PowerPoint: slide shows, transitions and animations
Match the view to the task
Creating slides, arranging their sequence and presenting them are different tasks.
| View | Main purpose here |
|---|---|
| Normal | Create and edit slide content |
| Slide Sorter | See slide thumbnails and organise their sequence |
| Slide Show | Play the presentation for an audience |
You can also reorder slides in a thumbnail pane; Slide Sorter is not the only way. Available views and controls vary by platform and version. This lesson focuses on their purposes rather than identical buttons everywhere.
Fix the sequence before adding effects
Suppose three slides are in this order:
Before: Title, Summary, Example.
You want the example before the summary:
After: Title, Example, Summary.
Move the actual slide thumbnails into that sequence. Moving a picture within one slide changes the picture's position, not the order of the slides.
In Microsoft's documented desktop workflow, From Beginning starts the slide show at the first slide; From Current Slide starts at the selected slide. Use the start position that matches what you want to review. Command wording can differ on other platforms.
Transition or animation: what receives the effect?
| Effect | Target |
|---|---|
| Transition | The change between slides; set on the arriving slide |
| Animation | An element within a slide, such as text, a shape or a picture |
For a transition from slide 2 to slide 3, select slide 3 to configure its transition. To make an answer appear while slide 3 remains on screen, apply an entrance animation to the answer object on that slide.
Animation does not have to mean moving across the screen: an object can appear, disappear or receive emphasis. Similar-looking effects can be used in different contexts. Identify the target and context rather than classifying an effect only by its name or appearance.
- Arrange the slides as Title, Example, Summary, using their thumbnails.
- To check the change from slide 2 to slide 3, select the arriving slide 3 and preview its transition.
- To reveal an answer within slide 3, select that answer object and use a suitable entrance animation.
- Play from the beginning to review the complete sequence and effects. Check whether each effect helps the explanation.
Preview in the intended presentation environment. An effect can help guide attention, but it cannot correct wrong content or guarantee a clear explanation. Use effects for a purpose rather than adding them to every item.
Five practice checks
- The slides are ordered Title, Summary, Example. You want Title, Example, Summary. Which action directly changes their sequence?
Show answer
Correct answer: B
Reordering the slide thumbnails changes the sequence of slides. Moving or formatting an object within a slide does not change that slide's position in the presentation.
Option A: The picture moves within its slide; the slide sequence stays the same.
Option C: Font colour affects the appearance of text, not the slide order.
Option D: An object animation affects an element within a slide, not the sequence of slides.
Hint: Select the pages themselves rather than objects inside them.
- In the documented desktop workflow, slide 3 is selected, but you want to review the presentation from slide 1. Which starting choice fits?
Show answer
Correct answer: D
From Beginning starts with the first slide. From Current Slide starts with the selected slide, which is slide 3 in this example.
Option A: This starts at selected slide 3, not at slide 1.
Option B: Changing the background is an editing action, not a choice of slide-show starting position.
Option C: Adding a text object does not choose where the slide show begins.
Hint: Match the starting choice to the first slide you want to see.
- You want to configure the transition from slide 2 to slide 3. Which target should you select?
Show answer
Correct answer: A
The transition for this change is applied to the arriving slide 3. Selecting an individual text box or picture instead is not selecting that slide's transition target.
Option B: A text box is an element on slide 2, not the arriving slide for the change from 2 to 3.
Option C: A filename identifies the stored presentation, not a transition target.
Option D: A picture on slide 1 is neither the arriving slide 3 nor this slide boundary.
Hint: Think about which slide appears after the change.
- Slide 3 stays on screen while one answer text box appears. Which effect fits this goal?
Show answer
Correct answer: C
The target is one answer object within the same slide, so an entrance animation fits. A transition concerns a change between slides.
Option A: The goal keeps slide 3 on screen; it does not ask to change to another slide.
Option B: Changing the background alone does not give the answer object an entrance effect.
Option D: Reordering a slide changes its place in the presentation, not how its answer object appears.
Hint: Is the target a whole slide boundary or one object within the current slide?
- Two effects look similar. What is the best way to distinguish an animation from a transition?
Show answer
Correct answer: B
Classify by target and context: an animation acts on an element within a slide; a transition concerns the change between slides. Similar names or appearances alone are not enough.
Option A: Speed does not define whether the target is an element or a slide boundary.
Option C: A name alone can be misleading; inspect what receives the effect.
Option D: Some transitions can make objects appear to move between slides, so movement alone is not a reliable test.
Hint: Identify what receives the effect before deciding its category.
A three-part check
Sequence first. Start position next. Effect target last. Check that the presentation tells the intended story before relying on its effects.
Source notes: Microsoft on reordering slides, presentation tasks and starting positions, presenting a slide show and animations versus transitions. Examples and practice questions are original.
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