides information or expresses an idea (e.g., "She enjoys reading books.").

Interrogative Sentence : A question that seeks information (e.g., "What time does the meeting start?").

Imperative Sentence : A command or request that instructs someone to do something (e.g., "Please close the door.").

Exclamatory Sentence : A sentence that expresses strong emotion or excitement (e.g., "Wow, that’s amazing!").

Types of Sentences Exercises with Answers

Identify the Type of Sentence:

Exercise 1: Determine the type of each sentence below.

"She enjoys hiking on weekends."

"Are you coming to the party tonight?"

"Please call me when you arrive."

"How wonderful this day is!"

"The meeting starts at 10 AM."

"Can you pass the butter?"

"Don’t forget to send the email."

"I am so proud of you!"

Declarative Sentence

Interrogative Sentence

Imperative Sentence

Exclamatory Sentence

Exercise 2: Determine the type of each sentence below.

"The cat is sleeping on the couch."

"Are you ready for the test?"

"Please bring your report to the office."

"What a fantastic game that was!"

"We will meet at the park tomorrow."

"Did you understand the instructions?"

"Finish your homework before dinner."

"How exciting this competition is!"

Change the Types of Sentences Exercises

Change the Type of Sentence:

Exercise 1: Change each sentence to the type indicated.

Declarative to Interrogative: "The concert begins at 7 PM."

Imperative to Declarative: "Turn off the lights."

Exclamatory to Declarative: "What a fantastic job you did!"

Declarative to Exclamatory: "The fireworks display was impressive."

Imperative to Interrogative: "Close the window."

Interrogative to Declarative: "Have you completed your assignment?"

Exclamatory to Imperative: "Wow, you should really take a break!"

"Does the concert begin at 7 PM?"

"You should turn off the lights."

"You did a fantastic job."

"The fireworks display was impressive!"

"Can you close the window?"

"You have completed your assignment."

"Take a break!"

Exercise 2: Change each sentence to the type indicated.

Declarative to Interrogative: "The train arrives at 5 PM."

Imperative to Declarative: "Send the email now."

Exclamatory to Declarative: "What a delightful surprise this is!"

Declarative to Exclamatory: "The sunset is beautiful."

Imperative to Interrogative: "Clean your room."

Interrogative to Declarative: "Will you help me with this task?"

Exclamatory to Imperative: "That’s incredible, you should show everyone!"

"Does the train arrive at 5 PM?"

"You should send the email now."

"This is a delightful surprise."

"The sunset is beautiful!"

"Can you clean your room?"

"You will help me with this task."

"Show everyone!"

Transform the Types of Sentences Exercises

Transformation of Types of Sentences:

Exercise 1: Transform each sentence as specified.

Transform the following Declarative sentence into an Imperative sentence: "You need to submit your application."

Transform the following Exclamatory sentence into a Declarative sentence: "How beautiful the painting is!"

Transform the following Interrogative sentence into a Declarative sentence: "Do you want some help with that?"

Transform the following Imperative sentence into an Interrogative sentence: "Write your name on the form."

Transform the following Declarative sentence into an Exclamatory sentence: "The cake was delicious."

Transform the following Interrogative sentence into an Imperative sentence: "Can you turn down the music?"

"Submit your application."

"The painting is beautiful."

"You want some help with that."

"Would you write your name on the form?"

"The cake was delicious!"

"Turn down the music."

Exercise 2: Transform each sentence as specified.

Transform the following Declarative sentence into an Imperative sentence: "You must arrive on time."

Transform the following Exclamatory sentence into a Declarative sentence: "How fast she ran!"

Transform the following Interrogative sentence into a Declarative sentence: "Did you see the new movie?"

Transform the following Imperative sentence into an Interrogative sentence: "Please check your email."

Transform the following Declarative sentence into an Exclamatory sentence: "The view from the mountain is stunning."

Transform the following Interrogative sentence into an Imperative sentence: "Can you explain this problem?"

"Arrive on time."

"She ran fast."

"You saw the new movie."

"Will you please check your email?"

"The view from the mountain is stunning!"

"Explain this problem."

Exercises on Creating Types of Sentences

Create Sentences:

Exercise 2: Create one example of each type of sentence.

Declarative Sentence: "The new cafe opens next week."

Interrogative Sentence: "What time does the train leave?"

Imperative Sentence: "Please take out the trash."

Exclamatory Sentence: "I can’t believe you won the award!"

Declarative Sentence: "My brother is learning to play the guitar."

Interrogative Sentence: "Did you finish reading the book?"

Imperative Sentence: "Send me a message when you arrive."

Exclamatory Sentence: "That was an amazing performance!"

Example of a Declarative Sentence

Example of an Interrogative Sentence

Example of an Imperative Sentence

Example of an Exclamatory Sentence

Declarative Sentence: "The restaurant opens at noon."

Interrogative Sentence: "What is your favourite season?"

Imperative Sentence: "Return the book to the library ."

Exclamatory Sentence: "What a wonderful vacation we had!"

Declarative Sentence: "My sister is attending a dance class."

Interrogative Sentence: "Have you tried the new coffee shop?"

Imperative Sentence: "Write your essay by Friday."

Exclamatory Sentence: "That’s the best news ever!"

Changing Types of Sentences Exercises

1. Change Declarative to Interrogative:

Exercise: Transform the following declarative sentences into interrogative sentences.

"The new library opens next week."

"She enjoys playing the piano."

"The report is due tomorrow."

"They are planning a trip to Paris."

"He fixed the car last night."

"Does the new library open next week?"

"Does she enjoy playing the piano?"

"Is the report due tomorrow?"

"Are they planning a trip to Paris?"

"Did he fix the car last night?"

2. Change Interrogative to Declarative:

Exercise: Transform the following interrogative sentences into declarative sentences.

"Where did you put the keys?"

"Is she coming to the party?"

"How can we solve this problem?"

"Will they finish the project on time?"

"Have you read the latest novel?"

"You put the keys somewhere."

"She is coming to the party."

"We can solve this problem in several ways."

"They will finish the project on time."

"You have read the latest novel."

3. Change Imperative to Declarative:

Exercise: Transform the following imperative sentences into declarative sentences.

"Please submit your application by Friday."

"Close the door quietly."

"Send me the report."

"Do not forget to call me."

"Take a seat."

"You should submit your application by Friday."

"The door should be closed quietly."

"You need to send me the report."

"You should not forget to call me."

"A seat should be taken."

4. Change Exclamatory to Declarative:

Exercise: Transform the following exclamatory sentences into declarative sentences.

"What a beautiful day it is!"

"How incredible that performance was!"

"What a surprise to see you here!"

"How quickly the time has passed!"

"What a delicious meal that was!"

"It is a beautiful day."

"The performance was incredible."

"It is a surprise to see you here."

"The time has passed quickly."

"The meal was delicious."

5. Change Interrogative to Imperative:

Exercise: Transform the following interrogative sentences into imperative sentences.

"Can you turn off the light?"

"Could you please pass the salt?"

"Will you help me with this task?"

"Do you want to call her?"

"Would you mind closing the window?"

"Turn off the light ."

"Pass the salt."

"Help me with this task."

"Call her."

"Close the window."

6. Change Declarative to Exclamatory:

Exercise: Transform the following declarative sentences into exclamatory sentences.

"The view from the top of the mountain is breathtaking."

"She did an excellent job on the presentation."

"The fireworks were spectacular."

"This is the best concert I’ve ever attended."

"He won the championship!"

"What a breathtaking view from the top of the mountain!"

"How excellent her job on the presentation was!"

"What spectacular fireworks!"

"This is the best concert I’ve ever attended!"

"What a fantastic achievement he won the championship!"

Solved Examples

Which of these is a Declarative Sentence?

a. Will you go to the mall with me?

b. Wow, you performed well!

c. I am a student at Chintels Strong School.

Which of These is an Interrogative Sentence?

a. You won the award!

b. Can you play Cricket?

c. He has red hair and green eyes.

Which of These is an Exclamatory Sentence?

a. You are a fifth-grade student.

b. What an amazing day!

c. What is your location?

Please add the correct punctuation in the given sentences. Punctuation means periods( full stop ), exclamation points, and question marks.

Maria is a teacher at our school._______

Who is your mother?__________

What a crazy movie! __________

Check your Knowledge of Types of Sentences

Understanding different types of sentences is crucial for clear and effective communication. Here’s a quick review to test your knowledge:

1. Declarative Sentences:

These sentences make a statement or express a fact.

Example: "The sky is blue."

2. Interrogative Sentences:

These sentences ask a question and end with a question mark .

Example: "What time does the meeting start?"

3. Imperative Sentences:

These sentences give a command, request, or instruction. They often begin with a verb.

Example: "Please close the door."

4. Exclamatory Sentences:

These sentences express strong emotions and end with an exclamation mark.

Example: "Wow! That was an amazing performance!"

Test Yourself:

Identify the type of this sentence: "Please pass the salt."

What type of sentence is this: "Is it going to rain today?"

Determine the type: "She graduated with honours."

Classify the following sentence: "I can't believe we won the game!"

Interrogative

Declarative

Exclamatory

Takeaways from this Page

Understanding and practising the different types of sentences is crucial for effective communication and writing. This page provides exercises that help identify, transform, and create declarative, interrogative, imperative, and exclamatory sentences. By engaging with these exercises, you can enhance your grammar skills, improve sentence structure, and apply these concepts in various contexts. Regular practice with these questions will help reinforce your understanding and usage of different sentence types, making your writing clearer and more engaging.

FAQs on Types of Sentences Exercises

1. What are the types of sentences exercises with answers?

Types of sentences exercises with answers involve identifying, changing, and transforming different types of sentences such as declarative, interrogative, imperative, and exclamatory. The answers provide the correct classification or transformed version of each sentence.

2. How can I practice changing the types of sentences exercises?

You can practice changing the types of sentences by converting sentences from one type to another, such as transforming declarative sentences into interrogative ones or changing exclamatory sentences into declarative form. These exercises help improve your understanding of sentence structures.

3. Where can I find exercises on types of sentences?

Exercises on types of sentences can be found on our Vedantu platform. These resources provide practice questions and examples to help you learn and apply different sentence types.

4. What does the transformation of types of sentences exercises involve?

Transformation of types of sentences exercises involves converting sentences from one type to another, such as changing a declarative sentence to an interrogative sentence or an imperative sentence to an exclamatory sentence. This helps in understanding sentence structure and function.

5. Why are changing types of sentences exercises important?

Changing types of sentences exercises are important because they enhance your ability to understand and manipulate sentence structures. This skill is crucial for effective writing and communication, allowing you to convey messages more clearly and appropriately.

6. How do types of sentences exercises with answers help in learning?

Types of sentences exercises with answers help in learning by providing immediate feedback on your responses. This feedback helps you understand the correct sentence types and transformations, reinforcing your knowledge and improving your grammar skills.

7. Can you provide examples of changing types of sentences exercises?

Examples include transforming a declarative sentence like "The cat is sleeping" into an interrogative sentence like "Is the cat sleeping?" or changing an imperative sentence like "Close the door" into a declarative sentence like "You should close the door."

8. What are the benefits of practicing transformation of types of sentences exercises?

Practicing transformation of types of sentences exercises improves your ability to identify and use different sentence structures, enhances your writing skills, and helps you understand how to express ideas in various forms, making your communication more versatile.

9. How can exercises on types of sentences improve my writing skills?

Exercises on types of sentences improve your writing skills by teaching you how to use different sentence types effectively. This helps in creating clear, varied, and engaging sentences that enhance the overall quality of your writing.

10. Are there any online resources for types of sentences exercises with answers?

Yes, Vedantu Provides online resources for types of sentences exercises with answers. These resources often include explanations and examples to aid in learning.

11. How often should I practice the transformation of types of sentences exercises?

Practising transformation of types of sentences exercises regularly helps reinforce your understanding and improve your skills. Aim to practice a few exercises each week to maintain and enhance your proficiency in handling different sentence types.

• Open access
• Published: 28 August 2024

Exercise induced hypoalgesia after a high intensity functional training: a randomized controlled crossover study

• Fabian Tomschi   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0003-1738-4891 1 ,
• Pia Ransmann   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0002-8466-5389 1 ,
• Alexander Schmidt   ORCID: orcid.org/0009-0001-5577-7306 1 &
• Thomas Hilberg   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0002-0935-2526 1  

BMC Sports Science, Medicine and Rehabilitation volume  16 , Article number:  182 ( 2024 ) Cite this article

Metrics details

Acute physical activity often induces an acute reduction in pain sensitivity known as exercise induced hypoalgesia (EIH). The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of a high intensity functional training (HIFT) on EIH compared to a control session.

50 (age: 26.0 ± 2.7; 23 female) participants successfully conducted this study consisting of a pre-experimental test as well as a 12-minute HIFT (body-weight exercises) and a 12-minute control (supervised breathing) session in a randomized crossover design. Pre and post, pressure pain thresholds (PPT) were measured at the ankles, knees, elbows, and forehead.

The HIFT resulted in a relative maximum and average heart rate of 96.2% (± 3.6%) and 91.1% (± 4.2%), respectively, and maximum and average RPE values of 19.1 (± 1.2) and 16.2 (± 1.4), respectively. Results reveal a significant ‘Intervention’ × ‘Time point’ interaction ( p  < 0.001) for PPT (pooled for one average value) with hypoalgesia observed following the HIFT ( p  < 0.001; pre: 56.0 ± 16.8, post: 61.6 ± 19.0 [Newton]) and no change following the control ( p  = 0.067; pre: 56.6 ± 18.4, post: 55.3 ± 18.9 [Newton]). Further, a significant ‘Time’ × ‘Intervention’ × ‘Landmark’ interaction effect ( p  = 0.024) is observed and all landmarks showed significant hypoalgesia following HIFT ( p  < 0.01), except for the right elbow and forehead. Following control, no hypoalgesia was observed at any landmark. Analysing male and female participants separately, it was observed that EIH occured only in men.

A HIFT using bodyweight exercises reduces pain sensitivity. Hence, combining strength and aerobically demanding exercises in a short but high intensity manner, as done in HIFT, can be seen as a usable tool to induce hypoalgesia. Yet, these results were observed only in male participants, necessitating future sex-specific research.

Trial registration

DRKS00034391, retrospectively registered on the 4th of June 2024.

Peer Review reports

Introduction

Major components of health-related fitness (e.g., aerobic and strength capacity, body composition as well as cardiovascular, metabolic and mental health, etc.) can be improved by regular physical activity [ 1 , 2 ]. Physical exercise further contributes to a reduction of overall bodily pain in the long term [ 3 ] as well as to a reduced pain sensitivity after exercise. This acute reduction in pain sensitivity is known as “exercise induced hypoalgesia” (EIH) [ 4 , 5 ]. Pain sensitivity can be measured using different experimental stimuli (thermal, mechanical, chemical) while the use of mechanical pressure pain thresholds (PPT) is recommended and usually used in the context of EIH studies [ 6 ]. EIH studies in the healthy population have used a variety of exercise protocols in terms of exercise type, time, and intensity and it was demonstrated that aerobic exercise and resistance exercise can result in hypoalgesic effects [ 6 ]. However, these different exercise types seem to induce EIH in a different magnitude. A recent meta-analysis revealed that aerobic exercise results in largest EIH effects while dynamic resistance exercise only induces small EIH effects and isometric exercise does not induce any effects [ 7 ]. There is further evidence that higher intensity aerobic exercise protocols seem to induce higher EIH compared to more moderate and metabolically less demanding aerobic exercises [ 8 ]. Besides, available literature indicates that there might be variations in pain perception and EIH between male and female participants. Yet, these results are equivocal with studies indicating that exercise results in EIH in women but not in men [ 9 , 10 ], while also no sex-dependent differences in EIH were reported [ 11 ]. Investigating these differences is essential to determine whether specific exercise regiments are equally effective for both males and females.

Recently, a new method to improve health-related fitness has emerged, namely the high intensity functional training (HIFT) [ 12 ]. HIFT can be characterized by possessing the intensity of high intensity interval training (HIIT) programs (along with the usually rather short duration), while incorporating functional strength and aerobically demanding movements. Usually, HIFT can be conducted with no or little equipment and can further be performed at home [ 13 ]. HIFT integrates a wider variety of exercises compared to the more conventional HIIT. HIIT usually consists of unimodal endurance-focused modalities (i.e., running, cycling, rowing, etc.). Contrastingly, HIFT aims at using multimodal and “functional” multi-joint strength training exercises involving mostly whole body, multiple planes movements. This can be performed using only ones own bodyweight e.g., squats, lunges, vertical jumps, and push-ups or with additional free weights, e.g., barbells, kettlebells, dumbbells, or medicine balls [ 14 , 15 ]. Recent literature presents that HIIT and HIFT regiments both improve aerobic capacity and anaerobic power [ 16 ]. However, HIFT further induces improvements in muscle strength, power, and muscular endurance [ 17 ] as it provides more complex stimuli compared to the unimodal HIIT.

Due to the fact that HIFT incorporates both aerobically demanding exercises as well as strength exercises it presents a highly interesting novel training modality to explore pain physiological effects of this exercise model on EIH. To the best of our knowledge, available EIH-literature mostly explored unimodal exercise designs and its effects on EIH, while no study explored an exercise model that induced both strength and aerobic physiological stimuli of high intensity. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the potential hypoalgesic effects of a 12-minute HIFT program compared to a control session. Based on these considerations the following hypotheses were formulated: (1) One bout of HIFT results in an acute reduced pain sensitivity compared to a control session. (2) This hypoalgesia occurs primarily at the body landmarks close to majorly working musculature. (3) There is no difference in the hypoalgesic response between male and female participants.

General study design

The study was designed as a randomized controlled crossover trial and consisted of three sessions. All examinations were performed in the same laboratory of the Department of Sports Medicine (University of Wuppertal, Germany) from March 2022 to February 2024. First, a pre-experimental session was conducted, in which eligibility of the participants in terms of in- and exclusion criteria was determined, anthropometric data were obtained, and an incremental bicycle ergometer test up to exhaustion was performed. In the two subsequent sessions two interventions were carried out in a randomized order. Randomization was performed by a researcher outside of the measurements. These sessions were scheduled with a minimum wash-out period of 72 h in between to avoid any carry-over effects as literature states that EIH effects last from about 30 min up to a maximum of 24 h [ 18 , 19 ]. Sessions consisted on the one hand of a control intervention (Control) using a 12-minute breathing exercise and on the other hand a 12-minute HIFT exercise. PPT measurements were conducted after participants had rested for 5 min (pre) and one minute after finishing the respective session (post). Participants were asked not to perform any highly intensive training 24 h prior to any intervention and not to have sore muscles, to refrain from caffeine 4 h, and not to eat 2 h before the respective sessions. When participants took any pain medication 24 h before any of the sessions or were suffering from spontaneous pain (e.g., headache) the respective intervention was rescheduled. Reporting of this study is performed according to the CONSORT checklist for randomized controlled crossover trials [ 20 ] and no changes to methods after inclusion of the first participant were done.

This study was conducted in accordance with the principles of good clinical and ethical practice and was approved by the local ethic committee of the University of Wuppertal (MS/AE 220203). Along with the Declaration of Helsinki, all participants gave written informed consent after being informed about the study´s protocol. This study was retrospectively registered at the German Clinical Trials Register (DRKS00034391; registration date: 4th of June 2024).

Participants

The sample size was calculated via an a priori power analysis using G*power (Version 3.1.9.4) for a repeated measures, within-between interaction. As aerobic exercise was shown to have a large effect and dynamic resistance exercise a small effect [ 7 ], we chose to use a standardized medium effect size f  = 0.25 along with a power of (1 −  β ) = 0.90 and an α-error probability of 0.05 resulting in a sample size of N  = 46. Considering a dropout rate of approximately 20%, N  = 56 participants were to be included in this study. The following inclusion criteria were considered for recruitment: Age between 18 and 35 and minimum weekly physical training amount of four hours. Participants were excluded when fulfilling one of the following criteria: Acute or chronic pain conditions, regular pain medication, joint diseases (e.g., osteoarthritis), psychological disorders, cardiovascular (e.g., hypertension), or metabolic condition (e.g., diabetes mellitus). For female participants, measurements were not performed during menstruation [ 21 ]. Participants were recruited via flyers and advertisements at the university. Participants’ characteristics are presented in Table  1 .

Pre-experimental session

Anthropometric measurements, baseline- and stress electrocardiogram (ECG), resting and exercise blood pressure, health-related questionnaires (Physical Activity Readiness Questionnaire [ 22 ], German Pain Questionnaire [ 23 ]), as well as medical anamnesis were conducted in this pre-experimental session. PPT measurements were performed to familiarize participants with the assessment tools to avoid any confounding results due to the novelty of the measurement. Besides, a graded bicycle ergometer (Excalibur Sport 925900, Lode, Groningen, Netherlands) test up to exhaustion was conducted starting at 30 watts (W), with an increase of 40 W every three minutes. Participants were asked to remain a velocity of 80 ± 10 revolutions per minute. Heart rate (HR) was recorded using an ECG (SEMA CS-200, SCHILLER Medizintechnik Gmb, Feldkirchen, Germany). Lactate samples (20 µl) were taken from the earlobe at rest, at the end of every stage, at the time point when the exercise session was ceased, as well as one minute post exercise and subsequently analysed (Biosen S.linelab, EKF Diagnostics, Penarth, United Kingdom). Rate of perceived exertion (RPE) using the Borg Scale [ 24 ] was recorded at the end of every stage and when the exercise session was stopped.

Exercise session

The exercise session consisted of a standardized warm-up and a HIFT program. Both were recorded beforehand, and the same video was shown to the participants. Participants were asked to imitate the exercises conducted in a high intensity manner. The warm-up routine consisted of whole-body-low-intensity and mobilization exercises, respectively, and lasted for a total of five minutes. The HIFT was designed with 40 s per exercises and 20 s rest for six different exercises, which were conducted twice, resulting in a total of 12 exercises and a total HIFT duration of 12 min (see Table  2 ). HR (Polar m400; Polar Electro OY, Kempele, Finland) and RPE (BORG scale) were recorded at baseline, post warm-up, in every 20 s break, and at the end of the HIFT. Before the exercise session started, participants were instructed to perform the workout in a high-intensity manner and participants were verbally motivated during the HIFT to achieve maximum effort [ 25 ].

Control session

Supervised deep breathing was used as a control condition as done before by van Weerdenburg et al. [ 26 ]. This active control condition was used because participants need to focus on their breathing. Hence, negative thinking and resulting psychological effects during the 12-minute control period, such as for instance ruminating, that might affect pain perception are avoided [ 27 ]. In short, participants were asked to position themselves in a relaxing and comfortable supine position. Instructions for the deep breathing session were recorded beforehand and the same recording was used for every participant by using headphones to assure a standardized procedure. Participants inhaled for four seconds and exhaled for six seconds. This was done for one minute. This produces breathing at a frequency of 0.1 Hz, corresponding to six breaths per minute. After this minute, there was a one-minute period with normal breathing. This procedure was repeated six times resulting in a total of 12 min [ 26 ]. HR was recorded and the rate of perceived relaxation (RPR) was documented on a 0–10 numeric rating scale (0 = not all relaxed, 10 = very relaxed).

Pressure pain threshold measurements

PPT were measured using a handheld digital algometer (FPX 25 Compact Digital Algometer, Wagner Instruments, Greenwich, CT, USA) by applying pressure with a one cm 2 rubber tip to different landmarks of the body, i.e., bilaterally to the ankle -, knee-, and elbow -joints, and the forehead as done before [ 28 , 29 ]. These landmarks included the forehead (1 cm above the midpoint of the right eyebrow), and bilaterally at the joints of the elbow (lateral space below the lateral humeral epicondyle), knee (medial space at the midpoint below the medial femoral epicondyle), and ankle (lateral space between the lateral malleolus and the talus bone) [ 28 , 29 ]. During these measurements, participants were positioned sitting on an examination couch with their feet suspended off the ground and their arms placed comfortably on their thighs. The use of bony landmarks offers stable and consistent reference points for measurements, thereby reducing anatomical variability and ensuring repeatability across participants and temporal points. This approach also mitigates the potential impact of muscle-related variables such as fatigue or soreness, which are known to influence PPT readings [ 30 , 31 , 32 ]. To avoid systematic errors, the order of these measurements was randomized in each session and this unique sequence was consistently maintained for both pre- and post-assessment within the same session. PPT measurements were performed by the same investigator. Blinding of the rater was not possible due to the participants’ exertion (e.g., heavy breathing, sweating). A cut-off value of 140 N was determined beforehand to prevent any tissue damage [ 33 , 34 ]. The average value of three consecutive measurements (10 s of pause) was used for analysis. If participants did not report any pain until 140 N, a PPT value of 140 N was recorded. PPT values of each landmark are presented individually and as one mean value (PPT total ).

Performance related data are presented descriptively and compared between male and female participants using an unpaired t-test. Relative mean and relative maximum HR of the HIFT/Control session were calculated by dividing the max. HR of the HIFT/Control session by the maximum HR of the pre-experimental test. This value was then multiplied by 100.

Statistical analyses were conducted on all PPT measurements taken at the seven landmarks (left ankle, right ankle, left knee, right knee, left elbow, right elbow, and forehead) individually and on the combined mean value (PPT total ) for the different time points (pre, post) and the two interventions (HIFT, Control). All PPT data were normally distributed (tested via the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test and visual inspection of histograms and Q-Q plots) with no need for further transformation.

To evaluate potential carry-over or repeated bout effects, pre values (PPT total and PPT of individual landmarks) of both interventions were compared using dependent t-tests.

The main analysis was conducted to test the 1st hypothesis. A two-way repeated-measures ANOVA was used for PPT total , with the factors ‘Time’ (pre, post) and ‘Intervention’ (HIFT, Control). For the individual landmarks, a three-way ANOVA was used, with the factors ‘Time’ (pre, post), ‘Intervention’ (HIFT, Control), and ‘Landmark’ (left ankle, right ankle, left knee, right knee, left elbow, right elbow, and forehead). For all ANOVA calculations, sphericity was checked (using the Mauchly test) and the Greenhouse-Geisser adjustment was used if necessary. This analysis was also used to test the 2nd hypotheses. Additionally, a one-way repeated measures ANOVA was conducted with ΔPPT of the individual landmarks (calculated by subtracting the pre value from the post value) using the factor ‘Landmark’ (left ankle, right ankle, left knee, right knee, left elbow, right elbow, and forehead).

A further analysis was performed for the stated 3rd hypothesis to detect potential differences between men and women. Here, a three-way mixed model ANOVA was calculated using PPT total as the depended variable and ‘Intervention’ (HIFT, Control) and ‘Time’ (pre, post) as the within-factors. The factor ‘Sex’ (male, female) was determined as the between-factor. In addition, a two-way mixed model ANOVA was calculated using ΔPPT total as the depended variable and ‘Intervention’ (HIFT, Control) as the within-factor and ‘Sex’ (male or female) as the between-factor. For these latter two analyses, homogeneity for the factor ‘Sex’ was confirmed by the Levene test. Besides, the covariate “BMI” was added to these two analyses to account for the potential influence of different BMI values observed between male and female participants.

In the case of a significant interaction effect, subsequent LSD post-hoc tests were calculated. Effect sizes are presented as partial eta-squared ( η² partial ) with values of 0.01 representing a small, 0.06 a medium, and ≥ 0.14 a large effect, respectively, and Cohen’s d and d z for post-hoc testing with < 0.5 indicating a small effect, 0.5 to 0.8 a medium effect, and > 0.8 a large effect [ 35 ]. Statistical analyses of the data were performed using the statistics software package SPSS 27 (IBM©, Armonk, NY, United States). Data are presented as means ± standard deviation, unless otherwise marked. Differences were considered significant with p  < 0.05.

56 participants were recruited to take part in this study. 6 participants dropped out due to personal reasons and these data were not considered in any analyses. Anthropometric and performance data of the pre-experimental test are presented in Table  1 . No harms or other adverse events (e.g., falls, accidents, injuries, or fainting) occurred in this study. Performance related outcomes of the respective sessions are presented in Table  3 . No carry-over effects were observed regarding PPT total ( p  = 0.684) and PPT of the individual landmarks ( p  = 0.131–0.691).

Regarding the main 1st hypothesis, the two-way ANOVA revealed a significant ‘Intervention’ × ‘Time point’ interaction ( p  < 0.001; η² partial = 0.371) for PPT total . The respective post-hoc test revealed hypoalgesia for PPT total after the HIFT ( p  < 0.001) and no differences, but a trend toward hyperalgesia, resulting from the Control session ( p  = 0.067). Results of the three-way ANOVA reveal a significant ‘Time’ × ‘Intervention’ × ‘Landmark’ interaction effect ( p  = 0.024, η²partial  = 0.052). The respective post-hoc test results are to be found in Fig.  1 . Raw values are presented in Supplement 1 and further observed main and interaction effects and effect sizes of the three-way ANOVA are presented in Supplement 2.

Pressure pain thresholds (PPT) in response to the HIFT and Control presented as one mean value (PPT total ) and individual landmarks. Data are expressed as means ± standard deviation including individual data points (grey circles). Significant differences are indicated with * ( p  ≤ 0.05), ** ( p  ≤ 0.01), and *** ( p  ≤ 0.001). HIFT = High intensity functional training , PPT = Pressure pain threshold

Regarding the 2nd hypothesis, the one-way ANOVA performed for the HIFT session revealed significant differences between the landmarks ( p  = 0.034; η² partial = 0.050) with higher values observed for ΔPPT of the lower extremity landmarks compared to the forehead (see Fig.  2 ). No differences between landmarks were observed in the Control session ( p  = 0.080; η² partial = 0.040).

Delta (post value – pre value) pressure pain thresholds (ΔPPT) in response to the HIFT and Control of individual landmarks and represented as one mean value (PPT total ). Data are expressed as means ± standard deviation including individual data points (grey circles). Significant differences to the forehead are indicated with * ( p  ≤ 0.05) and *** ( p  ≤ 0.001). HIFT = High intensity functional training , PPT = Pressure pain threshold

Regarding the 3rd hypothesis, the three-way mixed model ANOVA to detect potential differences between men ( n  = 27) and women ( n  = 23) revealed a significant ‘Intervention’ × ‘Time’ × ‘Sex’ interaction effect ( p  < 0.001, η²partial  = 0.257). Subsequently calculated post-hoc tests revealed that male participants showed higher PPT total (hypoalgesia) values following the HIFT session ( p  < 0.001), while no differences were observed in female participants ( p  = 0.363). The Control session revealed a trend towards hyperalgesia in males ( p  = 0.055), but no difference in females ( p  = 0.531; see Fig.  3 ). Further observed main and interaction effects and effect sizes of the three-way ANOVA are presented in Supplement 3. The covariate “BMI” did not significantly adjust the results observed ( p  = 0.369). A significant ‘Intervention’ × ‘Time’ × ‘Sex’ interaction effect is still observed for the three-way mixed model ANCOVA ( p  = 0.002, η²partial  = 0.195).

Besides, the two-way mixed model ANOVA revealed a significant ‘Intervention’ × ‘Sex’ effect ( p  < 0.001, η²partial  = 0.252) and a significant ‘Intervention’ ( p  < 0.001, η²partial  = 0.411) and ‘Sex’ ( p  = 0.010, η²partial  = 0.131) effect for ΔPPT total . Subsequently calculated post-hoc test showed that male (9.21 ± 7.79 N) participants exerted a larger degree of hypoalgesia compared to female participants (1.33 ± 5.28 N; p  < 0.001) following the HIFT session (data not shown). The covariate “BMI” did not significantly adjust the results observed ( p  = 0.952). A significant ‘Intervention’ × ‘Sex’ interaction effect is still observed for the two-way mixed model ANCOVA ( p  = 0.002, η²partial  = 0.194).

Pressure pain thresholds (PPT) in response to the HIFT and Control presented as one mean value (PPT total ) separately presented for male and female participants. Data are expressed as means ± standard deviation including individual data points (grey circles). Significant differences are indicated with *** ( p  ≤ 0.001). HIFT = High intensity functional training , PPT = Pressure pain threshold

This study evaluated effects of a single HIFT session on EIH compared to a control session. Results confirm the 1st hypothesis as the HIFT session resulted in global hypoalgesia indicated by higher PPT total values observed after the training, while no such effects were observed after the control session. Further, and in the light of the 2nd hypothesis, the HIFT resulted in hypoalgesia observed at all landmarks except for the right elbow and the forehead. Regarding ΔPPT values, ΔPPT of the lower extremity landmarks were higher compared to the forehead. Interesting findings were observed regarding the 3rd hypothesis. Here, hypoalgesia was observed in male participants following the HIFT, while female participants did not reveal such hypoalgesia.

The HIFT was designed to be highly intensive and to consist of different multimodal and functional exercises. Participants reached an average HR and maximum HR throughout the HIFT that was above 90% and 95%, respectively, of their individual maximum HR determined in the pre-experimental test. Further, participants perceived this HIFT as very hard as observed in maximum RPE values of above 19, equalling a description between “very hard” and “very, very hard” [ 24 ].

Regarding hypoalgesic effects and in the light of the 1st hypothesis, current literature mainly focuses on unimodal and constant load aerobic exercises, such as cycling and running, and its hypoalgesic effects [ 7 ]. Within this aerobic modality it is believed that hypoalgesia occurs more robustly the higher the intensity is [ 5 , 28 , 36 , 37 , 38 ]. For instance, Naugle et al. showed that 20 min of vigorous cycling exercise at 70% of HR reserve increased PPT whereas PPT was unaltered after moderate exercise at 50% of HR reserve [ 37 ]. Another study by Vaegter et al. also revealed that a high intensity bicycle exercise at a calculated intensity of 75% VO 2 max led to a larger EIH response compared to a low intensity exercise conducted at 50% VO 2 max [ 36 ]. Most likely, the present HIFT involved a substantial aerobic component, but as the exercises were performed for 40 s and with very high intensity followed by a 20-second recovery period, there was also a large anaerobic component involved in the HIFT. Previous research dealing with anaerobic exercises show that these exercise types (e.g., 90-second all-out isokinetic cycling [ 29 ], a ‘Wingate Anaerobic Test’ for 30 s [ 39 ], or 60-second all-out rowing [ 28 ]) result in hypoalgesia. Therefore and also in the light of the results of the present study, high intensity exercises along with a high anaerobic demand are most likely to induce EIH.

Yet, hypoalgesic effects resulting from dynamic resistance exercise are less explored and the current literature indicates that dynamic resistance exercise only has small effects on hypoalgesia as indicated by a recent meta-analysis [ 7 ]. One major difference between conventional dynamic resistance training and HIFT is that the cardiovascular strain is much higher during HIFT when considering the HR profile. For instance, one study conducted a conventional strength training consisting of lifting three sets of 10 repetitions at 75% of an individual’s one repetition maximum. This training led to HR of around 100 beats/min [ 40 ]. Another study conducted a 40-minute dynamic circuit resistance training at 60% of the individuals’ one repetition maximum to evaluate differences in pain sensitivity. This training led to HR of around 150 beats/min and lactate concentrations of around 10 mmol/l. PPT were measured at the dorsal side of the non-dominant hand at the base of the skin web between the thumb and index finger. Results reveal no difference in PPT from pre to post exercise [ 41 ]. Contrastingly, the results presented herein show that a HIFT session, which consisted of dynamic multimodal exercises using the own body weight and no equipment, induces hypoalgesia. The exercises can be characterized as incorporating dynamic resistance exercises, which at the same time are highly demanding for the cardiovascular system, as observed in the very high HR and RPE values. Hence, the combination of muscular and cardiovascular strain during the HIFT might be responsible for inducing hypoalgesia. In the present study, no blood pressure responses were measured. Yet, is known that heavy resistance exercise can result in intraarterial systolic and diastolic blood pressures of up to 320/250 mmHg, especially when a Valsalva manoeuvre is performed [ 42 ]. However, blood pressure increases are more moderate during and following HIFT with blood pressure increases to 154/77 and 140/71 in male and female participants, respectively, following a 15-minute HIFT session [ 43 ]. Reduced pain sensitivity is most likely induced by the release of analgetic endogenous opioid-related substances expressed centrally in the nervous system. Moreover, these substances are released more locally close to the contractile musculature attenuating nociceptive signalling [ 44 , 45 ]. It is therefore proposed that hypoalgesia is highest at body landmarks close to the working musculature and less pronounced at remote landmarks [ 19 ].

This assumption was tested as part of the 2nd hypothesis. Results presented herein reveal that hypoalgesia occurred primarily at the ankle and knee joints. The used exercises in the HIFT focussed mainly on the lower extremity musculature (i.e., lunges, high knees, burpees, squad jumps, and skaters). Contrastingly, no hypoalgesia was observed at the forehead and right elbow. However, hypoalgesia also occurred at the left elbow. The reasons explaining these side differences at the elbows remain elusive and cannot be sufficiently explained. Yet, hypoalgesic effects may be less pronounced and may occur less consistently depending on the distance to the primary exercising body parts and musculature [ 36 , 46 ]. Besides, it might be possible that participants conducted some exercises (i.e., push-up, commandos) with a more pronounced activity of the dominant arm, which resulted in divergent hypoalgesic effects at the elbows. Yet, no information on the handedness of the participants were recorded, which might have had provided some explanations for this observation. The phenomenon that no effects were present at the forehead was also observed in another study, in which participants conducted differently intensive bicycle ergometer sessions for 30 min. In this study, hypoalgesia was also observed at the elbows, but not at the forehead [ 5 ]. Yet, a maximal “all-out” rowing exercise of about 60 s as well as “all-out” isokinetic bicycle exercises of 15 and 90 s, respectively, resulted in global hypoalgesia also observed at the forehead [ 28 , 29 ].

Interestingly and in the light of the 3rd hypothesis, only male participants revealed hypoalgesia. Reasons explaining these findings remain elusive. Male and female participants exerted similar performance levels (i.e., Watt/kg) excluding differences in pain processing or perception due to fitness levels [ 47 ]. BMI values were different between male (24.1 ± 2.2) and female (22.2 ± 1.8) participants, even though both being in the normal weight range, which might influence EIH responses due to different fitness levels regrading muscle and/or fat mass. Yet, this differentiation in body composition was not considered in this study. The covariate analyses reveal that the participants’ BMI did not adjust the results. Both relative average and maximum HR observed during the HIFT did not differ between men and women. Yet, maximum RPE values (but not average RPE) are slightly but significantly higher in men (19.5 ± 0.7 vs. 18.7 ± 1.5; d  = 0.738). Therefore, the observed divergent results regarding EIH might in part be explained by different subjectively perceived effort but not by objectively measured exertion. While direct comparisons between men and women regarding EIH are limited in the literature, the available research suggests that men and women experience EIH as observed in studies including men and women [ 21 , 48 , 49 ] as well as in studies including only women [ 50 ]. However, some studies reveal specific differences in EIH between men and women. In two studies, isometric exercises were shown to result in EIH in women but not in men [ 9 , 10 ], while research also shows that no sex-dependent differences in EIH occur after isometric exercise [ 11 ]. Yet, further research directly comparing sex-specific differences in EIH across various conditions is necessary for a definitive understanding.

In contrast to the HIFT, the control session did not result in hypoalgesia. The control session was perceived as relaxing with the degree of relaxion being at about 8 out of 10. Previous research demonstrated that slow, deep breathing procedures can result to lower ratings of heat pain intensity ratings [ 51 ], increased thermal pain thresholds [ 52 ] and hypoalgesic suprathreshold electrical stimulations [ 53 ]. In the present study, no such effects were observed for mechanical PPT.

Strengths and limitations

The main strengths of this study are that a 12-minute body weight HIFT protocol was developed that led to average HR of over 90% and maximum HR of over 95% of the participants’ individual HR, respectively. Consequently, this program can be used as a home-based HIFT (e.g., during public lockdowns), which does not need any additional equipment, to induce hypoalgesia. Yet, there are some limitations to this research study. It should be noted that our study was conducted only with young and healthy adults who were physically active. Hence, results are not transferable to any clinical populations. Due to the intentionally set very high intensity, this HIFT program and the used exercises as well as the results observed might also not be transferable to very untrained people, as the experienced high exertion resulting from this training might result in a loss of motivation and pleasure [ 54 , 55 ]. Besides, it is not suitable for chronic pain patients in clinical settings suffering from severe pain due to psychological factors associated, such as kinesiophobia [ 56 ] or catastrophising [ 57 ]. Further, PPT were measured solely at bony landmarks, limiting their comparability with studies that use muscular landmarks for PPT assessment. Future studies should also aim to evaluate the difference response to exercise when using bony and muscular landmarks for PPT measurements. Important information regarding, for instance the use of contraceptives or menstrual cycle phase, were not documented. Further, due to the high intensity of the HIFT and the nature of the control session, blinding of the rater for pain measurement was not possible.

Future directions

Future research should aim to compare further pain physiological effects resulting from trending and/or innovative training methods. HIFT should be compared to traditional training modalities such as conventional isometric or dynamic resistance training or aerobic training modalities in terms of its pain reducing potentials. Besides, the time span of hypoalgesic effects after exercise should be investigated in future studies, as this investigation (and most other publications) only tested immediate effects. Moreover, future research should focus on sex-specific research questions in the context of EIH, since these results, as well as other previously published studies, might hint to the fact that differences in pain processing between men and women can exist. Here, the use of contraceptives should be controlled and the menstrual cycle phase, when interventions (i.e., exercise and controls sessions) are performed, should be carefully considered [ 58 ]. Future research should also explore the clinical possibilities of high or higher intensity exercise regimens (such as HIFT) as a therapeutic tool to manage specific pain conditions. This kind of exercise may be suitable for people experiencing mild and/or intermittent forms of nonspecific pain, such as for instance nonspecific chronic low back pain, which was shown to increase in prevalence and intensity during public lockdowns [ 59 , 60 ]. It is important to note that this was not assessed in the study presented herein and warrants further investigation in future research.

This study for the first time presents that a short 12-minute HIFT session in which participants achieve a mean HR of > 90% of their individual maximum HR leads to EIH. On a physiological level, the study shows that the combination of strength and aerobically demanding exercises going along with a high cardiovascular and muscular demand induces hypoalgesia. This reduced pain sensitivity occurs predominantly at lower extremity body parts while no changes were observed at the forehead and right elbow. An interesting finding is that hypoalgesia was only present in male and not in female participants suggesting sex-related differences in the context of EIH. The HIFT training method can be easily conducted at home as no additional material (e.g., dumbbells, free weights, etc.) are needed. Especially during times when public sport facilities are closed or no group training is possible (e.g., during public lockdowns), the proposed HIFT session can be easily used to modulate pain sensitivity.

Data availability

Data is provided within the manuscript or supplementary information files.

Abbreviations

High-Intensity Functional Training

Pressure Pain Threshold

High-Intensity Interval Training

Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials

Electrocardiogram

Rating of Perceived Exertion

Rate of Perceived Relaxation

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank Ms. Dshamilja Böing-Messing and Ms. Nina Simonis for their support in this study.

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Fabian Tomschi, Pia Ransmann, Alexander Schmidt & Thomas Hilberg

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FT had the original idea for the study. FT, PR, AS, and TH contributed to the conception or design of the study. FT performed the analysis of data. FT, PR, AS, and TH interpreted the data of the present study. FT wrote the first draft of the manuscript. PR, AS, and TH contributed intellectually to the final version of the manuscript. TH supervised the study.

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Correspondence to Fabian Tomschi .

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Tomschi, F., Ransmann, P., Schmidt, A. et al. Exercise induced hypoalgesia after a high intensity functional training: a randomized controlled crossover study. BMC Sports Sci Med Rehabil 16 , 182 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1186/s13102-024-00969-4

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Received : 08 June 2024

Accepted : 13 August 2024

Published : 28 August 2024

DOI : https://doi.org/10.1186/s13102-024-00969-4

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