how to start an essay about yourself examples


Comment: By offering two alternatives and then naming the first alternative again with a claim to its superiority, you create a sentence with a repeated element. The repetition creates an impact by making the repeated element more memorable. Poetry and song lyrics use repetition with this same intention.


Since different essay types have different types of introduction paragraphs, we’ve provided examples of how to start an essay for the four main essay types (narrative, descriptive, argumentative, and expository essay).

In order to learn how to start an introduction for an essay, it is crucial to understand what background information needs to be included in your introduction.

how to start an essay about a person

Comment: The irony that a good thing leads to a bad thing for others will arouse your reader’s sympathy and moral indignation. This sentence structure is a powerful first sentence in an essay.

So, you have to start off strong. Your first sentence has to have some impact on the reader or you risk your essay being tossed aside never to be picked up again.

This post was co-written by me (Ethan) and Luci Jones (Brown University, CO ‘23). Luci took my last year. The essay that she produced was so good and her writing was so beautiful, I’ve asked her to help me co-write this blog post with me, create a few techniques for writing a great introduction, and analyze why they work so well.

Bowing down to the porcelain god, I emptied the contents of my stomach. Foaming at the mouth, I was ready to pass out. My body couldn’t stop shaking as I gasped for air, and the room started spinning. (Read the rest of the essay .)


Example of How to Start an Essay with a Question:

Why It Works: This style subtly highlights the writing talent of the author without drawing attention away from the content of the story. In this example, the staccatoed sentence fragments convey a sense of halting anxiety and also mimic the movement of the bird’s chest as it struggles to breathe. All sorts of questions come up: What happened to the bird? What will the author do? (Read the rest of the essay .)

Another way to start off an essay is by using a quote.

An essay is a common type of academic writing that you'll likely be asked to do in multiple classes. Before you start writing your essay, make sure you understand the details of the assignment so that you know how to approach the essay and what your focus should be. Once you've chosen a topic, do some and narrow down the main argument(s) you'd like to make. From there, you'll need to write an outline and flesh out your essay, which should consist of an introduction, body, and conclusion. After your essay is drafted, spend some time revising it to ensure your writing is as strong as possible.

r/GetStudying on Reddit: How to write an introduction to your essay

The structure of the body is flexible, but you should always spend some time thinking about how you can organize your essay to best serve your ideas.

How to Write an Essay Introduction

The structure of the body is flexible, but you should always spend some time thinking about how you can organize your essay to best serve your ideas.

How to Write an Essay Introduction (with Examples)

In this blog post, we will discuss proven strategies on how to start an essay that will help jumpstart your creativity and enhance your overall writing process.

What are some ways to start an essay with a question

FYI: I see this more often at the start of great essays than personal statements, as this can often lead to an essay that’s more heady/intellectual and less vulnerable/personal. A variation on this that’s a bit more personal is the...