Sentence Starters: Complete Lists, Uses and Examples for Every Type of Writing

Sentence starters are the words or short phrases that open a sentence, and learning a wide, flexible bank of them is one of the most practically useful skills a writer at any level can develop. A student who only ever begins sentences with 'I think', 'Also' and 'And then' will struggle to write with the variety and sophistication that strong writing demands. A student who has a genuine range of sentence starters available for introducing ideas, adding information, showing contrast, drawing conclusions can produce writing that flows naturally and reads as considerably more mature, regardless of the underlying content.

This page provides the most comprehensive collection of sentence starters available for students and writers at every level. It covers essay sentence starters for introductions, body paragraphs and arguments; topic sentence starters for opening paragraphs with focus and clarity; conclusion sentence starters for closing a piece of writing with the same care it began with; and extensive practice exercises.

 

Table of Contents

• What are Sentence Starters?
• Types of Sentence Starters with Examples
• How to Choose the Right Sentence Starter
• Practice Exercises

 

What are Sentence Starters?

A sentence starter is the opening word or phrase of a sentence that establishes its direction and its relationship to the surrounding text.

Sentence starters do real grammatical and logical work. They signal to the reader what kind of sentence is coming: a new idea, an example, a contrast, a conclusion, before the rest of the sentence has even been read. This signalling makes writing easier to follow and far more pleasant to read.

 

Types of Sentence Starters with Examples

 

A. Topic Sentence Starters

Topic sentence starters open a new paragraph by clearly stating its main idea, giving the reader an immediate sense of what the paragraph will cover.

What a Topic Sentence Needs to do

A topic sentence should state the paragraph's central idea clearly and specifically, without simply repeating the essay's thesis word for word. Topic sentence starters help writers begin this statement with focus and direction.

Topic Sentence Starters List

• One of the most important aspects of…
• A key factor in understanding…
• One significant reason for…
• The most striking feature of…
• Among the many causes of…
• A central theme throughout…
• One of the clearest examples of…
• The primary consequence of…
• An important aspect to consider is…
• At the heart of this issue is...

Example Topic Sentences Using These Starters

• One of the most important aspects of climate change is its disproportionate impact on coastal communities.
• A central theme throughout the novel is the tension between duty and personal desire.
• The primary consequence of deforestation is the rapid loss of biodiversity.

 

B. Essay Sentence Starters: Introductions

Essay sentence starters for introductions need to draw a reader in while clearly establishing the topic and direction of the essay.

Essay Sentence Starters for Opening Hooks

• Imagine a world in which…
• Few people realise that…
• It is widely believed that... however…
• Throughout history, …
• In recent years, there has been growing debate about…
• One of the most pressing issues of our time is…
• Consider the following scenario:...
• What would happen if...?

Essay Sentence Starters for Stating a Thesis

• This essay will argue that…
• This essay explores…
• The purpose of this essay is to examine…
• This paper will demonstrate that…
• This essay will critically assess...

Example Introduction Using These Starters

'In recent years, there has been growing debate about the role of social media in shaping public opinion. This essay will argue that, while social media has democratised access to information, it has simultaneously contributed to the spread of misinformation on an unprecedented scale.'

 

C. Sentence Starters for Adding Information

These sentence starters introduce additional points that build on or extend a previous idea, rather than contrasting with it.

Sentence Starters for Addition

• In addition,
• Furthermore,
• Moreover,
• Additionally,
• Another important point is that…
• It is also worth noting that…
• Equally important is…
• Not only does this..., but it also…
• Alongside this,
• Beyond this,

Example Sentences

• 'Furthermore, the data suggests a consistent upward trend over the past decade.'
• 'It is also worth noting that the survey sample was limited to urban respondents.'
• 'Not only does this policy reduce costs, but it also improves customer satisfaction.'

 

D. Sentence Starters for Giving Examples

These sentence starters introduce a specific instance, illustration or piece of evidence that supports a broader claim.

Sentence Starters for Examples

• For example,
• For instance,
• To illustrate this point,
• A clear example of this is…
• This can be seen in…
• One such case is…
• A notable instance of this occurred when…
• As demonstrated by…
• This is exemplified by...

Example Sentences:

• 'For instance, the company reported a 40 percent increase in revenue following the policy change.'
• 'This can be seen in the way the protagonist gradually withdraws from her closest friends.'
• 'A notable instance of this occurred when the government introduced subsidies for renewable energy.'

 

E. Sentence Starters for Showing Contrast

These sentence starters signal that the upcoming sentence will present an opposing idea, exception or alternative perspective.

Sentence Starters for Contrast

• However,
• On the other hand,
• In contrast,
• Nevertheless,
• Despite this,
• Although this is true,
• Conversely,
• Yet,
• Even so,
• That being said,

Example Sentences:

• 'However, not all researchers agree with this interpretation of the data.'
• 'On the other hand, critics argue that the policy has had unintended negative consequences.'
• 'Despite this, the company continued to report strong sales throughout the recession.'

 

F. Sentence Starters for Cause and Effect

These sentence starters establish a logical relationship between a cause and its consequence.

Sentence Starters for Cause and Effect

• As a result,
• Consequently,
• Therefore,
• This leads to…
• Because of this,
• This means that…
• For this reason,
• As a consequence of this,
• Due to this,

Example Sentences

• 'As a result, many small businesses were forced to close permanently.'
• 'Because of this, the government introduced stricter regulations on emissions.'
• 'This means that the original hypothesis must be reconsidered.'

 

G. Sentence Starters for Comparing Ideas

These sentence starters establish a relationship of similarity between two ideas, situations or pieces of evidence.

Sentence Starters for Comparison

• Similarly,
• In the same way,
• Likewise,
• Just as…
• Both... and…
• Comparable to this,
• This mirrors…
• Equally,

Example Sentences

• 'Similarly, the second study found comparable results across all age groups.'
• 'Just as rising sea levels threaten coastal cities, drought threatens inland agricultural regions.'
• 'This mirrors patterns observed in previous economic downturns.'

 

H. Sentence Starters for Expressing Opinion

These sentence starters are particularly useful in argumentative and persuasive writing, where a writer needs to state a position clearly.

Sentence Starters for Opinion

• It is clear that…
• There is strong evidence to suggest that…
• It seems reasonable to conclude that…
• Many would argue that…
• It is widely accepted that…
• From this perspective,
• This suggests that…
• One could argue that...

Example Sentences

• 'It is clear that further research is required before any firm conclusions can be drawn.'
• 'Many would argue that economic growth should not come at the expense of environmental protection.'
• 'There is strong evidence to suggest that early intervention significantly improves long-term outcomes.'

 

I. Sentence Starters for Sequencing and Time

These sentence starters help organise ideas chronologically or in a logical sequence, particularly useful in narrative, procedural and historical writing.

Sentence Starters for Sequence

• First,
• Initially,
• Subsequently,
• Following this,
• Meanwhile,
• Eventually,
• At this point,
• Soon afterwards,
• Finally,
• Years later,

Example Sentences

• 'Initially, the experiment produced inconclusive results.'
• 'Subsequently, the research team adjusted their methodology and repeated the trial.'
• 'Years later, the policy's long-term effects became fully apparent.'

 

J. Sentence Starters for Emphasis

These sentence starters draw particular attention to an idea the writer considers especially significant.

Sentence Starters for Emphasis

• Most importantly,
• Above all,
• Significantly,
• Crucially,
• It cannot be overstated that…
• Of particular note is…
• What stands out most is...

Example Sentences

• 'Most importantly, the study controlled for several confounding variables that earlier research had overlooked.'
• 'Crucially, the new policy includes provisions for ongoing review and adjustment.'
• 'It cannot be overstated that early diagnosis dramatically improves treatment outcomes.'

 

K. Conclusion Sentence Starters

Conclusion sentence starters signal that a piece of writing is drawing to a close, often by summarising key points or restating the significance of the argument.

Conclusion Sentence Starters for Summarising

• In conclusion, [Note: many style guides now discourage opening every conclusion with this exact phrase; use sparingly and vary with the alternatives below.]
• To summarise,
• Overall,
• In summary,
• Taking everything into account,
• Having examined the evidence,
• On balance,

Conclusion Sentence Starters for Final Significance

• Ultimately,
• In the final analysis,
• What this demonstrates is…
• This discussion has shown that…
• The evidence presented here suggests that…
• It is evident, then, that...

Conclusion Sentence Starters for Forward-Looking Statements

• Moving forward,
• Looking ahead,
• Future research should…
• This raises important questions about…
• Further investigation is needed to… 

Example Conclusion Using These Starters

'Taking everything into account, the evidence strongly suggests that early childhood intervention produces measurable long-term benefits. Moving forward, policymakers should prioritise funding for these programmes, even as further investigation is needed to determine which specific intervention models are most cost-effective.'

 

L. Good Sentence Starters for Narrative and Creative Writing

Good sentence starters for narrative and creative writing serve a different purpose from academic connectors: they set scene, build atmosphere and draw a reader into a story.

Sentence Starters for Setting a Scene

• The morning sun crept slowly across…
• Deep within the forest,
• On the other side of the city,
• Nobody noticed when…
• It had been raining for three days when… 

Sentence Starters for Building Tension

• Without warning,
• Suddenly,
• Just as she turned to leave,
• What she didn't know was…
• Little did he realise that… 

Sentence Starters for Character Introduction

• There was something different about…
• Everyone in town knew that…
• Ever since she could remember,
• He had always been the kind of person who… 

 

M. Good Sentence Starters for Descriptive Writing

These good sentence starters help writers paint a vivid picture, particularly useful in descriptive essays, creative writing and detailed reports.

Sentence Starters for Descriptive Detail

• The room was filled with…
• A faint smell of…
• In the distance,
• Scattered across the floor were…
• The air was thick with…
• Every corner revealed… 

Example Sentences

• 'The air was thick with the smell of rain on warm pavement.'
• 'Scattered across the floor were the remnants of a celebration long since ended.'

 

How to Choose the Right Sentence Starter

Choosing the correct sentence starter is not about picking an impressive-sounding phrase; it is about identifying the actual logical relationship between the new sentence and what came before it.

Step 1: Identify the Relationship

Ask: Is this sentence adding information, giving an example, showing contrast, indicating a cause or effect, or drawing a conclusion?

Step 2: Match the Starter to that Relationship

Use the category lists on this page to find a starter that genuinely matches the logical function the sentence needs to perform.

Step 3: Vary Your Choices across a Piece of Writing

Avoid using the same sentence starter more than once or twice within a single paragraph or short passage. Deliberately rotate through different options, even within the same category.

Step 4: Read the Sentence Aloud

If a sentence starter feels clunky or forced when read aloud, it is usually a sign that the relationship between ideas has been misidentified or that a simpler, more natural starter would work better.

 

Practice Exercises

A. For each sentence starter below, identify which category it belongs to: addition, example, contrast, cause and effect, comparison, opinion, sequence or emphasis.

1. 'Furthermore,'
2. 'For instance,'
3. 'However,'
4. 'As a result,'
5. 'Similarly,'
6. 'It is clear that...'
7. 'Subsequently,'
8. 'Most importantly,'

B. Using the topic sentence starters provided on this page, write three original topic sentences for paragraphs on the following subjects: the benefits of regular exercise, the causes of traffic congestion in cities, and the importance of reading for pleasure.

C. Using the essay sentence starters provided in this page, write a complete introduction paragraph (3 to 4 sentences) for an essay on the topic: 'Should schools reduce the amount of homework given to students?'

D. Using the conclusion sentence starters provided on this page, write a complete conclusion paragraph (3 to 4 sentences) summarising an essay that argued in favour of stricter recycling laws.

E. The following passage repeats the same sentence starter too many times. Rewrite it, varying the sentence starters using the categories provided on this page.

'Also, the experiment showed clear results. Also, the control group did not show the same pattern. Also, this suggests that the treatment had a genuine effect. Also, further research would help confirm this finding.'

F. Match each sentence starter to the sentence that correctly completes its function.

 

However

For example

As a result

Similarly

 

1. '__________ , sales increased by 20 percent in the following quarter.'
2. '__________ , some studies have reported entirely different findings.'
3. '__________ , Shakespeare often used soliloquies to reveal a character's inner thoughts.'
4. '__________ , the second case study reached a comparable conclusion.'