How to start your school essay in a proper way

How you start your school essay is very important. As the saying goes ‘you never get a second chance to make a first impression’. And a first impression can have a lasting impact. So concentrate on the beginning of your essay. When that is perfect or as right as you can get it, the rest of the essay should flow. Here are some tips in making sure you start really well in writing your school essay.

  • the first sentence should be the topic
  • reveal facts but not opinions
  • you could start with a quotation

You will have chosen the topic of your essay well beforehand. And this choice is very important. If it's a topic about which you know quite a bit already or have an interest in then you are well on the way to writing not just an excellent start to your essay but an excellent essay itself.

So having chosen the topic, try and put that topic in your very first sentence. Start as you mean to go on. That doesn't mean you have to repeat verbatim the topic in the first sentence but certainly mention the theme or meaning of this topic in your first sentence. You are laying the groundwork for what is to follow. And remember this is just the first sentence of your first paragraph not the entire paragraph.

One strong argument is that you should always mention a fact or facts which you intend to reveal when you start your essay but you should not reveal your opinion. That you save for later in the essay probably even in the conclusion. So choose the most powerful and the most relevant fact which you will reveal in your essay and use it at the beginning. Make the beginning of the essay striking.

Some people like to start their essay by quoting something or using an idiom. They believe this is an eye-catching technique which grabs the attention of the reader. This may well be true but make sure that the quote or idiom you use is brief and to the point and most definitely relates to the topic of your essay.

Of course the start of the essay is important. But do remember that no matter how powerful and interesting the beginning of your school essay is, the rest of the essay must match the beginning. Learn how to make the sentences flow one into the other naturally. Learn how to build the argument as the essay progresses.