Writing basics: how to make an opening sentence
An opening sentence helps set the tone for readers. This may be known as the hook or topic sentence. You need to understand what elements will be essential to this paragraph and why readers need to know this information early on. Creating a strong opening sentence is essential to helping readers understand what you content is about. Plus, it lays the foundation for interesting information that will follow pertaining to your subject matter.
Make Sure Your Opener Hooks Your Audience
An opening sentence is sometimes known as a hook since it needs to catch reader’s attention. You need to know what details will spark interest of someone reading your paper for the first time. Depending on your subject matter you may need to include something informative such as statistical information or a fact. This sentence will need to have specific information pertaining to your topic people can instantly relate to. You will need to think about this sentence for a little to make sure it is a good opener for your topic.
Provide Good Details to Help Readers Know What is Ahead
This sentence will give readers an idea of what is to follow. If this information does not catch their attention they may not want to continue reading after the first sentence. Think about details related to your topic that would stand out to your audience. You may even want to think about this from another perspective as if you are the reader. What would interest you in the first sentence if you read the paper for the first time? As you get ideas you may need to rewrite this sentence a few times until you settle on something solid.
What Should Readers Know Right from the Start about Your Topic?
Think about what you have learned so far about your subject. You know what information you want to include in your paper. Now, think about what information you feel is most important? This will become a crucial aspect of your opening sentence. This means as you write your paper you will provide the most important information first and build your content from there. Your opening sentence should provide a sense of who, what, when, where and why. It may attempt to answer a question or ask a question readers will want to keep reading to learn more.