How you start a sentence can make or break a writing piece. If you use the same start too frequently, it can quickly become repetitive, impact the flow of the piece, and cause you to lose the reader’s attention. Varying the ways you start sentences helps keep the reader engaged and can help you create a higher-quality piece, which can help you make money online in Canada.
Continue reading as we discuss some options for starting a sentence.
1. Say something unexpected
When starting a new section of an article, try starting with something unexpected or out-of-the-box. For example, if you are writing an article comparing the pros and cons of something leaning toward one side, starting a new section with a completely different viewpoint or perspective could catch the reader off guard and recapture their attention.
2. Varying sentence structures
An easy way to accidentally create a boring written piece is by reusing the same sentence start throughout the piece. One easy method to avoid this is to vary your sentence structures. Keep a tally sheet beside your writing station to keep track of the openings you’re using to ensure you aren’t overusing one. Some sentence starting structures include starting with a subject, a prepositional phrase, a participle (-ing or -ed word), a conjunction or an adverb.
If you are concerned, you may repeatedly use the same start for your sentences. Try searching for different sentence starts or phrases when editing your piece. This will allow you to easily see if you have any duplicates within the piece that need to be reworked.
3. Use phrases
Midway through a topic section, it might be beneficial to utilize transition words and phrases when starting sentences to help reinforce points or continue the thoughts. When adding information, words like “additionally” and “also” can be effective, but when giving examples, “for instance” and “to illustrate” would be more effective. Likewise, when a writer wants to show contrast, using terms like “in contrast” works well. When showcasing a sequence of events, use terms like “eventually” and “subsequently.”
4. Try using a question
Questions work well as a hook at the start of a piece and to engage the reader. For example, in a cause-and-effect piece, a writer might start by listing all of the causes for something and then include a question before transitioning to the effects. Questions can be powerful tools that writers can use to help draw readers in and keep them engaged.
5. Utilize transition words
Transition words can be easy ways to build a logical flow between sentences. Terms like “furthermore” work well for continuing that line of thought, while “however” and “in contrast” are effective for changing the direction of the thought process.
6. Experiment with adverbs
Adverbs showcase a viewpoint when placed at the start of a sentence and can help immediately show readers the writer’s view on a topic.
A good example of this would be the use of fortunately vs. unfortunately, depending on which one you use, it can indicate if the writer is happy something occurred or unhappy with the results. For example, “fortunately the event was postponed” vs. “unfortunately the event was postponed.”
7. Play on emotions
For writers trying to make money from home in Canada, one method of starting a sentence that might be interesting is to play on the reader’s emotions. This often occurs when you focus on certain details about the piece’s subject and its impact on the subject. When trying to provoke emotion, aim for extreme emotions like sadness, happiness, or fear.
8. Don’t forget cause and effect statements
Phrases like “following that” work well, and “as a result,” “consequently,” and “therefore,” obviously” are effective for showcasing cause and effect, which can be powerful ways to start a sentence when contrasting something from a previous sentence. You can build more effective pieces by adding statements like this when starting the sentences.
9. Try coordinating conjunctions
Conjunctions work well for starting sentences when continuing a train of thought. Some examples include ‘and’, ‘or’, ‘nor’, ‘for’, ‘yet’, and ‘so’. However, ‘but’ is much less ideal as a sentence starter.
10. Other tips for effective sentence starters
Overall, writers should aim to keep their sentences simple, easy to read, and engaging for the reader. By varying how you start sentences, writers can keep readers engaged and reduce the chances of them skimming the piece. Writers should also avoid impersonal starters like “I”, which can quickly make the piece sound repetitive. If the piece requires showcasing evidence, it might be beneficial to start a sentence by citing the evidence; this also can create a more authoritative stance by showcasing the source of the claim right away.
By following these easy tips, Canadian freelance writers can create more engaging written pieces.