Starting an Essay

Starting an Essay

The most difficult part in starting an essay often lies in the opening sentence. If you have a serious case of writers cramp and you are just not able to get down to write that first opening sentence, here are some strategies for you to keep in mind that will surely help you to get started. If you are not able to instantly hit on that hard hitting or captivating beginning for your essay-don’t worry too much about it while writing your first draft-(you can always come back to it later)-in order to add more punch or meaning.

Before starting an essay very often the process of writing the body or central part will make your thinking clearer so that you can return to the introductory paragraph later in order to better understand the direction of your essay and main point that it is trying to make-via your thesis statement.

Right foot forwards

Once you have written the first draft of your essay-it would make better sense to revisit the first paragraph since you will be in a better position to state the main purpose and meaning behind your essay. While starting an essay you should keep in mind that one of the main elements of the first paragraph should consist of the thesis statement-in which you take a particular stand or view on the topic of your choice.

• With each subsequent revision of your first draft you can strengthen this first and most crucial paragraph in your essay even further-because starting an essay on the right footing forms a favorable opinion that will linger on till the very end. Starting an essay right will largely determine whether you end up with an ‘A’ or ‘B’ grade.
• Remember never to try starting an essay with a boring run of the mill sentence-instead you would do well to pack in some extra punch by beginning with a quote that is both relevant as well as powerful. If you are writing on a book or a play then it would make better sense to start with a quote from the book or literary piece that validates your thesis statement.
• Remember that a strong opening sentence will ensure that your essay will stand out from the crowd while a poor one can ruin it.

Keep these points in mind for starting an essay on the right foot.