In general, a sentence starter is a quick word or phrase at the beginning of a sentence to help the reader transition, such as the phrase "in general." Without them, writing can be disorganized, disjointed, and therefore difficult to read. But knowing which ones to add - andwhen- It's not always obvious.
In this article, we discuss sentence starters that are quite similar to "in this article". We explain a bit about when and how to use them, and then provide specific examples of sentence starters you can use in your writing, divided into categories for quick reference, such as "topic sentence starters for essays" or "topic sentence starters for essays." essays". .phrases to emphasize.
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What is a sentence starter?
Sentence starters are the words or phrases that introduce the rest of the sentence, usually separated by commas. Words that start a sentence are some of the most important words in writing: they present what the sentence is about so the reader knows what to expect.
in more timeacademic writingtexts, sentence starters are essential to unify all the work. Since each sentence essentially has its own individual topic, these writings often jump from one point to another, sometimes abruptly. Sentence starters help make the process easier for the reader, smoothing out jarring transitions and preparing the reader for the next topic.
This principle also applies toparagraphs, who jump from one topic to another. Paragraph starters serve the same function, typically providing an organizational cue through introductory sentence starters to bridge the gap between previous and current topics.
While common in fiction, sentence starters are more useful for nonfiction in particular.rehearsal. While fiction unifies writing through narrative, nonfiction often incorporates a variety of facts that are sentence-starters for the reader. In other words, if you think nonfiction is dry, imagine if it was just a list of facts!
When to use sentence starters
The sentence starters areNonecessary for each sentence. In fact, using them too much can distract your reader. Here are some situations where a sentence starter works best:
- It is not clear how one sentence connects to others.
- You are introducing a new idea, such as at the beginning of an essay or paragraph.
- You are presenting a conclusion or summary, for example, at the end of an essay.
- You want to add emphasis to a specific phrase or point.
- Wantwrite a hookto captivate readers.
- The sentence requires some context, such as background information.
There is no hard and fast rule for when to use sentence starters and when to avoid them. If you're having trouble making up your mind, try rereading the last few lines and see how they sound. If your sentences flow well together, you don't need to start sentences. If something seems strange, jarring, or missing, try adding one to see if it helps.
Below you will find examples of sentence starters relevant to specific contexts.
Topic Sentence Starters for Essays
thematic phrasesThey're like sentence beginnings for a full essay: They introduce the topic of the paragraph or the entire text so readers know what to expect.
- This article discusses. . .
- In this article. . .
- Here, we discuss. . .
- Below you will find. . .
Conclusion sentence starters for essays
Conclusions and summaries always act a little differently than other sentences and paragraphs because they don't present new information. when you arewriting a conclusionRemember that sentence starters can signal to the reader that you are about to "wrap things up" so they are not expecting new points or evidence.
- Soon . . .
- To sum up. . .
- Putting it all together. . .
- To complete . . .
- To finish things. . .
- To review . . .
- Briefly . . .
- However . . .
- All things considered. . .
- In general. . .
- General . . .
- Not all . . .
Good sentence starters for sequences or lists.
Sentence starters are very useful for lists of instructions or to explain a series of events. These elements are not always obviously related, but sentence starters connect them, and in the correct order, so that the reader can arrange them correctly in their head.
- First . . ., Second . . ., Third . . ., etc
- Next . . .
- So . . .
- Posteriorly . .
- After that . . .
- After . . .
- Possibly . . .
- Later . . .
- moving . . .
Good sentence starters for comparisons.
Use sentence starters to show that two things are related or similar. While the topics may be similar to yours, your reader may still not understand the connection.
- In a similar way. . .
- In the same way . . .
- In that sense. . .
- In the same way . . .
- Again . . .
Good sentence starters to elaborate or add new points.
For times when one sentence isn't enough to fully explain your point, adding opening sentences to subsequent sentences can tie them together.
- Additionally . . .
- Besides . . .
- Besides . . .
- Even more important. . .
- As important as . . .
- Also .. .
Good sentence starters to introduce examples.
Especially for trials, you want to use evidence to support your claims. Sentence starters make it easy to transition from explaining the big picture to showing those same ideas at work in the real world.
- For example . . .
- For example . . .
- To illustrate . . .
- specifically . . .
- We can see this in . . .
- This is evidenced by. . .
- Consider the [case/example] of . . .
Good sentence starters for contrasts and abrupt transitions.
Sentence starters work best when you need to abruptly change the subject. Without them, the text becomes confusing and scattered, so use them to keep your reader focused, especially when dealing with contrasting topics.
- However . . .
- Although . . .
- In another way. . .
- On the other hand . . .
- On the contrary . . .
- However . . .
- Then again. .
- On the other hand . . .
- Nevertheless . . .
- By contrast . . .
- Nevertheless . . .
- Still . . .
- Instead of . . .
- Still . . .
- Instead of . . .
Good sentence starters to establish cause and effect.
It is common to use two different phrases to discuss a cause and effect relationship, such as something that makes something else happen. Sentence starters can clarify this relationship and show which sentence is the cause and which is the effect.
- Consequence . . .
- OK . . .
- Due . . .
- Due to . . .
- For this reason . . .
- That's why . . .
- Therefore . . .
- This means that . . .
- That's why . . .
Good sentence starters for emphasis
In some situations, sentence starters are not necessary, but they do help to establish a point. Save them for the phrases you really want your readers to remember about everything.
- Above all . . .
- As usual . . .
- Certainly . . .
- In fact . . .
- Definitely. . .
- Clear . . .
- Obviously . . .
- I mean. . .
- In general. . .
Good sentence starters for references.
If you are citing an idea that is not your own, such as in research papers, save space to put the attribution in the words to start a sentence. Use these sentence starters before a quote or other work concept.
- In accordance with . . .
- Based on the findings of . . .
- As seen by . . .
- As explained by . . .
- In relation to. . .
Good sentence starters for historical or generally accepted concepts.
Some sentences don't make sense without context. It may be a popular, conventional idea that the reader is unfamiliar with, or some historical background that is not common knowledge. In these cases, sentence starters can provide that context without going off on a tangent.
- Traditionally. . .
- Historically. . .
- Habitually . .
- In the past . . .
- Conventionally. . .
- Initially. . .
- Recently . . .
- Until now . . .
Good sentence beginnings to show uncertainty or doubt.
If you are writing about facts, your reader will assumeallyou write is a fact. In situations where something is unproven or uncertain, it helps to mention that there is room for doubt so as not to misinform the reader.
- Maybe . . .
- Although not tested. . .
- It is possible that . . .
- It may be that . .
- It could be said that .
- Although debatable. . .
Make sure your prayers flow
In addition to using good sentence starters, you want your entire essay to read smoothly and with coherence. Grammarly can help. Our writing suggestions flag confusing sentences and provide feedback on how to make your writing clearer, helping you come up with your best ideas.