Can you start an argumentative essay with a quote




















Argument essay topics can be found everywhere. Check the headlines of a newspaper, or just listen to a conversation at Starbucks. Chances are, you will hear someone trying to persuade another person to believe in their claim about:. Still can't come up with an idea? Check out the full list of my easy argumentative essay topic ideas or if you'd prefer something fun, look at my funny argument essay ideas. How important are fathers? What makes a good father?

A thesis statement is one sentence in your introductory paragraph that concisely summarizes your main point s and claim s , and presents your stance on the topic. It's worth spending some time crafting a strong thesis statement since it lets the reader know what the essay will be about and determine whether they want to read it.

In order to write a clear answer, you need to understand the kind of question you are asking. Most types of questions fall into one of 5 categories: fact, definition, cause, value, or proposing a solution. Most topics can actually create questions in all of these categories, for example:. Answer: Your question often can be the title of your paper, or it can be the first line of the introduction.

Your answer to this question is your thesis. Example: Question used for title : What is the best way to make your marriage divorce-proof?

Answer: The most important way to make your marriage divorce-proof is to make sure you have carefully prepared for that commitment. In answering the question, you can also tell the reader the focus of your paper, in this example, you let the reader know you are focusing on the preparation for marriage in order to prevent divorce. Refute Objections: Another way to craft a thesis statement is to state one side of the argument and present a refuting statement.

Example: While some people think there is no way to divorce-proof your marriage, studies have shown that there are fewer divorces when people carefully prepare for that commitment. In this example, you state one side of the argument—"there is no way to divorce-proof your marriage"—and refute it by saying "there are fewer divorces when people carefully prepare for that commitment.

Roadmap : An additional way to make a strong thesis is to do a "Roadmap" which tells in just a few words the three or more main points you will cover. Example: While some people think there is no way to divorce-proof your marriage, studies have shown that there are fewer divorces when people carefully prepare for that commitment by taking the time to get to know the other person before becoming engaged; by spending time with one another's family and friends; by talking about hot-button issues like finances; and by getting extensive premarital counseling.

This is an example of a really strong thesis statement in which you state a claim, your stance on the claim, and the main points that will back up your stance.

Although it is a little long-winded, it thoroughly outlines what the essay will discuss. Not only is this helpful for the reader, but it will help you when crafting your essay by keeping you focused on these specific points. Are larger families happier? Does having children prevent divorce? Your introductory paragraph should be crafted around your thesis statement, providing background information needed to understand your argument and presenting pieces of evidence that back up that argument.

Lead with an interesting fact or statistic, a quote, a personal anecdote, or a thought-provoking question. Your first sentence should draw the reader in and get them interested about the topic you're writing about.

What's the situation? What are the events that lead you to your argument? Why should people care? Give enough background on the topic so that the reader can understand your argument—nothing more, nothing less. The keyword is "introduce. Leave the actual argument and analysis for the body paragraphs. The most persuasive essays are ones that have sound logic logos , appeal to the readers' emotions pathos , and speak to their character or morals ethos.

Argument essays are fairly straightforward in their organization. In your paper, you will need to do the following:. The body usually consists of three or more paragraphs, each presenting a separate piece of evidence that supports your thesis. Those reasons are the topic sentences for each paragraph of your body.

You should explain why your audience should agree with you. Make your argument even stronger by stating opposing points of view and refuting those points.

The conclusion in many ways mirrors the introduction. It summarizes your thesis statement and main arguments and tries to convince the reader that your argument is the best.

It ties the whole piece together. Avoid presenting new facts or arguments. This is the most popular argument strategy and is the one outlined in this article. In this strategy, you present the problem, state your solution, and try to convince the reader that your solution is the best solution.

Your audience may be uninformed, or they may not have a strong opinion. Your job is to make them care about the topic and agree with your position. Rogerian argument strategy attempts to persuade by finding points of agreement. It is an appropriate technique to use in highly polarized debates—those debates in which neither side seems to be listening to each other.

This strategy tells the reader that you are listening to opposing ideas and that those ideas are valid. You are essentially trying to argue for the middle ground. Toulmin is another strategy to use in a highly charged debate. Instead of attempting to appeal to commonalities, however, this strategy attempts to use clear logic and careful qualifiers to limit the argument to things that can be agreed upon. It uses this format:.

Answer: Start with a story which describes why you have this belief. Then follow it up with your statement and reasons. Conclude with an appeal to the readers to include this in the school curriculum and an explanation of why that will help the school and pupils. Question: How do I start an argumentative essay with the topic, "should the death penalty be banned as a form of punishment"? Answer: Start with the story of a person who was given the death penalty for a crime they did not commit.

Question: How do I start an argumentative essay on "There has been a rising voice for Nobel committees to consider gender diversity in addition to work quality when nominating scientists. To what extent do you agree with this opinion? Answer: You might want to start with telling the recent story of the Chemistry nobel prize given to a woman, Frances H. I've heard some interviews of her and you could look those up to give you some quotes. She was often asked about her thoughts on diversity and gender in the prizes.

That would be a good lead-in to your question. The answer you give to the question would be your thesis. What you need to do is to think about how each sentence relates to the other ideas and choosing the appropriate transition adding, comparing, contrasting, or sequence. Question: Where can I find information about United States students versus students of other countries?

Answer: To get facts and statistics, you can go to the U. Department of Education website and look up the information you'd like to know. You can look up information from other countries on the Education sections of their government websites.

Question: How I do I start an argumentative essay on why women should join peace talks? Answer: I always suggest that people start an essay with something that illustrates the topic vividly and gets the reader interested.

So you can start an essay with a real-life story, something from the news, an example you made up, a conversation or even interesting statistics and questions.

Answer: Argumentative writing is trying to persuade someone about your point of view. It is not really like having an argument or fighting with someone. Instead, the idea is that you would present your point of view on the subject in a way that makes other people think you are right, or at least that you have good reasons for believing the way you do. Argumentative writing is usually done for the following 5 types of claims:. Question: How do I start an argumentative essay on the topic, "With the pollution in the city, it's better to live in a village?

Answer: Start with a story about pollution in the city and how it has hurt people who have moved from the countryside. Then give some statistics about pollution before asking the question, "Is it better to live in a village or the country?

Answer: Conclude your thesis with what you want your reader to take away from your argument. I usually tell my students to end an argument with what you want your reader to do, say or believe after reading your paper. You can also include an emotional or logical appeal or a story to back up that final statement.

Answer: The best sort of introduction to an emotional issue like abortion is a story. If possible, I suggest a real story, but it could also be a made-up story, which I call a "typical scenario" which would explain the problem and make it vivid for the reader. In this issue, it could be the story of a woman who finds herself in a crisis pregnancy.

End the story with the question of your essay. Here are some possible questions:. You don't actually have to read the book because she writes on her blog about this issue also.

What I like about her work is that she takes the issue in a different direction by interviewing many women who have had abortions to find out what they really thought at the time that they were facing this crucial decision and how their decision affected them afterward. Answer: The easiest way to find a good title is to use a short version of the question.

The second way is to make a statement which shows your point of view. If you chose the second one, you might want to make the language more dramatic to showcase your point of view.

Here are some samples using the topic of diet and obesity:. Question: How do I start an argumentive essay on the topic "Americans must realize that happiness does not lie solely in consuming stuff. Answer: Start your paper with statistics or stories about people buying things at Christmastime. Perhaps you can use a "Black Friday" sale story or vivid picture as an opening illustration.

Question: How do I start an argumentative essay on the topic, "Do people who commit heinous crimes deserve the death penalty? Answer: You can get the reader's attention by telling a real story about someone who committed a crime that would deserve the death penalty.

Or if you want to say that we should not have the death penalty, start with the story of someone who was wrongly convicted of a crime they did not commit. Then at the end of the story ask your question. Your answer to that question is your thesis. Answer: I have been teaching my students how to add headings to all of their essays over the past five years because I think most of their writing for their careers will be in online environments.

As anyone who does a Google search knows, being able to scan the headings of an article is very helpful so that you can figure out whether that article answers the question you are asking. Additionally, scanning headings if they are written correctly allows you to understand the main point of the article quickly and also to find the part you are most interested in reading.

You can make headings by making a short version of your topic sentence in each paragraph. Generally, the shorter, the better. What I have found is that when my students use headings in their papers, it helps them to actually organize and write their information more clearly because making the headings helps them to realize their main points. If you've done a good job on your headings, a person should be able to read the title of your paper and all the headings and have a good grasp on what your article is about.

Question: How do I start the introduction of my argumentative essay on the topic of "environment as the most influential factor of why an individual becomes a shallow person? Answer: Tell the story of one or more people that illustrate the type of person you are talking about.

It would be best if these are real people your readers would know. Then ask the question: Does the home environment cause a person to become shallow or not? Answer: Start with a story of a kid being bored in class and getting in trouble.

Such stories are boring and old-fashioned. Students think that quotes will help make their essays interesting and compelling. But not the phrase itself is important, but its meaning, context, your interpretation. Each sentence of your essay should respond to the first of them. This means that you can use a quote if your essay is devoted to reflective, artistic, literary topics.

It can be a paper of comparison and opposition, a literature review. An appropriate quote can be selected for an analytical or critical essay. Use the quote to start the essay when you realize that you do not have another hook.

The reader will see a familiar or intriguing phrase and will want to know what your paper is about. In addition, this will automatically add you a score. After all, if you quote Nietzsche or Dostoevsky, you are probably very smart and have done solid work on your essay.

It cannot be denied that the decision to begin essay with a quote has its advantages and disadvantages. There is no universal rule that will be the same for all papers. Check out the list below to understand your situation and make the right choice. In order to start an essay with a quote, you need to choose a good phrase. Some students consider this task to be pretty challenging. Here are some tips to help you with this:.

Do not think that your first sentence should be written as soon as you decide on the topic of the essay. We recommend that you come up with a quote after your paper is ready.

Then you will have a full understanding of this text: what idea it conveys, what arguments you use, how exactly you transmit your ideas to readers. Use the brainstorming method and write out all the quotes that seem suitable for you. And then answer the questions above.

This will help you get rid of bad options and find the best solution. Here are five steps to help you do this:. The first mistake you can make is banality. They have been used hundreds of times and do not carry any new meaning. The second mistake is the lack of context. Readers cannot always understand why you used this particular phrase. This will make them feel stupid. People do not like to feel stupid.

Write essays in plain language and explain such things. The third mistake is a too loose interpretation of the context. If you did it on purpose, explain it to readers. Examples are what help students get the big picture. You can read the theory for a long time, but you still cannot understand what actions you should take in practice. Therefore, we have selected some good examples for you. Use them to come up with your own quote for your introduction:.

Now you know how to start an essay with a quote. We recommend that you do not procrastinate or put off writing a paper until the last day. Make sure you have enough time. But this does not mean at all that you are obliged to write an essay and look for a good quote-hook for it.

We understand that students want to have fun in their free time. Perhaps you work, and your head is busy with more important things than selecting quotes. Fortunately, we know how to help you. Place your order on our website, and we will select a professional author for you. Your essay with an attractive quote will be ready on time and at a very competitive price! David Hoang works as a copywriter for WriteAnyPapers. He used to work in different spheres, from web development to psychology, but he decided to change his career.

For instance, students should obtain quotes from reliable sources. Basically, one should provide definitive evidence concerning quotes used in starting an essay. In practice, one should identify a particular person who spoke quoted words to avoid plagiarism. Also, the most appropriate strategy is to obtain a quote from an acceptable academic source. Then, an outstanding writer should quote experts, artistic and historical figures, and prominent political leaders.

Therefore, outstanding essays begin with accurate quotes. Basically, prudent writers do not rely on quotes to tell their stories.

Instead, they provide a context that allows readers to understand used quotations. For example, one should provide a setting that reveals the basic scene for when, where, and under what circumstances an excerpt appears. Moreover, writers should explain when a prominent person spoke quoted words and their intended meaning. Hence, scholars should provide the context for quotes used at the beginning of an essay. Writers should take the necessary caution when starting an essay with a quote to avoid misguiding the targeted audience.

Basically, students should identify a person who spoke quoted words. For example, this approach helps readers to determine where a quotation begins. Instead, one should use alternative verbs to introduce a specific quote in the introduction. Hence, some of the verbs that students should use are:. Scholars should use different verbs to show a high ingenuity level in presenting quotes. For instance, one should apply specific verbs accordingly to avoid monotony when reading academic essays.

Hence, learners should select appropriate verbs to submit selected quotes. Students should explain the significance of used quotations. Basically, after inserting quotes, writers should explain its context and attribution. Then, this approach helps readers to understand the significance of quotes in strengthening essays.

Besides, a satisfactory explanation enhances the clarity and comprehensibility of the content presented. Authors should not leave quotes as independent sentences. For instance, one should avoid leaving quotes as stand-alone sentences, even after providing the context. For example, a stand-alone quote disrupts the flow of ideas in an academic paper.

In practice, one should incorporate in-text citations in a way that enhances the fluency of ideas. Basically, the process ensures that readers can understand how various concepts connect throughout an essay structure.

For example, popular phrases tend to bore and distract readers. In most cases, readers come across popular phrases in various essays and articles. In turn, using popular phrases as opening statements may motivate readers to consider essays as substandard texts. Outstanding essays begin with a phrase that hooks readers.

In this case, students should ensure that opening quotes follow a format that creates a desire to read essays. For example, quotes must involve a question, a surprise, or an exciting concept. Then, one should not assume that the entire work is a reliable essay. Instead, writers should identify a quote that gets readers to the main point of the article with a good attention grabber.

Besides, the strategy ensures that the intended audience goes through the entire essay. Exceptional essays contain unique opening statements. For instance, students must identify a unique phrase to introduce their subjects. Basically, adequate research enables authors to identify outstanding quotes that relate to their essay topics.

Moreover, scholars must find credible sources and essays related to essay topics before choosing appropriate quotes. Besides, one may rely on peers to choose an appropriate quote for starting an essay. Hence, adequate research helps one to identify an exceptional quote to introduce a written piece. Writers should use different types of quotes to make introductions appear exceptional.

For instance, one may use a question, descriptive words, or a statement that enhances curiosity. Basically, a question motivates readers to think about the topic and read the entire essay. Besides, writers should use quotes that make readers curious to know the whole story. In turn, these three forms of quotes make an essay to look outstanding to readers. Hence, one must consider using different types of quotes when introducing pieces.

Prudent writers consider their target audience when selecting necessary quotes. For instance, one must ensure that the audience understands quotes used in introducing an essay. Basically, students should examine the intended audience and understand their interests.

In this case, a good example is where scholars decide to write an essay with a quote on real democracy in the United States.

Then, writers should use a quote by a famous politician in the United States.



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