Word to begin a paragraph

The greatest difference between success and failure is not the lack of ideas, but their implementation. We all think of the next-big-thing over a dozen times a day, but the ability create that ‘big thing’ is what defines us. Same is the case with writers, we have great stories and arguments rummaging through our head, but when it comes to jotting them down, you don’t know where to begin. You are stuck with thoughts like ‘where do I even begin?’, ‘how to start a paragraph?’, ’Do I even have a great idea?’

Paragraph starter words provide assistance in getting that head start with your writing. Following is all the information you require regarding different ways to start a paragraph.

Writing Help With Sentence Starters

Whether you are looking for the right words to start a body paragraph in an essay or the right words to effectively conclude your ideas, there are plenty of effective ways to successfully communicate your ideas. Following are the three main types of words you can use to start your paragraph:

Begin with Adverbs

Too much of anything is nauseating, including adverbs. All those ‘ly’ words in a sentence can get pretty overwhelming pretty fast. But when effectively added to the beginning of a sentence, it can help transition, contradict or even conclude information in an impactful manner. For instance, ‘consequently’ is a great transition word, ‘conversely’ helps include a counter argument and ‘similarly’ enables you to break an idea into two paragraphs. The trick to using adverbs as sentence starters is to limit them to just one or two in a paragraph and to keep switching between them.

Synonyms for ‘However’

If only there was a penny for every time most writers use the word ‘however,’ there’d be a shortage of islands to privately own on this planet; and perhaps on a few more planets too. Anyhow, nobody’s got those pennies to spare! Might as well opt for other, equally effective substitutes! Some good options include:

• Alternatively
• Nonetheless
• Nevertheless
• Despite this

Why You Need to Know about Different Words to Start a Paragraph?

The simplest answer to this question is to mainly improve your writing. The beginning of a paragraph helps set the mood of the paragraph. It helps determine the W’s of writing (When, Why, What, Who, Where) you are trying to address. Following are some ways learning the paragraph starter words can be assistive in writing great essays:

1. Sentence starters help the resist the typical format of using subject-verb structure for sentences.
2. Transition words help you sound more eloquent and professional.
3. They help differentiate your writing from the informal spoken language.
4. They help transition your thoughts more effectively.

List of Suitable Words to Start an Essay

• The central theme
• This essay discusses
• Emphasized are
• Views on

List of Transition Words to Begin a Paragraph that Show Contrast

• Instead
• Comparatively
• However
• Otherwise
• Conversely
• Still
• On the contrary
• On the other hand
• Nevertheless
• Different from
• Besides
• Other than
• Outside of
• Whereas

Body Paragraph Starters to Add Information

• Moreover
• Furthermore
• Additionally
• Again
• Coupled with
• Correspondingly
• Similarly
• Identically
• Whereas
• Likewise
• Not only

Paragraph Starter Words Showing Cause

• Singularly
• Particularly
• Otherwise
• Unquestionably
• Generally speaking
• Consequently
• For the most part
• As a result
• Undoubtedly
• In this situation
• Otherwise
• Hence
• Ordinarily

Words to Start a Sentence for Emphasis

• Admittedly
• Certainly
• Granted
• Above all
• As a rule
• Chiefly

Sentence Starters for Rare Ideas

• Rarely
• Not many
• Uncommonly
• Seldom
• A few

Paragraph Starter Words for Common Ideas

• The majority
• More than
• Many
• Numerous
• Almost all
• Usually
• Mostly
• Several

Inconclusive Topic Sentence Starters

• There is limited evidence
• Maybe
• Perhaps
• Debatably
• For the lack of evidence

How to Start a Sentence that Shows Evidence

• The result
• Therefore
• Predictably
• The connection
• Considerably
• With regard to
• It can be seen
• Subsequently
• As a result
• The relationship
• Hence
• After examining
• The convergence
• Apparently
• Effectively

Paragraph Starters That Focus On the Background

• Customarily
• Originally
• Earlier
• In the past
• Prior to this
• Historically
• Over time
• The traditional interpretation
• Up until now
• Initially
• Conventionally
• Formerly

Words that Present Someone Else’s Evidence or Ideas

• As explained by
• According to
• With regard to
• Based on the ideas of
• As demonstrated by
• As disputed by
• As stated by
• As mentioned by

Words for Conclusive Paragraph Starters

• In conclusion
• Obviously
• Finally
• Overall
• As expressed
• Thus
• Lastly
• Therefore
• As a result
• All in all
• In essence
• By and large
• To sum up
• On balance
• Overall
• In any case
• All things considered
• In other words

Tips for Selecting the Right Words to Start Sentences

Evidently, there are hundreds of starter words to select from. Qualified assignments writers can give you hundreds of them. How do you determine which of these essay starters will be the most impactful? Word selection mainly depends on the type of ideas being shared. Are you about to enter a counter argument or plan to introduce a new idea? Before you can begin hunting for the right words to start a new paragraph, do the following three steps:

1. Determine what the previous paragraph discussed.
2. Decide how the said paragraph will relate to the one before this?
3. Now scan the appropriate list from the list to find a word that is best suited based on the purpose of the paragraph.

Keep the following tips in mind to make your paragraph starter words impactful and relevant:

1. Always put a comma after every transition word in the beginning of a sentence.
2. Add the subject of the sentence immediately after the comma.
3. Avoid using the same transition word again and again. Opt for selecting different but suitable transition words.
4. Don’t fret too much about using sentence starters during the first draft. It will be easier to add appropriate words during proofreading. Needless to say, always proofread your work to help make it flow better.

When looking for the right sentence starters for essays, make sure you are clear about the objective of every paragraph. What are you trying to tell? Is it an introductory paragraph or the body discussing ideas or contradictory information? The beginning of a paragraph should immediately reflect the ideas discussed within that paragraph. It might take some time, but with a little conscious effort and a lot of practice, using transition words would soon become second nature.

FAQ

What is a good word to start a paragraph?

The word you use to start a paragraph depends on the information you want to communicate. However, the right word to use should offer a smooth transition from the previous paragraph so readers can easily transition into the new section.

How do you start a paragraph example?

When writing essays that require evidence to support your claim, start your paragraph with the words like; For instance, For example, Specifically, To illustrate, Consider this, We can see this in, or This is evidence. That helps the reader to explain the ideas in the real world.

How to introduce a paragraph?

The best way to introduce a paragraph is by using a topic sentence that will briefly explain what you intend to discuss in the paragraph. Remember that the introduction of a paragraph is a topic sentence or the thesis of the entire essay.

How to start a second body paragraph transition words?

An essay shows the flow from the introduction to the last paragraph. Use transition words when writing a second body paragraph. By doing this, you show that the ideas in each section relate to each other.

What are some good words to start a conclusion paragraph?

Examples of words you can use are briefly, by and large, finally, after all, in any case, as a result, etc. After writing an engaging essay, ensure the conclusion paragraph is just as interesting by carefully selecting the types of words you will use.

What words to start a new paragraph?

You can begin with adverbs like Similarly, Consequently, or Conversely. Other words to start a new paragraph are: Nevertheless, That said, Alternately, At the same time, etc. Capture your readers’ attention by choosing the right words to use when starting a new paragraph.

The way you start a paragraph will determine the quality of your essay. Therefore, you need to be careful when choosing words to start a paragraph. The use of transition words to start a paragraph will make your text more engaging. These transition phrases will tell the reader that you know what you are doing.

Using the right keywords and phrases to start a new paragraph will link it to what you had said in the previous ones. We refer to these link phrases and words to as signposts. The reason is that they inform the reader when one point comes to an end and the beginning of the next one. The words or phrases also indicate the relationship between different points.

When you carefully use transition words to start a paragraph correctly, they will guide the tutors or examiners through your essay. Besides, these statements bolster the impression of a flowing, coherent, and logical piece of work. Here are some tips that will help you learn how to start an essay.

• Transition Words to Start a Paragraph

  Transition words prompt the reader to establish relationships that exist between your ideas, especially when changing ideas. It is recommended to vary the transition words that you use in your text. Take time and think about the best transition words that will assist you in moving through the ideas you wish to put across. The most important thing is to help your readers get to understand the point that you are putting across. It is meaningless for students to produce academic papers that don’t flow well. For instance, you need different transition words to start a conclusion paragraph than what you use in body paragraphs and the introduction. Take time and make sure that all your points are flowing well within the text of the academic essay.
• Topic Sentences

  You need to start with a topic sentence at ideas the beginning of ever paragraph. It gives you an exclusive opportunity to introduce what you will be discussing in the paragraph. The words that you use in the essay topic sentences should tell the reader of the ideas that you will be sharing in that paragraph. Remember each paragraph should carry a specific theme and this should be reflected in the topic sentences. You can use a transition phrase or word to elevate your topic sentence. It will tell the reader that you are now switching to a new idea.

• Organization

  The way you organize your paper can also assist in boosting the transition of paragraphs. As you plan on the supporting ideas that you will include in your body paragraphs, you need to determine the orders that you will use to present them. Think about the best ways in which the ideas in each paragraph will build one another. You need to know whether there is a logical order that you need to follow. Try to re-arrange your ideas until you come up with the right order to present them. The transition words to start a body paragraph are very different from the introduction and conclusion.

• Relationships

  In addition to how you write your academic essay, you can also enhance how you transition your paragraphs by discussing the relationships that exist between your ideas. For instance, as you end the first supporting paragraph, you can discuss how the idea will lead to the next body paragraphs. Assist the person reading your essay to understand the why you ordered your ideas the way you have done. What is the relationship between the first and second body paragraphs? Do not allow your readers to guess what you are thinking about or trying to communicate. The readers should also know how your ideas relate from the proper use of words to start a paragraph (see the picture below).

Examples of Transition Phrases and Words to Start a Paragraph

Transitions show how the paragraphs of your academic essay build of one another and work together. When you don’t use these transition words or phrases in your essay, it may end up having a choppy feeling. The readers may begin to struggle while trying to follow your thought train.

Due to this, you need to use paragraph transitions in all your essays. You have to make sure that you are choosing the right words to start a paragraph. In this section, we are going to look as some examples of sentence starters. You will discover that you choose the right transition words to start a body paragraph depending on what you are communicating. You may need transition words to show contrast, add to idea, show cause, or even add emphasis. Moreover, if you’re stuck with your paper and cannot find a motivation to write on, the sound use of words to start a paragraph may be your solution! So, here is a list of transition words that can help you in each category. You can use them as tips to get the right words to start a sentence and bring great expressions to the readers.

Transition Words and Phrases That Show Contrast

• Otherwise
• Instead
• Rather
• Comparatively
• Whereas
• However
• Conversely
• Still
• Nevertheless
• Yet
• On the other hand
• In comparison
• On the contrary
• Although
• In contrast
• Even though
• Different from
• Whereas
• Even though
• Other than
• Comparatively
• Besides
• Outside of

Transition Words and Phrases to Add to Idea

• Additionally
• For example
• Again
• Also
• Moreover
• In addition
• Coupled with
• Furthermore
• Similarly
• As well as
• In deed
• One other thing
• Correspondingly
• In fact
• Whereas
• Another reason
• Identically
• Along with
• Like wise

Transition Words and Phrases That Show Cause

• Accordingly
• Particularly
• Hence
• Singularly
• As a result
• Otherwise
• Usually
• Because
• Generally speaking
• Consequently
• Unquestionably
• For the most part
• Due to
• In this situation
• For this reason
• Undoubtedly or no doubt
• For this purpose
• Obviously
• Hence
• Of course
• Otherwise
• Ordinarily

Transition Words and Phrases That Add Emphasis

• As usual
• As a rule
• Above all admittedly
• Granted
• Especially
• Chiefly
• Certainly
• Assuredly

Remember you don’t need to use the above transition words to start a new paragraph all the time. You may discover that each new paragraph is becoming repetitive and distract you from the key component in the critical analysis of your academic work.
Succinctly identify the key sections or paragraphs of your essay in the introduction paragraph. You also need to restate them in your conclusion paragraph. Students who have this knowledge will not struggle with starting or how to end an essay. You can also be sure that you will please those who read your work. The most important thing is to choose good transition words for your essay. These tips will help you to choose the best words to start a paragraph in your essay.

When you begin writing, you have many ideas in your head. You know exactly what you have to pen down, but you don’t know what the best way to do so is. The way you begin writing your ideas down is important. It says a lot about your creativity. Most students lack in this domain. So if you are thinking, ‘what words can I use to start a new paragraph’ or ‘what are some good transition words to start a new paragraph’, you can get in touch with us. We have experts in this field who know exactly how they can put your ideas into words in the best way.

If you are stuck thinking about words to start paragraphs, then this article has been written especially for you. Have a good read, my friend 😉

What Words Can I Use to Start a New Paragraph?

If you are looking for ideas to start a new paragraph, here are a few tips that can help:

Begin with Adverbs

It’s always a great idea to start a new paragraph with adverbs. But remember that overuse of these is bad too, and can affect readability. A few adverbs that you can use to begin a sentence include:

• Clearly
• Naturally
• Ultimately
• Predictably
• Wisely

Synonyms for ‘However’

Beginning paragraph words use ‘however’ quite often. Here are a few other words that you can use besides this to make your writing more diverse, and ultimately much more interesting too:

• Despite this
• Nonetheless
• Nevertheless
• Still
• Yet
• Anyhow

For example, you can write a sentence this way:

‘Despite this, he chose to continue with his rehabilitation process.’

Good First Paragraph Transitions

Transitions words, when used wisely as paragraph starters can greatly affect the readability element of your essay. If the words to start a new paragraph are intriguing enough, that is when people get excited to continue to read further. Beginning paragraph words need to strike the right balance. They can be overly complex, nor can they be too simple. They have to be just right. Here are a few transition words ideas that you can use to make your writing flow well:

• Otherwise
• Besides
• Furthermore
• Moreover
• Conversely
• On the contrary
• Other than
• Still

Emphasis Words

When you use body paragraph starters, and you want to put emphasis on something, then you can use words that can help you with that. Here are a few of them that you can use:

• Hence
• Primarily
• Above all
• To sum it up
• Consequently

For example, this sentence shows emphasis:

‘Primarily, the reason for his stress is his physical problem.’

Conclusive Words

To write beginning paragraph words to sum up your ideas, here are a few words that you can use:

• Finally
• In conclusion
• Lastly
• As a result
• Thus
• To sum it up

For example, the first line of a concluding paragraph can be:

‘In conclusion, there are mainly six main ways of how you can deal with stress.’

Words Showing Cause

So, now you will see some other transition words.

No matter what is the word count of your essay, here are a few words that show cause and are great to use as paragraph starter words, to add more depth and meaning to what is being said:

• Otherwise
• Hence
• Consequently
• Primarily
• As a result

For example, when writing a paragraph about something that happened due to an event that happened before that, you can write,

‘Hence, I chose not to accompany her to work that day.’

Words that Show Someone Else’s Ideas

These words show someone else’s ideas:

• As seen by
• As mentioned by
• According to
• Based on the ideas of

These words when used at the beginning of a paragraph can accredit other people’s work. You can use these words from numerous real-life situations, but make sure they are following the main context.An example as can be seen here is:

‘As mentioned by person X, this is something that we need to incorporate in our daily lives.’

These examples can help you understand exactly how you can use these words when beginning paragraphs.

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Great Experience

We have been in the business for quite a long time and know exactly how to frame words in the best way possible. If you are wondering how to start a new paragraph, then get in touch with us. We have years of experience in this field and know exactly how to write for you.

Expertise

Our writers are highly educated, and they know exactly how to frame words in an articulate manner. There are several ways to start a paragraph. Based on the context of what is being written, our writers frame the passage in just the way that is needed. Beginning with adverbs is a great idea since that helps add depth to what you are saying. Our writers know exactly how they need to work since they have ample experience in the field.

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Final Words

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All sentences in a paragraph need to relate to the main idea in the topic sentence.
Sequence.

First, firstly, second, third, thirdly	next, last finally
in addition, moreover	furthermore
also	In conclusion, to summarise
The first…	The/a second
One…	Another…

What is a good way to start a paragraph?

The First Paragraph: The Introduction
The best way to tackle the introduction is to: Describe your main idea, or what the essay is about, in one sentence. You can usually use the essay writing prompt or question to form this sentence. Develop a thesis statement, or what you want to say about the main idea.

What is a good sentence starter?

Some words are indeed notable for being good sentence starters. The list will include the following: although, I would like to, first, meanwhile, therefore, subsequently, while, I would like to, moreover, in general, in addition, furthermore.

What is an introductory word?

INTRODUCTORY WORDS & PHRASES. Introductory words and phrases are used as transitions to provide background details concerning who, what, when, where, why, and how. Introductory words and phrases are always offset by a comma and are used to show that two ideas are connected, but not dependent.

What are the 7 sentence openers?

Used at the beginning of a sentence, these words signal to you that a sentence opener follows: After, Although, As, Because, Before, If, Since, Unless, Until, When, While.

What are the 6 sentence openers?

There are six sentence openers:

• #1: Subject.
• #2: Prepositional.
• #3: -ly Adverb.
• #4: -ing , (participial phrase opener)
• #5: clausal , (www.asia.b)
• #6: VSS (2-5 words) Very Short Sentence.

What can I say instead of begin?

Synonyms & Antonyms of begin

• commence,
• embark (on or upon),
• enter (into or upon),
• fall (to),
• get off,
• kick off,
• launch,
• lead off,

What is a good way to start an introduction?

Introductions

1. State an interesting fact or statistic about your topic.
2. Ask a rhetorical question.
3. Reveal a common misconception about your topic.
4. Set the scene of your story: who, when, where, what, why, how?
5. Share an anecdote (a humorous short story) that captures your topic.

What are some introductory phrases?

Common introductory phrases include prepositional phrases, appositive phrases, participial phrases, infinitive phrases, and absolute phrases. To stay in shape for competition, athletes must exercise every day. Barking insistently, Smokey got us to throw his ball for him.

Do you put comma after sometimes?

When “sometimes” is placed in the middle of a sentence, you don’t need a comma. The weather is sometimes nice around here. And, if you do end up needing a comma before or after it, it will be because the sentence structure necessitates it, and it will have nothing to do with the word “sometimes” itself.

What are prepositional openers?

a prepositional opener is placed at the beginning of the sentence and is ALWAYS followed by a comma. Today you have learned a prepositional opener changes the structure of the sentence, consists of a preposition, a modifier, a noun, AlWAYS begins at the sentence and ALWAYS is followed by a comma.

What is a #2 prepositional opener?

Stylistic Techniques: the #2 Prepositional Phrase Sentence Opener.Introduced first in the sentence opener progression, this construction follows the pattern: preposition + noun (no verb). While there can be other words between the preposition and the verb, such as an article or adjectives, there will never be a verb.

What is a varied opener?

By using different sentence openers to delay the subject and/or verb of the main clause, we create tension and draw attention to certain aspects of the sentence.We can also create cohesion when we use different sentence openers.

Is it beforehand or beforehand?

Before is merely an outline of time in question prior to an event, action, date or time. Beforehand is the description of the duration of time outlined in question.

How can I start a sentence?

10 Tips for Starting a Sentence

1. Consider your central theme. Before you get started constructing a sentence, consider what your essential point is.
2. Examine the previous sentence.
3. Use transition words.
4. Use a preposition.
5. Try a subject opener.
6. Try a clausal opener.
7. Use an “ing” word.
8. Use an “ed” word.

How do you use to begin with?

You use to begin with when you are talking about the first stage of a situation, event, or process. It was great to begin with but now it’s difficult.

What are the 6 basics of proper introduction?

Give a general introduction to the topic for broad audience. Narrow the focus to your particular topic. State your research problem and aims.

• State your hypothesis or research question.
• Briefly describe how you will accomplish your aims.
• Give a preview of your main results and state the contribution of the work (optional)

How do you write a creative self introduction?

20 Creative Ways to Introduce Yourself

1. “I’m shy, please come say hi.”
2. A name is worth a thousand conversations.
3. Highlight something that makes you unique.
4. Start with a pop culture reference.
5. Confess your nickname.
6. Let the way you dress reflect who you are.
7. Make a T-shirt.
8. Make a “business” card.

How do you start an introduction paragraph about yourself?

A self-introduction should include your name and occupation (or desired occupation) and key facts that will help you make an impression on the person you’re speaking to. In a few sentences, cover the most important things that others need to know about you.

What is a short introductory expression?

What Is an Introductory Phrase? An introductory phrase is like a clause, but it doesn’t have its own subject and verb; it relies on the subject and verb in the main clause. It sets the stage for the main part of the sentence.Sometimes a comma is necessary after an introductory phrase.

Is first an introductory word?

When “first” is used as an introductory element
Using first as an introductory word to an independent clause is also nevertheless common. What is this? When words, phrases, or clauses are used to introduce a sentence or a second clause, a post-comma is required by default.

There’s a lot to get right when you’re writing an essay. And a particularly important skill is knowing how to start a paragraph effectively. That first sentence counts!

Luckily for you, we’ve compiled HEAPS of advice, example phrases and top connective words to help you transition between paragraphs and guide your reader with ease.

So read on for a pick ’n’ mix of how to start a paragraph examples!

Paragraphs: the lowdown

So why exactly are paragraphs such an important tool for writing effectively? Well:

• They’re an important part of keeping your reader captivated
• They help your reader to follow your argument or narrative
• And they keep your writing in easily digestible chunks of information!

And an important part of all that is nailing the start of your paragraphs. Honestly!

Start off strong and your reader will know exactly what you’re going to do next and how your information interrelates. Top marks here you come – and for the low, low cost of some clever vocab!

Start your paragraphs off weakly however, without setting up effective signposting and transitions, and they’ll get lost and (horror!) might have to re-read your essay to make sense of it. Ugh.

What should your paragraphs contain?

If you’re writing an academic essay, there are a lot of popular conventions and guides about what a paragraph should include.

Academic writing guides favour well-developed paragraphs that are unified, coherent, contain a topic sentence, and provide adequate development of your idea. They should be long enough to fully discuss and analyse your idea and evidence.

And remember – you should ALWAYS start a new paragraph for each new idea or point.

You can read more about paragraph break guidelines in our helpful what is a paragraph article! If you’re wondering how long your paragraphs should be, check out our guideline article.

Paragraph structure (the PEEL method)

Academic paragraphs often follow a common structure, designed to guide your reader through your argument – although not all the time! It goes like this:

• Start with a “topic sentence”
• Give 1-2 sentences of supporting evidence for (or against) your argument
• Next, write a sentence analysing this evidence with respect to your argument or topic sentence
• Finally, conclude by explaining the significance of this stance, or providing a transition to the next paragraph

(A quick definition: A “topic sentence” introduces the idea your paragraph will focus upon and makes summarising easy. It can occur anywhere but placing it at the start increases readability for your audience.)

One popular acronym for creating well-developed academic paragraphs is PEEL. This stands for Point, Evidence, Explanation, Link. Using this method makes it easy to remember what your paragraph should include.

• I.e. your point (the topic sentence), some evidence and analysis of how it supports your point, and a transitional link back to your essay question or forwards to your next paragraph.

NOTE: You shouldn’t start all your paragraphs the same way OR start every sentence in your paragraph with the same word – it’s distracting and won’t earn you good marks from your reader.

How to create clarity for your readers

Paragraphs are awesome tools for increasing clarity and readability in your writing. They provide visual markers for our eyes and box written content into easily digestible chunks.

But you still need to start them off strongly. Do this job well, and you can seamlessly guide your readers through the narrative or argument of your writing.

The first sentence of your paragraph is an important tool for creating that clarity. You can create links with the surrounding paragraphs and signal the purpose of this paragraph for your reader.

How?

• With transitions and connective words that form bridges in your writing.
  • Transitions show the links and relationships between the ideas you’re presenting: addition, contrast, sequential, conclusion, emphasis, example/citation
  • Connective words help you to join together multiple paragraphs in a sequence
• And through the careful use of signposting words and phrases to direct your reader through your essay.
  • Note: there is quite a lot of overlap in vocabulary! Some transitions are also great signposts etc.

Tip: Don’t overuse them! These techniques can make your writing sounds more professional and less like spoken language by smoothing over jarring jumps between topics. But using too many will make your writing stilted.

A common term that encompasses these three tools is “sentence starter”. They are typically set apart from the body of your sentence by a comma.

You can learn more about these key skills in our two helpful articles linked above – or explore a range of other writing skills advice, such as how to start an essay, structure an essay, and proofread an essay effectively!

Picking the right tone

It is important that the paragraph-starting phrases and connective words you choose complement the style of your writing and the conventions of the subject you are writing for.

For example, scientific papers usually have much clearer and expected structure and signposting conventions than arts and humanities papers.

If you’re unsure, it’s best to check some of the sources you’ve researched for your essay, explore the relevant academic style guide, or get help from a teacher – ask them for some examples!

Getting your grammar right

Grammatical conventions can be a minefield, but they’re worth remembering if you want to get top marks!

If you’re looking to increase the clarity of your writing and paragraphs, make sure you pick the right spot for your commas and colons.

For example, when you’re starting a new paragraph, many of the common signposting words and phrases require a comma. These include: however, therefore, moreover, what’s more, firstly, secondly, finally, likewise, for example, in general … (and more!).

These phrases should always be followed by a comma if it’s at the start of a sentence, or separated with a comma before and after like this if placed mid-sentence:

However, we cannot say for sure what happened here. We know, for example, that X claims to have lost the icon.

A word about “this” (a tip for really great writing)

As you start writing your paragraphs (and even sentences), you might be tempted to kick off with the word “this” – as in the classic “this shows that …”.

But that’s not a great idea.

Why? Academic essays aim should aim for maximum clarity, and “this” is just vague!

What’s important is that the connections that are clear to you, the writer (who is – hopefully – intimately familiar with your argument), are ALSO clear to your reader, who has probably never read your essay before.

Just imagine, your reader might be muttering “this what??” as they read, and then having to re-read the paragraph and the paragraph before to check … which is not ideal for getting good marks.

In complex documents (especially essays and theses) where a lot of information is presented at once, the points you’re referencing might be spread across several paragraphs of evidence and argument-building. So, unless your sentence/paragraph-starting “this” follows on immediately from the point it references, it’s best to try a different phrase.

And all it really takes is a little signposting and clarification to avoid the vagueness of “this shows that”. Ask yourself “this WHAT shows that?” And just point out what you’re referencing – and be obvious! 

Here’s some examples:

You can also do a similar exercise with “they” and other demonstrative pronouns (that, these, those).

Specifying what your pronouns refer to will great help to increase the clarity of your (topic) sentences. And as an added bonus, your writing will also sound more sophisticated!

What type of paragraph are you starting?

When it comes to essay writing, there’s usually an expected structure: introduction, body (evidence and analysis) and conclusion.

With other genres of writing your paragraphs might not conform to such

Consider the structure of your paragraph. What do you want it to do? What is the topic? Do you want to open with your topic sentence?

How to start an introductory paragraph

Nailing the introduction of your essay is simultaneously one of the most important and hardest sections to write. A great introduction should set up your topic and explain why it’s significant.

One of the primary goals of an effective introduction is to clearly state your “thesis statement” (what your essay is about, and what you are setting out to achieve with your argument).

A popular (and easy) technique to start an introduction is to begin your first paragraph by immediately stating your thesis statement.

Here’s some examples of how to start a paragraph with your thesis statement:

• This paper discusses …
• In this paper, you will find …
• This essay argues that …
• This thesis will evaluate …

• This article will explore the complex socio-political factors that contributed to the decline of the Roman Empire between the reign of Constantine (312-337AD) and the fall of Rome in 476AD.

However, starting your introductory paragraph effectively is not all about immediately stating your thesis!

So head over to our great article on how to start an essay, for lots of more advice and examples on how to kick off your introductions and capture your reader’s attention with style!

How to start a body paragraph

Unless you’re writing an introduction or conclusion, you’ll be writing a “body paragraph”. Body paragraphs make up the majority of your essay, and should include all of your main points, data, evidence, analysis, deductions and arguments.

Each paragraph should have a particular purpose and be centred around one idea. Your body paragraphs might be analytical, evidential, persuasive, descriptive etc.

To help your reader make sense of the body of your essay, it’s important to guide them with signposts and transitions. These usually occur at the start of your paragraphs to demonstrate their relationship to preceding information.

However, that means there are LOTS of different techniques for starting your body paragraphs! So for 200+ words and phrases for effectively starting a body paragraph, simply keep reading!

How to start a concluding paragraph

Concluding paragraphs are a little different to other paragraphs because they shouldn’t be presenting new evidence or arguments. Instead, you’re aiming to draw your arguments together neatly, and tie up loose ends.

You might find them as part of a smaller sub-section within a longer academic dissertation or thesis. Or as part of the conclusion of your essay.

When starting your conclusion it’s always a great idea to let your reader know they’ve arrived by signposting its purpose. This is especially true if your essay doesn’t contain any headers!

Here are some examples of how to kick off your concluding paragraph:

• In conclusion, this paper has shown that …
• In summary, we have found that …
• A review of these analyses indicates that …

• To conclude, this essay has demonstrated that we must act immediately if we want to halt the drastic dwindling of our global bee population.

How to start a paragraph: 200+ top words and phrases for a winning first sentence

Choosing the best start for your paragraph is all about understanding the purpose of this paragraph within the wider context of the preceding (and following) paragraphs and your essay as a whole.

Where does it fit into the structure of your essay? Is it:

• Opening a new topic or theme?
• Providing explanations or descriptions?
• Continuing a list or sequence?
• Providing evidence?
• Presenting a different opinion or counter-argument?
• Beginning an analysis?
• Highlighting consequences?
• Drawing a conclusion?

It’s important to be direct in how you start each paragraph – especially if you’re struggling to get your point across!

The best way to craft a killer first sentence is to be clear on what you want it to do. We’ve covered 12 options below, packed with vocab and examples to get you started …

And don’t forget to consider when you should start a new paragraph, and how long you want your paragraphs to be. Where you place your paragraph breaks will have a big effect on the kind of starting sentence you need!

Finally – remember that the best time to craft effective opening sentences is after you’ve written your first draft and decided on your paragraph breaks! You should already have all your ideas arranged into a logical order.

Showing structure and presenting concepts

This first type of paragraphs are commonly found throughout your essay, whether you’re introducing your ideas, providing evidence and data, or presenting results.

There a lots of useful types of connective words and phrases to help you kick off your paragraphs with clarity:

Most notable are the sequential signposting words, which you can use throughout your essay to guide your reader through the steps of your argument, or a list of related evidence, for example.

If you’re looking for something a little more specific, read on for four sets of example academic phrases to use to start a paragraph!

1.       Starting or continuing a sequence

One of the most important types of transitional phrases to help you start a paragraph is a sequential transition. These signposting transitions are great for academic arguments because they help you to present your points in order, without the reader getting lost along the way.

Sequential connectives and transitions create order within your narrative by highlighting the temporal relationship between your paragraphs. Think lists of events or evidence, or setting out the steps in your narrative.

You’ll often find them in combination with other paragraph-starting phrases (have a look at the examples below to spot them!)

Why not try out some of these examples to help guide the readers of your essay?

• Before considering X, it is important to note that …
• Following on from Y, we should also consider …
• The first notion to discuss is …
• The next point to consider is …
• Thirdly, we know that Y is also an important feature of …
• As outlined in the previous paragraph, the next steps are to …
• Having considered X, it is also necessary to explore Y …

2.       Providing evidence, examples or citations

Once you’ve made your claims or set out your ideas, it’s important to properly back them up. You’ll probably need to give evidence, quote experts and provide references throughout your essay.

If you’ve got more than one piece of evidence, it’s best to separate them out into individual paragraphs. Sequential signposting can be a helpful tool to help you and your reader keep track of your examples.

If your paragraph is all about giving evidence for a preceding statement, why not start with one of these phrases:

• For example, X often …
• This stance is clearly illustrated by …
• Consider the example of Y, which …
• This concept is well supported by …

If you want to quote or paraphrase a source or expert, a great way to start your paragraph is by introducing their views. You can also use phrases like these to help you clearly show their role in your essay:

• [Author], in particular, has argued that …
• According to [source], Y is heavily influenced by …
• [Source] for example, demonstrates the validity of this assertion by …
• This [counter-] argument is supported by evidence from X, which shows that …

Always remember to provide references for your sources in the manner most appropriate for your field (i.e. footnotes, and author-date methods).

3.       Giving emphasis to your point

Not all points and paragraphs in an essay are made equal. It’s natural you’ll want to highlight ideas and evidence for your reader to make sure they’re persuaded by your argument!

So, if you want to give emphasis to what you’re about to discuss, be obvious! In fact, you may need to be more direct than you think:

• This detail is significant because …
• Undoubtedly, this experience was …
• Certainly, there are ramifications for …
• The last chapters, in particular, are revealing of X …

4.       Acknowledging uncertainty

In academia it’s common to find a little uncertainty in your evidence or results, or within the knowledge of your field. That’s true whether you’re a historian exploring artefacts from Ancient Greece, or a social scientist whose questionnaire results haven’t produced a clear answer.

Don’t hide from this uncertainty – it’s a great way to point ahead to future research that needs to be done. In fact, you might be doing it in your essay!

Why not try one of these examples to highlight the gaps in your academic field or experiment?

• Whether X is actually the case remains a matter of debate, as current explorations cannot …
• Although not proven, it is commonly understood that X …
• Whilst the likelihood of X is debateable …
• Given the age of the artifacts, it is impossible to say with accuracy whether Y …
• Although we cannot know for sure, the findings above suggest that …
• Untangling the causes of X is a complex matter and it is impossible to say for sure whether …

Showing the relationships between your points

As your essay progresses you will need to guide your reader through a succession of points, ideas and arguments by creating a narrative for them to follow. And important part of this task is the use of signposting to demonstrate the relationship between your paragraphs. Do they support each other? Do they present opposite sides of a debate?

Luckily there are lots of agreement, opposition and contextual connectives to help you increase your clarity:

Read on for four more sets of example academic phrases to help you present your ideas!

5.       Making a new point

If there’s no connection between your new paragraph and the preceding material, you’re probably starting a new topic, point or idea.

That means it’s less likely (although not impossible) that you’ll need transitional phrases. However, it’s still important to signpost the purpose and position of this new paragraph clearly for your reader.

• The next point to consider is …
• We know that X …
• This section of the essay discusses …
• We should now turn to an exploration of Y …
• We should begin with an overview of the situation for X …
• Before exploring the two sides of the debate, it is important to consider …

You can find some great ideas and examples for starting a new topic in our how to start an essay article. Whilst they’re definitely applicable to introductions, these strategies can also work well for kicking off any new idea!

6.       Presenting accepted concepts

If you’re aiming to take a new stance or question an accepted understanding with your essay, a great way to start a paragraph is by clearly setting out the concepts you want to challenge.

These phrases are also an effective way to establish the context of your essay within your field:

• It is commonly believed that …
• The accepted interpretation of X is …
• Until recently, it was thought that …
• Historically, X has been treated as a case of …
• Over the past two decades, scholars have approached X as an example of …
• The most common interpretation of Y is …

7.       Adding similar points

Agreement connectives are an important tool in your arsenal for clearly indicating the continuation or positive relationship between similar ideas or evidence you’re presenting.

If you’re looking to continue your essay with a similar point, why not try one of these examples:

• Another aspect of X is …
• Another important point is …
• By the same token, Y should be explored with equal retrospection for …
• Moreover, an equally significant factor of X is …
• We should also consider …
• Proponents of Y frequently also suggested that …

8.       Demonstrating contrast

In contrast, if you’re looking to present a counter-argument, opposite side of a debate, or critique of the ideas, evidence or results in your preceding paragraph(s), you’ll need to turn to contradiction and opposition connectives.

These phrases will help you to clearly link your paragraphs whilst setting them in contrast within your narrative:

• A contrary explanation is that …
• On the other side of this debate,  X suggests that …
• Given this understanding of X, it is surprising that Y …
• On the other hand, critics of X point to …
• Despite these criticisms, proponents of X continue to …
• Whilst the discussion in the previous paragraph suggests X to be true, it fails to take into consideration Y …

Note: some paragraph-opening sentences can be modified using connective words to show either agreement or contrast! Here are some examples:

• It could also be said that X does [not] …
• It is [also] important to note that X … OR It is important, however, to note that X …
• There is [also/however], a further point to be considered …

Presenting analyses, arguments and results

An important stage of any essay is the analysis – that’s when you bring your own arguments to the table, based on your data and results.

Signalling this clearly, therefore, is pretty important! Happily, there are plenty of connective words and phrases that can help you out:

Read on for four sets of example academic phrases to use to start your analysis, results and summary paragraphs!

9.       Conducting an analysis and constructing your argument

Once you’ve set out your evidence or data, it’s time to point out the connections within them. Or to analyse how they support the argument you want to make.

With humanities essays it is common to analyse the impact of your evidence as you present it. In contrast, sciences essays often contain a dedicated analysis section after the data has been presented.

You’ll probably need several analytical paragraphs to address each of your points. So, a great way to get started is to dive straight in by signposting the connections you want to make in each one:

• Each of these arguments make an important contribution to X because …
• In order to fully understand Y, we need to analyse the findings from …
• Each model of X and Y changed throughout the experiment because …
• Exploring this dataset reveals that, in fact, X is not as common as hypothesised …
• Notwithstanding such limitations, this data still shows that …
• Of central concern to Y, therefore, is the evidence that …
• This interpretation of X is …
• This critique implies that …
• This approach is similar to that of Y, who, as we have seen above, argues that …
• The resulting graphs suggest that …
• Whilst conducting the survey, it was discovered that …

10.   Presenting results

Having completed your analyses of any evidence (and hopefully persuaded your reader of your argument), you may need to present your results. This is especially relevant for essays that examine a specific dataset after a survey or experiment.

If you want to signpost this section of your essay clearly, start your paragraph with a phrase like these:

• The arguments presented above show that …
• In this last analysis, we can see that X has shown …
• As we have seen, the data gathered demonstrates that …
• As demonstrated above, our understanding of X primarily stems from …

11.   Demonstrating cause and effect

When writing an academic essay you may often need to demonstrate the cause and effect relationship between your evidence or data, and your theories or results. Choosing the right connective phrases can be important for showing this relationship clearly to your reader.

Try one of these phrases to start your paragraph to clearly explain the consequences:

• As a consequence, X cannot be said to …
• Therefore, we can posit that …
• Provided that X is indeed true, it has been shown that Y …
• As such, it is necessary to note that …
• For this reason, the decision was made to …
• The evidence show that the primary cause of X was …
• As a result of Y, it was found that …

12.   Summarising a topic or analysis

In general, summary paragraphs should not present any new evidence or arguments. Instead, they act as a reminder of the path your essay has taken so far.

Of course, these concluding paragraphs commonly occur at the end of an essay as part of your conclusion. However, they are also used to draw one point or stage of your argument to a close before the next begins.

Within a larger essay or dissertation, these interludes can be useful reminders for your reader as you transition between providing context, giving evidence, suggesting new approaches etc.

It’s worth noting that concluding your topic or analysis isn’t always the same as presenting results, although there can be some similarities in vocabulary.

Connect your arguments into summaries with clear linking phrases such as:

• Altogether, these arguments demonstrate that …
• Each of these arguments make an important contribution to our understanding of X …
• From this overview of X and Y, we can conclude that …
• We can therefore see that …
• It was hypothesised that X, however, as we have seen …
• Therefore, we can [clearly] see that …

Time to get writing your paragraphs!

And that’s it! You should now have a much-improved understanding of how to start a paragraph.

Whether you we’re worried about how to start your introductions or conclusions, or were wondering about specific types of body paragraphs, hopefully you’ve found what you need in the examples above.

If you need more writing advice to help you nail top marks for your essay, we’ve got a whole series of articles designed to improve your writing skills – perfect! Have a read for top tips to for capturing easy marks 😊

You can learn:

• how to create effective paragraphs
• about the ideal length(s) for your paragraphs
• how to start an essay AND how to structure an essay
• the 70+ top connective words and phrases to improve your writing
• how to signpost your essay for top marks
• about improving clarity with easy proofreading tricks

Good luck completing your essay!

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