Basics of MS PowerPoint
Discussed below are a few questions that one must be aware of while discussing the basics of MS PowerPoint. Once this is understood, using the program and analysing how to use it more creatively shall become easier.
Question: What is MS PowerPoint?
Answer: PowerPoint (PPT) is a powerful, easy-to-use presentation graphics software program that allows you to create professional-looking electronic slide shows.
The image given below shows the main page of MS PowerPoint, where a person lands when the program is opened on a computer system:

Question: How to open MS PowerPoint on a personal computer?
Answer: Follow the steps below to open MS PowerPoint on a personal computer:
- Click on the start button
- Then choose “All Programs”
- Next step is to select “MS Office”
- Under MS Office, click on the “MS PowerPoint”
A blank presentation is open on the screen. According to the requirement, a person can modify the template for a presentation and start using the program.
Question: What is a PowerPoint presentation or PPT?
Answer: A combination of various slides depicting a graphical and visual interpretation of data, to present information in a more creative and interactive manner is called a PowerPoint presentation or PPT.
Question: What is a slide show in a PowerPoint presentation?
Answer: When all the slides of a PowerPoint presentation are set in series and then presented to a group of people, where each slide appears one after the other, is a set pattern, this is known as a PowerPoint slide show.
Question: What all elements can be added to a slide?
Answer: The following elements can be added to a PowerPoint slide:
- Clip Art
- Graphs
- Tables
- Photographs
- Charts
- Media Clips
- Videos
All these elements are mainly used to enhance presentation skills and make the slide more interactive.
Features of MS PowerPoint
There are multiple features that are available in MS PowerPoint which can customise and optimise a presentation. The same have been discussed below.
Multiple options and layouts are available based on which a presentation can be created. This option is available under the “Home” section and one can select from the multiple layout options provided.
The image below shows the different slide layout options which are available for use:

- Insert – Clipart, Video, Audio, etc.
Under the “Insert” category, multiple options are available where one can choose what feature they want to insert in their presentation. This may include images, audio, video, header, footer, symbols, shapes, etc.
The image below shows the features which can be inserted:

MS PowerPoint has various themes using which background colour and designs or textures can be added to a slide. This makes the presentation more colourful and attracts the attention of the people looking at it.
This feature can be added using the “Design” category mentioned on the homepage of MS PowerPoint. Although there are existing design templates available, in case someone wants to add some new texture or colour, the option to customise the design is also available.

During the slide show, the slides appear on the screen one after the other. In case, one wants to add some animations to the way in which a slide presents itself, they can refer to the “Animations” category.
The different animation styles available on PowerPoint are: