Good opening sentences for essays so much for sharing that, Lia. Now check your email to confirm your subscription. Do you ever feel a pang of envy? If something seems off, jarring, or missing, try adding one to see if it helps. College essay hooks examples are available through many trusted academic writing sources online. It makes them want to read more.
Great Report Introductions
An introductory paragraph, as the opening of a conventional essaycompositionor reportis designed to good opening sentences for essays people's attention. It informs readers about the topic and why they should care about it but also adds enough intrigue to get them to good opening sentences for essays to read. In short, good opening sentences for essays, the opening paragraph is your chance to make a great first impression. The primary purpose of an introductory paragraph is to pique the interest of your reader and identify the topic and purpose of the essay. It often ends with a thesis statement. You can engage your readers right from the start through a number of tried-and-true ways.
Posing a question, defining the key term, giving a brief anecdoteusing a playful joke or emotional appeal, or pulling out an interesting fact are just a few approaches you can take. Use imagery, details, and sensory information to connect with the reader if you can. The key is to add intrigue along with just enough information so your readers want to find out more. One way to do this is to come up with a brilliant opening line. Even the most mundane topics have aspects interesting enough to write about; otherwise, you wouldn't be writing about them, right? When you begin writing a new piece, think about what your readers want or good opening sentences for essays to know.
Use your knowledge of the topic to craft an opening line that will satisfy that need. You don't want to fall into the trap of what writers call "chasers" that bore your readers such as "The dictionary defines The introduction should make sense and hook the reader right from the start. Make your introductory paragraph brief. Typically, just three or four sentences are enough to set the stage for both long and short essays. You can go into supporting information in the body of your essay, so don't tell the audience everything all at once. You can always adjust your introductory paragraph later. Sometimes you just have to start writing. You can start at the beginning or dive right into the heart of your essay.
Your first draft may not have the best opening, good opening sentences for essays, but as you continue to write, new ideas will come to you, and your thoughts will develop a clearer focus. Take note of these and, as you work through revisionsrefine and edit your opening. If you're struggling with the opening, follow the lead of other writers and skip it for the moment. Many writers begin with the body and conclusion and come back to the introduction later. It's a useful, time-efficient approach if you find yourself stuck in those first few words. Start where it's easiest to start. You can always go back to the beginning or rearrange later, especially if you have an outline completed or general framework informally mapped out. If you don't have an outline, even just starting to sketch one can help organize your thoughts and "prime the pump" as it were.
You can read all the advice you want about writing a compelling opening, good opening sentences for essays, but it's often easier to learn by example. Take a look at how some writers approached their essays and analyze why they work so well. What did Zeigler do in her introduction? First, she wrote in a little joke, but it serves a dual purpose. Not only does it set the stage for her slightly more humorous approach to crabbing, but it also clarifies what type of "crabber" she's writing about. This is important if your subject has more than one meaning. The other thing that makes this a successful introduction is the fact that Zeigler leaves us wondering. What do we have to be prepared for?
Will the crabs jump up and latch onto you? Is it a messy job? What tools and gear do I need? She leaves us with questions, and that draws us in because now we want answers. This revised classification essay begins by painting a picture of an ordinary scenario: the grocery store. But when used as an opportunity to observe human good opening sentences for essays, as this writer does, it turns from ordinary to fascinating. Who is the amnesiac? Would I be classified as the dawdler by this cashier? The descriptive language and the analogy to rats in a maze add to the intrigue, and readers are left wanting more. For this reason, even though it's lengthy, this is an effective opening. Here is an example of reversing expectations. The introductory paragraph is filled with doom and gloom.
We feel sorry for the writer but are left wondering whether the article will be a classic sob story. Good opening sentences for essays is in the second paragraph where we find out that it's quite the opposite, good opening sentences for essays. Those first few words of the second paragraph—which we cannot help but skim—surprise us and thus draw us in. How can the narrator be happy after all that sorrow? This reversal compels us to find out what happened. Most people have had streaks where nothing seems to go right, good opening sentences for essays. Yet, it is the possibility of a turn of fortunes that compels us to keep going. This writer appealed to our emotions and a sense of shared experience to craft an effective read.
Share Flipboard Email. An Introduction to Essay Writing. Introduction Choosing a Topic, good opening sentences for essays. Writing an Introduction. How to Begin an Essay Writing a Great First Paragraph Strong Thesis Statements Attention-Grabbing Opening Sentences Check Your Knowledge: How to Support a Topic Sentence. Structuring and Outlining. How to Write a 5-Paragraph Essay Create an Outline Using a Venn Diagram Use Text Boxes to Outline and Organize Check Your Knowledge: Create a Simple Outline. Types of Essays. How to Write a Narrative Essay How to Write an Argumentative Essay How to Write an Expository Essay How to Write a Personal Narrative How to Write an Opinion Essay How to Good opening sentences for essays a Profile.
Editing and Improving, good opening sentences for essays. Making Paragraphs Flow With Smooth Transitions Replace These Overused, Tired Words An Essay Revision Checklist. By Richard Nordquist Richard Nordquist. Richard Nordquist is professor emeritus of rhetoric and English at Georgia Southern University and the author of several university-level grammar and composition textbooks. Learn about our Editorial Process. Featured Video. Cite this Article Format. Nordquist, Richard. Examples of Great Introductory Paragraphs. copy citation. Write an Attention-Grabbing Opening Sentence for an Essay. Understanding General-to-Specific Order in Composition.
Writers on Writing: The Art of Paragraphing. Bad Essay Topics for College Admissions. Hookers vs. Chasers: How Not to Begin an Essay. How to Develop and Organize a Classification Essay. How to Write a Solid Thesis Statement. Classification Paragraph, Essay, Speech, or Character Study: 50 Topics.
example of an narrative essay
When you introduce an article, either online or in a more traditional newspaper , it's essential to have a "hook. People naturally want to read things that are shocking or surprising. Offer up a little drama for a strong introduction paragraph:. When Charles Jones went into the gas station Tuesday night, he did not expect to be caught in the middle of an armed robbery. However, that is exactly what happened. You can start with a good statistic and hint at more information to come. People will read on because they want to know the rest of the story. When you write a blog post, you need to engage your reader right away with a creative introduction.
In the world of online reading, it's easy to navigate away to something else. The introduction is your chance to keep your reader on your blog. Depending on the type of blog post you're writing, it can make sense to offer some personal perspective on your topic right away. Your reader is here for your voice, so you need to use it. This example will show you one way to do that:. My sister thought I was crazy to try to remake some thrift store jeans into an awesome maxi skirt. She told me she'd personally model the skirt for the blog if it worked. Well, when you see how fabulous she looks, you'll need to make one too. You can also engage your audience right away with a humorous blog post introduction. Try a funny personal anecdote:.
I'm not going to lie. The first time I made an art doll out of clay, it was a total nightmare. I literally had bad dreams about that thing for a week. But I'll save you the terror and show you how to create a not-so-scary doll with these techniques. If you're writing a short story, you need a creative introduction to get your reader engaged right away. In a novel, you have the whole first chapter , but because the length of your short story is limited, your introduction needs to suck your reader in within just a few sentences. Make your reader experience the world of your story by adding vivid sensory details. Using imagery that involves the senses lets your reader feel like he or she is in the story. Even before I opened my eyes, the scent of lilacs told me I had a visitor. Here in the nursing home, everything has the same smell - a mixture of cafeteria food, cleaning products, and old people odors.
A sudden scent of lilacs meant someone was here to see me. When you're writing fiction, you can start your story at the last possible moment to get your reader engaged. This is called "in medias res" in the middle of things. Because the action is already happening, your reader won't be able to stop reading. Try something like this creative introduction example:. I hit the water with a slap that knocked the wind out of me. For a moment, I could hear my sister screaming from the deck of the ship, but then everything went quiet as my ears went under water. No matter what type of writing you're doing, a strong introduction is one way to get your audience to keep reading. After you've captured their attention, get more tips to engage the reader in the rest of your piece.
An engaged reader means your writing is effective and powerful. Staff Writer. Sign in with Google Dictionary Thesaurus Sentences Examples Knowledge Grammar Biography Abbreviations Reference Education Spanish More About Us Contact Us Suggestion Box Privacy Policy Cookie Settings Terms of Use © LoveToKnow Media. All rights reserved. Word Finder 4 Pics 1 Word Answers Anagram Solver Scrabble Dictionary Unscramble Words with Friends Cheat. Home Examples Strong Introduction Paragraph Examples Strong Introduction Paragraph Examples. Strong Introduction Paragraph Examples. Strong Introductions for Essays Whether you're writing an essay for class, answering an essay question on a test, crafting a college application, or writing any other type of essay-style work, your introduction paragraph is one of the most important you'll write.
Use a Surprising Fact You can capture the reader's attention with a surprising fact or statement. Pose a Question Another way to engage your reader in your essay introduction is to ask a rhetorical question. This example shows how you must carefully choose this question to support your thesis: Global climate change is a crisis that affects everyone, rich and poor, young and old. Start With an Anecdote A short anecdote is a good way to start a personal essay , especially if it fits with your overall theme. It's often easier to write the introductory paragraph after you've written the first draft of the main part of the paper or at least sketched out a detailed outline, section by section or paragraph by paragraph.
After the drafting stage, your research and main points are fresh in your mind, and your thesis statement has been polished to gleaming. It's typically honed during the drafting stage, as research may have necessitated its adjustment. At the start of a large writing project, it can also be intimidating to put those first words down, so it's often easier to begin composing in the middle of the paper and work on the introduction and conclusion after the meat of the report has been organized, compiled, and drafted. Construct your introductory paragraph with the following:. As you researched your topic, you probably discovered some interesting anecdotes, quotes, or trivial facts. This is exactly the sort of thing you should use for an engaging introduction.
Consider these ideas for creating a strong beginning. Surprising fact: The Pentagon has twice as many bathrooms as are necessary. The famous government building was constructed in the s when segregation laws required that separate bathrooms be installed for people of African descent. Across the United States, there are many examples of leftover laws and customs that reflect the racism that once permeated American society. Perhaps it was the warmth of the day and the joy of eating Easter roast while Tommy contemplated his actions that make my memories of Easter so sweet. Whatever the true reason, the fact remains that my favorite holiday of the year is Easter Sunday. The historical event also paved the way for Senator Clinton as she warmed her own vocal cords in preparation for a presidential race.
In each example, the first sentence draws the reader in to find out how the interesting fact leads to a point. Some people might find a deep and mysterious meaning in this fact…. Definition: A homograph is a word with two or more pronunciations. Produce is one example…. Anecdote: Yesterday morning I watched as my older sister left for school with a bright white glob of toothpaste gleaming on her chin. I felt no regret at all until she stepped onto the bus …. The body of your introductory paragraph should fulfill two functions: It should explain your first sentence and should build up to your thesis statement.
You'll find that this is much easier than it sounds. Just follow the pattern you see in the above examples. During the revision stage for the paper as a whole, you can make further refinements to the introduction as needed.
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