Essay Opening (How to start writing the
first sentence of an Essay
-Sometimes when you start writing an essay, you get stuck at
how to write the first sentence of an essay in the introduction.
Below here are 4 types of sentences you can use at the
beginning of the introduction of an essay. These are the 4
methods you can apply in your essay writing to start the
essay.
- You may choose any method which may help you to write
an opening sentence for the introduction of your essay.
-These methods will help you improve your writing.
The first method is called the Funnel method. Below you
can see the picture of a funnel.
↓Broad
←Narrow
1. Funnel Method
Life in a city is a really busy life. People are busy with
their business and some of them are busy with their
jobs. In the morning, you will find people doing
morning walks or exercise. Students have busy
schedules. They go to their schools, colleges, and
universities. I like city life a lot.
Explanation
First, let me explain what a funnel method is. As
you can see in the picture above, the funnel has a
broad shape on the top and as it goes down, it
becomes narrow, that is smaller at the bottom.
Similarly, when you start writing the introduction
of an essay, you usually start writing something
in general giving a broad concept and then as you
move on writing the introduction, you tend to
explain in small, minute details.
This means, you say something broad about the topic
at the beginning of the introduction and then you
narrow down the topic towards the end of the
introduction by writing specific details.
Now look at the passage about city life. This is a
funnel method. The passage starts with a broad
concept or idea that life in the city is busy. Then
as you go on reading, you will find specific details
or smaller details about busy life.
-The Funnel method of writing is a very common style
of writing, especially practiced by the Asians.
2. Turnabout Method
We live in an era where television is the best pastime. Since the
invention of television set, people have been spending more of their
free time watching television than doing anything else. People can
learn a great deal watching television. You can probably find some
programs that are educationally motivating. But watching television is
a waste of time.
Explanation
-Turnabout means you start the sentence saying positive about the
topic. But you write just the opposite, that is negative in the last
sentence of the Introduction.
- This means your opening sentence of the introduction is positive,
talking about TV as a good pastime but the last sentence is negative
which is about TV as a waste of time. This is turning away from what
you have said at the beginning. So the method is termed Turnabout
method.
-You can also start the sentence with negative and use positive in the
last sentence.
3. Quotation
“Have you ever wondered what the moon is made of?” Well finally
this age old question seems to have been answered by NASA
scientists recently when they said that the moon was made of
chocolate. Samples taken from the moon’s surface have recently been
brought back to earth and examined by a team of leading experts.
After months of repeated tests the findings were finally revealed to
the world’s media at a recent press conference.
Explanation
-The sentence starts with a quotation. The quotation can be yours or
of great people.
-If you want to give importance to your own words, you can put them
in quotations.
4. Dramatic Entrance
Last year, the youngest child of the family suddenly fell down
while playing with his computer games. The family panicked and
didn’t know what to do. When the family noticed that he’s not
getting any better, they decided to take him to a specialized
doctor to check him. As soon as they entered the doctor’s room,
the doctor knew that what he’s having is the result of computer
games. He lost in the game and was heartbroken. So the child fell
down. The doctor did not know how to treat his weak nervous
system.
Explanation
-When you read the first sentence about the child falling
down while playing computer games, you think that the child
actually had a serious accident, may be he accidentally fell
down. But towards the end of the story, you discover a
dramatic change of your thoughts. He fell down out because
he lost in the game.
-Your ideas that you had at the beginning dramatically change
at the end.
- Dramatic Entrance method is not easy to write. But it is
interesting and challenging so you can try to use it.
Which method do you prefer? Well, Nos. 2,3 and 4
methods are really challenging and interesting. Using
them will make your writing resourceful.
No. 1 Funnel method is a boring method lacking variety.
But don’t be discouraged to use the funnel method if you
don’t have any alternatives.
The End
