What Are Sentence Starters? Types, Uses & Examples

Sentence starters are a helpful tool that can turn your writing from ordinary to engaging. With the help of the correct sentence openers, you can grab the attention of the readers, set the tone, and guide your audience through your ideas. No matter whether you are writing an essay or a report, it is essential to know what a sentence opener is and how to use it. This blog covers the definition of sentence starters and when and why to use them. Also, it explores various types with examples and some tips to use them effectively. So what are you waiting for? Without any further ado, read this blog to expand your knowledge!

What is a Sentence Starter?

Sentence starters are the phrases that help you present the rest of the sentence, which are separated by commas. The words that begin a sentence are some of the most crucial in writing. They familiarise the reader with what the sentence is about, so the reader understands what to expect.

Sentence introductory phrases are a common feature of longer academic writing texts. Due to the individual nature of the topics, the reader may encounter points discussed in a random order. Thus, sentence starters for creative writing will give continuity and make the reader feel as if they are being guided to the next topic rather than thrown into a new idea.

When to Use Sentence Starters?

Sentence starters for writing are not essential for each sentence. Even when you use them too much, it can divert your audience. Here are some pointers on how to use them.

1. Introducing New Points: At the beginning of an essay or a section, to set the stage.

2. Transitions: To relate ideas between sections and paragraphs that connect like addition or consequences.

3. Emphasis: To focus on crucial data or to strengthen a statement.

4. Adding Context: To give background data or fulfil a thought.

5. Engaging Readers: To grasp attention at the first piece or section.

6. Varying Structure: To not use repetitive sentence patterns and keep writing dynamically.

7. Discussion & Speaking: To organise contributions in groups, which helps you speak confidently.

Why Use Good Sentence Starters?

Good sentence starters make your writing clear and engaging. Also, connect ideas, you, the reader, and make essays readable. Here's why you should use them:

Improve Clarity

Your starter sentence(s) establish direction for the reader. Rather than dropping your reader into the middle of ideas, you guide them and show what is coming next.

Enhance Flow

Making smooth transitions between sentences is crucial to creating a unified piece of writing. Without them, the flow of thought within the essay is discontinuous; in fact, a reader may perceive the flow of thought to be more similar to a grocery list than a polished written work.

Increase Engagement

The use of a correct hook sentence at the beginning of a piece, a statement that fosters curiosity, an assertion that supports you or makes a bold statement, or a question that leaves the reader wanting to know more, will keep the reader's attention throughout your writing.

Add Authority

When your essay starts with a confident statement, such as "Research proves..." or "It is a universal truth...", your writing seems credible (although it may be produced in five minutes while you drink your third cup of coffee). It helps you build confidence in your writing by using strong openers.

As you are aware, sentence openers can improve clarity and flow. You can also check an assignment sample for university to see how these openers make an essay stronger.

Various Types & Examples of Different Sentence Starters

There are diverse types of sentence starters for writing. Each type enables your writing to flow better. In this section, we will explore various types and their examples.

Introductions

• This essay explores/discusses / analyses / focuses upon
• X is examined/explored
• The issue focused upon is
• The central focus will be
• This essay is an exploration of
• The definition of X is explored / outlined
• The key aspect discussed
• The central theme / premise
• The purpose of this paper is to investigate
• One of the main these is / are presented / depicted / defined / identified
• This essay will examine both sides of the argument on the topic of

Giving Examples

• For example
• An illustration of
• This is illustrated / depicted / conveyed / shown by
• Specifically
• Such as
• For instance
• As can be seen in
• As demonstrated by
• As an example
• This can be observed/noted / seen
• This is exemplified by
• For instance
• An example of this is

To Add Ideas

• Also
• Furthermore
• More importantly
• Equally important is
• Moreover
• Another essential point
• In addition
• Similarly
• Subsequently
• Additionally
• Another
• To elaborate

Adding More to a Point

• Moreover
• Furthermore
• Again
• What is more
• Above all
• Besides
• In addition
• Neither… nor…
• Not only… but also…
• Similarly
• In the same way
• Another key thing to remember

To Introduce Quotes

• According to X
• As X stated
• As X discusses
• As X wrote
• As X argued
• In X's view
• Shown by X
• It is said by X, that
• With reference to X
• The study by X shows
• Referring to…, X argues that
• Research by X indicates that

To Start a Different View

• Another way of looking at this
• In contrast
• On the other hand
• On the contrary
• Alternatively
• Conversely
• In comparison
• Rather than
• Although
• However
• Having said that
• Then again

To Emphasise a Point

• To reiterate
• To emphasise
• Needless to say
• Specifically
• Significantly
• Especially
• Notably
• Importantly
• Nonetheless
• Nevertheless
• Thus

To Compare and Contrast

• Similarly
• In comparison
• However
• Alternatively
• On the contrary
• In the same way
• This is in contrast to
• On the other hand
• Likewise
• This resembles
• Equally
• In contrast
• Conversely
• Despite this

To Start Consequences

• Therefore
• Accordingly
• Consequently
• As a consequence
• For this reason
• This is why
• This is caused by
• Due to
• This effects
• This results in
• This leads to
• On this basis

Persuasive Sentence Starters

• Clearly
• I guarantee
• It is extremely evident that
• It is apparent that
• Everybody knows
• I am certain that
• In my personal opinion
• It is vitally important that
• The fact of the matter is
• Others agree that
• Without a doubt
• It is imperative that

Story Sentence Starters

• Once upon a time
• Imagine a world where
• It all began on a stormy night
• Few people realized that
• Most assumed it was impossible, until
• The story starts with
• Everything changed when
• The moment no one expected arrived
• Nobody could have guessed that
• It seemed like just another ordinary day

Character Introductions

• She had always believed that
• He never thought this day would come
• They were the kind of friends who
• At just twelve years old, she already knew
• Nobody ever expected him to
• Her secret was something no one else knew
• From the moment he walked in
• She had a habit of
• He was the kind of person who
• What defined her most was

Setting the Scene

• The city was alive with
• Deep in the forest
• The room smelled of
• Dawn broke over the horizon
• Silence filled the air as
• The night sky shimmered with
• Across the fields, you could hear
• The village rested quietly in
• The sea stretched endlessly before
• A storm gathered above

Time Transitions

• The next morning
• Hours later
• By the time night fell
• Weeks passed before
• At that exact moment
• The following day brought
• After a long silence
• Later that evening
• In the days that followed
• By sunrise

Shifting Perspective

• Meanwhile, across town
• Back in the village
• From his point of view
• What she didn't know was
• Far away, another story was unfolding
• In another part of the city
• At the same time, elsewhere
• From her perspective
• Unknown to them
• While this was happening

Building Suspense

• Little did they know
• The truth was about to be revealed
• It started as an ordinary day, but
• No one could have predicted
• Just as everything seemed calm
• Beneath the surface, danger waited
• What happened next would change everything
• The silence was broken by
• Then, out of nowhere
• Something felt different that day

Topic Sentence Starters for Essays

• One key reason
• A major factor
• An important aspect
• One significant issue
• A key argument
• One main idea
• A crucial point
• An essential factor
• A notable example
• A central concept

Good Sentence Starters for References

• According to
• Based on the findings of
• As seen by
• As explained by
• With regards to
• A study published in [journal] reveals
• In a randomized controlled study of

Conclusion Sentence Starters for Essays

• In summary
• To summarize
• Putting it all together
• In conclusion
• To wrap things up
• To review
• In short
• All in all
• All things considered
• By and large
• Overall
• On the whole

Good Sentence Starters for Sequences or Lists

• First . . ., Second . . ., Third . . ., etc.
• Next
• Then
• Subsequently
• After that
• Afterwards
• Eventually
• Later
• Moving on

Good Sentence Starters to Establish Cause and Effect

• As a result
• Accordingly
• Consequently
• Due to
• For this reason
• Hence
• Therefore
• This means that
• That is why

Good Sentence Starters to Show Uncertainty or Doubt

• Perhaps
• Although not proven
• It's possible that
• It may be that
• Arguably
• While debatable
• It remains unclear whether
• One implication of [Source] could be
• Further research is needed to

Good Sentence Starters for Hooks & Attention Grabbers

• Did you know that?
• Believe it or not
• What if I told you that
• Here's a surprising fact
• Consider this scenario
• Most people don't realize that
• It may shock you to learn that
• Let me start with a story
• What would happen if?
• Imagine this situation

Good Sentence Starters for Historical or Generally Accepted Concepts

• Traditionally
• Historically
• Customarily
• In the past
• Conventionally
• Initially
• Recently
• Until now

Sentence Starters for Descriptive Writing

• The scene looked
• The air smelled
• I could hear
• The sky appeared
• The room felt
• A sense of
• The colors shone
• The texture seemed
• I noticed how
• The atmosphere suggested

Petal Paragraph Sentence Starters

• This shows that
• One clear example
• A key point
• It is evident
• The main idea
• This highlights that
• A significant aspect
• It can be seen
• One important factor
• This suggests that

Critical Analysis Sentence Starters

• This suggests that
• It can be argued
• The evidence shows
• This implies that
• It highlights how
• A closer examination
• This demonstrates that
• The text reveals
• One could interpret
• This raises questions

Sentence Starters for Body Paragraphs

• For example
• Furthermore
• In addition
• On the other hand
• This evidence suggests that
• As a result
• This clearly demonstrates
• Similarly
• In contrast
• Building on this idea

Academic Sentence Starters

• In academic contexts
• From a scholarly perspective
• According to research
• In this analysis
• Based on evidence
• From a theoretical standpoint
• In academic writing
• According to studies
• Within this framework
• From an academic viewpoint

Speech Sentence Starters

• Today I want
• Let me begin
• I strongly believe
• It is important
• We must consider
• I would like
• Imagine if we
• Let's take a
• One key point
• In conclusion, I

Sentence Starters for Creative Writing

• Suddenly, a shadow
• In the distance
• Without warning
• To my surprise
• Far away
• At that moment
• Deep in
• Across the field
• Out of nowhere
• On a stormy

Sentence Starters for Personal Statement

• I am passionate about
• My interest in
• I have always
• I am eager
• My experience in
• I am motivated by
• I have developed
• I enjoy exploring
• I aim to
• My goal is

5 Tips for Using Sentence Starters Effectively

Sentence starters can make your writing clearer. When you know how to use them, it can enable ideas to flow smoothly. In case you want extra guidance, you can get a custom writing service. Below are the five tips to use them.

Don't Overuse Them

Readers can quickly become disappointed with reading because the word “furthermore” is used constantly at the start of paragraphs and sentences. Try to vary your opener to achieve a more natural flow in your writing, rather than sounding robotic.

Match the Starter to Your Purpose

Select the right personal statement sentence starters for your ideas. If you are working on a new argument, use a strong statement such as "One key element is..." If you are concluding an argument, use closers such as "To summarize..." Think of them as a set of tools, and select the tool that corresponds to the task at hand.

Keep the Tone Consistent

Use a dramatic introduction, such as 'It all started on a stormy night', in your lab report, and it won't cut it. Make sure the introduction speaks to your intended audience and purpose, formal for essays, informal for blogs, and creative for literary works.

Use Them as Bridges, Not Crutches

An essay sentence starter should serve as transitions between points and not as a crutch; if ever you find that you are repeating yourself too often, consider whether or not you are putting too much weight on starting sentences and not enough on the development of the content you are presenting in the paper.

Practice Variety

Integrate both shorter and longer starting sentences into your writing. For instance, "For example..." (short) vs "The data indicates..." (longer), having both types will help create an engaging experience throughout your document due to the dynamic nature of writing.

Final thoughts

With the effective use of sentence starters, you can make your writing clearer and easier to follow. They enable you to lead your readers, relate ideas, and add more variety to essays. When you learn the different types of sentence openers and when to use them, you can make your writing more effective. However, if you are struggling to start sentences and make your writing flow, do not hesitate to seek an assignment writing service. They will not only help you start sentences but also write your assignment on time!