essay starter sentences examples

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Sentence Starters: Ultimate List to Improve Your Essays and Writing

Ashley Shaw

This blog post is going to be about … No. Too boring.

Today, I am going to talk to you about ... No. Too specific.

This is a blog post for all writers ... Nope. Too generic.

Has this ever been you while writing? I get it. Writing a good sentence can be hard, and when you have to string a whole lot of them together, the task can become daunting. So what do you do?

From the first sentence you write to the very last, you want each one to show your style and motivate your reader to keep reading. In this post, we are going to think about how you start your sentences.

What Is a Good Sentence Starter for an Essay Introduction?

What is a good sentence starter for a body paragraph, 25 useful transitions, can i repeat a sentence starter, how can i rephrase "in conclusion".

The first paragraph of a paper can make or break your grade. It is what gets your audience into the topic and sets the whole stage. Because of this, it is important to get your readers hooked early.

The first sentence of a paper is often called the hook. It shouldn’t be anything ordinary. It should have strong language and be a little surprising, with an interesting fact, story, statistic, or quote on the topic.

Because it is designed to pull the reader in and surprise them a little, it is often good to avoid pre-written sentence starter examples when writing your hook. Just get into it here, and worry about the flow later.

Here are some examples:

Spider webs were once used as bandages.

I taught myself to read when I was three. At least, that’s the story my parents tell.

Recent studies suggest that the average person lies at least once in every conversation.

“The world is bleeding and humans wield the knife,” or so says environmental scientist So Andso.

(P.S. Except for example 1, which is true, I just made all of these up to demonstrate my point. So, please don’t quote me on these!)

Once you jump right in with your hook, it is time to start working on ways to move sentences along. Here is where you may need some sentence starter examples.

In your first paragraph, you basically want to connect your hook to your thesis. You’ll do this with a few sentences setting up the stage for your topic and the claim you will make about it. To do that, follow the tips found in the next section on body paragraphs and general sentence starter tips.

Many of the tips I am about to discuss can be used anywhere in a paper, but they are especially helpful when writing body paragraphs.

Let’s start with one of the most important types of sentence starter in essay writing: transition words.

How Do I Use Transitions in an Essay?

If you want to start writing terrific sentences (and improve your essay structure ), the first thing you should do is start using transition words.

Transition words are those words or phrases that help connect thoughts and ideas. They move one sentence or paragraph into another, and they make things feel less abrupt.

The good thing about transition words is that you probably know a lot of them already and currently use them in your speech. Now, you just need to transition them into your writing. (See what I did there?)

Before we get into examples of what a good transition word is, let’s look at a paragraph without any transitions:

I went to the store. I bought bacon and eggs. I saw someone I knew. I said hello. I went to the cashier. They checked me out. I paid. I got my groceries. I went to my car. I returned home.

Yikes! That is some boring writing. It was painful to write, and I am sure it is even worse to read. There are two reasons for this:

• I start every sentence with the same word (more on this later)
• There are no signposts showing me how the ideas in the paragraph connect.

In an essay, you need to show how each of your ideas relate to each other to build your argument. If you just make a series of statements one after the other, you’re not showing your instructor that you actually understand those statements, or your topic.

How do we fix this? Transition words. Roughly 25% of your sentences should start with a transition word. If you can hit that number in your essay, you’ll know that you’ve made meaningful steps towards demonstrating your understanding.

Of course, hitting that number isn’t enough—those transitions need to be meaningful. Let’s look at the different types of transitions and how you can use them.

What Are Words Like First , Next , and Last Called?

You probably already use some transitions in your essays. For example, if you start a paragraph with firstly , you’ve used a transition word. But transitions can do so much more!

Here are 25 common transitional words and phrases that you could use in your essay:

• Additionally / In Addition
• Alternatively / Conversely
• As a result of
• At this time
• Consequently
• Contrary to
• First(ly), Second(ly), etc.
• In contrast
• Nonetheless
• On the other hand
• Particularly / In particular
• In other words

This list isn’t exhaustive, but it is a good start.

These words show different types of relationships between ideas. These relationships fall into four main categories: Emphasis , Contrast , Addition , and Order .

What Are Emphasis Transition Words?

These phrases are used when you want to highlight a point. Examples from my above list include clearly , particularly , and indeed . Want to see some more? Follow my bolded transitions: Undoubtedly , you understand now. It should be noted that you don’t need to worry.

How Do You Use Addition Transitions?

These words add on to what you just said. These are words like along with , moreover , and also . Here are some more: Not only are you going to be great at transitions after this, but you will also be good at writing sentences. Furthermore , everyone is excited to see what you have to say.

How Can I Use Transitions to Contrast Ideas?

This is the opposite of addition, and you use it when you want to show an alternative view or to compare things. Examples from my list include words like nonetheless , contrary to , and besides .

Here are some more: Unlike people who haven’t read this article, you are going to be really prepared to write great sentences. Even so , there is still a lot more about writing to learn.

How Do I Order Ideas in My Essay?

A good first step is using order transition words.

This set of transitions helps mark the passage of time or gives an order to events. From the list, think of things like first and finally . Now for some extras: At this time yesterday , you were worried about starting sentences. Following this , though, you will be an expert.

Now that you get the concept of transitions, let’s go back to that poorly written paragraph above and add some in to see what happens:

This morning , I went to the store. While I was there, I bought bacon and eggs. Then I saw someone I knew. So I said hello. After that , I went to the cashier. At that time , they checked me out. First , I paid. Next , I got my groceries. Following that , I went to my car. Finally , I returned home.

(Notice the use of commas after most of these transitions!)

This isn’t the best paragraph I’ve ever written. It still needs a lot of work. However, notice what a difference just adding transitions makes. This is something simple but effective you can start doing to make your sentences better today.

If you want to check your transition usage, try ProWritingAid’s Transitions report . You’ll see how many of each type of transition word you've used so you can pin-point where you might be losing your reader.

Sign up for a free ProWritingAid account to try it out.

What Are Some Linking Phrases I Can Use in My Essay?

As well as individual words, you can also use short phrases at the beginning of your sentences to transition between ideas. I just did it there— "As well as individual words" shows you how this section of the article is related to the last.

Here are some more phrases like this:

As shown in the example,

As a result of this,

After the meeting,

While this may be true,

Though researchers suggest X,

Before the war began,

Until we answer this question,

Since we cannot assume this to be true,

While some may claim Y,

Because we know that Z is true,

These short phrases are called dependent clauses . See how they all end with a comma? That's because they need you to add more information to make them into complete sentences.

• While some may claim that chocolate is bad for you, data from a recent study suggests that it may have untapped health benefits .
• Since we cannot assume that test conditions were consistent, it is impossible to reach a solid conclusion via this experiment .
• As a result of this, critics disagree as to the symbolism of the yellow car in The Great Gatsby .

The bolded text in each example could stand on its own as a complete sentence. However, if we take away the first part of each sentence, we lose our connection to the other ideas in the essay.

These phrases are called dependent clauses : they depend on you adding another statement to the sentence to complete them. When you use a sentence starter phrase like the ones above in your writing, you signal that the new idea you have introduced completes (or disrupts) the idea before it.

Note: While some very short dependent clauses don’t need a comma, most do. Since it is not wrong to use one on even short ones (depending on the style guide being used), it is a good idea to include one every time.

Along with missing transitions and repeating sentence structure, another thing that stops sentences from being great is too much repetition. Keep your sentences sharp and poignant by mixing up word choices to start your sentences.

You might start your sentence with a great word, but then you use that same word 17 sentences in a row. After the first couple, your sentences don’t sound as great. So, whether it is varying the transitional phrases you use or just mixing up the sentence openers in general, putting in some variety will only improve your sentences.

ProWritingAid lets you know if you’ve used the same word repeatedly at the start of your sentences so you can change it.

The Repeats Report also shows you all of the repeats in your document. If you've used a sentence starter and then repeated it a couple of paragraphs down, the report will highlight it for you.

Try the Repeats Report with a free ProWritingAid account.

Now that you have your introduction sentences and body sentences taken care of, let’s talk a little about conclusion sentences. While you will still use transitions and clauses as in the body, there are some special considerations here.

Your conclusion is what people will remember most after they finish reading your paper. So, you want to make it stand out. Don’t just repeat yourself; tell them what they should do with what you just told them!

Use the tips from above, but also remember the following:

Be unique. Not only should you vary the words you use to start different sentences, but you should also think outside of the box. If you use the same conclusion sentence starter everyone else is using, your ideas will blend in too.

Be natural. Some of the best writing out there is writing that sounds natural. This goes for academic writing, too. While you won’t use phrases like "at the end of the day" in essay writing, stilted phrases like "in conclusion" can disrupt the flow you’ve created earlier on.

Here are some alternatives to "in conclusion" you could use in an essay:

• To review, ... (best for scientific papers where you need to restate your key points before making your final statement)
• As has been shown, ...
• In the final analysis, ...
• Taking everything into account, ...
• On the whole, ...
• Generally speaking, ...

If you’re looking for more ways to rephrase "in conclusion," take a look at our complete list of synonyms you can use.

There may not be a set word or words that you can use to make your sentences perfect. However, when you start using these tips, you’ll start to see noticeable improvement in your writing.

If you’ve ever heard people talk about pacing and flow in academic writing, and you have no idea what they mean or how to improve yours, then this is your answer. These tips will help your writing sound more natural, which is how you help your ideas flow.

Take your writing to the next level:

20 Editing Tips from Professional Writers

Whether you are writing a novel, essay, article, or email, good writing is an essential part of communicating your ideas., this guide contains the 20 most important writing tips and techniques from a wide range of professional writers..

Be confident about grammar

Check every email, essay, or story for grammar mistakes. Fix them before you press send.

Ashley Shaw is a former editor and marketer/current PhD student and teacher. When she isn't studying con artists for her dissertation, she's thinking of new ways to help college students better understand and love the writing process.

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Starter Sentences for Essays: Examples and How to write them

Starter Sentences for Essays

Starter sentences are very important when aiming to write an essay that will guarantee excellent grades. They help your essay to sound good and flow well since they make your work engage more with the writer while making it interesting to read. You might be wondering what I’m talking about.

Well, in simple terms, sentence starters or starter sentences are phrases that are placed at the beginning of a sentence to introduce the content or information that is contained within the sentence. They can also be placed at the start of a paragraph to introduce the paragraph’s content.

While there are various combinations of starter sentences that can be used, it is important to avoid repeating the same combination of words or phrases while starting every sentence. Your essay will be interesting instead of sounding repetitive. 

Need Help with your Homework or Essays?

Importance of good essay starters, 1. they bring out richer ideas.

One of the major importance of good essay starters is helping you come up with richer and more nuanced ideas. Without them, you will find that your essays will have a regular habit of containing simple subject-verb sentence structures that are not only uninteresting but also unstimulating to the creative mind. 

Good essay starters can stimulate your mind in such a way that you come up with better ideas to support your claims in your academic essays. They also ensure that your work is more refined.

2. Starter sentences Link Ideas 

When good essay starters are used, they can help in linking ideas from one paragraph to the other.

They can also aid in transitioning from one section of your essay, let’s say the introduction, to the body paragraphs, and finally to the conclusion. 

Good essay starters can act as transitions and sentence-starting phrases that transition from one idea to the next smoothly.

They are capable of linking ideas in such a way that the reader will effortlessly flow with the essay from the start to the end.

3. They increase Credibility and Professionalism

As aforementioned, sentence or essay starters are made up of words that introduce the ideas that will be presented within a sentence, a paragraph, or an entire essay.

As such, those words should be carefully selected so that they can effectively serve their intended purpose of introducing, transitioning, and making the essay more interesting and flowing.

Therefore, if you carefully select the appropriate words to act as essay starters, then your academic paper will sound more professional and credible. If such phrases achieve their intended use, the reader will automatically notice and appreciate your essay.

4. Arouse the Reader’s Attention and Anticipation

Good essay starters will ensure that the reader is attentive throughout the essay. Since you will be using different essay starters in different sections or paragraphs of your essay, it means that their attention will be renewed every time they start reading the next paragraph or section. They will anticipate the information that has been introduced by the essay/sentence starter. 

Your readers will be curious and engaged concerning your next claim or argument. Your essay will not be plain and predictable as in the case of essays that lack essay starters.

5. They make Essays Stand Out

When good essay starters are appropriately used, they make your essay stand out from the rest. This is because they make your essay interesting, flowing, professional, and well-researched.

When you are about to make an important point, it is good to use linking and transitional words to start your essay. Your concepts and ideas will be better understood when essay starters are used. 

6. Understanding the Content

For those who are reading an essay, good essay starters will help you understand the type of content you are about to read and think about. You can be told to write an essay based on some specific reading.

Essay starters will help you understand the content better so that you can be able to come up with your essay. 

7. Helps Simplify Linguistically Complex Ideas

Some essays will require you to tackle complex linguistic ideas. Good essay starters can help simplify such ideas in such a way that you, as a writer, can produce a coherent essay, and the readers can comprehend your claims and arguments.

As such, good essay starters are very instrumental when writing persuasive essays, argumentative essays, analytical essays, and contrast essays. They can be used to analyze/predict, explain, and demonstrate cause and effect. 

Tips when Starting Essays

When starting essays, it is important to consider the topic or the subject of your essay and your audience. In writing good essays , one step is starting with an interesting piece that grabs the reader’s read.

As such, you should first pose a specific question concerning the topic and suggest a correct answer in anticipation of what your audience or readers might respond to.

A strong thesis statement should follow so that you can base your claims and arguments on them.

Your entire essay will be based on the question/answer and the strong thesis statement.

To effectively start an essay, take note of the tips below to deliver a perfect essay introduction.

1. Start with Something Interesting

If you wish to start an essay well, ensure that you share some interesting or shocking facts concerning your topic. Here, you will have to consider your audience’s perspective towards the interesting or shocking fact.

Ensure that the fact is appropriate and relevant to your topic or subject. In our guide on how to write a good paragraph , we explained the importance of such interesting starts because they grab the reader’s attention.

2. Asking a Relevant Question

You can also start your essay by posing a relevant question and immediately answering it. Such a question should be posed in such a way that the readers would want to answer it while still anticipating your answer.

When you immediately answer the question, you invite your audience to consider your response.

3. The Thesis Statement

It is very important to have a strong thesis statement while starting your essay. In most cases, academic papers should have a strong thesis statement in the introduction paragraph.

Some instructors can downgrade you if your essay does not contain a thesis statement in the introduction paragraph.

Once you have identified the thesis statement, place it in the last sentence of the introduction paragraph because the rest of the essay will be based on it. Credible arguments within the body paragraphs will support the claims stated by the thesis statement. 

4. Be Descriptive

When starting your essay, dedicate a few sentences to describe things. You can use anecdotes, quotes, and other relevant rhetorical features to make your readers understand what your essay will be discussing. 

While doing all this, make sure that you have selected the most intriguing topic. Evaluate all the options given to you by your instructor so that you can define the key purpose of your essay.

Once this is done, study the most appropriate literature and conduct thorough research. Come up with a proper outline. Outlines will help you organize your ideas and thoughts into categories to make your writing process easier. 

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36 Examples of Starter Sentences for Different Essays

The section below will give a number of examples that we think will help you get a direction of what to do. To do that, we have divided these examples into 4 categories; persuasive essays, argumentative, analytical, and contrast essays.

9 Good Examples of Starter Sentences for Persuasive Essays

• In my opinion…
• I’m sure of…
• We all know…
• I feel that…
• We all agree…
• While I agree…
• You must agree that…

Nine Good Starter Sentences for Argumentative Essays

• In addition to…
• For example…
• As well as…
• Furthermore…
• Coupled with…
• Correspondingly…
• One other thing is that…

9 Good Starter Sentences for Analytical Essays

• As a result…
• Accordingly…
• Consequently…
• For this reason….
• This is why…
• As you can see/notice…
• For all of this…
• For all of those reasons…
• Because of/due to the reason that…

9 Good Starter Sentences for Contrast Essays

• In contrast to…
• Nevertheless…
• On the one hand…
• On the contrary…
• Even though this is the case…
• Conversely,
• On the other end,

Josh Jasen or JJ as we fondly call him, is a senior academic editor at Grade Bees in charge of the writing department. When not managing complex essays and academic writing tasks, Josh is busy advising students on how to pass assignments. In his spare time, he loves playing football or walking with his dog around the park.

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How To Start An Essay (With 20 Great Examples)

Starting your essay is probably the most difficult thing to do in the whole writing process.

Facing a blank page and unsure how to start your essay? Crafting a compelling essay isn’t innate for everyone. While it’s about presenting clear ideas, even top students can struggle. For many, meeting deadlines or ensuring quality becomes daunting, leading them to consult professionals like do my essay cheap . These experts whip up top-tier essays swiftly. A standout essay can elevate your academic status, with the introduction being the pivotal hook. Many opt to hire essay writers for that impeccable start. But crafting an engaging intro is doable. Want to captivate your readers immediately? Or impress academic panels? If the task still feels daunting, there’s always the option to buy assignments online for guaranteed quality. But let’s explore ways to start an essay on your own.

How to start your essay? – The most straightforward advice

In his famous book  “On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft” , Stephen King said: “The scariest moment is always just before you start.” So the best thing to do is to start writing as soon as you can. It doesn’t have to be perfect. Just sit down and write anything, because the Muse comes to those who are brave enough to start. Maybe you’ll throw half of it away, but at least you’ll have something to hang on to.

How to begin your essay? – The lengthier and more appropriate advice

The aim of an academic essay is usually to persuade readers to change their minds about something. It can also be a descriptive, expository, argumentative, or narrative essay .

But regardless of the  format of the essay , the introduction should still have these basic ingredients:

• Introduce the topic – let the reader know what is it about straight away.
• Put the topic in an appropriate context. Frame it, and provide some background information.
• Narrow down the focus. If your essay is too broad, you’ll lose the interest of the reader and fail to address the important issue.
• Answer an important question or make a strong statement which you’ll defend throughout the essay.
• Orientate the reader. In the beginning, you need to answer questions like who, what, when, and how. Remember that the reader probably doesn’t know all the facts that you do.
• Briefly mention the main ideas you are going to discuss in the essay.

How long should an essay introduction be?

It all depends on the overall length of your essay. If it’s a standard, five-paragraph  college essay , the introduction should only take one paragraph or 60-80 words. But if you’re writing something longer, for example, a five-page interpretation of a literary work, the introduction could take two to three paragraphs or 120-150 words. You can measure the length using a simple word counter but don’t obsess too much about the number. The crucial thing is to say what you need to say and impact the reader.

The aim of the introductory paragraph

The first paragraph is always tricky because it serves a double purpose. It has to state what the essay will be about, but it needs to hook the readers and motivate them to read on. That’s why you need a perfect balance between clinical precision and artistic flair.

If you truly want to learn how to begin an essay, there are three best ways to do it:

• Read as many  great essays as possible
• Write as many great essays as possible
• Check examples of great essay introductory paragraphs (that’s what you can see below)

20 Great examples and tips on how to start an essay:

1. describe a setting and start with an emotional punch.

“I’ve been to Australia twice so far, but according to my father, I’ve never actually seen it. He made this observation at the home of my cousin Joan, whom he and I visited just before Christmas last year, and it came on the heels of an equally aggressive comment.” – David Sedaris, Laugh, Kookaburra

2. Start with a deeply personal story from your childhood

“One Sunday morning when I was a boy, my father came out of his office and handed me a poem. It was about a honeybee counseling a flea to flee a doggy and see the sea. The barbiturates my father took to regulate his emotions made him insomniac, and I understood that he’d been awake most of the night, laboring over these lines, listing all the words he could think of ending in a long “e.” – Charles D’Ambrosio – Documents

3. Create a mysterious atmosphere

“Moths that fly by day are not properly to be called moths; they do not excite that pleasant sense of dark autumn nights and ivy-blossom which the commonest yellow-underwing asleep in the shadow of the curtain never fails to rouse in us.” – Virginia Woolf – Death of the Moth

4. Throw the reader straight into the middle of the events

“Earlier this summer I was walking down West End Avenue in Manhattan and remembered, with a sadness that nearly knocked me off my feet, just why I came to New York seven years ago and just why I am now about to leave.” – Meghan Daum – My Misspent Youth

5. Start with universal questions of life and death

“I know it is coming, and I do not fear it, because I believe there is nothing on the other side of death to fear. I hope to be spared as much pain as possible on the approach path. I was perfectly content before I was born, and I think of death as the same state.” – Roger Ebert – Go Gentle Into That Good Night

6. Start with a question and then answer it

“What is the charm of necklaces? Why would anyone put something extra around their neck and then invest it with special significance? A necklace doesn’t afford warmth in cold weather, like a scarf, or protection in combat, like chain mail; it only decorates. We might say, it borrows meaning from what it surrounds and sets off, the head with its supremely important material contents, and the face, that register of the soul.” – Emily R. Grosholz – On Necklaces

7. Start with irony

“In Moulmein, in Lower Burma, I was hated by large numbers of people – the only time in my life that I have been important enough for this to happen to me.” – George Orwell – Shooting an Elephant

8. Begin by creating great expectations of what’s to come (use the introduction as bait)

“At a dinner party that will forever be green in the memory of those who attended it, somebody was complaining not just about the epic badness of the novels of Robert Ludlum but also about the badness of their titles. (You know the sort of pretentiousness: The Bourne Supremacy, The Aquitaine Progression, The Ludlum Impersonation, and so forth.) Then it happily occurred to another guest to wonder aloud what a Shakespeare play might be called if named in the Ludlum manner.” – Christopher Hitchens – Assassins of The Mind

9. Start with a puzzle (notice how you start to wonder who is she talking about in this introduction)

“The first time I heard her I didn’t hear her at all. My parents did not prepare me. (The natural thing in these situations is to blame the parents.) She was nowhere to be found on their four-foot-tall wood veneer hi-fi. Given the variety of voices you got to hear on that contraption, her absence was a little strange.” – Zadie Smith – Some Notes on Attunement

10. Start with dark humor

“When I was young, I thought Life: A User’s Manual would teach me how to live and Suicide: A User’s Manual how to die.” – Édouard Levé – When I Look at a Strawberry, I Think of a Tongue

11. Start with an unusual question that will pull the readers in

“Do you know what a twerp is? When I was in Shortridge High School in Indianapolis 65 years ago, a twerp was a guy who stuck a set of false teeth up his butt and bit the buttons off the back seats of taxicabs. (And a snarf was a guy who sniffed the seats of girls’ bicycles.)” – Kurt Vonnegut – Dispatch From A Man Without a Country

12. Commence by taking the reader into the world of mystery and awe

“The earliest experience of art must have been that it was incantatory, magical; art was an instrument of ritual. (Cf. the paintings in the caves at Lascaux, Altamira, Niaux, La Pasiega, etc.) The earliest theory of art, that of the Greek philosophers, proposed that art was mimesis, imitation of reality.” – Susan Sontag – Against Interpretation

13. State your thesis at the very beginning – be clear about it

“Science has beauty, power, and majesty that can provide spiritual as well as practical fulfillment. But superstition and pseudoscience keep getting in the way providing easy answers, casually pressing our awe buttons, and cheapening the experience.” – Carl Sagan – Does Truth Matter – Science, Pseudoscience, and Civilization

14. Start with the obvious that’s not so obvious after all

“To do something well you have to like it. That idea is not exactly novel. We’ve got it down to four words: “Do what you love.” But it’s not enough just to tell people that. Doing what you love is complicated.” – Paul Graham – How To Do What You Love

15. Be unpredictable and highly intellectual

“Once, in a dry season, I wrote in large letters across two pages of a notebook that innocence ends when one is stripped of the delusion that one likes oneself. Although now, some years later, I marvel that a mind on the outs with itself should have nonetheless made painstaking record of its every tremor, I recall with embarrassing clarity the flavor of those particular ashes. It was a matter of misplaced self-respect.” – Joan Didion – On Self Respect

16. Get straight to the point

“The enormous, pungent, and extremely well marketed Maine Lobster Festival is held every late July in the state’s mid-coast region, meaning the western side of Penobscot Bay, the nerve stem of Maine’s lobster industry.” – David Foster Wallace – Consider The Lobster

17. Start in a deeply emotional, poetic manner

“The collie wakes me up about three times a night, summoning me from a great distance as I row my boat through a dim, complicated dream. She’s on the shoreline, barking. Wake up. She’s staring at me with her head slightly tipped to the side, long nose, gazing eyes, toenails clenched to get a purchase on the wood floor. We used to call her the face of love.” – Jo Ann Beard – The Fourth State of Matter

18. Begin by describing the place and circumstances in great detail

“Two blocks away from the Mississippi State Capitol, and on the same street with it, where our house was when I was a child growing up in Jackson, it was possible to have a little pasture behind your backyard where you could keep a Jersey cow, which we did. My mother herself milked her. A thrifty homemaker, wife, and mother of three, she also did all her cooking. And as far as I can recall, she never set foot inside a grocery store. It wasn’t necessary.” – Eudora Welty – The Little Store

19. Start by presenting an original idea (frame it in a way that the reader never considered before)

“Saints should always be judged guilty until they are proved innocent, but the tests that have to be applied to them are not, of course, the same in all cases. In Gandhi’s case the questions one feels inclined to ask are: to what extent was Gandhi moved by vanity — by the consciousness of himself as a humble, naked old man, sitting on a praying mat and shaking empires by sheer spiritual power — and to what extent did he compromise his principles by entering politics, which of their nature are inseparable from coercion and fraud?” – George Orwell – Reflections on Gandhi

20. Be clear-headed and approach the subject as objectively as possible

“Fantasists and zealots can be found on both sides of the debate over guns in America. On the one hand, many gun rights advocates reject even the most sensible restrictions on the sale of weapons to the public. On the other, proponents of stricter gun laws often seem unable to understand why a good person would ever want ready access to a loaded firearm. Between these two extremes, we must find grounds for a rational discussion about the problem of gun violence.” – Sam Harris – The Riddle of The Gun

Looking for an answer on how to start an essay is always tricky. You can get inspiration from many sources, but if you want to create an essay that packs a powerful punch from the very beginning, look inside yourself and come up with at least a few openings. Then, do your best to revise the opening paragraphs a couple of times so you end up with something truly impactful and attention-grabbing. Good luck! Next up, you may want to explore a guide on how to write a great 500-word essay .

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Rafal Reyzer

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The Beginner's Guide to Writing an Essay | Steps & Examples

An academic essay is a focused piece of writing that develops an idea or argument using evidence, analysis, and interpretation.

There are many types of essays you might write as a student. The content and length of an essay depends on your level, subject of study, and course requirements. However, most essays at university level are argumentative — they aim to persuade the reader of a particular position or perspective on a topic.

The essay writing process consists of three main stages:

• Preparation: Decide on your topic, do your research, and create an essay outline.
• Writing : Set out your argument in the introduction, develop it with evidence in the main body, and wrap it up with a conclusion.
• Revision:  Check the content, organization, grammar, spelling, and formatting of your essay.

Table of contents

Essay writing process, preparation for writing an essay, writing the introduction, writing the main body, writing the conclusion, essay checklist, lecture slides, frequently asked questions about writing an essay.

The writing process of preparation, writing, and revisions applies to every essay or paper, but the time and effort spent on each stage depends on the type of essay .

For example, if you’ve been assigned a five-paragraph expository essay for a high school class, you’ll probably spend the most time on the writing stage; for a college-level argumentative essay , on the other hand, you’ll need to spend more time researching your topic and developing an original argument before you start writing.

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Before you start writing, you should make sure you have a clear idea of what you want to say and how you’re going to say it. There are a few key steps you can follow to make sure you’re prepared:

• Understand your assignment: What is the goal of this essay? What is the length and deadline of the assignment? Is there anything you need to clarify with your teacher or professor?
• Define a topic: If you’re allowed to choose your own topic , try to pick something that you already know a bit about and that will hold your interest.
• Do your research: Read  primary and secondary sources and take notes to help you work out your position and angle on the topic. You’ll use these as evidence for your points.
• Come up with a thesis:  The thesis is the central point or argument that you want to make. A clear thesis is essential for a focused essay—you should keep referring back to it as you write.
• Create an outline: Map out the rough structure of your essay in an outline . This makes it easier to start writing and keeps you on track as you go.

Once you’ve got a clear idea of what you want to discuss, in what order, and what evidence you’ll use, you’re ready to start writing.

The introduction sets the tone for your essay. It should grab the reader’s interest and inform them of what to expect. The introduction generally comprises 10–20% of the text.

1. Hook your reader

The first sentence of the introduction should pique your reader’s interest and curiosity. This sentence is sometimes called the hook. It might be an intriguing question, a surprising fact, or a bold statement emphasizing the relevance of the topic.

Let’s say we’re writing an essay about the development of Braille (the raised-dot reading and writing system used by visually impaired people). Our hook can make a strong statement about the topic:

The invention of Braille was a major turning point in the history of disability.

2. Provide background on your topic

Next, it’s important to give context that will help your reader understand your argument. This might involve providing background information, giving an overview of important academic work or debates on the topic, and explaining difficult terms. Don’t provide too much detail in the introduction—you can elaborate in the body of your essay.

3. Present the thesis statement

Next, you should formulate your thesis statement— the central argument you’re going to make. The thesis statement provides focus and signals your position on the topic. It is usually one or two sentences long. The thesis statement for our essay on Braille could look like this:

As the first writing system designed for blind people’s needs, Braille was a groundbreaking new accessibility tool. It not only provided practical benefits, but also helped change the cultural status of blindness.

4. Map the structure

In longer essays, you can end the introduction by briefly describing what will be covered in each part of the essay. This guides the reader through your structure and gives a preview of how your argument will develop.

The invention of Braille marked a major turning point in the history of disability. The writing system of raised dots used by blind and visually impaired people was developed by Louis Braille in nineteenth-century France. In a society that did not value disabled people in general, blindness was particularly stigmatized, and lack of access to reading and writing was a significant barrier to social participation. The idea of tactile reading was not entirely new, but existing methods based on sighted systems were difficult to learn and use. As the first writing system designed for blind people’s needs, Braille was a groundbreaking new accessibility tool. It not only provided practical benefits, but also helped change the cultural status of blindness. This essay begins by discussing the situation of blind people in nineteenth-century Europe. It then describes the invention of Braille and the gradual process of its acceptance within blind education. Subsequently, it explores the wide-ranging effects of this invention on blind people’s social and cultural lives.

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The body of your essay is where you make arguments supporting your thesis, provide evidence, and develop your ideas. Its purpose is to present, interpret, and analyze the information and sources you have gathered to support your argument.

Length of the body text

The length of the body depends on the type of essay. On average, the body comprises 60–80% of your essay. For a high school essay, this could be just three paragraphs, but for a graduate school essay of 6,000 words, the body could take up 8–10 pages.

Paragraph structure

To give your essay a clear structure , it is important to organize it into paragraphs . Each paragraph should be centered around one main point or idea.

That idea is introduced in a  topic sentence . The topic sentence should generally lead on from the previous paragraph and introduce the point to be made in this paragraph. Transition words can be used to create clear connections between sentences.

After the topic sentence, present evidence such as data, examples, or quotes from relevant sources. Be sure to interpret and explain the evidence, and show how it helps develop your overall argument.

Lack of access to reading and writing put blind people at a serious disadvantage in nineteenth-century society. Text was one of the primary methods through which people engaged with culture, communicated with others, and accessed information; without a well-developed reading system that did not rely on sight, blind people were excluded from social participation (Weygand, 2009). While disabled people in general suffered from discrimination, blindness was widely viewed as the worst disability, and it was commonly believed that blind people were incapable of pursuing a profession or improving themselves through culture (Weygand, 2009). This demonstrates the importance of reading and writing to social status at the time: without access to text, it was considered impossible to fully participate in society. Blind people were excluded from the sighted world, but also entirely dependent on sighted people for information and education.

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The conclusion is the final paragraph of an essay. It should generally take up no more than 10–15% of the text . A strong essay conclusion :

• Returns to your thesis
• Ties together your main points
• Shows why your argument matters

A great conclusion should finish with a memorable or impactful sentence that leaves the reader with a strong final impression.

What not to include in a conclusion

To make your essay’s conclusion as strong as possible, there are a few things you should avoid. The most common mistakes are:

• Including new arguments or evidence
• Undermining your arguments (e.g. “This is just one approach of many”)
• Using concluding phrases like “To sum up…” or “In conclusion…”

Braille paved the way for dramatic cultural changes in the way blind people were treated and the opportunities available to them. Louis Braille’s innovation was to reimagine existing reading systems from a blind perspective, and the success of this invention required sighted teachers to adapt to their students’ reality instead of the other way around. In this sense, Braille helped drive broader social changes in the status of blindness. New accessibility tools provide practical advantages to those who need them, but they can also change the perspectives and attitudes of those who do not.

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Checklist: Essay

My essay follows the requirements of the assignment (topic and length ).

My introduction sparks the reader’s interest and provides any necessary background information on the topic.

My introduction contains a thesis statement that states the focus and position of the essay.

I use paragraphs to structure the essay.

I use topic sentences to introduce each paragraph.

Each paragraph has a single focus and a clear connection to the thesis statement.

I make clear transitions between paragraphs and ideas.

My conclusion doesn’t just repeat my points, but draws connections between arguments.

I don’t introduce new arguments or evidence in the conclusion.

I have given an in-text citation for every quote or piece of information I got from another source.

I have included a reference page at the end of my essay, listing full details of all my sources.

My citations and references are correctly formatted according to the required citation style .

My essay has an interesting and informative title.

I have followed all formatting guidelines (e.g. font, page numbers, line spacing).

Your essay meets all the most important requirements. Our editors can give it a final check to help you submit with confidence.

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An essay is a focused piece of writing that explains, argues, describes, or narrates.

In high school, you may have to write many different types of essays to develop your writing skills.

Academic essays at college level are usually argumentative : you develop a clear thesis about your topic and make a case for your position using evidence, analysis and interpretation.

The structure of an essay is divided into an introduction that presents your topic and thesis statement , a body containing your in-depth analysis and arguments, and a conclusion wrapping up your ideas.

The structure of the body is flexible, but you should always spend some time thinking about how you can organize your essay to best serve your ideas.

Your essay introduction should include three main things, in this order:

• An opening hook to catch the reader’s attention.
• Relevant background information that the reader needs to know.
• A thesis statement that presents your main point or argument.

The length of each part depends on the length and complexity of your essay .

A thesis statement is a sentence that sums up the central point of your paper or essay . Everything else you write should relate to this key idea.

The thesis statement is essential in any academic essay or research paper for two main reasons:

• It gives your writing direction and focus.
• It gives the reader a concise summary of your main point.

Without a clear thesis statement, an essay can end up rambling and unfocused, leaving your reader unsure of exactly what you want to say.

A topic sentence is a sentence that expresses the main point of a paragraph . Everything else in the paragraph should relate to the topic sentence.

At college level, you must properly cite your sources in all essays , research papers , and other academic texts (except exams and in-class exercises).

Add a citation whenever you quote , paraphrase , or summarize information or ideas from a source. You should also give full source details in a bibliography or reference list at the end of your text.

The exact format of your citations depends on which citation style you are instructed to use. The most common styles are APA , MLA , and Chicago .

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Useful sentence starters for academic writing

In academic writing, sentence starters play a vital role in organizing your ideas, conveying your arguments effectively, and maintaining a flow throughout your research paper. In this blog post, we will explore various sentence starters that can elevate the quality of your academic writing and provide examples tailored to research-based essays.

Why are sentence starters useful

Sentence starters are particularly helpful in introductions to grab the reader’s attention and provide a clear roadmap for the research essay. They can be employed when introducing a new argument or point, creating a smooth transition between paragraphs, or when emphasizing key ideas. Additionally, sentence starters are beneficial in conclusions to summarize key findings, restate the thesis, and leave a lasting impression on the reader.

Moreover, sentence starters are valuable in comparisons to highlight similarities or differences, in sequences or lists to provide a structured flow of ideas, and in elaboration to expand on points or introduce new evidence. They can also be used to express uncertainty or doubt when discussing conflicting perspectives or limitations in the research. Overall, sentence starters add coherence, clarity, and sophistication to academic writing, making it more compelling and engaging for the reader .

Introduction sentence starters for essays

These sentence starters introduce what the paragraph or entire text is about so the readers know what to expect. 

• “This study aims to…”

Example: This study aims to investigate the correlation between social media usage and mental health among teenagers.

• “In recent years, research has shown…”

Example: In recent years, research has shown a growing interest in the potential therapeutic benefits of mindfulness practices.

• “The purpose of this research is to…”

Example: The purpose of this research is to examine the impact of climate change on biodiversity in tropical rainforests.

Conclusion sentence starters

These sentence starters are helpful to hint at the reader that you’re about to wrap things up so they don’t expect any new points or evidence. 

• “In conclusion, it is evident that…”

Example: In conclusion, it is evident that the implementation of renewable energy sources is crucial for mitigating the effects of global warming.

• “Based on the findings, it can be concluded that…”

Example: Based on the findings, it can be concluded that regular exercise contributes to improved cognitive function in older adults.

• “Overall, this research sheds light on…”

Example: Overall, this research sheds light on the importance of early intervention programs for children with learning disabilities.

Good sentence starters for comparisons

These sentence starters show that two things are related or alike. 

• “Similarly,…”

Example: Similarly, both studies observed a significant decrease in cholesterol levels among participants who followed a Mediterranean diet.

• “In contrast to…”

Example: In contrast to previous research, this study found no significant relationship between caffeine consumption and sleep disturbances.

• “Like X, Y also…”

Example: Like previous studies, this research also highlights the impact of air pollution on respiratory health.

Good sentence starters for sequences or lists

Sentence starters for sequences are used to begin or relate lists of instructions or explaining a series of events. 

• “ Firstly, …”

Example: Firstly, the survey gathered demographic information from participants.

• “ Secondly, …”

Example: Secondly, the data analysis involved statistical techniques to identify patterns and trends.

• “Finally, …”

Example: Finally, the study proposed recommendations for future research in this field.

Good sentence starters for elaboration or adding new points

These sentence starters ease the transition from explaining the larger picture to showing examples of minute details. 

• “ Moreover, …”

Example: Moreover, this research emphasizes the importance of incorporating ethical considerations in clinical trials.

• “Additionally, …”

Example: Additionally, previous studies have identified socioeconomic factors as influential determinants of educational attainment.

• “Furthermore, …”

Example: Furthermore, the research findings highlight the need for more extensive sample sizes to draw generalizable conclusions.

Good sentence starters to show uncertainty or doubt

These sentence starters help in explaining to the reader that there is an upcoming contrasting idea or thought.

• “ Although the results suggest…”

Example: Although the results suggest a positive correlation, further investigation is warranted to establish a causal relationship.

• “It is plausible that…”

Example: It is plausible that the observed variations in results could be attributed to differences in sample demographics.

• “It remains unclear whether…”

Example: It remains unclear whether the observed changes in behavior are transient or long-lasting.

In conclusion, sentence starters serve as valuable tools in academic writing, enabling you to structure your thoughts, enhance clarity, and guide readers through your research essays. Use them in abundance yet carefully, as they can enhance your quality of writing significantly.

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Writing Great College Essays: How to Use Effective Sentence Starters

• Best essay writing service reviews / Writing Great College Essays: How to Use Effective Sentence Starters

by Will Martins / Updated October 12, 2023

I'm gonna be honest with you, I couldn't start writing this article for like 20 minutes. I knew what I wanted to write about, I had a plan for it, but I just didn't know how to start my first sentence. Is that a familiar feeling to you? Do you often get stuck when writing an essay? Well, that shouldn't be a problem anymore since I've got a list of sentence starters for you.

Unlike me, you can't just start your paper with such a confession. However, using some good sentence starters for essays will help you to get your thoughts on paper (or screen) much faster. Consider them a hook that will fish the whole sentences out of your head.

Introduction Sentence Starters

An essay or article begins with an introduction, setting the stage for the following content. The initial sentences, often termed 'topic sentence starters,' are critical in engaging the reader. They offer a brief glimpse into the paper's subject matter and aim, sparking interest and encouraging the reader to continue. So, while these introduction sentence starters for essays will help you write the first paragraph, they will not serve as concluding sentence starters (you'll find those further below).

• This essay discusses...
• In this essay...
• The definition of...
• Views on... range from...
• The subject of discussion
• The key aspect discussed...
• (The subject) is defined/examined/explored/justified…
• We will be discussing…
• The theme of this article…
• The issue is focused on…

Using effective sentence starters can significantly enhance the quality of any piece of writing. They provide a roadmap to guide your reader through the argument you're about to make, showing them the direction your writing will take. The right topic sentence can serve as an invitation, drawing your reader into your thoughts and ideas.

Paragraph Starters

The essay sentence starters utilized in the body of an essay constitute the most extensive group and for a good reason. As the heart of your piece, the body paragraphs demand diverse starters to guide the flow of thoughts and arguments. The body paragraph starters are the most numerous group, and that's not surprising. These sentence starters are further segmented into smaller clusters, each designed to serve distinct rhetorical aims. This stratified structure is far more user-friendly than a simple, unwieldy list of essay sentence starters.

As an essayist, you've mapped out your argument and understand what you wish to articulate in each subsequent section of your essay. With the backdrop of prior sentences paving the way, your task becomes clearer: identify the specific purpose of the next part and select the ideal sentence starters for body paragraphs that align with your intended direction. This approach not only streamlines your writing process but also enhances the coherence and fluidity of your work. And it's more convenient than having a long list of sentence starters for essays.

Expressing a Viewpoint

Expressing a viewpoint in any form of writing is pivotal to establishing the direction of the discussion. Effective sentence starters for introduction can facilitate this process, setting a strong foundation for the arguments that are to follow.

• According to my point of view, ...
• My position is that...
• In my view, ...
• As I see it, ...
• I think that...
• I believe that...
• In my opinion, ...
• It seems to me that...
• My stance is that...
• My attitude is that...

The art of expressing a viewpoint is to establish an engaging connection with the reader right from the onset. Thoughtfully chosen sentence starters for the introduction can achieve this, laying down your stance and inviting the reader to step into your perspective. This initial assertion of your viewpoint guides the reader through your thought process, setting a clear path for the discussion ahead.

Comparison and Contrast

Comparison and contrast are foundational strategies employed in writing to draw similarities and distinctions between elements. These tools provide depth and clarity, enabling readers to understand the subject from multiple angles. Effective good starting sentences for essays can highlight these comparisons and contrasts succinctly.

• Similarly, ...
• In comparison, ...
• In the same way/manner, ...
• Likewise, ...
• Just like (before), ...
• Complementary to this...
• In contrast, ...
• On the contrary, ...
• This is in contrast to...
• On the other hand, ...
• However, ...
• Nevertheless, ...
• Notwithstanding...
• Despite this, …
• And yet…
• While this is the case…
• Then again…
• That aside…
• Conversely...

Using comparison and contrast in writing, amplified by starting sentences for essays, can help maintain the reader's attention by fostering a dynamic perspective on the subject matter. It enables a multifaceted exploration of the topic, sparking curiosity and fostering a deeper understanding in the reader.

Cause and Result Starters

Establishing a cause-and-result relationship is vital in constructing a compelling narrative or argument. Using appropriate topic sentence starters for essays can seamlessly convey this connection, indicating the reasons behind certain events or outcomes.

• For this purpose...
• Otherwise...
• Subsequently...
• That's why…
• Due to the fact that…
• This means that...
• For this reason…
• Therefore…
• With regard to…
• Considering…it can be concluded that…
• It can be seen that…
• It is apparent that…
• After examining…
• The connection...demonstrates...

The artful integration of cause and result phrases, strengthened by sentence starters for essays, adds depth and credibility to your narrative. It underscores the logic of your argument or the sequence of events, offering the reader a clear roadmap of your thought process. Such precision makes your essay more engaging and heightens its persuasive power.

Sentence Starters Used for Emphasizing 

Writing often necessitates emphasizing certain points to highlight their importance or relevance. These emphases guide the reader's attention and underscore the key elements of your narrative or argument. Using compare and contrast sentence starters can serve this purpose effectively.

• As usual…
• Above all…
• Obviously…
• No doubt…
• In this situation…
• Especially…
• As a rule…
• Clearly…
• Without a doubt…
• It should be noted…
• Positively…
• For the most part…
• Indeed…
• More importantly…
• Unquestionably...

The art of emphasizing key points, especially through sentence starters, effectively heightens the reader's understanding and retention of the most important information. By directing their attention to the crux of your argument, you ensure the core message of your work resonates with them.

To Present Prior or Background Ideas 

Providing background information or referencing previous ideas is essential to establish the context for your reader. It helps them understand the progression of your argument or narrative. The question often arises: "What is a good sentence starter?" that can effectively accomplish this task.

• Prior to this…
• Customarily…
• Initially…
• In the past…
• Beforehand…
• Over time…
• Traditionally…
• At the time of…
• The traditional interpretation…
• Recently…
• In earlier…
• Until now…

When conveying prior or background ideas, understanding the importance of a good sentence starter is key. These starters ensure your reader can follow your argument coherently, providing the necessary context to comprehend the subsequent points. It enhances your writing's clarity and makes it more engaging and persuasive.

Sentence Starters for Additional Ideas 

Are you going to add new information when crafting your college assignment but have no idea on how to do it? Feel free to choose one of the following sentence starters. They will help you create a winning assignment.

• In addition…
• Furthermore…
• As well as…
• Additionally…
• Subsequently…
• Another reason…
• Likewise…
• Another essential point…
• Firstly, …. secondly,...
• Coupled with…
• In the same way…
• Ten again…
• Moreover…
• Also…
• Equally important…

To Present Common or Rare Ideas 

When providing information that is rare or vice versa common, you may have a wish to indicate it using the right starter. Pick the one from the list to help you write a standout paper.

• Seldom…
• Rarely…
• A few…
• Not many…
• Quite often…
• On occasion…
• Almost all…
• Many…
• Several…
• More than…
• The majority...

To Give Examples 

If you want to provide an example when completing your college assignment, check the list of sentence starters below. There is a pile of variants to put your thoughts on paper.

• An illustration of…
• Such as…
• Specifically…
• As an example…
• To illustrate…
• As demonstrated by…
• It is shown….
• This can be seen…
• For instance…
• For example…
• Markedly…
• In this case…
• Including…
• Especially...

The list of sentence starters I’ve prepared for you will allow you to craft a diverse and coherent piece of writing. No doubt, populating your papers with a variety of sentence starters will make them engaging and easy to read. Once an assignment is completed, it is a pretty good idea to proofread your work to ensure you’ve used the sentence starters correctly.

Understanding and utilizing effective sentence starters is crucial for college students as it enhances the coherence and flow of their essays, engages readers from the beginning, and helps convey ideas more clearly.

Powerful sentence starters can include thought-provoking questions, impactful quotations, vivid descriptions, or compelling anecdotes. These elements can grab the reader's attention and set the tone for the essay.

College students can strike this balance by selecting sentence starters that align with their writing style and the overall theme of their essay. It's essential to use sentence starters as tools to enhance their expression rather than replace their unique voice and perspective.

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• 40 Useful Words and Phrases for Top-Notch Essays

To be truly brilliant, an essay needs to utilise the right language. You could make a great point, but if it’s not intelligently articulated, you almost needn’t have bothered.

Developing the language skills to build an argument and to write persuasively is crucial if you’re to write outstanding essays every time. In this article, we’re going to equip you with the words and phrases you need to write a top-notch essay, along with examples of how to utilise them.

It’s by no means an exhaustive list, and there will often be other ways of using the words and phrases we describe that we won’t have room to include, but there should be more than enough below to help you make an instant improvement to your essay-writing skills.

This article is suitable for native English speakers and those who are  learning English at Oxford Royale Academy and are just taking their first steps into essay writing.

Learn world-class essay writing and research skills on our Oxford Royale Summer School 2024

General explaining.

Let’s start by looking at language for general explanations of complex points.

1. In order to

Usage: “In order to” can be used to introduce an explanation for the purpose of an argument. Example: “In order to understand X, we need first to understand Y.”

2. In other words

Usage: Use “in other words” when you want to express something in a different way (more simply), to make it easier to understand, or to emphasise or expand on a point. Example: “Frogs are amphibians. In other words, they live on the land and in the water.”

3. To put it another way

Usage: This phrase is another way of saying “in other words”, and can be used in particularly complex points, when you feel that an alternative way of wording a problem may help the reader achieve a better understanding of its significance. Example: “Plants rely on photosynthesis. To put it another way, they will die without the sun.”

4. That is to say

Usage: “That is” and “that is to say” can be used to add further detail to your explanation, or to be more precise. Example: “Whales are mammals. That is to say, they must breathe air.”

5. To that end

Usage: Use “to that end” or “to this end” in a similar way to “in order to” or “so”. Example: “Zoologists have long sought to understand how animals communicate with each other. To that end, a new study has been launched that looks at elephant sounds and their possible meanings.”

Adding additional information to support a point

Students often make the mistake of using synonyms of “and” each time they want to add further information in support of a point they’re making, or to build an argument . Here are some cleverer ways of doing this.

6. Moreover

Usage: Employ “moreover” at the start of a sentence to add extra information in support of a point you’re making. Example: “Moreover, the results of a recent piece of research provide compelling evidence in support of…”

7. Furthermore

Usage:This is also generally used at the start of a sentence, to add extra information. Example: “Furthermore, there is evidence to suggest that…”

8. What’s more

Usage: This is used in the same way as “moreover” and “furthermore”. Example: “What’s more, this isn’t the only evidence that supports this hypothesis.”

9. Likewise

Usage: Use “likewise” when you want to talk about something that agrees with what you’ve just mentioned. Example: “Scholar A believes X. Likewise, Scholar B argues compellingly in favour of this point of view.”

10. Similarly

Usage: Use “similarly” in the same way as “likewise”. Example: “Audiences at the time reacted with shock to Beethoven’s new work, because it was very different to what they were used to. Similarly, we have a tendency to react with surprise to the unfamiliar.”

11. Another key thing to remember

Usage: Use the phrase “another key point to remember” or “another key fact to remember” to introduce additional facts without using the word “also”. Example: “As a Romantic, Blake was a proponent of a closer relationship between humans and nature. Another key point to remember is that Blake was writing during the Industrial Revolution, which had a major impact on the world around him.”

12. As well as

Usage: Use “as well as” instead of “also” or “and”. Example: “Scholar A argued that this was due to X, as well as Y.”

13. Not only… but also

Usage: This wording is used to add an extra piece of information, often something that’s in some way more surprising or unexpected than the first piece of information. Example: “Not only did Edmund Hillary have the honour of being the first to reach the summit of Everest, but he was also appointed Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire.”

14. Coupled with

Usage: Used when considering two or more arguments at a time. Example: “Coupled with the literary evidence, the statistics paint a compelling view of…”

15. Firstly, secondly, thirdly…

Usage: This can be used to structure an argument, presenting facts clearly one after the other. Example: “There are many points in support of this view. Firstly, X. Secondly, Y. And thirdly, Z.

16. Not to mention/to say nothing of

Usage: “Not to mention” and “to say nothing of” can be used to add extra information with a bit of emphasis. Example: “The war caused unprecedented suffering to millions of people, not to mention its impact on the country’s economy.”

Words and phrases for demonstrating contrast

When you’re developing an argument, you will often need to present contrasting or opposing opinions or evidence – “it could show this, but it could also show this”, or “X says this, but Y disagrees”. This section covers words you can use instead of the “but” in these examples, to make your writing sound more intelligent and interesting.

17. However

Usage: Use “however” to introduce a point that disagrees with what you’ve just said. Example: “Scholar A thinks this. However, Scholar B reached a different conclusion.”

18. On the other hand

Usage: Usage of this phrase includes introducing a contrasting interpretation of the same piece of evidence, a different piece of evidence that suggests something else, or an opposing opinion. Example: “The historical evidence appears to suggest a clear-cut situation. On the other hand, the archaeological evidence presents a somewhat less straightforward picture of what happened that day.”

19. Having said that

Usage: Used in a similar manner to “on the other hand” or “but”. Example: “The historians are unanimous in telling us X, an agreement that suggests that this version of events must be an accurate account. Having said that, the archaeology tells a different story.”

20. By contrast/in comparison

Usage: Use “by contrast” or “in comparison” when you’re comparing and contrasting pieces of evidence. Example: “Scholar A’s opinion, then, is based on insufficient evidence. By contrast, Scholar B’s opinion seems more plausible.”

21. Then again

Usage: Use this to cast doubt on an assertion. Example: “Writer A asserts that this was the reason for what happened. Then again, it’s possible that he was being paid to say this.”

22. That said

Usage: This is used in the same way as “then again”. Example: “The evidence ostensibly appears to point to this conclusion. That said, much of the evidence is unreliable at best.”

Usage: Use this when you want to introduce a contrasting idea. Example: “Much of scholarship has focused on this evidence. Yet not everyone agrees that this is the most important aspect of the situation.”

Adding a proviso or acknowledging reservations

Sometimes, you may need to acknowledge a shortfalling in a piece of evidence, or add a proviso. Here are some ways of doing so.

24. Despite this

Usage: Use “despite this” or “in spite of this” when you want to outline a point that stands regardless of a shortfalling in the evidence. Example: “The sample size was small, but the results were important despite this.”

25. With this in mind

Usage: Use this when you want your reader to consider a point in the knowledge of something else. Example: “We’ve seen that the methods used in the 19th century study did not always live up to the rigorous standards expected in scientific research today, which makes it difficult to draw definite conclusions. With this in mind, let’s look at a more recent study to see how the results compare.”

26. Provided that

Usage: This means “on condition that”. You can also say “providing that” or just “providing” to mean the same thing. Example: “We may use this as evidence to support our argument, provided that we bear in mind the limitations of the methods used to obtain it.”

27. In view of/in light of

Usage: These phrases are used when something has shed light on something else. Example: “In light of the evidence from the 2013 study, we have a better understanding of…”

28. Nonetheless

Usage: This is similar to “despite this”. Example: “The study had its limitations, but it was nonetheless groundbreaking for its day.”

29. Nevertheless

Usage: This is the same as “nonetheless”. Example: “The study was flawed, but it was important nevertheless.”

30. Notwithstanding

Usage: This is another way of saying “nonetheless”. Example: “Notwithstanding the limitations of the methodology used, it was an important study in the development of how we view the workings of the human mind.”

Giving examples

Good essays always back up points with examples, but it’s going to get boring if you use the expression “for example” every time. Here are a couple of other ways of saying the same thing.

31. For instance

Example: “Some birds migrate to avoid harsher winter climates. Swallows, for instance, leave the UK in early winter and fly south…”

32. To give an illustration

Example: “To give an illustration of what I mean, let’s look at the case of…”

Signifying importance

When you want to demonstrate that a point is particularly important, there are several ways of highlighting it as such.

33. Significantly

Usage: Used to introduce a point that is loaded with meaning that might not be immediately apparent. Example: “Significantly, Tacitus omits to tell us the kind of gossip prevalent in Suetonius’ accounts of the same period.”

34. Notably

Usage: This can be used to mean “significantly” (as above), and it can also be used interchangeably with “in particular” (the example below demonstrates the first of these ways of using it). Example: “Actual figures are notably absent from Scholar A’s analysis.”

35. Importantly

Usage: Use “importantly” interchangeably with “significantly”. Example: “Importantly, Scholar A was being employed by X when he wrote this work, and was presumably therefore under pressure to portray the situation more favourably than he perhaps might otherwise have done.”

Summarising

You’ve almost made it to the end of the essay, but your work isn’t over yet. You need to end by wrapping up everything you’ve talked about, showing that you’ve considered the arguments on both sides and reached the most likely conclusion. Here are some words and phrases to help you.

36. In conclusion

Usage: Typically used to introduce the concluding paragraph or sentence of an essay, summarising what you’ve discussed in a broad overview. Example: “In conclusion, the evidence points almost exclusively to Argument A.”

37. Above all

Usage: Used to signify what you believe to be the most significant point, and the main takeaway from the essay. Example: “Above all, it seems pertinent to remember that…”

38. Persuasive

Usage: This is a useful word to use when summarising which argument you find most convincing. Example: “Scholar A’s point – that Constanze Mozart was motivated by financial gain – seems to me to be the most persuasive argument for her actions following Mozart’s death.”

39. Compelling

Usage: Use in the same way as “persuasive” above. Example: “The most compelling argument is presented by Scholar A.”

40. All things considered

Usage: This means “taking everything into account”. Example: “All things considered, it seems reasonable to assume that…”

How many of these words and phrases will you get into your next essay? And are any of your favourite essay terms missing from our list? Let us know in the comments below, or get in touch here to find out more about courses that can help you with your essays.

At Oxford Royale, we offer a number of  summer school courses for young people who are keen to improve their essay writing skills. Click here to apply for one of our courses today, including law , politics , business , medicine  and engineering .

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How to Begin an Essay: 13 Engaging Strategies

ThoughtCo / Hugo Lin

• Ph.D., Rhetoric and English, University of Georgia
• M.A., Modern English and American Literature, University of Leicester
• B.A., English, State University of New York

An effective introductory paragraph both informs and motivates. It lets readers know what your essay is about and it encourages them to keep reading.

There are countless ways to begin an essay effectively. As a start, here are 13 introductory strategies accompanied by examples from a wide range of professional writers.

State Your Thesis Briefly and Directly

But avoid making your thesis a bald announcement, such as "This essay is about...". 

"It is time, at last, to speak the truth about Thanksgiving, and the truth is this. Thanksgiving is really not such a terrific holiday...." (Michael J. Arlen, "Ode to Thanksgiving." The Camera Age: Essays on Television . Penguin, 1982)

Pose a Question Related to Your Subject

Follow up the question with an answer, or an invitation for your readers to answer the question.

"What is the charm of necklaces? Why would anyone put something extra around their neck and then invest it with special significance? A necklace doesn't afford warmth in cold weather, like a scarf, or protection in combat, like chain mail; it only decorates. We might say, it borrows meaning from what it surrounds and sets off, the head with its supremely important material contents, and the face, that register of the soul. When photographers discuss the way in which a photograph reduces the reality it represents, they mention not only the passage from three dimensions to two, but also the selection of a point de vue that favors the top of the body rather than the bottom, and the front rather than the back. The face is the jewel in the crown of the body, and so we give it a setting." (Emily R. Grosholz, "On Necklaces." Prairie Schooner , Summer 2007)

State an Interesting Fact About Your Subject

" The peregrine falcon was brought back from the brink of extinction by a ban on DDT, but also by a peregrine falcon mating hat invented by an ornithologist at Cornell University. If you cannot buy this, Google it. Female falcons had grown dangerously scarce. A few wistful males nevertheless maintained a sort of sexual loitering ground. The hat was imagined, constructed, and then forthrightly worn by the ornithologist as he patrolled this loitering ground, singing, Chee-up! Chee-up! and bowing like an overpolite Japanese Buddhist trying to tell somebody goodbye...." (David James Duncan, "Cherish This Ecstasy." The Sun , July 2008)

Present Your Thesis as a Recent Discovery or Revelation

"I've finally figured out the difference between neat people and sloppy people. The distinction is, as always, moral. Neat people are lazier and meaner than sloppy people." (Suzanne Britt Jordan, "Neat People vs. Sloppy People." Show and Tell . Morning Owl Press, 1983)

Briefly Describe the Primary Setting of Your Essay

"It was in Burma, a sodden morning of the rains. A sickly light, like yellow tinfoil, was slanting over the high walls into the jail yard. We were waiting outside the condemned cells, a row of sheds fronted with double bars, like small animal cages. Each cell measured about ten feet by ten and was quite bare within except for a plank bed and a pot of drinking water. In some of them brown silent men were squatting at the inner bars, with their blankets draped round them. These were the condemned men, due to be hanged within the next week or two." (George Orwell, "A Hanging," 1931)

Recount an Incident That Dramatizes Your Subject

"One October afternoon three years ago while I was visiting my parents, my mother made a request I dreaded and longed to fulfill. She had just poured me a cup of Earl Grey from her Japanese iron teapot, shaped like a little pumpkin; outside, two cardinals splashed in the birdbath in the weak Connecticut sunlight. Her white hair was gathered at the nape of her neck, and her voice was low. “Please help me get Jeff’s pacemaker turned off,” she said, using my father’s first name. I nodded, and my heart knocked." (Katy Butler, "What Broke My Father's Heart." The New York Times Magazine , June 18, 2010)

Use the Narrative Strategy of Delay

The narrative strategy of delay allows you to put off identifying your subject just long enough to pique your readers' interest without frustrating them. 

"They woof. Though I have photographed them before, I have never heard them speak, for they are mostly silent birds. Lacking a syrinx, the avian equivalent of the human larynx, they are incapable of song. According to field guides the only sounds they make are grunts and hisses, though the Hawk Conservancy in the United Kingdom reports that adults may utter a croaking coo and that young black vultures, when annoyed, emit a kind of immature snarl...." (Lee Zacharias, "Buzzards." Southern Humanities Review , 2007)

Use the Historical Present Tense

An effective method of beginning an essay is to use historical present tense to relate an incident from the past as if it were happening now. 

"Ben and I are sitting side by side in the very back of his mother’s station wagon. We face glowing white headlights of cars following us, our sneakers pressed against the back hatch door. This is our joy—his and mine—to sit turned away from our moms and dads in this place that feels like a secret, as though they are not even in the car with us. They have just taken us out to dinner, and now we are driving home. Years from this evening, I won’t actually be sure that this boy sitting beside me is named Ben. But that doesn’t matter tonight. What I know for certain right now is that I love him, and I need to tell him this fact before we return to our separate houses, next door to each other. We are both five." (Ryan Van Meter, "First." The Gettysburg Review , Winter 2008)

Briefly Describe a Process That Leads Into Your Subject

"I like to take my time when I pronounce someone dead. The bare-minimum requirement is one minute with a stethoscope pressed to someone’s chest, listening for a sound that is not there; with my fingers bearing down on the side of someone’s neck, feeling for an absent pulse; with a flashlight beamed into someone’s fixed and dilated pupils, waiting for the constriction that will not come. If I’m in a hurry, I can do all of these in sixty seconds, but when I have the time, I like to take a minute with each task." (Jane Churchon, "The Dead Book." The Sun , February 2009)

Reveal a Secret or Make a Candid Observation

"I spy on my patients. Ought not a doctor to observe his patients by any means and from any stance, that he might the more fully assemble evidence? So I stand in doorways of hospital rooms and gaze. Oh, it is not all that furtive an act. Those in bed need only look up to discover me. But they never do." ( Richard Selzer , "The Discus Thrower." Confessions of a Knife . Simon & Schuster, 1979)

Open with a Riddle, Joke, or Humorous Quotation

You can use a riddle , joke, or humorous quotation to reveal something about your subject. 

" Q: What did Eve say to Adam on being expelled from the Garden of Eden? A: 'I think we're in a time of transition.' The irony of this joke is not lost as we begin a new century and anxieties about social change seem rife. The implication of this message, covering the first of many periods of transition, is that change is normal; there is, in fact, no era or society in which change is not a permanent feature of the social landscape...." (Betty G. Farrell, Family: The Making of an Idea, an Institution, and a Controversy in American Culture . Westview Press, 1999)

Offer a Contrast Between Past and Present

"As a child, I was made to look out the window of a moving car and appreciate the beautiful scenery, with the result that now I don't care much for nature. I prefer parks, ones with radios going chuckawaka chuckawaka and the delicious whiff of bratwurst and cigarette smoke." (Garrison Keillor, "Walking Down The Canyon." Time , July 31, 2000)

Offer a Contrast Between Image and Reality

A compelling essay can begin with a contrast between a common misconception and the opposing truth. 

"They aren’t what most people think they are. Human eyes, touted as ethereal objects by poets and novelists throughout history, are nothing more than white spheres, somewhat larger than your average marble, covered by a leather-like tissue known as sclera and filled with nature’s facsimile of Jell-O. Your beloved’s eyes may pierce your heart, but in all likelihood they closely resemble the eyes of every other person on the planet. At least I hope they do, for otherwise he or she suffers from severe myopia (near-sightedness), hyperopia (far-sightedness), or worse...." (John Gamel, "The Elegant Eye." Alaska Quarterly Review , 2009)

• 'Whack at Your Reader at Once': Eight Great Opening Lines
• What Is a Compelling Introduction?
• How to Structure an Essay
• Examples of Great Introductory Paragraphs
• Development in Composition: Building an Essay
• How to Write a Great Essay for the TOEFL or TOEIC
• How To Write an Essay
• How to Write a Good Thesis Statement
• Hookers vs. Chasers: How Not to Begin an Essay
• Write an Attention-Grabbing Opening Sentence for an Essay
• How to Develop and Organize a Classification Essay
• What Is the Historical Present (Verb Tense) in English?
• 6 Steps to Writing the Perfect Personal Essay
• A Guide to Using Quotations in Essays
• What Is Expository Writing?

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Sentence Starters: Useful Words and Phrases to Use As Sentence Starters

Sentence Starters! When writing an essay in the English language , it is very important that your writing flows and sounds good. There are a variety of ways in which you can do this, one such way is by using sentence starters. In this article, we are going to be looking at some sentence starters which you can use as a way of creating much more interesting and engaging written work in English.

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Sentence Starters

What is a sentence starter.

In the most simple terms, a sentence starter is a phrase that is used at the beginning of a sentence and can introduce information contained within it. There are thousands of different sentence starters that you can choose and one of the most important rules is to avoid using the same words at the beginning of each sentence. This will allow you to create work that sounds much more interesting and not at all repetitive . You can achieve this by using the extensive list of sentence starters whenever you are writing an essay or other sort of work in English.

There are various ways of using sentence starters, so before we begin looking at some examples we are going to take a look at some useful tips for getting the most out of your sentence starters.

• As we mentioned, avoid using the same word repeatedly at the start of multiple sentences.
• Think about what type of sentence you are writing. Is it an information sentence? Does it ask a question? Does the sentence compare or contrast existing information? Is the sentence putting something in order? Does it conclude something? By working out the type of sentence it is, you will be able to better decide on your sentence starter.
• You should also ask yourself how the sentence relates to the previous one. This will allow you to further choose a relevant sentence starter.
• Once you have finished writing your essay, or other pieces of writing, it is very important that you go over it and make any necessary edits and adjustments. This will help you to make the most of sentence starters and ensure that there is no repetition and that each sentence starter has been sued correctly. You should initially write without thinking too much about it and then make changes when you edit.

Examples Of Sentence Starters

As we mentioned, there are thousands of sentence starters that you can use when writing in English, we are now going to look at some of the most common and useful ones. We will do this by category to better help you select the right one.

Introduction Sentence Starters

If your sentence is being used to introduce some information, you can use one of the following sentence starters.

• The essay discusses…
• In this essay/article/document…
• The theme of this essay/article…
• We will be discussing…

Conclusion Sentence Starters

When writing a concluding sentence, you might consider one of the following options.

• In conclusion …
• To summarise…
• We have seen that…..
• It has been demonstrated that…
• To sum up…

Comparison and Contrast Sentence Starters

If you are writing a sentence to compare or contrast, then these sentence starters will get you off on the right foot.

• However …
• Nevertheless…
• That being said…
• Then again…
• On the other hand …
• Although…
• In comparison…
• Whereas…
• On the one hand…
• Other than…
• Outside of…
• Rather…
• Still…

Cause And Result Sentence Starters

If you are looking to write a sentence which shows the result or cause then you might consider using one of the following sentence starters.

• As a result…
• For this reason…
• For this purpose…
• Otherwise…
• Since…
• So that/then…
• Subsequently…
• This means that…
• Therefore …
• That is why…
• Because …
• Due to the fact that…

Sentence Starters To Emphasise

When you are writing a sentence which requires a little emphasis, you could use one of these sentence starters to achieve that.

• Above all…
• As usual…
• Generally speaking…
• For the most part…
• In this situation…
• No doubt…
• Obviously…
• As a rule…
• Especially…

Sentence Starters For Additional Ideas

When you are writing a sentence which will add new information, you might choose one of these sentence starters.

• Furthermore …
• Also …
• Then…
• In addition …
• Moreover…
• As well as…
• Coupled with…
• Another reason…
• Indeed…
• Identically…
• Likewise…
• Additionally …

Sentence Starters For Rare Or Common Ideas

When you are adding information which is either very common or extremely rare, you may want to indicate this within your sentence starter. This can be done in one of the following ways.

• A few…
• Rarely…
• Unusually…..
• Seldom…
• On occasion…
• Quite often…

Inconclusive Sentence Starters

If you are presenting information which is not conclusive, you could use one of these sentence starters.

• Perhaps…
• There is some evidence to suggest that…
• It may be…
• It could be…
• It is possible that…

Sentence Starters To Show Examples

When you are writing a sentence which will give an example of something, there are many sentence starters you could use. Let’s take a look at some of these now.

• For example …
• Such as…
• For instance…
• As an example…
• You might consider…
• For one thing…
• As an illustration…
• To illustrate this…
• Markedly…
• In this case…
• This can be seen…
• Specifically…

Sentence Starters To Show Time And Order

If you need to show order or time within a sentence then you should use one of these sentence starters to do this.

• Firstly, secondly, thirdly…
• Earlier…
• Afterwards…
• First of all…
• Finally…
• In addition…
• In the first instance…
• After this…
• Additionally…
• With this in mind…
• To begin with…

Learn more with the useful list of transition words in English.

Using a well-selected sentence starter when writing an essay in the English language can bring many benefits. It will allow you to create a piece of writing which is coherent, interesting and above all, diverse. It will depend greatly on the type of sentence that you are writing as to which sentence starter you use and using a good variety within your essay will make it much more engaging for the reader. Once you have finished writing, it is a good idea to go back over your work and check that your sentence starters make sense and are being used correctly.

Sentence Starters Infographic

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18 thoughts on “Sentence Starters: Useful Words and Phrases to Use As Sentence Starters”

It helps keep in memory how to start, to go on, and to finish an essay.

Great to use across content areas. We could be more intentional during math with using them.

Really good great for writing

Hallo, thank you for this article, I like it. And can you help me? Give me more information about the reference books from this article. Because, I need books from sentence starters strategy for my research in college.

Thanks it’s realy helpful

I LOVE BOLT CUTTERS!!!!!!

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Looking for Easy Words to Use as Good Essay Starters?

• Include a good hook sentence that provides a hint of what the essay is about. A good hook sentence keeps readers intrigued to the end.
• Understand your subject/ reader: Each generation varies in language. It’s good to know your subject well, whether old or young.
• Use good words that flow easily. These include: for instance, moreover, equally important, but also, and so forth.
• Set an appropriate tone.
• Include a thesis statement.

Make sure you grab the attention of the reader such that they’ll want more. Reach into their hearts. While doing this may sound easy, it is not, and you may require a lot of efforts so as not to become boring. However, learning these easy tips may change a lot. What is more pleasing, we offer essay writing services . If you feel you have inadequacies in using these tips you can always ask for assistance from us. We are an essay writing company whose job is to solve student’s writing problems. We offer different types of essays. Whether expository, narrative, descriptive, analytical, argumentative, persuasive, definition or critical essay is what you need, we have got you covered. Moreover, our writers are experienced and knowledgeable in different areas, including in the appropriate use of starters. They will ensure that your customized piece is interesting and your readers are left fascinated.

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Get to Learn More About Essay Sentence Starters in These Simple Steps

You may have a clue of the contents required to write about your topic of coverage. But do you know how to begin a sentence in each topic to cover? You need to know what essay sentence starters are meant for and how to use them. They include words and phrases that clue in the reader as to why and the meaning of content. They are generally used to:

• Welcome your reader’s attention.
• Add ideas to your writings
• Bring in comparison
• Emphasize on a topic

These starting words are in the form of:

• Rhetorical questions. Use a deeper meaning using questions to intrigue the person reading your content, making sure they are in line with the topic.
• Numerals & statistics. These tend to capture the reader’s attention. Note that it will not be advisable to guess numbers or select any number of statistics. Make sure that you have done ample research on the topic you are covering to avoid false statements.
• Another great starter is the highlight of your article.
• Quote, famous people you believe are wise and keep in line with the topic.

Are you still having difficulties with choosing appropriate starters for your essay and are worried that your essay will not be up-to-standard? Put your worries to rest as we have a solution for you. Ask us for assistance. We are always willing to help. Whether you need your essay to be written from scratch or want us to edit your draft, we will offer our assistance.

Learn More About Essay paragraph Starters

It is advisable to start every paragraph with a new word. More precisely, using words that will draw your reader’s thinking and how this word reflects the topic is a good vibe to use as essay paragraph starters. With this, you can choose your word perfectly, to bring out the best of your paragraph. For a topic paragraph, you will need some knowledge of your content determining your essays’ topic. Every time you are adding a sentence, use words that bring out the similarities. When emphasizing, use words that mean what you are trying to say. When comparing, use, on the other hand, in contrast and any other comparing pack of words. Make sure to use different kinds of words and do not keep on repeating them to capture the one reading fully. Use different variation and choose a tone when writing according to your subject. If you encounter hitches, you can always ask us for help!

Incorporate Effective College Essay Starters in Your Writing

Tired of gazing on a blank screen, empty and not knowing what to write or even where to start? Worry not, here are simplified and straight points as a solution to your worry. Firstly, you need to use effective college essay starters for your academic piece to be exceptional. Additionally, ensure that your paper adheres to the following standards:

• Introduction: It is a good idea first to introduce yourself here. Talk more on your personality, outlook on life experiences, passion, hobbies, trying to engage with the one reading, creating a perfect picture of who you are as they read through that essay. The introduction should impress your subject and get him intrigued to read to the very last word in your essay. Your introduction should start with a juicy sentence. To set up this sentence that should grab your reader’s attention, point out your ideas for the story, and finally choose a flow of word transition that will reveal your essay. If you still gaze to a blank screen, it is a good idea to try brainstorming ideas with your friends and put down the best ideas from your discussion.
• Be creative: Be very creative in your use of words, in your topic, in your ideas and most importantly write something that will keep the reader glued to your essay, an example is trying to jog around the reader’s mind with a joke here and there.
• Get the best hook for your essay: having in mind that many others have a written essay to be read, learn how to outstand the rest. Engage the person reading inspiring that person to keep reading. Choose an outstanding topic, a very interesting topic that will not only intrigue the reader but also inspire him and even yarn to meeting with you.
• Ask a question: Asking a question at the beginning of your essay activates your reader’s critical thinking as they hunger for the answer.

These tips will make your essay exceptional and interesting.

What About Argumentative Essay Sentence Starters?

When writing argumentative essays, sentence starters are important. Considering that your entire argumentative essay hovers around your thesis statement, it is important to use appropriate argumentative essay sentence starters. You will need to use a hook to capture the attention of the reader. Your thesis should create a problem that you resolve in the body of the argumentative essay. It can either be a provocative or a rhetorical question, where you can define the thesis and challenge the accepted fact. You should start with a persuasive mechanism for your introduction, mention your research from the beginning as it shows your knowledge from the beginning.

Master what kind of audience is most comfortable with you. Learn to appeal the reader’s emotions with an enticing argument while capturing the reader’s emotions. For instance. Below is an example of how to start;

Have you ever felt invisible? Unwanted? But still very much vibrant? That’s what I felt when we moved, and I had to join my now new school. All eyes were focused on me, and I had to put myself together and tried to fit in if it were not for the armed bullies who wasted not even a fraction of a second to attack.

This is one of the many essay starters examples that begins with a question which strikes the reader to want to read on through the essay to get to know how the writer finally settled and mingled in the new school. Essay conclusion starters are when you are writing down the final thought about your thesis. Make sure that your conclusion must include the information that was discussed in the body. Certain words should be used when concluding, they include:

• I am concluding.
• As said above,
• As a matter of fact

It is important to note that in such cases, essay starters introduction mark the end of the essay.

In most cases, they appear as the last sentence in writing. Important characters to consider when concluding sentences are:

• Reviewing main points mentioned in the body
• Mentioning the topic sentence again.
• Do not add any new ideas or topics
• Make sure it elaborates about the topics discussed.

The essay body paragraph starters should also be mentioned in the conclusion as discussed, use words which are capturing with phrases for a new paragraph. Useful linking words are:

• As a result
• As we have seen
• Another factor
• Every part of this
• For this/that reason
• More to that,

Every paragraph ought to have a topic sentence that informs the paragraph’s main idea. The following are examples of essay topic sentence starters that can be used:

• Differences and similarities exist between….
• While …..presents with multiple benefits, some detrimental impacts may also occur.
• The causes of ….can be numerous.

I hope that this will help you as you tackle that essay paper and that your reader will not get bored. You should not use them all the time. This can also be used as personal essay starters, although in the body it contains activities, abilities, interests, and personal beliefs because this essay is more of an own testament for publication. Your focus is more on yourself, and you must be more open and flexible. You also need to have a hook just like any other essay. Focus on the reader who needs to be intrigued in your personal life. You need a memorable story that shouldn’t be boring. Use flowing words thinking how each word relates to the body.

Now that you have all the information of every starter mentioned above should help you get and intrigue your readers attention, use of great people stories and quoting famous people, knowing how to start an essay and where to get your research from should also stimulate the reader to be on toes and want to get the whole information of what you are writing. If you still aren’t sure what starters to use, when, and where to place them don’t be stressed up. We are here for you. Just place an order with us, and you’ll receive a piece with the most appropriate starters. Our experts have all it takes. They are experienced, competent, and proficient in what they do.

Additionally, we have experts competent in all disciplines, ranging from mathematics, accounting, biological sciences, religion, business studies, human resource, medical sciences, and computer science. Thus, your paper will be written by professionals. Place an order now and get the help you need.

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Sentence Starters: Useful Words and Phrases You Can Use As Sentence Starters

Posted on Last updated: October 24, 2023

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Sentence Starters! Here you will find a useful list of common sentence starters that you can use in a discussion as well as in essay writing. Learn these sentence starters to improve your English speaking and writing skills.

Table of Contents

Sentence Starters

Sentence starters | common phrases.

• (The topic) has fostered a debate on …
• A sensible idea would be to…
• We all know that…
• It is said that…
• It is believed that…
• People assumed that…
• There is growing support for the notion that …
• The data gathered in the study strongly suggests that …
• The supposition drawn from this being that…
• Leading to the supposition that…
• This can be argued that..
• The source suggest…
• My own feeling on the subject is that …
• Generally speaking…
• As far as I know…
• As far as I am concerned…
• I believe that…
• The focus of discussion in this paper is …
• The premise of (the topic) seems to be based on …
• Latest research corroborates the view that …
• Most people would agree that…
• It is estimated…
• The reader supposed that…
• It is clear that…
• Everybody knows that…
• Surely you would agree that…
• This clearly shows that…
• I discovered…
• We always…
• This indicates…
• Demonstrating that…
• It is vital that…
• It wouldn’t be very difficult to…
• The real truth is that…
• Are we expected that…
• The fact is that…
• I felt as…
• I think/ I believe that…
• It seems to me that…
• We concluded that…
• My perspective is…
• I agree with…
• Have you thought about…
• In other words…
• I see what you mean but…
• I share your point of view on…
• In my opinion…

Transition Words Used as Sentence Starters

Words to add an idea

• In addition to
• For instance
• For example
• As an example
• Additionally
• Furthermore
• Another reason
• Coupled with
• Correspondingly
• In addition
• Identically
• One other thing

Words that show cause

• Accordingly
• As a result
• Consequently
• For this reason
• For this purpose
• Subsequently
• This is why
• Following this
• As you can see
• For all of those reasons

Words that show contrast

• Comparatively
• Different from
• Even though
• However ( however synonyms )
• In comparison
• Nevertheless
• In contrast
• On the one hand…
• On the other hand
• On the contrary

Words that add emphasis

• Generally speaking
• For the most part
• In this situation
• No doubt (undoubtedly)
• Particularly
• Unquestionably

Sentence Starters | Infographic

ALIYI Ahmad

Sunday 30th of April 2023

This great gift thank you forever

Wednesday 7th of December 2022

thank that helped m out alot

Thursday 1st of December 2022

Amazing list. It helps change up how you start your sentence, and it helps for writers to keep readers engaged.

Friday 27th of May 2022

so i think that there should be more expansion so we can tell the reader a bit more about what is happening

Wednesday 6th of April 2022

i like his book

92 Essay Transition Words to Know

Abruptly switching topics in essays can be jarring; however , transition words can smooth the change for the convenience of the reader. Moreover , you can use essay transition words to start a paragraph, sentence, or clause more naturally. Additionally , essay transition words can connect new information to the previous statement so you don’t have to say everything at once.

This guide looks at how to use transition words in essays. We’ll explain what they are and how to use them, plus we even share an essay transition word list with the most common and useful transition words examples.

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What are essay transition words?

In general, transition words and phrases bridge the gap between two topics whose connection isn’t obvious. Transition words and phrases like however , although , likewise , and on the contrary cue the reader that a change is coming so they know to expect it.

The type of transition word or phrase signals which type of change is coming. For example, transition words like therefore show a cause-and-effect relationship, while transition words like in conclusion introduce a summary or wrap-up. Often, conjunctive adverbs work well as transition words.

Essay transition words are no different from other types of transition words. They are often the same words and phrases used in other pieces of writing, just used for all types of essay , such as an informative essay or a narrative essay .

How to use essay transition words

Transition words and phrases are used to make transition sentences , which either contain two opposing topics in the same sentence or join together the opposing sentences or paragraphs that come before and after the transition sentence.

Essay transition words aren’t necessary for every sentence; you need them only when a shift in topic is so pronounced that it interrupts the writing flow . For example, consider this example, which doesn’t use transition words:

The GPS told us to go left. We went right.

Although those two sentences are grammatically correct, the abrupt change in topic is a bit jarring to readers. Some may feel like they need to reread the passage because they’re worried they missed something. That’s where transition words come in handy.

The GPS told us to go left. However , we went right.

The transition word however acts as a signal to the reader to prepare for a change in topic. When the reader sees transition words like this, they know to expect the switch, so it’s not so jarring.

You can use transition words to start a paragraph, sentence, clause, or even a brief phrase or individual word.

Although tired , we had to continue.

Even in situations when the connection between topics is obvious, essay transition words can help keep your writing organized and comprehensible. This is especially true with ordinal numbers and transition words like next , then , and last , all of which keep items from a series or sequence in order.

First , you wet your hair, and then you apply the shampoo. Last , you rinse the shampoo with warm water.

Keep in mind that transition words aren’t always sentence starters . Sometimes essay transition words and phrases like also , too , or above all can come at the end of a sentence, clause, or phrase.

We were happy to get second place, but we wanted first place above all .

However, most essay transition words work best at the beginning of a sentence, where they can more effectively bridge the gap between two seemingly unrelated topics.

92 transition words examples

Essay transition word list for contradictions.

• alternatively
• nevertheless
• nonetheless
• notwithstanding
• on the contrary
• on the other hand

Essay transition word list for additions

• accordingly
• additionally
• comparatively
• coupled with
• equally important
• furthermore
• in addition
• in the same way
• understandably

Essay transition word list for introducing examples

• for example
• for instance
• in particular / particularly
• specifically
• to illustrate

Essay transition word list for conditions and cause and effect

• as a result
• consequently
• for fear of
• for this reason
• in the event of
• subsequently
• under these/those circumstances

Essay transition word list for extra clarification

• by all means
• in other words
• incidentally
• predictably
• significantly
• undoubtedly

Essay transition word list for summarizing

• briefly / in brief
• in conclusion
• in summary/summation
• to summarize

Essay transition word list for time relations

• at the same time
• in the meantime

Essay transition word list for series and sequences

• first , second , third , etc.

Essay transition words FAQs

In general, transition words and phrases bridge the gap between two topics whose connection isn’t obvious. Transition words and phrases like however , although , likewise , and on the contrary cue the reader that a change is coming so they know to expect it. Essay transition words have the same function in essays.

When should you use essay transition words?

Use essay transition words and phrases to either contain two opposing topics in the same sentence or join together the opposing sentences or paragraphs that come before and after them. Essay transition words aren’t necessary for every sentence; you need them only when a shift in topic is so pronounced that it interrupts the writing flow.

What are some essay transition words examples?

Some of the most common essay transition words examples include however , although , ultimately , in summary , next , last , also , in general , for that reason , as a result , for example , in the meantime , therefore , similarly , and likewise .