Creating high-quality content starts with writing that engages your audience. As a result, consider the start of every sentence you pen as an opportunity to entice them to keep reading.
In this detailed blog, we’ll list 10 of the best ways to start a sentence, and outline some common pitfalls that are best avoided.
1. Use a hook
A hook is defined as an opening statement, typically starting a sentence that is designed to get the reader’s attention and encourage them to carry on reading.
There are a wide range of different hooks that can be deployed in a piece, including a challenging statement, a pertinent question that people want answering, a statistic or an anecdote.
It’s important to remember when writing an attention-grabbing hook to always make sure that it is directly related to your article’s overall topic.
2. Employ transitional words
A transitional word is defined as a word that connects different ideas in writing. Sometimes called connecting words, they help readers to follow a range of ideas that flow from one sentence to the next, or one paragraph to another. Examples of transitional works include furthermore, therefore and additionally.
3. Use adverbial phrases
Adverbs open sentence in a way that emphasises the state of mind or way in which actions are performed. They put stress on certain adjectives and verbs, but also add an additional layer of flair or meaning in your work. Writers also use adverbs to produce a sense of rhythm in their work, or evoke an atmosphere or emotion.
4. Try a prepositional phrase
Professional writers find that prepositional phrases are often frequently necessary to show the relationship between action verbs, nouns and pronouns. They can easily be used to open sentences. For instance, you could write: “In the background, the company worked constantly to reach its goal”.
5. Employ a time statement
Time statements are sentence starters used to indicate the passage of time, specifically when time has passed following a previous sentence. Phrases in this category include “Meanwhile”, “Before long”, “After a while” and “In the meantime”.
6. Use a location statement
When you need to indicate a specific place or position, you can begin your sentence with words that state where it is located, like “At the bottom of the league table” or “Next to the church”.
7. Employ cause and effect statements
The purpose of a cause-and-effect statement is to indicate that the information in one sentence is a consequence of something stated in the sentence before. Some common examples of these phrases and words include “Subsequently,” “As a result,” and “Obviously.”
8. Use a subject opener
When you want to form a simple sentence, you can use a subject opener as a starting point.
A subject opener is a sentence that opens by mentioning the subject. For instance, you could write: “The Prime Minister flew from Heathrow to attend the conference in Brazil.”
9. Employ a clausal opener
Using clausal openers as sentence starters can help writers construct clear but complex sentences.
A clausal opener is defined as a sentence that begins with a clausal word like “when,” “while” “where,” “as,” “if,” “since,” or “although”. Usually, these sentences start with the dependent clause open and a coordinating conjunction.
10. Employ gerunds
Words with an “ing” ending, gerunds are sometimes used as effective sentence openers.
Typically, these sentence starters highlight a specific action that the subject is presently performing. For instance, “Running for office, the Mayor held a fundraiser.”
What to avoid when starting a sentence
While there are many excellent ways to start a sentence, there are also some selections best avoided. When writing, it is recommended that you shouldn’t begin a sentence with adverbs such as “likewise” and “also”.
Vague words like “there” or “it” should also be avoided, as they are considered weak openers. Instead, use the specific subject in their place.
You should also sidestep using coordinating conjunctions like “for,” “but,” “and,” “or,” “yet”, and “so,” as they make writing appear repetitive, but also informal, which can negatively impact professional writing in more formal contexts.
For more in-depth information on why the word “so” is perhaps not the best way to start off a sentence, check out our earlier blog here.
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