Essay Introductions: Opening Sentences
It is a fact universally acknowledged that it’s often difficult to find a good opening sentence. My only tip is that it’s probably best to write the first sentence last. For other suggestions, read on…
There’s no shortage of advice on how to tackle writing a tricky opening sentence. At least, not if you’re a novelist, short story writer, journalist, or even a blogger. But what about for those writing essays?
‘The Throes of Creation’ by Leonid Pasternak
It’s something we don’t talk about very often because it seems somehow petty. It’s not something that’s likely to lose you marks. The advice you get from tutors will probably focus instead on the reading you’ve brought in, the evidence you’ve assembled and the argument you present. Those are things you’ll be penalised for getting wrong. A howler of an opening line will be overlooked if you’re solid on those, which is why so many howlers go without comment.
So, what do people get wrong? Common mistakes often boil down to writing the opening to the essay before you quite know what you want to say, over-complicating in an attempt…
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In the Dark 
April 20, 2016 at 2:38 pm
A good essay reads like a novel. It needs character and conflict. The first sentence is best used to introduce one of these.
April 20, 2016 at 3:22 pm
“It was a dark and stormy night…”
April 21, 2016 at 11:53 am
‘Call me Ishmael’
April 21, 2016 at 3:32 pm
So you see, a good first sentence captures the audience and defines the topic and atmosphere of the essay. I rest my case, apart from noting that in writing physics, shorter is better.
January 14, 2017 at 9:26 pm
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