The opening sentence is crucial in capturing the reader’s attention. It should be catchy, vibrant, and tailored to the audience. Adding detail and prioritizing important information can make a difference in making the essay or letter stand out.
Many writing teachers are quick to tell students that the opening sentence is one of the most important sentences in an essay or other written work, and for good reason: if a reader doesn’t like your first sentence, it’s unlikely that you keep reading, which means your efforts will have gone to waste. Spending a fair amount of time developing a good opening sentence will ensure that your reader will stay hooked on your topic and keep reading until they find your thesis statement or the main point of the paper. Start by thinking about what your readers are likely to want to read.
The opening sentence should be catchy and vibrant. Starting an essay with a bland statement like “The 50 US states are each different” will not only bore your reader, it will also give them a reason to stop reading. After all, if the first sentence isn’t interesting, chances are the rest of the essay isn’t interesting either. Adding detail helps enhance the opening sentence and allows the reader to connect to it in some way. The above example can be enhanced by saying something like this: “Whether you’re looking for fresh maple syrup from the backwoods of Maine or a lively history lesson on the streets of Boston, individual states in the United States can offer you an experience remember.”
Of course, even the most well-written opening line can be a dud if it’s not written for the right audience. The above example might work well for a school essay, for example, but might not work at all when writing a cover letter for a job. When writing your opening sentence, think carefully about who you’re writing to; if it’s a prospective employer, take a look at the job description again and choose keywords that appear to be the employer’s priority. Include those keywords in your opening sentence and tell the employer how those words relate to you.
Business letters can be difficult to make interesting, and your first sentence will need to be written well so that the letter stands out above all others. Prioritize the information you need to include in the letter so you know what to write first. Your first sentence should deliver the most important information right away; many people who read business letters will read the first line or two before putting it aside, so if you don’t get to the point right away, you may be missing out on an opportunity.
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