How To Compose A Brilliant Opening Sentence For A Persuasive Essay

The first sentence of any piece of writing - a novel, a screenplay or any academic text, to name just a few - is definitely the most important. It has to be clear so that no one is turned off reading the rest of the work; it has to be snappy and engaging, so the reader wants to continue; it has to be of a certain length, so the reader doesn’t get bored and give up altogether! With so many criteria to fulfil, it can be extremely difficult to create this opening sentence, particularly for a persuasive essay, but it is definitely possible! Just take a look at the hints and tips below.

• Read around your subject as much as possible

To be able, to summarise, the issue that your persuasive essay will be dealing with effectively, you have to understand it thoroughly. The best way to do this is by reading, reading, reading! You need to devour anything you can get your hands on regarding the subject you are tackling before you write a single word and make sure that you understand exactly what it is you’re going to be talking about. This is easier said than done, mind!

• Write the main body before the introduction

The opening sentence of any academic text will, of course, be in the introduction, which is arguably the second most important part of an essay, after the conclusion. For this reason, it is actually best to wait until everything else is written actually to tackle the introduction. Once you have created the rest of the essay, including all your facts, opinions and ideas, you know exactly what you are trying to argue, and you will know your conclusion. This way, you can immediately link your introduction with your conclusion and create a fantastic link between the beginning and the end, making the workflow better and sound even more professional.

• Remember that the opening sentence is the most important part of the introduction

The first sentence of the essay and the introduction is the most important of the entire piece and should be treated as such. Make sure that whatever you write can stand alone, without the rest of the essay. Also, make sure that it is engaging and catchy, and that you leave a little something out so that the reader will have to continue through your work in order to actually understand more about the subject.