What is the basic structure of a presentation?

Opening, body and close. The opening hooks the audience and says where you're going, the body makes your case in two to four sections, and the close sums up and asks for something.

How many main points should a presentation have?

Two to four for most talks, three being the most common. In a 5-minute talk, two strong points are often better than three thin ones.

Where does Q&A go in a presentation?

Usually after your summary but before your final line. That way you still end on your own words, not on the last question.

How many slides do I need for a 10-minute presentation?

There's no fixed rule. Many people use about one slide per minute, but fewer slides with less on each is usually easier to follow.

Should I write out my whole presentation?

Writing it out once helps you find the words. Then cut it to an outline of key phrases and speak from that, so it sounds like talking, not reading.

How to Structure a Presentation: Simple Outlines That Work

Start with one sentence

Before you pick an outline, write your main message as one sentence. Not the topic ("Q3 results") but the point ("Q3 was strong, but we need two more hires to keep it going"). Every section of your outline should support that sentence. Anything that doesn't, cut.

Then decide what you want the audience to do or think afterwards. That decides the outline.

If you want them to…	Use
Agree to a decision or change	Problem-solution
Understand where things stand and what's next	Past-present-future
Learn or remember a few things	Three points
Feel something and remember it	Story

Timing rules for any outline

Section	Share of time	5 min	10 min	20 min
Opening (hook, why it matters, roadmap)	~10%	0:30	1:00	2:00
Body	~80%	4:00	8:00	16:00
Close (summary and ask)	~10%	0:30	1:00	2:00

At a typical presentation pace of about 130–150 words per minute, a 5-minute talk is roughly 650–750 words, a 10-minute one 1,300–1,500, and 20 minutes 2,600–3,000. The speech length calculator converts your draft. Leave Q&A out of these numbers; it's separate time.

Outline 1: Problem-solution

Best for proposals, pitches, budget requests and any talk where you want a decision.

Part	What to say	5 min	10 min	20 min
Opening	Hook that shows the problem's cost	0:00–0:30	0:00–1:00	0:00–2:00
Problem	What's wrong, with evidence and who it affects	0:30–1:45	1:00–3:30	2:00–7:00
Solution	What you propose and how it works	1:45–3:15	3:30–6:30	7:00–13:00
Proof and objections	Why it'll work; answer the obvious "but…"	3:15–4:30	6:30–9:00	13:00–18:00
Close	Summary and the decision you want	4:30–5:00	9:00–10:00	18:00–20:00

Common mistake: spending so long on the problem that the solution gets rushed. The solution and proof together should be at least half the body.

Outline 2: Past-present-future

Best for project updates, quarterly reviews, strategy talks and change announcements.

Part	What to say	5 min	10 min	20 min
Opening	The headline: where we are in one sentence	0:00–0:30	0:00–1:00	0:00–2:00
Past	Where we started or what we planned	0:30–1:30	1:00–3:00	2:00–6:00
Present	Where we are now: results, problems, numbers	1:30–3:00	3:00–6:00	6:00–12:00
Future	What happens next and what's needed	3:00–4:30	6:00–9:00	12:00–18:00
Close	Recap and the one thing you need from them	4:30–5:00	9:00–10:00	18:00–20:00

Common mistake: a long history. The past is context; keep it the shortest of the three.

Outline 3: Three points

Best for teaching, training, informative talks and class presentations. Three is enough to feel complete and few enough to remember.

Part	What to say	5 min	10 min	20 min
Opening	Hook, then "I'll cover three things: A, B and C"	0:00–0:30	0:00–1:00	0:00–2:00
Point 1	Claim, explanation, example	0:30–1:50	1:00–3:40	2:00–7:20
Point 2	Claim, explanation, example	1:50–3:10	3:40–6:20	7:20–12:40
Point 3	Claim, explanation, example	3:10–4:30	6:20–9:00	12:40–18:00
Close	Repeat A, B and C; what to do with them	4:30–5:00	9:00–10:00	18:00–20:00

Use clear signposts between points: "That's the first. The second is…". Put your strongest point last, or first if you might run short of time.

Outline 4: Story

Best for keynotes, motivational talks, all-hands, award speeches and personal talks.

Part	What to say	5 min	10 min	20 min
Opening	Drop into the story at a vivid moment	0:00–0:30	0:00–1:00	0:00–2:00
Setup	Who, where, what was at stake	0:30–1:30	1:00–3:00	2:00–5:00
Struggle	What went wrong, what was tried	1:30–3:00	3:00–6:00	5:00–11:00
Turn	The change, decision or discovery	3:00–3:45	6:00–7:30	11:00–14:00
Lesson	What it means for the audience	3:45–4:30	7:30–9:00	14:00–18:00
Close	Call back to the opening; one line to take home	4:30–5:00	9:00–10:00	18:00–20:00

Common mistake: a great story with no lesson. The lesson section is where you turn "that happened to me" into "this matters to you".

How to build it in 30 minutes

Write your one-sentence message (2 min).
Pick the outline from the table above (1 min).
Fill each part with one line saying what it covers (5 min).
Add one example, number or story per body section (10 min).
Write your first and last sentences in full (5 min). See how to start a speech and how to end a presentation.
Say it out loud once with a timer (7 min). Note which part ran over.

Slides come after the outline, not before. Building slides first is how presentations end up structured around the slides instead of the message.

Short talks need less, not faster

If you have five minutes, don't squeeze a 10-minute outline into it by speaking faster. Cut sections. A 5-minute three-point talk often works better as a two-point talk. For more on very short formats, see how to structure a 5-minute presentation.

In Speaking Coach you can add your slides as a PDF, swipe through them while you speak, then answer the questions your audience would ask, which is a quick way to find the part of your outline that doesn't hold up.