Best way to start an Essay

Question

My son needs to write an essay; how should he start? I'm not sure how to help him with this?

Answer 1

Essays are structurally specific ways to respond to prompts. Every essay has three major parts: an introduction, a body, and a conclusion, with the body being the most flexible in terms of length and breadth, depending on the scope of the assignment.

For novice essay writers, using graphic organizers is really helpful, as the process of taking ideas and fitting them into this format can be challenging without the writer having experience with it. These organizers are most useful during the planning and drafting stages of the writing process, and they help during editing and revising as well, as they allow readers to refer back to them to best understand the writer's reasoning and intentions in the case that their draft is hard to follow or understand.

Once you find strong graphic organizers for planning and outlining (most tutors and teachers should ideally have various options on this front), the first step is to look at the prompt and gain a sense of what kinds of responses would work as the thesis statement, the sentence that provides an overarching, direct response to the prompt that the writer will then support using specific evidence and reasoning in the body.

From there, figuring out what kinds of evidence led the writer to this conclusion will provide guidance for the body paragraphs. The number and topics for body paragraphs is dependant on understanding and organizing this collection of evidence, in terms of the ways in which each piece supports the thesis. This will help with writing each body paragraph's topic sentence.

Finally, it's just a matter of filling in some additional details. For the introduction paragraph, these include a starter sentence, or hook, and some background information about the topic to come before the thesis statement. For the body paragraphs, this means the topic sentence and the reasoning as to why each piece of evidence supports the thesis. For the conclusion, at the early stages of essay writing, this usually means restating the thesis statement, summing up the body paragraphs, and providing some kind of context, in the form of a zoom-out "why is all of this meaningful" kind of statement.

This is certainly a lot, and it's very dependent on a student's level and the assessment expectations, but the process should always be collaborative, as the purpose of most essays is to communicate a writer's analytical position and the reasoning behind it, and this can only be confirmed and refined through sharing and reflecting on a draft, eventually making changes to enhance clarity and flow.

I hope this is helpful, but if it's not or if further clarification would help, please feel free to reach out. Best of luck to you and your son!

Answer 2

There are many ways to be successful in writing an essay. Here is how I find that students and I are able to do so.

I always start with writing my ideas down, then converting everything over into an outline.

Topic: Sports

Prompt: What is the best sport?

Thesis: Table pool is the greatest sport of all time.

Introduction: Should have a hook to grab the reader's attention. Should relay what the main idea of the essay is, and give the thesis statement. Should summarize the supportive evidence in a list. Have a good concluding sentence.

Body 1-3: Each should start with a good leading sentence that keeps the reader's attention, and provide supportive evidence for each main idea. There should be at least three statements per idea.

Body 1 idea: Table pool requires a lot of skill.

Evidence 1: Players must know how to hit the cue ball in order to successfully hit the numbered ball into a pocket.

Evidence 2: Trick shots such as jumps and bank shots take a lot of practice.

Evidence 3: Players must be able to predict the next move of the other player before taking their own shot. Play defense as much as offense.

Conclusion: Should reiterate the thesis as a truth and summarize the supportive evidence again.

You can highlight these statements as you put them into an essay to ensure you have all the information necessary to make a clear, well-written essay.

To proofread, I always read the essay backwards. Sentence by sentence. This helps in finding errors. The logic of the essay should work backwards as much as forwards. Can always have a family member or friend read the essay to help proofread and find any errors or to provide insights of questions they may have.

I hope this helps. Please feel free to contact me to schedule if you would like a session for more in-depth assistance.

Answer 3

That's a fantastic question! The start of an essay, often called the introduction or hook, is the most important part because it's the first thing the reader (or teacher/grader) sees. A good opening should grab the reader's attention and clearly set up the essay's topic and argument (the thesis statement).

Based on the prompt, I'll assume your son is writing a standard academic essay (like a persuasive, literary analysis, or informational essay) typically encountered in middle or high school.

Here are the four best ways your son can start an essay, followed by a comparison chart.

4 Effective Essay Hook Strategies

1. The Rhetorical Question (Engages the Reader)

This method starts with a thought-provoking question related to the central topic. It immediately involves the reader by prompting an internal answer.

Strategy	When to Use It	Explanation
Rhetorical Question	Best for persuasive essays and arguments where the goal is to challenge the reader's assumptions.	The question serves as the hook, drawing the reader into the problem the essay will solve.
Example (Topic: Social Media and Privacy)	"At what point does the convenience of connection cross the line into the cost of personal freedom? The rise of social media platforms has created a global village, but this interconnectedness comes at a steep price..."	The question frames the entire debate and leads directly to the core topic.

2. The Anecdote or Short Story (Personalizes the Topic)

This strategy starts with a brief, vivid, and relevant story. It turns an abstract topic into a human, relatable experience.

Strategy	When to Use It	Explanation
Anecdote/Story	Great for narrative, personal, or issue-based essays (e.g., social science, history). Must be brief.	The story serves as a relatable entry point, creating emotional connection before shifting to the analytical thesis.
Example (Topic: The Value of Mentorship)	"When Sarah was ten, she spent every Saturday in the library, not reading books, but watching Mrs. Albright, the librarian, patiently teach a homeless man to use a computer. That single, quiet act of dedication revealed the profound, often hidden, power of mentorship. This concept—the transfer of knowledge and belief—is what truly builds lasting communities..."	The small, specific image of Sarah and Mrs. Albright makes the abstract concept of mentorship tangible.

3. The Surprising Fact or Statistic (Shocks and Informs)

This method uses an arresting piece of data, a shocking statement, or an overlooked fact to emphasize the importance or scope of the topic.

Strategy	When to Use It	Explanation
Surprising Fact	Excellent for informational, scientific, or research-heavy essays.	Immediately establishes the importance and urgency of the topic using concrete evidence.
Example (Topic: Waste Reduction and Recycling)	"Every year, the average American discards 81 pounds of clothing. This staggering figure, which has doubled in the last 20 years, reveals a critical failure in modern consumption habits. To address this crisis, the nation must adopt centralized, state-funded textile recycling programs..."	The bold, statistical hook provides immediate, undeniable proof that the subject is worth analyzing.

4. The Broad-to-Narrow Approach (Contextualizes the Topic)

This is the most traditional and safest method. It starts with a general statement about a universal idea and gradually funnels down to the specific topic and the thesis statement.

Strategy	When to Use It	Explanation
Broad-to-Narrow	The best choice for literary analysis, academic history papers, and tests where clarity is prioritized over flashiness.	Provides a logical structure that guides the reader naturally from a large concept to the essay's specific argument.
Example (Topic: Power in The Great Gatsby)	"Throughout human history, power has been defined not merely by wealth but by the illusion of control it creates. In the roaring s, this relationship between wealth and false authority reached a fever pitch. F. Scott Fitzgerald's novel, The Great Gatsby, perfectly captures this dynamic, arguing that true power belongs not to the wealthy aristocrats, but to the social visionaries who craft their own, temporary realities."	Starts with the universal theme ("power in history") and narrows to the specific text and claim (thesis).

Essay Start Guide: Comparison Chart

Here is a chart summarizing the best introductory strategies:

Hook Type	Best for...	Goal	Tone	Risk/To Avoid
Rhetorical Question	Argumentative/Persuasive	To challenge assumptions and engage the reader's thoughts.	Direct, Thoughtful	Asking a question that has an obvious or one-word answer.
Surprising Fact	Science/Research/Data-Heavy	To establish the importance and scope of the problem quickly.	Authoritative, Factual	Using an unsupported or highly generalized statistic.
Anecdote/Story	Personal/Issue-Based	To humanize an abstract issue or create an immediate emotional connection.	Warm, Personal	Making the story too long or irrelevant to the thesis.
Broad-to-Narrow	Literary Analysis/History	To provide a clear, logical bridge from a universal concept to the specific thesis.	Formal, Academic	Being too vague or using clichés (e.g., "In today's society...").

Key to Success: The Thesis Statement

No matter which hook he chooses, the introduction must end with a strong thesis statement. The hook grabs the attention, and the thesis tells the reader the main argument the essay will prove.

Formula for a Good Introduction:

1. Hook (1-2 sentences using one of the strategies above)
2. Bridge (1-2 sentences connecting the hook to the topic)
3. Thesis Statement (1 sentence clearly stating the essay's main argument)

Answer 4

Teaching the hook (the first sentence of an essay, which should "hook" the reader) is difficult, because students are in many ways unlearning how they have approached the structure in elementary/middle school. Many students have been taught to create a hook by asking a question. This method needs to be changed for more advanced writing and research essays.

Here's an example: most students will approach a topic with something they find personally interesting, or a "provocative question", which may or may not directly relate to their argument. Something like: Did you know that whales can be found in every ocean on Earth? While the goal is to introduce the topic, this device often feels cliche and is not an effective hook, especially in a research essay where the main goal is simply to introduce the topic.

For academic essays, I advise students to succinctly introduce their topic by providing a logical argument; something that provokes thought. They will then provide the reader with the appropriate background context they will need to understand the writer's argument, which is the key point of any essay. The entire introducton paragraph should be clearly aligned with a thesis as the final sentence of the introduction, which states the main arguments the writer will use in their essay.

For the example above, we might approach it like: Whales are found in every ocean of the Earth, however, this may not always be the case if protections for endangered whale species are not followed.

I hope this example was helpful - please feel free to reach out.

Ryan

Answer 5

Starting any new piece of writing can be quite intimidating! But I'm sure you and your son are up for the task :)

Here is how I I like to start my essay writing process.

1. I write out the question my essay needs to answer. Perhaps the prompt is already a question, or perhaps you will need to rewrite it as a question. For instance, if the prompt is "write about how imagery strengthens the core themes of Their Eyes Were Watching God," this prompt could be rewritten as "how does imagery strengthen the core themes of Their Eyes Were Watching God?"
2. I then write out a bullet list of possible answers to the question without worrying about how good or bad those answers are.
3. I sit with this list and try to think of 1-3 pieces of evidence for each possible answer. This evidence can be from the text in question, independent research, or stories from my life (especially for personal essays).
4. I take my strongest possible answers (strongest meaning what most excites me and what has the best evidence) and outline a way to make these answers as compelling as possible. Often, one answer will build upon another, and this makes the ordering easy. This is where it becomes especially helpful to keep in mind that every essay is just making an argument, voicing an opinion. We voice opinions all the time! An essay is just another way to do this.
5. I write an introduction that provides the basic background info my reader would need, sets up the question, and offers my answers with a little information (very summarized) on why my answers are the right answer.
6. I follow my outline to write a first draft.

This is how I start practically all of my essays! I hope this is helpful. If you would like help at any point in this process, feel free to schedule with me! I have instant book appointments available all throughout this week :)