Presentation Software

In a science fair, a school assembly or a class project, you often have to explain something to a group of people. A presentation — a set of slides shown on a screen or projector while you speak — helps them follow you: the key points, pictures, charts and short videos appear exactly when you need them. This lesson teaches presentation software as a practical skill: making slides with layouts, themes and placeholders; adding text, pictures, tables, charts, sound and video; adding transitions and animations; using the slide views and the slide master; running the show; and, most important, designing slides that people can actually read. Commands are given for Microsoft PowerPoint (Microsoft 365), with LibreOffice Impress in brackets.

9.1 Presentation software: features and examples

Examples: Microsoft PowerPoint, LibreOffice Impress (free and open source), Google Slides (works in a browser), Apple Keynote, Canva and WPS Presentation.

Features of presentation software

• ready-made layouts and themes (designs) for slides;
• placeholders for titles, text, pictures, tables, charts and video;
• multimedia: pictures, audio, video, icons, shapes and SmartArt diagrams;
• transitions between slides and animations of objects on a slide;
• several views: Normal, Outline, Slide Sorter, Notes Page, Reading View;
• a slide master that changes every slide at once;
• speaker notes and Presenter View for the speaker;
• rehearse timings, self-running shows and export to PDF or video;
• sharing and editing together online (PowerPoint for the web, Google Slides).

Uses: classroom teaching and student projects, school assemblies and parents' meetings, business and NGO reports, training workshops, wedding and birthday slide shows, and information screens in banks, hotels and hospitals.

The ribbon of PowerPoint has the tabs File, Home, Insert, Draw, Design, Transitions, Animations, Slide Show, Record, Review, View and Help. New presentations use widescreen (16:9) slides; Design → Slide Size changes this to 4:3 if a projector needs it.

1Menu bar: the Slide and Slide Show menus hold the slide commands2Slides pane: thumbnails of every slide; drag to change their order3Slide pane: the slide being edited4Status bar: Slide 1 of 175Zoom slider6Sidebar: properties, transitions, animations and master slides

9.2 Creating a presentation: slides, layouts, themes and placeholders

Steps to create a presentation

1. Open PowerPoint and click Blank Presentation (or Ctrl + N). The first slide has the Title Slide layout. (Impress: File → New → Presentation.)
2. Click in Click to add title and type the title; type your name and class in the subtitle placeholder.
3. Home → New Slide (Ctrl + M) adds a slide; the arrow on New Slide lets you choose its layout. Home → Layout changes the layout of the current slide. (Impress: Slide → New Slide, Ctrl + M; Slide → Layout.)
4. Design → Themes: click a theme for the whole presentation; Variants changes its colours, fonts and background. Microsoft 365's Designer (Design → Designer) suggests ready layouts for your content. (Impress: the Master Slides section of the sidebar.)
5. Fill each placeholder: type text, or click the small icons in a content placeholder to insert a table, chart, SmartArt, picture, icon or video.
6. Save with Ctrl + S: PowerPoint saves .pptx; Impress saves .odp (choose PowerPoint format to share with PowerPoint users).

Right-click a thumbnail in the Slides pane to Duplicate, Delete or Hide a slide; drag thumbnails up or down to reorder slides.

9.3 Inserting text, pictures, tables, charts, audio and video

To insert	PowerPoint	Impress	Tips
Text	type in a placeholder; or Insert → Text Box, then drag	Insert → Text Box	keep to short points
Picture	Insert → Pictures → This Device (also Stock Images, Online Pictures)	Insert → Image	resize from a corner handle so it is not stretched
Table	Insert → Table → choose rows × columns	Insert → Table	a few rows only; large type
Chart	Insert → Chart → choose a type → type the data in the small Excel sheet that opens	Insert → Chart → edit the data table	one message per chart
Audio	Insert → Audio → Audio on My PC (or Record Audio)	Insert → Audio or Video	set how it starts on the Playback tab
Video	Insert → Video → This Device (also Stock Videos, Online Videos)	Insert → Audio or Video	short clips; test before the show
SmartArt, icons, shapes	Insert → SmartArt / Icons / Shapes	Insert → Shape	diagrams instead of long lists

1Tabs of the Tabbed interface: Home, Insert, Layout, Slide Show, Review, View2Start from First Slide and Start from Current Slide3Slides pane with thumbnails of all twelve slides4A column chart inserted on the slide5Status bar: Slide 6 of 12

Audio and video options. Click the inserted audio or video and open the Playback tab:

• Start: In Click Sequence or When Clicked On (plays when you click), or Automatically (plays as soon as the slide appears);
• Play Across Slides (keeps music playing through later slides) and Loop until Stopped;
• Hide During Show (for background music), Volume, Trim Audio/Video to cut the start or end.

9.4 Transitions and animations

Adding a transition

1. Select the slide in the Slides pane. Transitions tab → choose an effect (Fade, Push, Wipe, Split, Reveal, Cover, Morph …).
2. Effect Options sets its direction; Duration sets how long it lasts.
3. Advance Slide: tick On Mouse Click, or After and type a time (for a self-running show).
4. Apply To All gives the same transition to every slide.

(Impress: Slide → Slide Transition, or the Slide Transition section of the sidebar.)

Adding an animation

1. Select the object (for example the text placeholder).
2. Animations tab → choose an effect. The four groups are colour-coded: - Entrance (green): the object appears — Appear, Fade, Fly In, Zoom; - Emphasis (yellow): it draws attention while visible — Pulse, Grow/Shrink, Spin; - Exit (red): it leaves — Disappear, Fade, Fly Out; - Motion Paths: it moves along a line, arc or custom path.
3. Effect Options (e.g. From Left, By Paragraph); Add Animation gives the same object a second effect.
4. Timing — Start: On Click (waits for a click), With Previous (at the same time as the effect before it), After Previous (when the effect before it ends); Duration; Delay.
5. Animation Pane lists all effects in order; drag to reorder.

(Impress: select the object → Format → Animation, or the Animation section of the sidebar.)

Transition	Animation
effect between slides	effect on an object within a slide
applied to a slide	applied to text, a picture, a chart or a shape
one per slide	many per slide, in an order
Transitions tab	Animations tab
e.g. Fade, Push, Wipe	e.g. Fly In, Pulse, Fly Out, Motion Path

9.5 Slide views, the slide master and running a slide show

Slide views

The View tab, and the small buttons on the status bar, switch between views (Impress: the View menu).

View	What it shows	Used for
Normal	one slide large, with thumbnails and the notes pane	creating and editing slides (the usual view)
Outline View	the titles and text of all slides as an outline	typing and organizing the content quickly
Slide Sorter	small thumbnails of all slides in rows	reordering, deleting, hiding slides; setting transitions
Notes Page	the slide with its speaker notes below	writing and printing notes for the speaker
Reading View	the slide show inside a window	checking the show without full screen
Slide Show	slides full-screen, one at a time	presenting to the audience

The slide master

View → Slide Master opens it: the large thumbnail at the top is the slide master and the smaller ones under it are its layouts. Change the title font, add the school logo or a footer there, then click Close Master View. (Impress: View → Master Slide; close with View → Normal.)

Running a slide show

• Slide Show → From Beginning (F5) starts at slide 1; From Current Slide (Shift + F5) starts at the selected slide. (Impress: Slide Show → Start from First Slide, F5.)
• Next slide or animation: click, Space, Enter, → or N. Previous: ←, Backspace or P. Type a slide number and press Enter to jump to it.
• B makes the screen black (press again to return); Esc ends the show.
• Ctrl + L shows a laser pointer and Ctrl + P a pen for writing on the slide.
• With two screens, Presenter View shows the speaker the current slide, the next slide, the notes and a timer while the audience sees only the slide.
• Rehearse Timings records how long you spend on each slide, and Hide Slide keeps a slide out of the show without deleting it.

9.6 Designing an effective presentation

A presentation supports a speaker; it does not replace one. People cannot read a long paragraph and listen at the same time.

Rules for effective slides

1. Plan first: know your audience, your purpose and the 3–5 main points; sketch the slides on paper (a storyboard).
2. One idea per slide, with a clear title.
3. Keywords, not paragraphs. A common guide is the 6 × 6 rule: no more than about six points, each of about six words.
4. Large, readable type: titles about 36–44 pt and body text at least 24 pt (never below 18 pt); one or two plain fonts.
5. Strong contrast: dark text on a light background or light on dark; avoid red on blue and red on green.
6. A consistent design: one theme, the same colours and the same transition throughout.
7. Pictures and charts that explain; a chart is easier than a table of numbers. Give the source of pictures you did not make.
8. Few animations: use them to reveal points one by one, not to spin and bounce.
9. Check spelling, numbers and facts; add slide numbers; end with a summary or Thank you / Questions? slide.
10. Rehearse with a timer: about one to two minutes per slide.

Chapter summary

• Presentation software (PowerPoint, Impress, Google Slides, Keynote, Canva) creates and shows slides; files are .pptx or .odp.
• A layout arranges placeholders on a slide (Title Slide, Title and Content, Two Content, Comparison, Title Only, Picture with Caption); a theme designs all slides; a placeholder holds a title, text or object.
• New slide Ctrl + M; insert pictures, tables, charts, audio and video from the Insert tab; the Playback tab sets how audio and video start.
• A transition works between slides (Transitions tab, Apply To All, Advance After); an animation works on objects (entrance, emphasis, exit, motion paths; On Click, With Previous, After Previous).
• Views: Normal, Outline, Slide Sorter, Notes Page, Reading View, Slide Show. The slide master changes every slide at once.
• Show: F5 from the beginning, Shift + F5 from the current slide, Esc to end; Presenter View for the speaker.
• Effective slides: one idea per slide, 6 × 6 rule, large type, strong contrast, consistent design, few animations, rehearse.

Practice questions

Group A — Objective (1 mark each)

1. Which of these is presentation software? [1]aLibreOffice CalcbLibreOffice ImpresscNotepaddFirefox
2. The default file extension of a PowerPoint presentation is [1]a.docxb.xlsxc.pptxd.odp
3. A dotted box on a slide that shows Click to add title is a [1]athemebplaceholderctransitiondmaster
4. The shortcut key to add a new slide is [1]aCtrl + NbCtrl + McCtrl + SdF5
5. The effect when one slide changes to the next is a [1]atransitionbanimationclayoutdtheme
6. An animation that makes an object appear on the slide belongs to the group [1]aExitbEmphasiscEntrancedMotion Paths
7. The view that shows small thumbnails of all slides for reordering is [1]aNormalbSlide SortercNotes PagedReading View
8. Pressing F5 in PowerPoint [1]asaves the filebstarts the show from the first slidecadds a slidedopens the slide master
9. To put the school logo on every slide at once, use the [1]aslide masterbSlide SortercNotes PagedOutline View
10. An animation set to After Previous starts [1]aon a mouse clickbat the same time as the previous effectcwhen the previous effect endsdat the end of the show
11. According to the 6 × 6 rule, a slide should have at most about [1]asix slidesbsix points of about six words eachcsix picturesdsix colours
12. A 15-slide show advances every 8 seconds. One run lasts [1]a23 sb1 minutec2 minutesd2 minutes 30 seconds

Answers to Group A

1. (b) — Impress is LibreOffice's presentation program.

2. (c) — .pptx; .odp is Impress's format.

3. (b) — a placeholder.

4. (b) — Ctrl + M.

5. (a) — a transition works between slides.

6. (c) — Entrance effects bring objects in.

7. (b) — Slide Sorter.

8. (b) — F5 runs the show from the beginning.

9. (a) — the slide master.

10. (c) — after the previous effect finishes.

11. (b) — six points of about six words.

12. (c) — 15 × 8 = 120 s = 2 minutes.

Group B — Short answer (2 marks each)

1. What is presentation software? Name two examples. [2]
2. Write any four features of presentation software. [2]
3. Define slide layout and theme. [2]
4. Differentiate between a transition and an animation. [2]
5. Write the steps to apply the same transition to all slides. [2]
6. Write the steps to insert a video stored on the computer into a slide. [2]
7. What is the slide master? Why is it useful? [2]
8. Name four views of PowerPoint and write the use of any two. [2]
9. Write the keys used to start a slide show from the beginning, start from the current slide, show a black screen and end the show. [2]
10. Write any four rules for making effective slides. [2]

Answers to Group B

1. Presentation software is application software for creating slides with text, pictures, charts and multimedia and showing them one after another to support a talk. Examples: Microsoft PowerPoint, LibreOffice Impress, Google Slides (any two).

2. Any four: layouts and themes; placeholders; pictures, tables, charts, audio and video; transitions and animations; several views; slide master; speaker notes and Presenter View; rehearse timings; export to PDF or video.

3. A slide layout is the arrangement of placeholders on a slide, such as Title and Content. A theme is a ready-made design of background, colours, fonts and effects applied to all the slides.

4. A transition is the effect when moving from one slide to the next and is set on the Transitions tab; an animation is an effect on an object (text, picture) within a slide and is set on the Animations tab. A slide has one transition but may have many animations.

5. Select a slide → Transitions tab → click an effect such as Fade → set Effect Options and Duration → click Apply To All.

6. Select the slide → Insert tab → Video → This Device → find and select the video file → Insert; then set Start (On Click or Automatically) on the Playback tab.

7. The slide master is the top master slide that stores the design of the presentation — background, fonts, colours, placeholder positions, logo and footer. It is useful because a change made on it appears on every slide at once, saving time and keeping all slides consistent.

8. Normal, Outline View, Slide Sorter, Notes Page, Reading View, Slide Show (any four). Normal — editing one slide; Slide Sorter — reordering and deleting slides; Notes Page — writing speaker notes; Slide Show — presenting full screen (any two uses).

9. F5 — from the beginning; Shift + F5 — from the current slide; B — black screen; Esc — end the show.

10. Any four: one idea per slide; keywords not paragraphs (6 × 6 rule); large type (title 36–44 pt, body at least 24 pt); strong contrast between text and background; one consistent theme; relevant pictures and charts; few animations; check spelling; rehearse.

Group C — Long answer (4 marks each)

1. Write the steps to create a four-slide presentation on "Tourism in Nepal" with a title slide, a picture, a table and a transition on every slide. [4]
2. Explain the four types of animation effect and the three ways an animation can start. [4]
3. Describe any four slide views with the use of each. [4]
4. On a slide, the title has Fade (On Click, 1 s), a picture has Zoom (After Previous, 1.5 s) and a caption has Fly In (With Previous, 1 s, delay 0.5 s). Taking the click as 0 s, find when each starts and ends, and when the slide is fully shown. [4]
5. Your friend's slide has a full paragraph in 12-point yellow text on a white background, three different fonts and a spinning animation on every word. Explain four problems and how to correct them. [4]

Answers to Group C

1. Open PowerPoint → Blank Presentation. Slide 1 (Title Slide): type Tourism in Nepal and your name. Ctrl + M for slide 2 (Title and Content): type four points about tourist places. Ctrl + M for slide 3: Insert → Pictures → This Device → choose a photo of Pokhara → Insert, and add a title. Ctrl + M for slide 4: Insert → Table → 3 columns × 4 rows, type the places, districts and attractions. Design → choose a theme. Transitions → Fade → Apply To All. Save (Ctrl + S) as Tourism in Nepal.pptx and press F5 to check.

2. Entrance (green) — the object appears, e.g. Fly In, Fade. Emphasis (yellow) — draws attention while visible, e.g. Pulse, Spin. Exit (red) — the object leaves, e.g. Fly Out, Disappear. Motion Paths — the object moves along a line, arc or custom path. Start options: On Click — waits for a click; With Previous — starts together with the previous effect; After Previous — starts when the previous effect ends.

3. Any four. Normal — one slide large with thumbnails and notes, for creating and editing. Outline — the text of all slides as an outline, for writing content. Slide Sorter — thumbnails of all slides, for reordering, deleting, hiding and setting transitions. Notes Page — the slide with its notes, for preparing the speaker's notes. Reading View — the show in a window, for checking. Slide Show — full screen, for presenting.

4. Title: starts at the click, 0 to 1 s. Picture (After Previous): starts when the title ends, 1 to 2.5 s. Caption (With Previous, delay 0.5 s): starts with the picture at 1 s, waits 0.5 s, so 1.5 to 2.5 s. The slide is fully shown at 2.5 s.

5. (1) A full paragraph — the audience reads instead of listening; use 4–6 short points. (2) 12-point text — too small to read from the back; use at least 24 pt. (3) Yellow on white — poor contrast; use dark text on a light background. (4) Three fonts — looks untidy; use one or two plain fonts. (5) Spinning animation on every word — distracting and slow; use a simple entrance such as Appear or Fade by paragraph, or none. (Any four.)