Sentence Starters
How you start each sentence in writing, whether it is academic, persuasive, or artistic, can have a big impact on how clear, smooth, and strong your message is. This is where sentence starters come in.
A sentence opener is a word or phrase that comes at the beginning of a sentence and helps the reader understand what you are saying. They help you write more clearly and confidently by acting as transitions, tone indications, and structure signposts. There are many different kinds of sentence starters, and each one is important for making writing that is clear and well-organized.
In this complete tutorial, we will look at numerous types of sentence starters based on how they are used. These include introduction sentence starters, subject phrase starters, sentence starters for body paragraphs, and conclusion sentence starters.
We’ll also link to helpful resources throughout, including:
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By the end of this guide you’ll not only have a robust list of good sentence starters, but you’ll also understand how to use them effectively to write better essays, paragraphs, and arguments.
Why Use Sentence Starters?
Whether you’re a student writing an essay or a professional crafting a report, sentence starters can elevate your writing in several ways:
1. They make everything clear and organized.
The introduction, body, and conclusion of an essay all have different jobs. Sentence starters let readers know right away what kind of material or argument is coming next.
For instance:
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- Sentences that start with “To begin with…” or “In this essay…” show where the essay starts.
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- Words like “In summary…” or “Ultimately…” at the end of a phrase make it apparent that it is over.
2. They make ideas flow better
If you do not use the right transitions, your writing can feel choppy and disconnected. Sentence starters for essays, especially those that introduce evidence or reasoning, let ideas flow more smoothly from one to the next.
Think about:
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- The body paragraph sentence starts like “Another major reason is…”
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- Sentence starters for evidence include “The data shows that…”
These changes keep readers interested and let your points build on one other.
3. They make arguments stronger
Good writing takes into account other points of view. Using sentence starters like “While some believe…” or “However, it may also be argued that…” makes your argumentative writing more interesting. You can find additional examples by clicking on our Rebuttal Sentence Starters post.
4. They Help You Get Over Writer’s Block
If you do not know how to start a sentence or paragraph, a good hook sentence starter or logic sentence starter will help you get over the block and move on to your next thought.
Sentence Starters by Essay Section
Different parts of an essay serve different purposes. That’s why sentence starters should be chosen based on whether you’re opening your essay, expanding on an idea in a body paragraph, providing evidence, or wrapping things up. Let’s explore the best sentence starters for each stage of your writing.
1. Sentence Starters for Introduction
The introduction of your essay sets the tone for everything that follows. A strong opening should grab attention, introduce the topic, and present the thesis statement.
Hook Sentence Starters
These are designed to capture your reader’s interest from the start:
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- “Have you ever wondered…”
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- “Imagine a world where…”
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- “What if I told you…”
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- “Many people don’t realize that…”
Pro Tip: Hook sentence starters are great for narrative, persuasive, or argumentative writing. Make sure your hook relates to your main topic.
Introduction Sentence Starters
Once you’ve got your reader’s attention, you need to introduce your subject matter and purpose:
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- “This essay will explore…”
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- “In this discussion, we will examine…”
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- “The aim of this paper is to…”
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- “To begin with, it is essential to understand…”
These phrases work well in academic essays, helping you clearly present your thesis and intent.
2. Topic Sentence Starters
A topic sentence introduces the main idea of a paragraph. It gives readers a clear understanding of what to expect. If you’re writing a five-paragraph essay, this is especially useful for paragraphs like body paragraph 1, where you start to make your case.
Use these sentence starters for topic sentences:
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- “One significant reason is…”
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- “The first point to consider is…”
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- “A key idea in this discussion is…”
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- “To understand this issue, we must first look at…”
For a deeper guide, refer to our full article on Topic Sentence Starters, where we break down starters by tone and essay type.
3. Sentence Starters for Body Paragraphs
The body is where you develop your argument or explanation using evidence and reasoning. Each paragraph should build on the last while introducing a new supporting point.
Sentence Starters for Body Paragraph 1 (and beyond)
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- “The first reason to consider is…”
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- “To begin with, it is evident that…”
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- “Initially, we must recognize…”
These starters work well when opening your first supporting paragraph.
Sentence Starters for Body Paragraphs (in general)
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- “Additionally,…”
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- “Another important factor is…”
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- “A further example can be seen in…”
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- “In contrast to the previous point…”
Transitioning smoothly from one point to the next creates logical flow and improves readability.
4. Sentence Starters for Evidence, Reasoning, and CER
One of the most important things body paragraphs do, especially in academic or persuasive essays, is give evidence and then explain it with logic. Using strong sentence starters at each stage of the Claim–Evidence–Reasoning (CER) structure makes sure that your ideas are clearly communicated and rationally developed.
Evidence Sentence Starters
After making a claim or stating your main idea, it’s essential to support it with evidence—facts, data, quotations, or real-world examples. Use these starters to introduce that evidence smoothly:
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- “According to the data…”
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- “The text states…”
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- “One example of this is…”
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- “As demonstrated by…”
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- “In the article, it is mentioned that…”
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- “For instance…”
These sentence starters for evidence help the reader clearly see where your support is coming from, which strengthens your argument.
Dive deeper into this topic in our Sentence Starters for an Argumentative Essay and Evidence Sentence Starters guides.
Reasoning Sentence Starters
Once you’ve introduced evidence, you need to explain how it supports your claim. This is where reasoning sentence starters come in. They help you interpret the evidence and show its relevance.
Use these examples:
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- “This shows that…”
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- “This proves…”
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- “This evidence suggests that…”
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- “From this, we can conclude that…”
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- “This highlights the importance of…”
Clear reasoning builds your credibility as a writer and strengthens your argument.
For a full list and how to vary your phrasing, visit Reasoning Sentence Starters.
CER Sentence Starters (Claim–Evidence–Reasoning)
The CER framework is a structured approach used commonly in science and argumentative writing. Sentence starters can guide students through each part of the response:
Claim Sentence Starters
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- “I believe that…”
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- “The main idea is…”
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- “One important point is…”
Evidence Sentence Starters
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- “According to the article…”
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- “The author states…”
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- “From the experiment, we observed…”
Reasoning Sentence Starters
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- “This means that…”
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- “This proves my claim because…”
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- “Therefore, the data supports…”
Using this approach with consistent language helps students and writers stay focused and organized in their explanations.
Explore our full list at CER Sentence Starters.
5. Sentence Starters for Arguments and Rebuttals
Good writing does not just give one point of view; it also thinks about what other people might say. Using the appropriate sentence openers for rebuttals and counterclaims makes your writing more complex and believable, whether you are writing an argumentative essay or a formal debate.
Argumentative Sentence Starters
These are used to assert your position clearly at the beginning of a paragraph or section.
Use these sentence starters to introduce your argument:
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- “One strong argument in favor of…”
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- “It is evident that…”
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- “There is substantial evidence that…”
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- “Many experts agree that…”
These sentence starters give your argument a strong opening, establishing your position with clarity.
Learn more in our article: Sentence Starters for an Argumentative Essay
Rebuttal Sentence Starters
When you present an opposing point of view and then counter it, you’re building credibility and deepening your argument. This rhetorical strategy is key in persuasive essays and debates.
Use these rebuttal sentence starters:
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- “While some people argue that…”
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- “Although it is often believed that…”
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- “On the other hand, some may say…”
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- “However, this view fails to consider…”
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- “Nonetheless, it’s important to recognize…”
These rebuttal sentence starters help demonstrate that you’ve considered multiple sides of an issue—and chosen yours based on logic and evidence.
For more examples by tone and audience, visit our complete guide: Rebuttal Sentence Starters
Context and Explanation Sentence Starters
To further clarify or provide background for an argument or rebuttal, you may need to include context or expand your explanation. Here are a few helpful starters:
Context Sentence Starters:
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- “To understand this issue, it’s important to consider…”
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- “Historically, this has been…”
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- “In the context of recent events…”
Explanation Sentence Starters:
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- “This is important because…”
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- “The reason for this is…”
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- “To explain further…”
Explore more in our detailed posts on Context Sentence Starters and Explanation Sentence Starters
6. Sentence Starters for Conclusions and Closings
A solid conclusion is important for every good piece of writing. The conclusion strengthens your core thesis or argument, sums up your important ideas, and makes a lasting impression. Using good ending sentence openers makes sure that your last thoughts are just as strong as your first ones.
Concluding Sentence Starters
These sentence starters signal to the reader that you’re wrapping things up:
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- “In conclusion,…”
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- “To sum up,…”
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- “In summary,…”
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- “Ultimately,…”
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- “As a result,…”
These are perfect for both academic essays and persuasive writing, especially when you need to summarize complex points.
Sentence Starters for Conclusions
When you’re closing a full essay or argument (not just a paragraph), it’s important to tie everything together and restate your main message. These sentence starters help with that:
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- “Taking everything into account,…”
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- “Looking back at the main points,…”
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- “This leads us to the conclusion that…”
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- “After examining the evidence,…”
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- “The information clearly shows that…”
These starters encourage reflective thinking and reinforce your thesis, helping readers leave with a strong final impression.
Closing Sentence Starters
A closing sentence doesn’t just end a paragraph—it strengthens the paragraph’s key message. These are especially useful in body paragraphs and can lead smoothly into the next section or conclude the current idea:
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- “This clearly shows that…”
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- “Therefore, it is clear that…”
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- “This supports the idea that…”
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- “It can be concluded that…”
Want to elevate your transitions between paragraphs too? Refer to our Paragraph Starters article for next-level tips.
Final Thoughts: Using Sentence Starters Effectively
It is not enough to only follow rules when you learn how to use sentence openers. You also need to learn how to make your writing flow, have a structure, and have a style. Having a well-organized set of sentence starters, from hook sentence starters to sentence starters for arguments and rebuttals, enables you write clearly, with authority, and with a clear aim.
To get the most out of this guide:
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- Bookmark it as a reference when writing essays, reports, or arguments
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- Use the internal links to dive deeper into specific types of sentence starters
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- Practice by rewriting weak sentences using strong starters from each section
Explore More
Already working on essays? You’ll find these posts helpful for diving deeper:
