A persuasive essay is a type of essay that aims to convince the reader of a particular point. It employs the use of argumentative points and strong terms to make the reader change their opinions to follow that of the writer, or so see and accept things from the writer’s point of view.
The bulk of a persuasive essay lies in the topic and introduction, so it is imperative for a writer to scour for the right topic, and phrase it in a way that provokes the reader to want to read on. Also, the introduction has to be well written, such that the reader does not even entertain the idea of dropping the paper until they have read through the entire essay.
Starting a persuasive essay, therefore, lies in creating an introduction paragraph so engaging, that your readers become hooked.
Persuasive Essay Introduction Paragraph
Imagine writing a wonderful and highly convincing persuasive essay, and having it rejected before your teacher or reader reads through the essay. As devastating as it might be, the problem is not far-fetched.
You can have a perfect essay body that carries all the points needed to totally convince your reader, but with a weak introduction or paragraph starter, your essay will be rated as subpar at best. That is, if the reader goes through with reading past the introduction.
Even if you don’t have what it takes to be so persuasive in person, you can create an entirely different impression with your writing. Read on to know just how to write a perfect persuasive essay introduction paragraph that will both save your essay and keep your readers around long enough to finish the whole essay.
Persuasive Essay Introduction Examples
With the internet, you can find countless persuasive essay introduction examples that are relevant or related to the topic you choose to write about. In this article though, here are some persuasive essay intro examples or persuasive essay sentence starters that might be of help:
- Use Strong Words
Here, your essay begins with a statement that accurately and briefly sums up your essay. An example is the statement “Children should be given every right to choose their foster parents”. Take care that throughout your essay, you raise enough points to convince your readers along the lines of your starting statement.
- Stick to Facts
Just as with strong words, your introductory line should be powerful and straight to the point. Here, your introduction starts with a proven fact that flawlessly sums up the idea of your essay, and acts as a strong point. Make sure too, to add on other facts and statistics that back up your claims.
- Use Leading Question
You can also start your essay with a question that causes the reader to either start having doubts if their views are contrary to yours, or more determined to read on and see things your way. Either way, your leading question must be strong enough to provoke your reader into wanting to know what your answer would be.
- Use a Story or Vivid Description
If all else fails, you can bank on this one to reel your readers in. Paint a vivid picture in your readers’ minds or tell them a story that proves or supports your point. Your readers will want to see where the story leads to, and how it relates to your paper.
- Consider Using Quotes
For emphasis, you can start your essay with a famous quote or a statement that supports your argument. You must find a way to link your quote with the rest of your essay.
- Compare and Contrast
Another way to start your persuasive essay is to use a comparative statement. You can bring your topic up in a way that makes your readers think of your topic in a way that relates to it only a little, if at all. To do this, you can liken your topic to an object, and the significance of this object can be brought into your writing later.
A good example of this comparison is the sentence “The human brain is an electrical conductor”. The human brain is not really an electrical conductor in the strictest sense; however, an electrical conductor is one that transmits electrical signals. The significance of an electrical conductor, therefore, is what the brain is being described as.
Conclusion
Now you know how to start a persuasive essay, and you have some good pointers and tips to guide you along. You know also that a persuasive essay is as good as its introduction paragraph because the convincing starts from there. With the valuable pointers and help that you have received from this article, you can now go on to write a persuasive essay that will convince your readers from start to finish.
