lshi1018 · English for Academic & Professional Life · Topic 8

Presentation Skills Past Continuous & Past Perfect

Eye Contact · Humor · Body Language · Visual Aids

Grammar: Past Tense Forms in Context

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Introduction

Public Speaking in English

😰 Did you know? Public speaking is one of the most common fears.

If you feel nervous before an important presentation — especially in a non-native language — you're not alone. The good news is that effective preparation can greatly reduce your anxiety.

🌿 Fresh

Don't bore your audience with clichés, bad jokes or recycled content. Bring new ideas and perspectives.

🌾 Authentic

Believe in your message. Be able to talk about it without reading from a piece of paper.

🔎 Informed

Research until you are an expert on your topic. Anticipate and answer questions confidently.

📌 In this topic you will:

Research ways to give effective presentations · Learn how to calm your nerves · Become memorable · Master Past Continuous and Past Perfect tense forms

Learning Goals

What You'll Achieve

Apply key presentation skills

Use eye contact, appropriate humor, body language/mirroring, thorough preparation and effective visual aids to deliver compelling presentations in English.

Use Past Continuous correctly

Form and use was/were + verb-ing to describe ongoing past actions, interrupted actions, background information, polite requests and habitual past behavior.

Use Past Perfect correctly

Form and use had + past participle to express actions completed before another past event, reported speech, past thoughts and unreal conditionals.

Distinguish between all three past tenses

Contrast Past Simple, Past Continuous and Past Perfect to choose the correct form based on the timeline of events and the intended meaning.

Deliver a 5-minute oral presentation

Research, prepare and present an informative or persuasive presentation on a topic you feel strongly about, using anecdotes, facts and statistics.

8.1

Presentation Skills: Eye Contact & Humor

👁️ Eye Contact

Why it matters

If you don't look people in the eye, they are less likely to look at you — and if they aren't looking at you, they probably aren't paying attention. Lack of eye contact is an invitation to check emails and social media.

Makes your audience feel involved and accountable
Signals confidence and credibility
Requires rehearsal — less dependence on script = more eye contact

😄 Humor

The art of humor

Humor can instantly make your presentation more likable and lower your audience's defenses. However, it is a delicate skill — especially cross-culturally.

Be aware of political correctness: age, race, religion, orientation
If a joke fails, it can make the audience uncomfortable
A funny anecdote is often safer than a joke
Self-deprecating humor is generally safe and relatable
When in doubt — leave it out

8.1

Body Language, Mirroring & Preparation

🪞 Body Language & Mirroring

What is mirroring?

Mirroring is the act of "copying" your audience's behavior — laughing, nodding, matching posture and tone. People who trust each other frequently develop synchronicity without noticing.

How to use it

If an audience member nervously asks a question, mirror their somber tone instead of responding enthusiastically. "Sharing" the emotion builds connection.

Key elements

Posture · Facial expression · Personal space · Vocal tone · Pace · Gesture

📋 Preparation

Rehearse — don't memorize

Familiarize yourself with your material and order so you can talk about it naturally — as if having a conversation. This increases authenticity and credibility.

Anticipate questions and disagreements — even research the opposing viewpoint
Understanding opposing arguments is a powerful tool
Test and re-test your technology — arrive early
Never apologize for technical inabilities in front of the audience

8.1

Visual Aids & Slide Presentations

⚠️ Most misused presentation tool

The most common mistake: filling slides with an unnecessary amount of text and then reading it word-for-word. This is boring, wastes time, and offends your audience — "This presentation could have been an email!"

✅ DO

Use brief bulleted lists
Be able to converse independently about each bullet
Use relevant photos, charts and graphs
Use a standard font (Times New Roman, Arial)
Keep it informative and clean
At least one slide with data or statistics

❌ DON'T

Fill slides with walls of text
Read slides aloud word-for-word
Use clip art or cartoon images
Overuse colors, sounds or animated transitions
Let the slide be a script for what you say
Make it cute instead of informative

💡 The golden rule

If you don't have anything additional to say about a bullet point beyond reading it aloud, you should delete it. Your slide show should complement what you say — not be a script of what you say.

8.2 Grammar

Past Continuous — Form & Uses

Past Continuous · Formation

Subject + was/were + verb-ing

I was studying · They were working

Continued action

Alex was meeting with a client when I arrived.

Interrupted action

I was walking to the store when it began to rain.

Background info

I was getting ready for bed when I heard a strange noise…

Habitual past

They were constantly arriving late, so they got written up.

Previous plans

I was going to make dinner, but I decided to go out.

Polite requests ★

I was wondering if you could tell me where the hotel is.

★ Polite requests trick

Although these use a past tense verb, they express present-tense motivations. The Past Continuous makes them sound more gentle and polite. Very useful in professional English!

8.3 Grammar

Past Perfect — Form & Uses

Past Perfect · Formation

Subject + had + past participle

I had studied · She had finished

Before another past event

I didn't go because I had already seen the play.

Before another past event

When I got home, my daughter had already finished her homework.

Reported speech

Jim said he had already finished the presentation.

Past thoughts

I thought I had put my laptop in my briefcase.

Unreal conditional

If I had had more money, I would have stayed at a better hotel.

Unreal conditional

If Mark had studied more, he would have done better on the test.

⏰ Key idea: sequence in time

Past Perfect marks the earlier of two past events. Think of it as "the past of the past." Use it whenever you need to make clear that one thing happened before another past event.

Reference

Irregular Past Participles

The Past Perfect requires the past participle. Many common verbs are irregular. Use this table as a quick reference:

Verb	Past Participle
become	`become`
break	`broken`
bring	`brought`
catch	`caught`
choose	`chosen`
come	`come`
do	`done`
drive	`driven`
feel	`felt`
freeze	`frozen`
get	`gotten`
go	`been`

Verb	Past Participle
lend	`lent`
make	`made`
say	`said`
see	`seen`
set	`set`
sleep	`slept`
speak	`spoken`
steal	`stolen`
take	`taken`
throw	`thrown`
win	`won`
write	`written`

Grammar

Comparing the Three Past Tenses

The use of different past tense forms communicates important information about when events happened relative to each other:

Tense	Form	Key use	Example
Past Simple	`verb-ed / irreg.`	Completed action at a specific past time	Dana graduated* in 2005.*
Past Continuous	`was/were + -ing`	Action in progress when another event happened	I was watching* TV when you called.*
Past Perfect	`had + past part.`	Earlier of two past events	The movie had already started* when we arrived.*

Past Simple ●

A finished action in the past. The blue dot — the action happened and ended.

Kathryn's computer crashed.

Past Continuous ←●→

An action that started and continued in the past, often interrupted.

Kathryn was finishing a report when it crashed.

Past Perfect ←← ●

The action happened before another past event — the "past of the past."

My kids had already eaten when I got home.

Practice

Past Tense Practice

📝 Directions

Complete each sentence with the correct past tense form of the verb in parentheses. Consider whether the action is completed, in progress, or occurred before another past event.

#	Sentence	Correct Answer
1	Dana _______ (graduate) high school in 2005.	graduated Past Simple
2	I _______ (watch) TV when you called.	was watching Past Continuous
3	By the time we arrived, the movie _______ (start, already).	had already started Past Perfect
4	Kathryn _______ (finish) a report when her computer crashed.	was finishing Past Continuous
5	I _______ (wonder) if you could tell me how to get to the hotel.	was wondering Polite request
6	I didn't have to cook because my kids _______ (eat, already).	had already eaten Past Perfect

💡 Quick Check

For each sentence, ask yourself: is this a completed action (Simple), an ongoing action interrupted (Continuous), or an action that happened before another past event (Perfect)?

Exercises

Exercise 1 & Exercise 2

Exercise 1 — Reading & Discussion

Read:

"10 Ways to Make Your Presentation More Memorable"
entrepreneur.com/article/244356

What advice does the author give for being relatable?
How does the author feel about the use of data?
What is an "a-ha" moment?
What suggestion does the author give for a powerful conclusion?

Also read:

"5 Easy Ways to Become a Better Public Speaker—Fast"
entrepreneur.com/article/236611

What/how should you memorize?
Benefit of talking to a few audience members beforehand?
What should you not do with the slides?
To ease nerves, instead of focusing on yourself, focus on ___.
Why is involving the audience (being interactive) beneficial?

Exercise 2 — Writing & Speaking

Write a one-page anecdote

Demonstrate your ability to use Past SimplePast ContinuousPast Perfect in a natural, connected narrative.

You can find storytelling tips at:
learnenglishteens.britishcouncil.org

Speaking: Read aloud with a partner

Focus on vocal variety: volume, pace, pauses, enthusiasm
Give each other constructive feedback
Balance critical and positive comments
Phrase criticism as suggestions, not judgments:
✔ "Try taking a deep breath to slow down"
✗ "You spoke so fast I couldn't understand"

Homework

Oral Presentation + Slideshow

🎤 5-Minute Oral Presentation

📋 Requirements

Create a 5-minute oral presentation on a topic you feel strongly about. Can be persuasive, informative, or both. You may use notes — but reading from a script is unacceptable.

💡 Topic examples

Why adopt a dog instead of buying one
Is social media distorting our self-image?
Tips for an effective social media presence
The value of participating in sports

📊 Content requirements

Include factual and statistical information. You may open with an anecdote. Show knowledge and enthusiasm for your topic.

🖥️ Add a slideshow (Self activity)

Create a PowerPoint or equivalent with effective use of text and visual aids. At least one slide must contain data. Complement — don't script — what you say.

📏 Evaluation Rubric

Rubric available at: ReadWriteThink.org (2004). Oral Presentation Rubric · readwritethink.org/files/resources/lesson_images/lesson416/OralRubric.pdf
Your classmates and teacher will evaluate you using this rubric. Use it for peer feedback as well.

Team Activity

Team Activities & Audience Engagement

📌 Note for online students

These activities can be adapted for outside the classroom. You can practice with a friend or family member near you.

Team Exercise 1 — Peer Feedback

Watch:

"Speaking Mistakes to Avoid"
youtube.com/watch?v=DcSbpKIWPHI

Use the oral presentation rubric to provide constructive feedback for your classmates' presentations.

Goal of peer scoring

Practice your listening skills and support each other. Balance critical comments and positive comments — phrase criticism as suggestions.

Team Exercise 2 — Audience Engagement

Read:

"10 Ways to Engage Your Audience During an Important Meeting"
entrepreneur.com/article/242899

When nervous, people frequently speak too _______
What does it mean to be vulnerable?
Should you use a lot of "big words"? Explain.
Tell your most interesting story/fact: immediately / middle / end?
If sharing detailed info, give your audience _______
True/False: Audience dialogue is an interruption to stop.
Summarize the author's advice for using jokes in a presentation.

Summary

Key Takeaways — Topic 8

👁️ Eye Contact

Engage your audience. Rehearse so you don't need a script. Eye contact builds accountability and connection.

😄 Humor

Anecdotes > jokes. Self-deprecation is safe. When in doubt, leave it out. Cultural sensitivity is essential.

🪞 Body Language

Mirror your audience to build trust. Match their tone and posture. Synchronicity builds rapport naturally.

📋 Preparation

Rehearse, anticipate questions, test tech. The more natural you sound, the more credible you are.

🖥️ Visual Aids

Brief bullets + ability to converse freely. No scripts on slides. Informative > cute. Data adds credibility.

📚 Past Tenses

Simple = completed. Continuous = ongoing/interrupted. Perfect = earlier of two past events.

🌾 "The more natural you sound, the easier it will be for your audience to pay attention." — Topic 8

References & Vocabulary

Bibliography & Key Terms

Bibliography

[1] Powell, M. (2014). In Company 3.0. Intermediate Student's Book. Thailand: Macmillan Press.

Articles used

Wyeth, S. (2014). 10 Reasons Why Eye Contact Is Everything in Public Speaking. Inc.

White, D. (2014). Funny Business: 5 Tips on Workplace Humor. The Creative Group.

Kinsey, C. (2011). The Art and Science of Mirroring. Forbes.

Rubric

ReadWriteThink.org (2004). Oral Presentation Rubric.
readwritethink.org/.../OralRubric.pdf

Key Vocabulary

Mirroring

Copying an audience's body language, tone and behavior to build trust and rapport naturally.

Anecdote

A short, personal story used to illustrate a point. Safer and often more effective than a joke.

Self-deprecating humor

Making fun of yourself (gently). Generally safe and relatable in presentations.

Past participle

The verb form used in Past Perfect (had + pp) and passive voice. Many are irregular (seen, broken, written…).

Vocal variety

Changes in volume, pace, tone and pitch used by a speaker to maintain audience engagement.

lshi1018 · English for Academic & Professional Life

Great work! Now go present with confidence.

Topic 8 complete · Presentation Skills & Past Tenses

"Effective preparation is the key to effective communication."