Can you use specific words at the beginning of a paragraph to quickly improve your writing? Of course. Some words or phrases have gained a reputation for being great paragraph starters in academic writing. For essays, paragraph starters are important for connecting and organizing ideas while ensuring a smooth flow of information.
But knowing which ones to use can be tricky even for seasoned writers. Luckily, we have compiled this post to discuss good paragraph starters for essays that will strengthen your writing.
What Is a Good Sentence Starter?
A good sentence starter introduces the rest of the paragraph. It gives a clear idea of what that section will talk about so the reader knows what to expect. A well-written paragraph starter for an essay will have one idea that ties back to the thesis statement.
In academic writing, each paragraph discusses a unique main point; hence the sections will move from one idea to another.
Without great starters, the whole essay will be disorganized, making it harder for the professor/teacher to understand the message you intended to communicate. To avoid this, students who have mastered the art of composing excellent essays use sentence starters to connect paragraphs and unify the writing.
So what is a good starter word for a paragraph? Subsequently is a good starter word appropriate for essays that explain a series of events. You don’t need to use too many paragraph starters in your paper as it creates confusion and it can look like you are adding filler words. Good paragraph starters work best when used in specific situations such as:
- When introducing a new idea in every paragraph
- To capture the attention of the reader
- To emphasize a particular point
- To link ideas in an essay more effectively
When that specific paragraph will have background information on a particular topic
If you’re having a hard time deciding when to use a great starter, read the last few sentences of a paragraph and the first two sentences of the next paragraph and determine if the ideas flow smoothly and the message is easy to understand. If not, add a paragraph starter.
Examples of Good Paragraph Starters
Not all paragraph starters are equal. Some are appropriate for the first paragraph while others strengthen your writing when used in the conclusion. Therefore, the phrases or words to use to start a paragraph the right way depends on which section of the essay you are writing.
Furthermore, the sentence starters to use depend on the type of essay. For example, when writing a compare and contrast essay, some paragraph starters to use are:
- Similar
- Along these lines
- Likewise
- In the same way.
- Introduction Paragraph Starters
The beginning of an essay sets the mood and lays the foundation for the rest of the paragraphs. Well-chosen starters in the introduction keep the reader engaged and curious about what the next parts of the essay have to say about the topic. Thus paragraph starters eliminate predictability.
How do you begin a paragraph? With a hook which can be in the form of statistics, quote, rhetoric, question surprising facts, or anecdotes. Paragraph starters appropriate for the introduction include:
- In this essay
- The key aspect discussed in this essay
- The central theme
- The points emphasized are
- What is analyzed
- What is presented
- Is evaluated
- Is explained in this essay
- Views on
- Is briefly outlined
Great paragraph starters for a persuasive paper include: In my opinion, while I agree etc.,
For an opinion essay, sentence starters are words such as the fact is, without a doubt, regardless of popular opinion, and we can all agree.
Body Paragraph Starters
Good body paragraph starters give credibility to your essay as it eliminates the common subject-verb sentence structure and makes your text look professional. Each main point is discussed in the body section during the writing process. To connect ideas or add new ones to your writing, use paragraph starters.
For example, if you are a science student writing about the steps to be used in a lab experiment, you might decide to use the listicle format where you say first, second, third, etc., but other paragraph starters that also work well in the main body of the essay are:
- The following step
- Moving on
- Next
- Later
- Another essential step
- Earlier
If you add a new point, use words such as additionally, furthermore, moreover, also, and just as important to tie ideas together. In comparison, on the other hand, in contrast, complementary to this, similarly, and likewise are some good paragraph starters for a compare and contrast essay.
Starters for Giving Evidence
In academic writing, evidence is required to support any claims made and give credibility to the paper. Some great paragraph starters applicable when introducing a source/evidence/example include: based on the findings, as explained by, with regards to, according to and the data indicate. good paragraph starters for adding new ideas to an essay are:
- Additionally
- Beyond that
- On top of that
- Additionally
- To elaborate
- Another thing
Paragraph starters will differ depending on the essay, so use an opening sentence that fits the audience, intended function, and tone. For example, a good start for an informative essay is facts and quotes, while an anecdote or attention-grabbing statement is appropriate for a narrative or personal essay.
Conclusion Paragraph Starters
When good paragraph starters are used in the conclusion section, they wrap up the whole paper, unify ideas and ensure the message appears clear. It connects the ending to other paragraphs in the essay. Good paragraph starters for a conclusion are:
- To summarize
- Finally
- The bottom line
- In a nutshell
- To sum it up
- I have come to a conclusion that
- In my opinion
- As a final point
- To review
- Without a doubt
- One final idea
- It’s worth re-examining
While there are numerous ways to start a conclusion, the first sentence of this paragraph must also capture attention and signal the end of the essay. Also, consider which concluding paragraph starter is appropriate for driving the point home for that particular type of essay.
For example, the concluding sentence for a narrative essay should emphasize the moral lesson, while for argumentative writing, it has to state the argument made.
The Bottom Line
Adding paragraph starters for any essay is easy when you know which ones to use and when. So incorporate the ones provided in this post to strengthen your writing or if you still don’t know how to, ask for writing help from Acemyhomework.
