Sentence Starters | Examples & Tips

Sentence starters are transition words or phrases that begin different types of sentences. They show readers what type of information to expect in the rest of a sentence. For example after the sentence starter “however,” readers expect an exception or contradiction to the previous sentence.

The best sentence starters for essays depend on a few factors:

• The genre of writing (e.g., the various academic essay types)
• The type of information the sentence will include
• The sentence’s relationship to the previous sentence (e.g., a contradiction, explanation, or additional piece of evidence)

Sentence starters like the examples in this article are also helpful for overcoming writer’s block and getting your ideas flowing.

Types of sentence starters for essays

The examples in this section show how sentence starters vary according to the type of essay you’re writing and the type of information the sentence will include.

Argument and reasoning sentence starters

Argumentative essays, which defend separate reasons (usually one per body paragraph) for a main argument, often include these sentence starters.

• One of the main reasons
• Another reason
• For example
• Additionally
• In addition
• Furthermore
• According to [author’s name]
• This evidence shows that
• Despite this argument
• However
• Nonetheless

Compare and contrast sentence starters

Sentence starters like these show readers when you’re talking about a similarity or a difference in a compare and contrast essay or other type of writing.

• One of the main differences
• A main similarity
• Another difference
• X and Y also have similar
• Despite the similarities
• An example of this similarity/difference is
• This similarity/difference is important because
• Similarly
• Likewise
• Conversely
• However
• In contrast

Sentence starters for narrative writing

For a narrative essay that describes an event and its significance or meaning, sentence starters like these work well.

• It all started when
• The day began with
• After that
• When we arrived at
• On the next day
• The situation became more complicated when
• Later that morning/evening/afternoon/day/night
• My experience with … helped me to realize
• Looking back now
• Since that day

Sentence starters for cause and effect

When you’re writing about causes or effects, sentence starters help readers follow your logic.

• The most profound effect of X is
• A main reason X happens is because
• X is primarily caused by
• Another factor that leads to X is
• Another consequence of X is
• X can also lead to
• As a result
• Consequently
• Therefore

Sentence starters for steps in a process

When you’re writing about a process, use sentence starters to help readers understand the sequence of steps.

• First
• To start
• The first step is to
• Next
• Then
• After
• Finally

Introduction sentence starters

Introduction paragraphs for essays usually include a hook, background information, and a thesis statement. Each of these introduction components can benefit from effective sentence starters.

Hook sentence starters

The hook that begins an essay should immediately show readers that your topic is worth reading more about. The sentence starters below include options for a few types of hooks—questions, famous quotes, or facts that are relevant to your topic.

• Imagine a world where
• [Famous author] once said
• Stories about … are inherently intriguing because
• [Main topic] has become controversial in recent years because
• One of the most hotly debated issues in [place or academic field] is
• One of toughest dilemmas that students/teachers/parents/voters face today is

Background information sentence starters

Depending on your essay topic and the type of background information your introduction needs, sentence starters like these can work well.

• In the past … but now
• The story mainly involves
• [Main topic] became especially significant/problematic/relevant when
• One of the main reasons [main topic] has become so relevant is that
• Historically, people who are affected by [main topic] have
• Studies in recent years have shown that
• While some people believe … others think that
• Critics of … argue that

Thesis sentence starters

Sentence starters for thesis statements are also largely contingent on the type of essay you’re writing, but these are a few common approaches.

• While some argue … it is crucial to
• [Group of people] should [main argument] because
• The most significant causes/effects of [main topic] include
• Although X and Y have similar … some key differences include
• [Author] uses rhetorical devices to convince readers that

Topic sentence starters

Topic sentences that begin an essay’s body paragraphs often begin with sentence starters to show what type of topic the paragraph will discuss. The examples below include topic sentence starters for a few types of essays.

Topic sentence starters for body paragraph 1

Topic sentence starters for body paragraph 1 often include words like “one,” “most,” or “main” to show readers that you’re about to develop your first or most important point.

• Most importantly
• One of main reasons
• The biggest concern is that
• A main effect of X is
• The most harmful effect of X is
• The main cause of X is
• The strongest similarity is
• A key difference between X and Y is

Topic sentence starters for other body paragraphs

After the first body paragraph, topic sentence starters include transition words that signal addition (e.g., “another” or “also”).

• Another reason/effect/similarity/etc.
• In addition to [previous body paragraph topic]
• Additionally
• Moreover
• Finally
• Lastly

Sentence starters for body paragraphs

In addition to topic sentence starters, body paragraphs need sentence starters for the various supporting details.

Sentence starters for evidence

Common sentence starters for evidence include the following:

• For example
• Specifically
• For instance
• In particular
• To illustrate
• Additionally
• Moreover

Sentence starters for quotes or paraphrases

When you’re quoting or paraphrasing information from outside sources, the best sentence starters are signal phrases that include the author’s name with “according to” or a verb (e.g., “Kanojia explains”).

• According to [Name],
• [Name] argues/argued that
• [Name] explains/explained
• [Name] found that
• In the article “Title,” [Name] describes

Sentence starters for summaries

When a body paragraph includes a summary of a text’s overall content (rather than a paraphrase of one detail), introduce the text’s title in the first sentence, and use signal phrases (e.g., “Author explains”) in subsequent sentences.

• In “Title,” [Author] writes about/discusses/explains that
• “Title” is a story/article/book about
• The main argument of “Title” is that
• [Author] further explains that
• The author concludes that

Transition sentence starters

When you need to transition between different pieces of evidence within a body paragraph, try sentence starters such as these.

Contradictions

• Alternatively
• Despite
• However
• Conversely

Additions

• Similarly
• Furthermore
• Likewise
• Additionally
• Moreover

Causation

• As a result
• For this reason
• Therefore
• Consequently

Concluding sentence starters

Concluding sentence starters for body paragraphs include the following.

• This evidence shows that
• These examples illustrate
• The overall implication is

Conclusion sentence starters

Sentence starters for conclusions show that you’re about to wrap up all of your ideas. The most common conclusion sentence starter is “in conclusion,” but there are other options.

• In the end
• In summary
• Ultimately
• In closing
• In essence
• In sum
• All in all
• Essentially
• Clearly
• Undoubtedly
• Inevitably
• On the whole
• In the final analysis
• Based on these facts
• Given all of the evidence
• All things considered
• All of the recent evidence suggests

Frequently asked questions about sentence starters

What are good transition words for conclusions?

Good transition words and phrases for conclusions include:

• To conclude (with)
• Finally
• At last
• As a final point
• In conclusion
• Lastly
• In sum
• Overall

The transition you choose will depend on the level of formality of your text and the argument you have made.

Using QuillBot’s Paraphrasing Tool can help you vary your word choice.

What are good sentence starters for the first body paragraph?

Good sentence starters for the first body paragraph depend on the type of essay you’re writing. For example, in an argument essay, body paragraph 1 often begins with “One of the main reasons.”

Sentence starters for other essay types include:

• Cause/effect: “One of the most significant effects of [your main topic] is”
• Compare/contrast: “One important difference between X and Y is” or “One similarity between X and Y is that”
• Narrative essay: “It all started when”
• Rhetorical analysis: “[Author’s] use of [ethos/logos/pathos] is especially [effective/ineffective] because”
• Literary analysis: “One of the most significant ways that [author] develops the theme is through”

Have you tried QuillBot’s free Paraphraser when you’re writing body paragraphs? It can help you with effective sentence starters and other word choices.

What are good transition words to show contrast?

Good transition words and phrases to show contrast include:

• However
• Although
• In contrast
• Conversely
• Whereas
• On the other hand
• While

The transition you choose will depend on the level of formality of your text and your sentence structure.

QuillBot’s Paraphraser can help you vary your word choice.