Clarity is important in both school and everyday writing. Your explanation needs to flow seamlessly from the argument you have just made, whether you are writing an essay about a quote or breaking down a complicated idea. That is where sentence openers for explanations come in.
Sentence openers are words or phrases used to begin a sentence, adding variety and flow to writing. They let the reader know that you are not merely giving facts or referencing sources; you are also interpreting, linking, and making things clearer. Writing can seem abrupt or not fully developed without good explanation starts.
In this guide, you’ll learn:
- What explanation sentence openers are
- Why they’re essential in essays and analytical writing
- A categorized list of good explanation openers
- How to use them with evidence and quotes effectively
By the end, you’ll have a ready-to-use toolbox of good explanation sentence starters —ideal for essays, exams, or any writing that requires thoughtful reasoning.
What Are Explanation Sentence openers?
Phrases that start a sentence with an explanation, clarification, or analysis are called sentence openers. They usually come after a statement, piece of proof, or quote and help the reader understand the writer’s reasoning.
These beginnings are like signs that say, “Here’s why this matters” or “Let me break this down further.” They are very important for structured writing, especially in essays where ideas need to be backed up by clear, logical explanations.
For example:
- Point: Social media can negatively affect mental health.
- Evidence: A 2023 study found that teens who spent over three hours a day on social media reported higher anxiety levels.
- Explanation opener: This suggests that excessive screen time may increase feelings of isolation or inadequacy.
In this example, the explanation sentence starter introduces the reasoning behind the evidence. This makes the paragraph more persuasive, coherent, and academically sound.
Where You’ll See Them Most
Explanation sentence openers are most commonly found in:
- Academic essays
- Exam responses
- Research writing
- Opinion pieces
- Analytical paragraphs
They’re particularly important when you’re writing in a point-evidence-explanation structure—a format widely used in both school and university writing.
When to Use Explanation Sentence openers
It is just as vital to know when to utilize an explanation sentence starting as it is to know which one to employ. You usually utilize these beginnings after you have stated a point or shown some proof, especially in professional writing like essays or reports.
Here are the most common situations where you should use them:
1. After Presenting a Point
When you state a main idea or argument, you should follow it with a sentence that explains why it’s valid or relevant.
Example:
- Point: Exercise improves mental health.
- Explanation starter: This is because regular physical activity helps regulate mood and reduce stress.
2. After Introducing Evidence
Once you’ve added evidence—such as a fact, statistic, or quote—an explanation sentence starter helps you interpret that evidence for your reader.
Example:
- Evidence: “Teenagers who slept less than six hours were 30% more likely to report feeling anxious” (Journal of Youth Studies).
- Explanation starter: This indicates that lack of sleep could directly impact emotional stability.
This ties into evidence explanation sentence openers, which are essential in research papers and structured essays.
3. When Analyzing a Quote
Quoting someone else isn’t enough. You need to explain what the quote means and how it supports your argument.
Example:
- Quote: “We are made wise not by the recollection of our past, but by the responsibility for our future.”
- Explanation starter: In other words, true wisdom comes from forward-thinking, not dwelling on past events.
This is where quote explanation sentence openers play a critical role in deepening your analysis.
4. In the Body Paragraphs of Essays
In a traditional essay structure, especially the point-evidence-explanation (PEE) or PEEL format, you use explanation openers regularly to develop your argument clearly. Using the right starter in the right place ensures your writing flows logically and persuasively.
List of Good Explanation Sentence openers
Having a lot of different ways to start an explanation sentence can help you make your writing clearer, more exact, and more interesting, whether you are writing an academic essay, dissecting a quote, or breaking down facts.
Below is a categorized list of good explanation sentence openers you can use across different contexts:
A. General Explanation openers
These work in most writing situations and help clarify your point.
- This means that…
- In other words…
- To put it simply…
- What this shows is that…
- This can be interpreted as…
- This suggests that…
- The reason for this is…
B. openers for Clarifying Ideas
Use these when you need to explain a concept or expand on an idea.
- This is because…
- What I mean by this is…
- To clarify further…
- This happens due to…
- This illustrates that…
- It becomes clear that…
C. openers for Adding Detail or Depth
These are helpful when deepening your explanation or adding layers to your argument.
- A deeper look reveals that…
- Another way to understand this is…
- This goes beyond the surface by showing…
- Looking more closely, we can see that…
- This detail reinforces the idea that…
D. Evidence Explanation Sentence openers
Use these specifically after citing facts, statistics, or research findings.
- This evidence shows that…
- This proves that…
- This data supports the idea that…
- This statistic reveals…
- From this, we can conclude that…
- The results suggest that…
These phrases are ideal for evidence explanation sentence openers and fit naturally into research papers or analytical writing.
E. Quote Explanation Sentence openers
Perfect for explaining the meaning or relevance of a quote.
- This quote shows that…
- In this quote, the author is saying that…
- This highlights the idea that…
- The quote reveals…
- Through this statement, the author emphasizes…
- This can be understood as…
These are essential quote explanation sentence openers —especially in literature analysis or persuasive essays.
Explanation Sentence openers for Essays
Good essays do not merely give facts; they also explain them. That is where essay beginnings that explain things really help. Explanation openers help you make clear, logical arguments that stand up to inspection in structured academic writing, especially in areas like English, history, or social science.
Here’s how to use them effectively in different parts of an essay:
A. After Making a Point
Use these when you’re elaborating on a claim or topic sentence:
- This is significant because…
- The main reason for this is…
- This point matters because…
- This demonstrates how…
- This supports the main idea that…
B. After Providing Evidence or Examples
When you present facts, data, or examples, these openers help transition into your interpretation:
- This evidence helps to show that…
- This supports the argument by…
- The example proves that…
- The reason this matters is…
- From this, we can infer that…
This fits well under essay explanation sentence openers and strengthens the logic in your paragraphs.
C. In PEEL or PEE Paragraph Structures
The Point–Evidence–Explanation–Link (PEEL) format is a classic essay structure. Here’s how it plays out with explanation openers:
- Point: School uniforms promote equality.
- Evidence: A 2021 study showed that uniform policies reduced bullying incidents by 30%.
- Explanation starter: This suggests that uniforms help level social differences, reducing visible inequality.
- Link: Therefore, school uniforms contribute to a more respectful learning environment.
Using explanation openers in this way keeps your writing organized, persuasive, and easy to follow.
D. Essay-Friendly Openers to Memorize
If you’re prepping for exams or timed writing, it helps to have a few go-to openers ready:
- This clearly shows that…
- This proves the point that…
- As a result, we can understand that…
- This is important because…
- It becomes evident that…
These phrases are flexible, making them some of the best explanation sentence openers to keep in your toolkit.
Evidence Explanation Sentence Openers
It is important to show proof in your writing, but that is not all you need to do. The explanation following shows how your point and your proof are related. That is where sentence openers for evidence explanation come in.
These openers help you break down data, figures, research, or real-world examples in a way that makes your writing more convincing and enhances your case.
Why They Matter
When you provide proof, you need to help the reader comprehend what it means. Without an explanation, evidence can seem like it is not connected or clear. You explain how the evidence by using certain phrase openers:
- Supports your argument
- Clarifies your point
- Adds credibility to your reasoning
This is especially important in academic essays and research writing, where analysis matters as much as information.
Common Evidence Explanation Sentence Openers
Use these right after quoting, paraphrasing, or summarizing evidence:
- This evidence suggests that…
- From this, we can conclude that…
- This supports the idea that…
- The data indicates that…
- This finding highlights…
- This shows the relationship between…
- This proves that…
- Based on this evidence…
Example: How to Use Them in Context
Let’s break down a short paragraph using the point–evidence–explanation method:
Point: Climate change is causing more extreme weather patterns.
Evidence: According to NOAA, the number of billion-dollar weather disasters in the U.S. doubled between 2000 and 2020.
Explanation Starter: This evidence suggests that climate change is intensifying natural disasters, making them more frequent and costly.
This structure presents a fact and explains why it matters—a key skill in high-level writing.
Quote Explanation Sentence openers
Quoting a source is powerful—but only if you explain why the quote matters. That’s where quote explanation sentence openers come into play. After introducing a quote, your next sentence should make its meaning clear and connect it directly to your point.
This section will show you how to explain quotes with confidence and clarity.
Why You Must Explain Quotes
Simply dropping a quote into your paragraph doesn’t prove your argument. A strong writer always:
- Interprets the quote in context
- Connects it to the main idea
- Highlights its relevance
Quote explanation sentence openers help you do exactly that—with fluency and style.
Best openers to Explain Quotes
Use these immediately after you introduce a quote in your essay or analysis:
- This quote means that…
- In this quote, the author is suggesting that…
- This illustrates that…
- The author is emphasizing…
- This supports the idea that…
- What this reveals is that…
- Through this quote, we can understand that…
- This highlights the concept of…
Example: Explanation in Context
Quote: “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.” – Franklin D. Roosevelt
Explanation Starter: In this quote, Roosevelt is emphasizing the idea that fear is often more damaging than the actual problem itself.
This explanation gives the quote context and ties it back to the main argument—a skill that’s essential in both literature essays and persuasive writing.
Bonus Tip: Avoid Over-Explaining
Don’t repeat the quote in different words. Instead, interpret or analyze it. Ask yourself: What does this quote prove? Why is it important? That’s what the explanation should focus on.
Point Evidence Explanation Sentence openers
Many lecturers and academic rubrics highlight the need of writing structured paragraphs, especially using the Point–Evidence–Explanation (PEE) or PEEL (Point, Evidence, Explanation, Link) method. These models assist pupils understand their thoughts and put them in the right sequence.
This section is all about how to use point-evidence-explanation sentence openers to make your writing better and make the flow of each paragraph better.
A Quick Look at the PEEL/PEE Structure
- Point: Say what your main point or argument is.
- Proof—Use a quotation, fact, or example to back it up.
- Explain how the proof backs up your argument.
- Link—Go back to the main point or move on to the next one.
A. Sentence openers for Each Part
Point openers
- One explanation is that…
- A main point is…
- The key point is…
- One thing to think about is…
Starting Points for Evidence
- For instance…
- As per…
- The text says…
- Studies show that…
- One thing that shows this is…
Starting Points for Explanations:
(These are the most important parts of your point-evidence-explanation sentences.)
- This means that…
- This means that…
- This shows…
- This backs up the assumption that…
- This means…
- This lets us see that…
- This shows how…
Link openers (optional)
- So,
- Because of this…
- To sum up,…
- This is related to…
- This makes the idea stronger that…
B. A Sample Paragraph Using PEE
Point: Teenagers are getting fatter because they eat a lot of fast food.
According to a research from the CDC, about 40% of teens eat fast food every day.
This shows that eating a lot of fast food could be a big reason why teens have bad diets.
This style is great for essays, especially when you have to write quickly or follow tight academic rules.
C. Why This Is Important for Writing Essays
If you learn how to use this structure and the correct sentence beginnings, your writing will be clear and professional. It also helps you do well on tests, where structured and clear answers get you more points.
Tips for Using Explanation Sentence openers Effectively
It is not enough to just plug in terms when you use explanation sentence openers. You need to make your writing more intelligent, organized, and easier to understand. Here are some useful tips to help you make your explanations better and more useful:
1. Make sure the starter fits the situation
Not all openers work in every context.
For instance:
- Only use “This quote illustrates that…” after you quote.
- When talking about facts or studies, say “This evidence shows…”
- Use “In other words…” to make things clearer or say them differently.
- Do this: Pick a starting that goes well with the kind of topic you are explaining.
2. Do not do it again
Do not utilize the same opening line for your explanations every time. If you say “This proves that…” too many times, your writing will sound robotic.
Do this: To keep things interesting and flowing, use phrases like “This proves that…” “This suggests…” or “This highlights the idea that…”
3. Do not just repeat—explain
One of the most prevalent blunders is to repeat the idea or evidence without adding anything new.
Weak: “This proves that fast food is bad for you.” (Just says the same thing again)
Stronger: “This suggests that eating fast food often leads to bad nutrition, especially in young people.” (adds meaning)
4. Use a formal tone when you need to
Pick academic-sounding starts for formal essays:
- “The data shows…”
- “This shows that there is a link between…”
- “This shows how important it is…”
You can use more conversational beginnings like these for creative or informal writing:
- “In easier words…”
- “This pretty much indicates…”
5. Use PEEL paragraphs to practice
Use explanation openers often in point–evidence–explanation structures until they come naturally to you. This can help you write stronger, more convincing paragraphs in any type of writing.
