Writing an Introductory Paragraph

Use an appropriate transitional word or phrase, such as “however” or “similarly,” to move from your specific anecdote back out to a broader scope. A startling or shocking statistic can grab your audience’s attention by immediately teaching them something they didn’t know. Having learned something new in the first sentence, people will be interested to see where you go next. Yes, it is okay to change the first paragraph at any time! It’s always a good idea to revise the first paragraph so it aligns with the rest of the essay.

  • More lifeforms are living on your skin than people living on this planet.
  • Choosing the best start for your paragraph is all about understanding the purpose of this paragraph within the wider context of the preceding paragraphs and your essay as a whole.
  • This hook should be exciting and make the audience assume things.

Narratives and/or descriptions, e.g. of your own experiences. They’re not statements of fact; they’re debatable points that you prove with evidence. Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 4,209,002 times. Avoid including fluff such as “In this essay, I will attempt to show….” Instead, dive right in and make your claim, bold and proud.

Sentence Starters: To Give Examples

If you’ve created an outline for your essay, this sentence is essentially the main subjects of each paragraph of the body of your essay. It can be helpful to think of your introduction as an upside-down pyramid.

  • Demonic English teacher who makes people feel like worms.
  • – Thankfully, we don’t have a story like that to relate to, but we bet we piqued your interest.
  • For this reason, it’s better to ditch overused, formulaic introductions for something more unique.
  • Answer basic Skinny or informational questions like who, what, where, when.
  • As you researched your topic, you probably discovered some interesting anecdotes, quotes, or trivial facts.

This means it’s important to avoid boring, predictable introductory techniques. Connect the descriptive anecdote to the overall point of your essay. If your essay is about an experience, you can open it by narrating a significant moment that was part of that experience. This isn’t a necessity, but a short, intriguing opening sentence can be especially powerful. If my life were a play, there would be two sets, two acts, and two sets of characters. Even then, we recommend keeping the introduction to around 20% of the essay. In the introduction, you do not need to summarize or preview everything that will be discussed in the essay.

Picking the right tone

It must include all necessary information on the setting, locations, and chronological events. It needs to include baseline information about your subject. And, if you place an order on our coursework writing services, we will certainly comply with your introduction length requirements. ‘I’d like to recall the day I nearly burned myself in flames in my automobile while going 250 mph and escaping the police’.

You can also have friends or family members read your easy. If they feel it’s choppy or jumps from the introduction into the essay, see what you can do to smooth it out.

Research Tips and Tricks: Constructing an Essay

They appear in the first sentence of the paragraph and tell your reader what’s inside the paragraph. Quote – Using a famous quote can get readers interested to see where you’re going.

essay first sentence

We all knew who ‘she’ was; we didn’t even have to ask. These three types of camping troubles can strike campers almost anywhere. Until some brilliant scientist invents a weather machine to control bad weather or a kind of wildlife repellant, unlucky campers will continue to shake their fists in frustration. More than likely, equipment will continue to malfunction.

How To Start A Paragraph: 200+ Important Words And Phrases

You can actually use any of the methods we described earlier; it all depends on what exactly you want to talk about. It is not recommended to start with a dictionary-like definition. It won’t provide any value in terms of your creativity and insight. But, you can start with a funny or puzzling definition that aims to make the reader smile or get curious. Not specific enough — your introduction should not be too broad.

essay first sentence

Example – Yogi Berra once said, ‘It ain’t over till it’s over’. Keeping the sentences on topic and aligned with the content of the rest of the paragraph is very important. Sentences should relate to each other and build off of the information that was previously discussed. Starting an essay is one of the places where writers can get stuck.

Improve With Our Famous Guides

Second, it gives your reader a roadmap of what you’re going to say and the overarching point you’re going to make – your thesis statement. A powerful introduction grabs your reader’s attention and keeps them reading. Without the first paragraph, you risk dropping the reader into your argument without any introduction. The first paragraph is prime real estate for getting your reader into the mindset. Generally speaking, a persuasive essay must include three supporting facts.

  • The third paragraph of the body should contain the weakest argument, weakest example, weakest illustration, or an obvious follow up to the second paragraph in the body.
  • This opening sentence establishes voice because it shows how passionate the writer was about their dislike of math despite not knowing why.
  • Everyone is too lazy to take out a dictionary to look it up, so we just hash it out.
  • Check that they match each other in length as closely as possible, and try to mirror the formula you used in each.
  • To help you write a compelling college essay introduction, follow the tips listed here.

A hook is among the most effective parts of a introduction paragraph to start an essay. A strong hook will always engage the reader in only one sentence. Delve into the article if you’re wondering how to start an essay with a strong introduction. This is the ultimate guide for writing the parts of a introduction paragraph from our custom essay first sentence dissertation writing service to engage your readers. Fundamentally, it’s an attention-grabbing first sentence that piques an audience’s interest and encourages them to keep reading. While writing an essay, a strong hook in essay introductions is essential. It also establishes voice because it shows the writer’s knowledge about rap music.

How to start a paragraph: 200+ top words and phrases for a winning first sentence

In reality, I was supposed to be in geometry, and when I discovered my error, I had already missed the first twenty minutes of a one-hour class. The only thing I did hear was that we were having a quiz tomorrow over today’s lecture.

Startling statistics are among the most effective hooks. For example, if your paper is on obesity, you might include a shocking statistic that demonstrates the high prevalence of obesity in the United States.

Recap: How to Write a College Essay Introduction

As with any piece of writing, it’s important to consider your audience when writing a college essay. Our new student and parent forum, at ExpertHub.PrepScholar.com, allow you to interact with your peers and the PrepScholar staff. See how other students and parents are navigating high school, college, and the college admissions process. You don’t have to write the introduction first, and you certainly don’t have to write your first sentence first. Instead, start by developing your story by telling it out loud to a friend. You can then work on your first sentence and your pivot. We’ve collected many examples of college essays published by colleges and offered a breakdown of how several of them are put together.

Because each sentence essentially has its own individual topic, these writings frequently jump from point to point, sometimes abruptly. Sentence starters help ease the process for the reader by smoothing over jarring transitions and preparing the reader for the next topic. It’s often easier to write the introductory how to start a quote paragraph after you’ve written the first draft of the main part of the paper . After the drafting stage, your research and main points are fresh in your mind, and your thesis statement has been polished to gleaming. It’s typically honed during the drafting stage, as research may have necessitated its adjustment.

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