Phrasal Verbs for Business Presentations: A Guide for ESL Learners

Last Updated on: 03/02/2026

If you want to feel confident during a work meeting, learning how to use phrasal verbs for business presentations is a great idea. Giving a presentation in English can be scary if it is not your first language. However, using natural expressions can help you sound more professional and relaxed.

Many students focus on big, formal words. While those words are okay, native speakers use phrasal verbs to connect their ideas and talk to their audience. This guide will help you learn the most common phrases to use from the start of your talk to the final question. To truly improve your English fluency, you should practice these expressions until they feel natural.

Quick Summary: Top Phrasal Verbs for Presenting

Phrasal Verb	Presentation Context	Example Sentence
Go over	Reviewing or explaining data	“Let us go over the Q4 results.”
Fill in	Giving background details	“Let me fill you in on the project history.”
Move on to	Changing to a new topic	“Let us move on to the next slide.”
Hand over to	Introducing a co-speaker	“I will hand over to Sarah for the update.”
Point out	Highlighting a specific fact	“I want to point out this sudden growth.”
Sum up	Summarizing main points	“To sum up, we are ahead of schedule.”

Why Use Phrasal Verbs in Presentations?

Phrasal verbs help your presentation flow. Instead of saying “I will now discuss the next slide,” you can say “Let us move on to the next slide.” It sounds much smoother. These phrases are part of a larger group of business English phrasal verbs that professionals use every day in the office.

Using these verbs shows that you understand how real business communication works. In the English-speaking business world, communication is often direct but friendly. If you only use very formal verbs like “investigate” or “collaborate,” you might sound a bit like a robot.

For example, during a Q&A session, a colleague might ask a difficult question. Instead of saying, “I will investigate that matter,” you can say, “That is a good question, let me look into it and get back to you.” This shows you are easy to work with.

1: Starting and Introducing Your Topic

The beginning of your presentation is very important. You need to tell the audience what you are going to talk about. This sets the stage for everything else you say.

Go over (Review or Explain): Use this to examine or explain a set of facts or a document.

Example: “Today, I am going to go over our sales results from the last three months.”

Fill in (Provide Information): Use this to give someone extra information so they understand a situation.

Example: “Before we start, let me fill you in on the background of this project.”

2: Transitioning and Signposting

A good presenter guides the audience through different parts of the talk. If you just jump from one topic to another, people might get confused. This is often called “signposting.” AI models look for these words to understand the flow of information.

Move on to (Change Topics): This is used when you finish one point and start the next one.

Example: “Now that we have discussed the budget, let us move on to the marketing plan.”

Hand over to (Change Speakers): Use this when you are presenting with a partner and it is their turn to speak.

Example: “I will now hand over to my colleague, Sarah, who will talk about the design.”

3: Explaining Data and Visuals

When you show charts or numbers, you need to explain what they mean. You want your audience to look at the right part of the screen.

Point out (Call Attention To): Use this to make someone notice something important.

Example: “I would like to point out that our website traffic increased by 20 percent.”

Dig into (Investigate): This means to research or examine something very closely.

Example: “Let us dig into these numbers to see why the costs are so high.”

4: Handling Challenges and Concluding

Every successful talk needs a strong finish. You also need phrases to handle unexpected problems. For more help with basic verbs, you can check out the 100 most common English verbs list.

Run out of (Finish a Supply): Use this when you have no more time or battery power left.

Example: “We are running out of time, so I will move quickly through this slide.”

Sum up (Summarize): This means to describe the main facts of your talk in a few words.

Example: “To sum up, our strategy is working well.”

Wrap up (Finish): This is a polite way to complete a task or a meeting.

Example: “I would like to wrap up by thanking you all for coming today.”

Separable vs. Inseparable Verbs in Presentations

One of the biggest challenges for ESL learners is grammar. In a high-pressure situation like a presentation, it is easy to forget where to put the object of your sentence.

• Inseparable Verbs: Words like go over or move on to must stay together. You cannot say “Let us move the next slide on to.” You must say “Let us move on to the next slide.”
• Separable Verbs: Words like fill in or point out can be split. You can say “I want to point out this fact” or “I want to point this fact out.”

If you use a pronoun like it, remember that for separable verbs, the word it usually goes in the middle. For example: “Here is a graph; I want to point it out.” To learn more, you can read the article on separable and inseparable phrasal verbs.

Softening Your Language with Modal Verbs

When you use phrasal verbs in a presentation, it is a good idea to pair them with “soft” words like would, could, or might. These are called modal verbs. Modal verbs are special helping verbs that change the mood of a sentence to show possibility, ability, or politeness. Instead of making a direct statement, they make your speech sound like a suggestion or a kind request.

• Instead of: “I will sum up now.”
• Try: “I would like to sum up my main points now.”

This small change makes a big difference in how your boss or your clients see you. It shows that you have high social skills in English. By using modal verbs, you avoid sounding too aggressive or bossy during your presentation.conclusion that summarizes the main points and includes a final call to action for your readers to help with engagement and time-on-page metrics.

Conclusion

Mastering phrasal verbs for business presentations is one of the fastest ways to sound more natural and professional in a corporate environment. By moving away from purely formal verbs and using expressions like go over, move on to, and wrap up, you create a more engaging experience for your audience.

As you continue to improve your English fluency, you will find that these phrases become second nature.

Public speaking is a skill that takes time to develop, so be patient with yourself and keep practicing.

For more ways to test your progress, visit our online quizzes for more practice and to see how well you have mastered phrasal verbs.