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How to Start an Essay with a Quote: Recommendations, Examples, Pros & Cons

Updated 09 Jul 2024

Quotations are phrases or short passages borrowed from texts or speeches of other authors. Oftentimes, these are famous remarks of various celebrities either from the present or from humanity’s distant past. Most famous quotes are highly valuable since they represent concentrated pieces of wisdom, knowledge, life experience, wit, all of which can be magnified by circumstances in which these have been made or by the life and contribution of people they belong to. This explains why they represent powerful tools in essay writing.

Hence, knowing how to start an essay with a quote is an important skill that allows students to make the best of their written assignments or speeches.

Simple Tips for Starting Essay with Quotes

When considering how to start with a quote, there are some tips that would certainly prove useful:

• choose quotations that fit your purpose . When looking for them, stick to your aim – is it to inspire, prove a point, alert, invite action, prove the complexity or delicate nature of an issue, create the good mood by using some humor, etc.? Obviously, picking quotes to precisely match your purpose is fairly challenging, but at least think about whether selected quotations work toward your overall message or whether they accomplish what was intended.
• consider your audience . Quotation should be in tune with the audience. For instance, its belonging to professionals in a given narrow discipline would normally be intelligible only for people with studies in this same field. In this case, select quotes that would be neither too obvious nor too complex. There are other aspects that could count as well, such as an audience’s age, its experience, gender, interests, familiarity with US history (immigrants or foreigners might be less familiar), etc.
• connect to your point.  Be certain to explain how the quotation supports your argument or thesis or how it relates to your topic, how it highlights a problem, or portrays a situation. This is important in case the link is not immediately visible as you risk having an out of context quote that won’t be of great value.
• acknowledge the source. Given that quotations are remarks or thoughts of other authors, these must be acknowledged appropriately. When mentioning quotes in an essay, depending on the citation format, more details might be mandatory, such as the exact page, line, or paragraph numbers, etc. – the purpose of this is to help reliably locate information and avoid plagiarism suspicions. Given how seriously plagiarism is treated by US academic institutions and society, be very careful with this aspect, if anticipating significant public outreach.

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Key Things You Should Know When Picking the Right Quote

When searching for a suitable quote at the beginning of an essay, always prioritize content over authority. In other words, a quote’s quality, contained idea, thought, and message should always be more important than the figure behind it. Besides giving more freedom, this would spare you from the risk of not being original by citing the same famous personalities as everyone else.

Note that it might be often opportune to describe the context in which these quotes were made, i.e., the circumstances that made authors say or write these words. This helps readers better imagine what internal struggles authors faced when formulating them. Describing context should be effective if quotes come from authors who confronted extreme events, phenomena, life circumstances, dilemmas, etc.

Although searching for quotes might be time-consuming, students should know that there are multiple methods that facilitate this process. Thus, good books contain collections of quotes split into different categories listed alphabetically – this should be efficient for general topics. Alternatively, employ online search engines with carefully formulated queries, which are much more flexible tools. Yet another approach is picking relevant sources directly and looking for quotable passages.

Our academic assistance service, Edubirdie, helps with finding quotes or with any other writing issue experienced by you. Whether you wonder how to write an editorial , research paper, speech, lab report, doing coursework, or how to write about yourself , we handle anything you can imagine – just check out with our operators and place your order.

Pros And Cons of Starting Essays with Quotes

Starting an essay with a quote can make a strong impression, and if you're struggling with your introduction, you might consider the option to pay for essay services to ensure your paper begins powerfully. Also, starting an essay with a quote comes with a number of advantages and disadvantages, as presented below.

• Quotations help set a proper tone. They may contain very condensed information that often appeals to emotions or states truths that resonate with readers. Consequently, there aren’t many other means of engaging readers in a deep discussion so suddenly.
• They help capture attention. Powerful quotations are very good at capturing attention, especially if they are somewhat shocking, humorous, controversial, or reveal deep truths. Learning how to use a quote as a hook guarantees a smoother introduction and greater chances that your paper will generate interest.
• They recruit the authority of the original authors to your service. Having Newton, Tesla, or another authority by your side definitely makes it harder for readers to argue against your claims, provided these are properly connected with the quotes.
• they are cliché – this is normally not an issue if the quote is strong and strictly to the point. However, this beginning excludes other approaches to starting an essay, for instance, one in which you could describe shocking or remarkable situations or events that would portray the problem you are talking about.
• identifying powerful and ideally matching quotation could be enormously time-consuming. As a student does not have the freedom of altering these quotes, even slightly, each single word needs to match.
• they rush the culmination. A good quotation can be the most intensive sentence in your whole paper, hence, it could be wiser to avoid using it as the very first sentence and rather, putting it aside for when the momentum would reach its highest value.

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How to Begin an Essay with a Quote Example

Example 1 – an essay on the environmental “legacy” of current generations

“If there must be trouble, let it be in my day, that my child may have peace; and this single reflection, well applied, is sufficient to awaken every man to duty.” (Paine, The American Crisis, 1776). This quote by our Founding Father Thomas Paine serves as a constant reminder that this Earth belongs to our descendants just as well. One implication of these words is that it is our duty to do everything for addressing current problems if we want our generations to live in a normal world. This is relevant for current environmental problems which represent a civilizational threat.

Example 2 – In an essay on self-sufficiency, both humor and depth are employed

“The best definition of man is: a being that goes on two legs and is ungrateful” (Fyodor Dostoyevsky, Notes from Underground, 1864). Seems like human nature is a constant. What if Dostoyevsky had the chance to witness the abundance in our societies as compared to the one he lived in and regardless of this abundance, so much unhappiness and so many ungrateful people.

To conclude, a quotation is a powerful instrument that greatly enhances your essay if used appropriately. Now you know how to start a paper with a quote. If you want to integrate quotes in your paper, just let our academic assistants know, and they will consider this along with the other instructions listed. 

Keep in mind that with Edubirdie, you can transparently select your preferred online essay writer by reviewing their performance stats and continuously communicating with them in order to obtain essay outlines and drafts and provide feedback. Besides, clients benefit from unlimited free revisions in case original instructions have not been met but also from a money-back guarantee if revision attempts fail. Your risks are minimized here so why not give it a try?

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How to Start an Essay With a Quote With Examples

• Icon Calendar 9 June 2024
• Icon Page 4987 words
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Students must prepare outstanding essays to meet their academic expectations. Basically, the way in which learners introduce their work plays a crucial role in determining possible grades they achieve. In this case, direct passages provide an appropriate way in which learners can present their work. Then, successful essayists must rely on proper guidelines when using quotations in their work. In particular, this guide on how to start an essay with a quote provides practical steps that one must follow. Further on, students should avoid using clichés by obtaining unique information from credible scholarly sources. Besides, authors should provide the context for their cited passages, which helps readers to understand their importance in academic papers. In turn, successful scholars focus on ensuring direct quotations relate to a thesis statement. Moreover, essayists should provide correct in-text citations, following MLA 9, APA 7, Harvard, or Chicago/Turabian referencing formats. Finally, students should follow the necessary guidelines when using block quotations to avoid unnecessary plagiarism cases.

General Guidelines

Academic types of essays are practical tools that learners use to communicate specific ideas. Basically, the essay’s introduction determines if the targeted audience reads through the entire work. However, there are different methods that writers can use to begin a paper to impress targeted readers. In this case, using a direct passage is one of the ways in which scholars apply when beginning their essays. Such quotations and attention grabbers capture the reader’s mind. Moreover, one may use statements made by famous leaders, politicians, academicians, or individuals they know. In turn, writers must introduce all forms of quotation effectively to enhance clarity in a research paper.

What Is a Quote and Its Purpose

According to its definition, a quote is a direct repetition of someone else’s words with copied and pasted arguments, statements, or thoughts separated by quotation marks and acknowledged with its author(s). The main purpose of a quote is to simplify complex ideas, reinforce writer’s arguments, and provide authoritative support, enhancing the credibility of the overall content (Kaufman & Straus, 2021). They also engage readers or listeners and connect them to familiar ideas or notable voices, which can provoke a better response and thinking from the audience and maintain greater interest in a specific topic under discussion. In speeches, such statements can inspire and motivate people, evoke emotions, and encourage change or action. Before starting a quote in an essay, writers typically introduce it with signal phrases, such as “According to [author],” “As [author] states,” or “In the words of [author]” (Sawyer, 2016). Moreover, a really good quote is one that resonates deeply with a target audience, being a significant truth or insight and leaving a lasting impact on its audience. Hence, quotes serve as powerful tools that enhance communication, connecting the audience to broader contexts and credible viewpoints, improving the overall effectiveness and resonance of the central message.

Essay Quote Format

• Introduction of a Quote: Use a signal phrase to introduce a specific statement.
• Direct Passage: Enclose a quoted text in quotation marks.
• In-Text Citation: Provide the author’s name and page number in parentheses after a chosen statement (if applicable).
• Analysis or Interpretation: After a cited passage, write 1-2 sentences with your own analysis or interpretation, explaining its relevance to your argument.

Starting an Essay With a Perfect Quote

One can use various types of quotes to begin an essay. Basically, the most common examples of quotations include paraphrase, summary, or direct quote (Kaufman & Straus, 2021). Firstly, paraphrases refer to reworded statements that bear the same meaning as original phrases. In this case, writers ensure facts remain intact. Secondly, a summary gives a brief account of the main points in the initial passage. Thirdly, a direct quotation contains all the spoken words. Moreover, students copy and paste direct sentences without altering any expression. Hence, authors must use these three forms effectively to avoid interfering with the original citation’s actual meaning. In turn, other types of exact statements have their own purposes, and they can be:

Writing a Quote as an Essay Hook

To use a quote as a hook, writers introduce a direct statement at the beginning of an essay to capture the audience’s attention and set the tone for a particular topic, using it as an opening sentence. Basically, the approach prevents readers from getting bored when reading through academic papers (Pullen, 2016). In practice, a hook refers to one or two sentences in an article, and this sentence helps readers to decide if they will understand the entire content. Moreover, a prudent author must make an appropriate decision when selecting necessary phrases to include in the introduction. In turn, good direct statements must lure the audience into reading the entire work. Hence, quotes used to start an essay must act as a hook by capturing the reader’s attention.

Characteristics of a Suitable Quote

Quotations record the exact language used by a different person in writing or speech. For example, writers should make wise decisions when selecting correct statements for their papers (Sawyer, 2016). In this case, appropriate passages enhance the essay’s meaning. Moreover, students must select a corresponding quotation, and it must be related to the central theme and the chosen topic. In turn, making the right selection prevents a possible distraction when reading an essay. Hence, one needs to select a quote related to the chosen subject to avoid potential distractions when reading written papers.

Memorable Quotations

Memorable quotes are suitable for starting academic papers. To start an introduction with a quote, writers choose a relevant passage, put it at the beginning of an opening paragraph, and explain its significance to their essay topics. For example, authors should find short and unforgettable statements that relate to the topic in question (Sawyer, 2016). In this case, the strategy attracts the reader’s attention and interest. Besides, the audience can recall a specific quotation when reading the content. In turn, the approach ensures readers relate the content to the opening passage. Therefore, one needs to choose a memorable passage to capture the reader’s attention.

Clear and Short Quotes

Clear and short quotations play a crucial role in promoting the essay’s quality. For instance, the writer should select comprehensible passages. The choice prevents possible interference with the intended meaning of details provided to support arguments (Sibbald et al., 2022). Then, writers can start a paragraph with a quote to capture people’s attention and provide a strong foundation for a central argument, as long as this passage is directly relevant and correctly introduced to the audience. In practice, short quotes play a crucial role in enhancing the statement’s clarity. Readers can grasp the meaning of short passages with a lot of ease. Long quotes may distract the intended conception of basic ideas. Therefore, readers need to identify concise and comprehensible statements and relate them to the topic directly.

Credible Statements

Credible quotes help prudent writers to start their essays. For instance, students should obtain quotations from reliable sources. Basically, one should provide definitive evidence concerning remarks used in writing any paper. In practice, one can identify a particular person who spoke quoted words to avoid plagiarism. For example, the most appropriate strategy is to obtain a good statement from an acceptable academic source (Lazonder & Janssen, 2022). Then, an outstanding writer needs to quote experts, artistic and historical figures, and prominent political leaders. In turn, the approach elevates the content’s quality since notable individuals provide reliable details in their speeches. Moreover, credible quotations enhance the paper’s authority on a particular topic. Therefore, outstanding essays begin with accurate quotes, like these ones:

Essay’s Context for Putting a Quote

The essay’s context determines quotations that students choose when beginning any paper. Basically, to write a quote in an essay, people introduce a particular statement with a signal phrase, enclose the exact words in quotation marks, and cite the source appropriately (Kaufman & Straus, 2021). However, prudent writers do not rely on direct passages to tell their stories. Instead, they provide a context, which allows readers to understand used quotations. In this case, 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 an exact saying used at the beginning of a paper.

Incorporating a Quote in an Essay

Writers should take the necessary caution when starting an essay with a quote to avoid misguiding the targeted audience. Basically, students need to identify a person who spoke quoted words, and this approach helps readers to determine where a quotation begins. In this case, prudent writers avoid ordinary quotation attributions like “he or she said” to enhance their work quality (Kaufman & Straus, 2021). Instead, one can 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 quotations. For instance, one needs to apply specific verbs accordingly to avoid monotony when reading academic essays (Kaufman & Straus, 2021). In this case, the practical choice of introducing verbs makes one’s work outstanding. Hence, learners should select appropriate verbs to submit selected quotations.

Significance of Quotations

Students should explain the significance of used quotations. Basically, after inserting a direct quote in an essay, writers must start explaining their context and attribution. In this case, readers require an adequate assessment of the passage’s importance in a paper. To explain a quote in an essay, writers introduce a famous statement, interpret its meaning, and discuss its relevance to their main argument or theme (Sawyer, 2016). Then, this approach helps readers to understand the significance of statements in strengthening papers. Besides, a satisfactory explanation enhances the clarity and comprehensibility of the content presented. In turn, it shows the writer’s ingenuity in presenting facts and provides an adequate account of the topic. Therefore, one should give a clear description of the quotation’s significance.

Connecting Direct Citations

Authors should not leave quotes as independent sentences. In this case, one should avoid leaving quotations as stand-alone sentences, even after providing the context. For example, a stand-alone passage disrupts the flow of ideas in an academic paper (Sibbald et al., 2022). Moreover, one can incorporate in-text citations in a way that enhances the fluency of ideas. Basically, the process ensures readers can understand how various concepts connect throughout an essay structure. Hence, writers should not leave direct citations as independent clauses in the essay’s body to avoid possible interruptions.

Avoiding a Cliché

Prudent students avoid using clichés when including quotes in their essays. Basically, a cliché refers to a famous quotation similarly used by many individuals (Pullen, 2016). Popular phrases tend to bore and distract readers. In this case, most readers come across popular phrases in various papers and articles. Besides, clichés make such readers feel that authors do not carry out adequate research before writing. However, using popular phrases as opening sentences may motivate readers to consider papers as substandard texts (Pullen, 2016). As such, a writer must avoid using clichés as opening statements in written pieces. In turn, examples of sentence starters for beginning an essay with a quote include:

• As [Author] once said, “[Direct Passage],” the statement highlights the importance of [Topic/Theme/Subject].
• Starting with the famous claim by [Author], “[Direct Passage],” we should understand that [Topic/Theme/Subject] is important today.
• The statement “[Direct Passage]” by [Author] serves as a reminder of [Topic/Theme/Subject].
• According to [Author], “[Direct Passage]” emphasizes [Topic/Theme/Subject] in people’s lives.
• To quote [Author], “[Direct Passage],” this statement opens people’s eyes to [Topic/Theme/Subject].
• The perspective of [Author], who said “[Direct Passage],” provides a valid foundation for discussing [Topic/Theme/Subject].
• With [Author]’s words, “[Direct Passage],” as a starting point, people can better understand the importance of [Topic/Theme/Subject].
• As [Author] stated, “[Direct Passage],” it becomes clear that [Topic/Theme/Subject].
• The statement “[Direct Passage]” by [Author] offers a profound insight into [Topic/Theme/Subject].
• Beginning with [Author]’s claim, “[Direct Passage],” people can explore the concept of [Topic/Theme/Subject].

Outstanding essays begin with a phrase that hooks readers. Basically, opening statements should grab the reader’s attention and satisfy their interest. In this case, students should ensure opening sentences follow a format that creates a desire to read papers. For example, good starting quotations must involve a question, a surprise, or an exciting concept (Pullen, 2016). Then, one cannot assume that the entire work is a reliable essay. Instead, writers need to identify a specific citation that gets readers to the main point of the article with a good attention grabber. Besides, the strategy ensures the intended audience goes through the entire essay. Hence, an outstanding writer uses a phrase that hooks the reader’s attention.

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 statements, and they must be related to their essay topics (Lazonder & Janssen, 2022). Moreover, scholars must find credible sources and research papers related to topics before choosing appropriate quotations. In turn, useful research enables one to determine if a selected passage is unique or a cliché. Besides, one may rely on peers to choose an appropriate quote for starting an essay. Hence, adequate research helps one to identify an exceptional quotation to introduce a written piece.

Using Different Quotation Forms

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 (Sawyer, 2016). Basically, a question motivates readers to think about the topic and read the entire essay. Then, descriptive words create an image in the reader’s mind that connects to the whole purpose of writing. Besides, writers need to use exact passages that make readers curious to know the whole story. In turn, these three forms of quotations make an essay look outstanding to readers. Hence, one must consider using different types of statements when introducing pieces.

Considering Readers

Prudent writers consider their target audience when selecting necessary quotes. For instance, one must ensure the audience understands a provided quotation used in introducing an essay (Pullen, 2016). Basically, students should examine the intended audience and understand their interests. In this case, a good example is when scholars decide to write an essay with a quote on real democracy in the United States. Then, writers should use a quotation from a famous politician in the United States. Besides, such citations must relate to democracy. In turn, using a remark from a religious leader, a poet, or an ordinary citizen may not suit the targeted audience because readers may have a specific political interest. Hence, authors must consider the audience’s needs when selecting an appropriate quote for starting an essay.  

Including a Relevant Quote for Starting an Essay

Direct passages used in a paper must relate to the essay’s topic. Basically, prudent writers rely on effective planning strategies to ensure they obtain necessary statements for their articles. In this case, adequate background research enables scholars to identify the most effective statements to enhance the quality of their work (Eldh et al., 2020). Moreover, the approach allows writers to compare various quotations and identify the one that supports their essays effectively. Hence, one must rely on adequate preparation to ensure copied and pasted sentences relate to compositions. In turn, writers should avoid the next common mistakes to ensure putting a quote in an essay is effective and enhances the introduction’s purpose, and they are:

• Lack of Context: Introducing a quote without providing any background information or context for why it is relevant to an assigned topic.
• Overused Remarks: Beginning with clichés or very commonly used passages that do not add originality or depth to writing.
• Misquoting: Failing to quote the author accurately, which can misrepresent their original meaning and undermine the argument’s credibility.
• Irrelevant Statements: Choosing a claim that does not directly relate to the essay’s main topic or argument.
• Long Sentences: Starting with a long quotation of more than 4 lines of text that overwhelms readers and does not allow them to understand an essay’s main point.
• Lack of Explanation: Failing to explain the significance of a specific argument and how it connects to a central thesis or main argument.
• Poor Integration: Introducing a chosen statement abruptly without smoothly integrating it into the logical flow of an introduction paragraph.
• Misattribution: Incorrectly attributing a claim to the wrong author, which can lead to factual inaccuracies and plagiarism.
• Starting Too Broadly: Using a very general passage that does not narrow down to a specific topic or focus.
• Ignoring a Target Audience: Choosing a remark that does not resonate with or is not understandable to an intended audience.

Peer Review

Peer review is a crucial process in ensuring quotations relate to the essay’s topic. For example, scholars should consider giving their colleagues their pieces to read and give critiques (Lazonder & Janssen, 2022). Basically, the process helps them to identify common flaws in written articles. Then, one of the mistakes that peers can help to determine is the absence of a relevant remark in an essay. In turn, authors must ensure readers understand the meaning and importance of direct statements in their work. Hence, peer review is an essential process in ensuring direct passages relate to the content presented.

“They Say, I Say” Format for Including Quotes

Academic writing requires presenting sources and ideas effectively to readers. For example, “they say, I say” forms allow one to enter into a conversation about ideas between the content, reader, and sources (Sawyer, 2016). Besides, this style reflects the writer’s level of critical thinking. In turn, the set-up helps essayists to organize ideas in relationship to the main theme. Hence, some templates for starting an essay with a quote that one can use are:

• President Kennedy stated that “…” . On the other hand, President Roosevelt believed that “…” .
• Author X contradicts himself in stating that “…”. At the same time, he argues that “…” . In turn, he also implies that “…” .
• I agree that “…” .
• She argues that … , and I agree with her statement because “…” .
• I have always believed that “…” .
• As the prominent philosopher X puts it, “…” .

Formatting a Short Quote

Learning institutions require students to follow specific guidelines when preparing their essays. Basically, the most common forms include MLA 9, APA 7, Harvard, and Chicago/Turabian styles. In turn, these formatting styles rely on different quoting rules. In this case, students must provide accurate in-text citations for each direct statement used in an essay. Hence, possible guidelines that one should follow when quoting are:

Essayists should provide adequate details when starting an essay with a quote. As a rule, the MLA referencing style requires giving the author’s name and the page containing a chosen quotation. Sometimes, writers may obtain a specific passage from a website. In such cases, in-text citations should include paragraph numbers. Moreover, one should use a space to separate the author and the page or paragraph number in quotations. Hence, citation schemes that one should use for quotes in MLA 9 are:

• MLA 9 parenthetical citation scheme – One must use “(Author Page)” for direct statements obtained from scholarly sources and “(Author Paragraph No.)” for phrases obtained from a website. In this case, the phrase “par.,” followed by a period, precedes the actual number of the paragraph containing a particular quotation.
• Example – President Kennedy argued, “In a time of domestic crisis, men of goodwill and generosity should be able to unite regardless of party or politics” (Iodice 3).
• MLA 9 narrative citation scheme – Students need to use the phrase “According to…,” to introduce a quote. In this case, page or paragraph numbers appear in brackets at the end of the sentence containing the citation.
• Example – According to Iodice, President Kennedy stated, “We are committed to a worldwide struggle to promote and protect the rights of all who wish to be free” (3).  

Students should identify the source’s author, publication date of the source containing a specific quotation, and its page or paragraph number from where it is copied and pasted. Basically, the APA referencing style requires essayists to obtain direct passages from credible sources. In this case, writers must identify academic sources providing statements for citing. Moreover, an actual in-text citation must contain the author’s name, publication year, and page or paragraph number. In turn, one must separate these three details with a comma. Hence, guidelines that a scholar should follow in APA 7 are:

• APA 7 parenthetical citation scheme – In-text citations must appear as (Author, Year, p. or para. No).
• Example – President Kennedy stated, “We are committed to a worldwide struggle to promote and protect all who wish to be free” to show the primary objective of the federal leadership (Iodice, 2017, p. 3).
• APA 7 narrative citation scheme – Students can use the phrase “According to…,” to introduce a quote.
• Example – According to Iodice (2017), President Kennedy stated, “We are committed to a worldwide struggle to promote and protect the rights of all who wish to be free” (p. 3).  

Essayists should avoid all forms of plagiarism when providing quotes in Harvard. As a rule, in-text citations must identify the author and publication date. In this case, authors give the page number containing the direct passages. Hence, examples that one should follow when formatting statements in Harvard style are:

• Harvard parenthetical citation scheme – In-text citations must appear as (Author Year, page or paragraph number).
• Example – President Kennedy specified, “We are committed to a worldwide struggle to promote and protect all who wish to be free” to show the primary objective of the federal leadership (Iodice 2017, p. 3).
• Harvard narrative citation scheme – Essayists can use the phrase “According to…,” to introduce a quote.
• Example – According to Iodice (2017), President Kennedy stated, “We are committed to a worldwide struggle to promote and protect the rights of all who wish to be free” (p. 3).  

Chicago/Turabian

Writers should provide in-text citations as footnotes. In this case, each direct statement must have a footnote callout. Besides, one gives the page number containing a direct passage. Hence, an example of an in-text citation for a quote in Chicago/Turabian is:

• Chicago/Turabian footnote callout – President Kennedy stated, “We are committed to a worldwide struggle to promote and protect the rights of all who wish to be free.” 1
• Chicago/Turabian footnote example, which corresponds to this callout – 1. Emilio Iodice, “The Courage to Lead: The Leadership Legacies of American Presidents John Fitzgerald Kennedy and Theodore Roosevelt,” Journal of Values-Based Leadership 10, no. 1 (January 2017), 3. https://doi.org/10.22543/0733.101.1176.

Citing Block Quotations

Writers may decide to use block quotes for starting their essays. Basically, there are specific referencing styles, and they have different rules for including block quotations. Hence, citation guidelines that essayists can use to format their exact remarks are:

One should place a quotation, which is more than four lines, as a free-standing block. As a rule, students should omit curved quotation marks in MLA 9. In this case, quotes must start at 0.5 inches from the left margin. Moreover, parenthetical citations appear at the end of the passage, after the closing punctuation marks.

Block quotes in APA 7th edition contain more than forty words. Basically, writers should omit double quotation marks and indent direct passages at 0.5 inches from the left margin. In turn, parenthetical citations, which contain page numbers, follow closing punctuation marks.

Long quotes in Harvard referencing should contain between forty and fifty words. In this case, block statements must begin on a separate line after a colon. Besides, one indents essays at 0.5 inches from the left margin. Finally, parenthetical citations follow closing punctuation marks.

Block quotes in Chicago/Turabian contain five or more lines. As a rule, one must indent quotations at 0.5 inches from the left margin. Basically, scholars offset block quotations by using different or smaller fonts used in the rest body sections. In turn, a sentence preceding a long passage must identify the source and the author and end with a colon. As a result, writers include the page containing the citation, inside rounded brackets.

Connecting a Particular Quote to a Thesis Statement

Quotations play an instrumental role in enhancing the credibility and validity of arguments presented in essays. For example, suitable passages from other authors show that arguments depend on facts (Pullen, 2016). Besides, direct remarks make academic essay writing appear more professional and thoughtful. However, students make the following mistakes that lower their essay’s quality:

• Writers drop their quotes without considering their significance in supporting written pieces. In this case, successful authors avoid this mistake by selecting direct statements that relate to the essay’s topic.
• Scholars fail to support other people’s passages by using their words. In turn, outstanding writers avoid this mistake by introducing citations with their words. As a result, the strategy helps to link a particular statement to other details provided in an essay.
• Authors fail to show the connection between their quotations and a thesis statement. Basically, a copied and pasted sentence must be related to a thesis sentence. In turn, prudent essayists ensure their citations support central arguments in academic papers. 

Learning institutions require scholars to write essays to meet the necessary academic requirements. Basically, the way in which learners introduce their work plays a crucial role in determining the grades they achieve. In this case, direct quotations provide an appropriate way for authors to present their works. However, an essayist must rely on proper guidelines on how to start an essay with a quote correctly. Hence, some tips that one must remember when using direct passages are:

• Avoid using clichés for quotations.
• Use unique and credible claims.
• Provide the context for a remark.
• Ensure a direct passage relates to a thesis statement.
• Include correct in-text citations, following the rules of MLA 9, APA 7, Harvard, or Chicago/Turabian formats where applicable.
• Follow the necessary guidelines when using block quotes.

Eldh, A. C., Årestedt, L., & Berterö, C. (2020). Quotations in qualitative studies: Reflections on constituents, custom, and purpose. International Journal of Qualitative Methods , 19 , 1–6. https://doi.org/10.1177/1609406920969268

Kaufman, L., & Straus, J. (2021). The blue book of grammar and punctuation: An easy-to-use guide with clear rules, real-world examples, and reproducible quizzes . Jossey-Bass.

Lazonder, A. W., & Janssen, N. (2022). Quotation accuracy in educational research articles. Educational Research Review , 35 , 1–10. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.edurev.2021.100430

Pullen, R. (2016). A guide to essay writing: Producing the ideal essay . Straightforward Publishing.

Sawyer, E. (2016). College essay essentials: A step-by-step guide to writing a successful college admission essay . Sourcebooks, Inc.

Sibbald, S. L., Asif Jiwani, A., & Martin, J. (2022). Recycling quotes or personal plagiarism? A methodological contribution on integrity in qualitative health research. SSM – Qualitative Research in Health , 2 , 1–7. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssmqr.2022.100084

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How to Start an Essay: 7 Tips for a Knockout Essay Introduction

Sometimes, the most difficult part of writing an essay is getting started. You might have an outline already and know what you want to write, but struggle to find the right words to get it going. Don’t worry; you aren’t the first person to grapple with starting an essay, and you certainly won’t be the last. 

Writing an essay isn’t the same as writing a book. Or writing a poem. Or writing a scientific research paper. Essay writing is a unique process that involves clear sequencing, backing up your positions with quality sources, and engaging language. But it’s also got one important thing in common with every other type of writing: You need to hook your reader’s attention within the first few sentences. 

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Intriguing ways to start an essay

There are many different ways to write an essay introduction. Each has its benefits and potential drawbacks, and each is best suited for certain kinds of essays . Although these essay introductions use different rhetorical devices and prime the reader in different ways, they all achieve the same goal: hooking the reader and enticing them to keep reading.

To “hook” a reader simply means to capture their attention and make them want to continue reading your work. An essay introduction that successfully hooks readers in one essay won’t necessarily hook readers in another essay, which is why it’s so important for you to understand why different types of essay openings are effective. 

Take a look at these common ways to start an essay:

Share a shocking or amusing fact

One way to start your essay is with a shocking, unexpected, or amusing fact about the topic you’re covering. This grabs the reader’s attention and makes them want to read further, expecting explanation, context, and/or elaboration on the fact you presented. 

Check out these essay introduction examples that use relevant, engaging facts to capture the reader’s attention:

“More than half of Iceland’s population believe that elves exist or that they possibly can exist. Although this might sound strange to foreigners, many of us have similar beliefs that would sound just as strange to those outside our cultures.”

“Undergraduate students involved in federal work-study programs earn an average of just $1,794 per year. That’s just slightly more than the average rent for a one-bedroom apartment in our city.”

Relevance is key here. Make sure the fact you choose directly relates to the topic you’re covering in your essay. Otherwise, it will feel random, confusing, or at best, shoehorned into the essay. In any case, it will undermine your essay as a whole by making it seem like you don’t have a full grasp on your topic. 

If you’re writing an expository or persuasive essay , including a shocking or amusing fact in your introduction can be a great way to pique your reader’s curiosity. The fact you present can be one that supports the position you argue in the essay or it can be part of the body of data your expository essay explains. 

Ask a question

By asking a question in your essay opening, you’re directly inviting the reader to interact with your work. They don’t get to be a passive consumer; they’re now part of the conversation. This can be a very engaging way to start an essay. 

Take a look at these examples of essay openings that use questions to hook readers:

“How many times have you been late to class because you couldn’t find parking? You’re not alone—our campus is in desperate need of a new parking deck.”

“How frequently do you shop at fast fashion retailers? These retailers include H&M, Zara, Uniqlo and other brands that specialize in inexpensive clothing meant for short-term use.” 

Asking a question is an effective choice for a persuasive essay because it asks the reader to insert themselves into the topic or even pick a side. While it can also work in other kinds of essays, it really shines in any essay that directly addresses the reader and puts them in a position to reflect on what you’re asking. 

Dramatize a scene

Another effective way to write an essay introduction is to dramatize a scene related to your essay. Generally, this approach is best used with creative essays, like personal statements and literary essays. Here are a few examples of essay introductions that immerse readers in the action through dramatized scenes:

“The rain pounded against the roof, loudly drowning out any conversations we attempted to have. I’d promised them I’d play the latest song I wrote for guitar, but Mother Earth prevented any concert from happening that night.”

“Imagine you’ve just gotten off an airplane. You’re hot, you’re tired, you’re uncomfortable, and suddenly, you’re under arrest.”

Beyond creative essays, this kind of opening can work when you’re using emotional appeal to underscore your position in a persuasive essay. It’s also a great tool for a dramatic essay, and could be just the first of multiple dramatized scenes throughout the piece. 

Kick it off with a quote

When you’re wondering how to write an essay introduction, remember that you can always borrow wisdom from other writers. This is a powerful way to kick off any kind of essay. Take a look at these examples:

“‘The past is never dead. It’s not even past.’ —William Faulkner. In his novel Requiem for a Nun , our changing perspective of the past is a primary theme.”

“‘It always seems impossible until it’s done.’ —Nelson Mandela. Before I joined the military, boot camp seemed impossible. But now, it’s done.”

Just as in choosing a fact or statistic to open your essay, any quote you choose needs to be relevant to your essay’s topic . If your reader has to perform a web search for your quote to figure out how it relates to the rest of your essay, it’s not relevant enough to use. Go with another quote that your text can easily explain. 

State your thesis directly

The most straightforward kind of essay introduction is one where you simply state your thesis. Take a look at these examples:

“Fraternity culture is dangerous and contrary to campus values. Banning it is in the campus community’s best interest.”

“We can’t afford to ignore the evidence any longer; we need climate action now.”

How to write an essay introduction

Pick the right tone for your essay.

You probably shouldn’t use a funny quote to start a persuasive essay on a serious subject. Similarly, a statistic that can evoke strong emotions in the reader might not be the right choice for an expository essay because it could potentially be construed as your attempt to argue for a certain viewpoint, rather than state facts. 

Read your essay’s first paragraph aloud and listen to your writing’s tone. Does the opening line’s tone match the rest of the paragraph, or is there a noticeable tone shift from the first line or two to the rest? In many cases, you can hear whether your tone is appropriate for your essay. Beyond listening for the right tone, use Grammarly’s tone detector to ensure that your essay introduction—as well as the rest of your essay—maintains the right tone for the subject you’re covering.   

When you’re stuck, work backwards

Starting an essay can be difficult. If you find yourself so caught up on how to write an essay introduction that you’re staring at a blank screen as the clock ticks closer to your deadline, skip the introduction and move onto your essay’s body paragraphs . Once you have some text on the page, it can be easier to go back and write an introduction that leads into that content. 

You may even want to start from the very end of your essay. If you know where your essay is going, but not necessarily how it will get there, write your conclusion first. Then, write the paragraph that comes right before your conclusion. Next, write the paragraph before that, working your way backwards until you’re in your introduction paragraph. By then, writing an effective essay introduction should be easy because you already have the content you need to introduce. 

Polish your essays until they shine

Got a draft of a great essay? Awesome! But don’t hit “submit” just yet—you’re only halfway to the finish line. Make sure you’re always submitting your best work by using Grammarly to catch misspelled words, grammar mistakes, and places where you can swap in different words to improve your writing’s clarity. 

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• Writing Tips

How to Introduce Quotes in Academic Writing

• 3-minute read
• 17th October 2019

It would be hard to write a good essay  without quoting sources. And as well as using quote marks , this means working quotations into your own writing. But how can you do this? In this post, we provide a few helpful tips on how to introduce quotes (short and long) in academic writing.

Introducing Short Quotations

The easiest way to quote a source is to work a short passage (sometimes just a single word) into your own sentence. For example:

The tomb was one of archaeology’s “most intriguing discoveries” (Andronicus, 1978, p. 55) and has fascinated researchers ever since.

Here, the only requirements placing the quoted text within quotation marks and making sure the quote follows grammatically from the surrounding text.

Quoting After a Colon

If you need to quote a source after a full sentence, introduce it with a colon:

On the basis of Philip II’s estimated date of death, Andronicus (1978) draws a conclusion :  “This, in all probability, must be his tomb” (p. 76).

When using a colon to introduce a quotation, the text before the colon must be a full sentence. The text after the colon, however, can be just a few words.

Quoting After a Comma

Alternatively, you can use a comma to introduce a quote. When doing this, the quoted text should follow from the preceding sentence (usually after a word like “says” or “argues”):

Andronicus (1978) says ,  “The weapons bore witness that the tomb could not have belonged to a commoner” (p. 73).

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However, when a quote follows the word “that,” no comma is needed:

Andronicus (1978) says  that “The weapons bore witness that the tomb could not have belonged to a commoner” (p. 73).

Block Quotes

Finally, for longer quotations, use a  block quote . These are also introduced with a colon, but they don’t have to follow a full sentence. Furthermore, quoted text should be indented and the block quote should begin on a new line. For example, we could introduce a block quote as follows:

Andronicus (1978) describes the fresco in the following terms:

The barely visible painting depicts three hunters with spears and five horsemen with dogs pursuing their prey, wild boars and lions. This and three other paintings discovered in the adjacent tomb are among the few extant examples of fourth-century BC Greek frescoes. (p. 72)

This emphasizes how important the discovery was for understanding…

Usually, you’ll only need block quotes for passages with more than 40 words (or four lines). The exact rules depend on the reference system you’re using, though, so be sure to check your style guide. And, when in doubt, you can always submit a document for proofreading . We can help make sure your quotations are fully integrated into the rest of your text.

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How To Start a College Essay: 9 Effective Techniques

This post was co-written by me (Ethan) and Luci Jones (Brown University, CO ‘23).

How to start a college essay TABLE OF CONTENTS

The full hemingway, the mini hemingway, the philosophical question, the confession, the trailer thesis, the fascinating concept, the random personal fun fact, the shocking image.

In anything you do, there’s a special, pivotal moment. 

I don’t mean the moment when inspiration strikes or the last brushstroke is painted or the audience oohs and ahs over the final product. The point in time we’re talking about here is the Moment When You Do The Darn Thing (DTDT for short). It’s when you get off the couch, stop binging Netflix , and take action. It’s when you put pencil to paper, fingers to keyboard, or *insert whatever other analogy feels applicable here.* 

For many, getting started is the hardest part of anything. And that’s understandable. First, because it turns whatever you’re doing into a reality, which raises the stakes. Second, because where you start can easily dictate the quality of where you end up.

College essays have their own special brand of DTDT. Knowing how to begin a college essay is daunting. It can be hard to write an engaging, authentic opener. But without an interesting hook, you risk getting lost in a vast sea of applications. To this end, we’ve put together some techniques about how to start a college essay to make your DTDT moment a little smoother and a little less stressful.

I say “probably” because I’m about to share a few overused techniques that I don’t recommend. Having said that, it is possible to pull them off—they’re just really hard to do well.

The Overly Grand Ambiguous Statement: From a distance, it might seem nice to talk about why all of humankind has felt some type of way for as long as history has existed. (Examples: “Many great thinkers have existed in our nation’s history” or “The key to a successful endeavor is perseverance.”) But these kinds of overly generalized or impersonal grand statements get lost easily in the crowd because they don’t tell the reader much about you. And without a connection to you, there’s not much reason for them to continue reading.

Going Meta: As cool as it may seem to demonstrate to your audience that you are aware of how you’re writing your essay in the moment you’re writing it, it’s less cool to college admissions officers who read meta stuff like that all the time. There are other, more subtle ways to demonstrate self-awareness in your intro rather than to open your essay with some variation of, “I stare at the blank screen...” or, worse, “When I was asked to write this personal statement, at first I wasn’t sure how to begin.”  Note that the meta essay can sometimes work (you’ll see a couple examples below), but has a higher degree of difficulty.

The Quote: While quoting famous people who have said something cool in the past may seem like an appealing way to start your essay, remember that colleges want to hear YOUR thoughts. Don’t use the words of another person to stand in for your own opinions or insights. You have cool things to say. It may just take a little while to discover what those things are.

The Too-Obvious Thesis That Spoils the Ending of the Movie (i.e. Your Essay): What if Avengers: Infinity War had opened with a voiceover from the director saying, “This is a film about how Thanos collects all the infinity stones and destroys half the population.” (Aaaaaand this is your too-late spoiler alert. Sorry. But don’t worry, they go back in time and undo it in Endgame . Oh, also spoiler.) That would’ve sucked. That’s what it feels like, though, if you start your essay with something like, “I want to be a veterinarian because I care about animals and the environment.” I read a sentence like that and I go, “Cool, thanks, now I can save myself the three minutes it would’ve taken to read the essay. Thank you, next.” While you may want to have that sentence in mind so you know what you’re trying to get across (this is called a logline), just don’t give away the whole thing. Instead, start your essay with something to pique our interest. How? We’re about to share 9 ways. 

Want to read a few more college essay tips? Check out this huge list from admissions experts. 

9 WAYS TO START A COLLEGE ESSAY:

An image-based description that focuses on a particular moment and doesn’t explain much—at least not right away. This technique lets dialogue, actions, or details speak for themselves.

(Note that there are many other authors that do this — it’s part of great writing — but my little brother suggested Hemingway and I kinda’ liked the sound of it.)

Example: 

Every Saturday morning, I’d awaken to the smell of crushed garlic and piquant pepper. I would stumble into the kitchen to find my grandma squatting over a large silver bowl, mixing fat lips of fresh cabbages with garlic, salt, and red pepper.

Why It Works: In this intro, the author paints a very visceral picture of waking up in the morning to the smell of her grandmother’s traditional Korean cooking. Through the careful word choice (“piquant pepper,” “fat lips of fresh cabbages,” etc.), we get a sense that something important is happening, even if we don’t know what it is yet. But this one can be difficult to pull off if you don’t help the reader understand why you’ve described what you’ve described. Read the rest of the essay here .

Which brings us to...

An image-based description, perhaps 1-3 sentences in length, that focuses on a particular moment and then follows up with a sentence that explains, comments on, or somehow provides context for what is being described.

Take a look at how this can happen by just adding one sentence to the example above (see bolded line below):

Every Saturday morning, I’d awaken to the smell of crushed garlic and piquant pepper. I would stumble into the kitchen to find my grandma squatting over a large silver bowl, mixing fat lips of fresh cabbages with garlic, salt, and red pepper. That was how the delectable Korean dish, kimchi, was born every weekend at my home.  

Why it Works: This single sentence hints at some of the author’s core values—culture, ritual, family—without giving too much away about where the essay is headed. Like any good intro, this one creates more questions that answers. (Read the rest of the essay here .)

Another example:

They covered the precious mahogany coffin with a brown amalgam of rocks, decomposed organisms, and weeds. It was my turn to take the shovel, but I felt too ashamed to dutifully send her off when I had not properly said goodbye. I refused to throw dirt on her. I refused to let go of my grandmother, to accept a death I had not seen coming, to believe that an illness could not only interrupt, but steal a beloved life.

Why It Works: The author drops us right into the middle of something we know nothing about, yet it invites us to care. How? The specifics. The details she notices and the resistance she’s feeling help to put us in her shoes. This means we don’t just feel sympathy, we feel empathy . And that empathetic connection heightens the stakes for us by raising questions: How did her grandmother die? Why can’t the author let her go? Why is she angry? (Spoiler: It turns out she’s more angry at herself than anyone else. Read the rest of the essay here .)

The author begins with information that creates certain expectations about them before taking us in a surprising direction. 

Growing up, my world was basketball. My summers were spent between the two solid black lines. My skin was consistently tan in splotches and ridden with random scratches. My wardrobe consisted mainly of track shorts, Nike shoes, and tournament t-shirts. Gatorade and Fun Dip were my pre-game snacks. The cacophony of rowdy crowds, ref whistles, squeaky shoes, and scoreboard buzzers was a familiar sound. I was the team captain of almost every team I played on—familiar with the Xs and Os of plays, commander of the court, and the coach’s right hand girl. But that was only me on the surface. Deep down I was an East-Asian influenced bibliophile and a Young Adult fiction writer.

Why It Works: We’re introduced to the author as a basketball superstar, the queen of the court, a sports fanatic—and at this point the reader may even be making assumptions about this author’s identity based on her initial description of herself. However, in one sentence, the writer takes us in a completely unexpected direction. This plays with audience expectations and demonstrates that she has a good degree of self awareness about the layers of her identity. After having our expectations thrown for a loop, we can’t help but wonder more about who exactly this person is (and if you want to know like I did, read the rest of this essay here ).

Another example: 

I am on Oxford Academy’s Speech and Debate Team, in both the Parliamentary Debate division and the Lincoln-Douglass debate division. I write screenplays, short stories, and opinionated blogs and am a regular contributor to my school literary magazine, The Gluestick. I have accumulated over 300 community service hours that includes work at homeless shelters, libraries, and special education youth camps. I have been evaluated by the College Board and have placed within the top percentile. But I am not any of these things. I am not a test score, nor a debater, nor a writer. I am an anti-nihilist punk rock philosopher. And I became so when I realized three things:

Why It Works: He basically tears up his (impressive) resume in the first few sentences and says, “That’s not me! Here’s the real me…” and as a result we wonder, “How does one become an anti-nihilist punk rock philosopher? And what are the three things??” (Read the rest here .)

Ask a question that you won’t (and probably can’t) answer in your essay. This gives you a chance to show how your brilliant brain works, plus keeps us hooked as you explore possible answers/solutions. 

Does every life matter? Because it seems like certain lives matter more than others, especially when it comes to money.

Why it Works: It raises a complex, interesting question and poses a controversial idea: that we treat some lives as though they matter more than others. We wonder: “Is that true? Could it be? Say more…” Heads-up: This one can veer into the “Overly Grand Ambiguous Statement” opening if you’re not careful. Click here to read the rest of the essay mentioned above, which by the way took him a long time to refine—as this approach is not easy to pull off.

Begin by admitting something you might be judged (or judge yourself) for. 

Example:  

I have been pooped on many times. I mean this in the most literal sense possible. I have been pooped on by pigeons and possums, house finches and hawks, egrets and eastern grays. (Read the rest here .)

Why it Works: Shows vulnerability, but also in many cases intrigues us to learn more. 

Here is a secret that no one in my family knows: I shot my brother when I was six. Luckily, it was a BB gun. But to this day, my older brother Jonathan does not know who shot him. And I have finally promised myself to confess this eleven year old secret to him after I write this essay.

Why It Works: This is a super vulnerable to admit and raises all sorts of questions for us: Why did he shoot his brother? Why hasn’t he confessed it to him? What will his brother say once he tells him? (Fun fact: This essay actually breaks the “don’t start with a quote” rule. Here’s the rest if you wanna’ read it.)

A contextualizing 1-2-sentences (often at the end of the first paragraph) to ground the essay by giving us a sneak peek at what’s to come in the essay—but that do NOT give away the ending.

Example (I’ve marked it in bold below at the end of the first paragraph): 

Six years ago, a scrawny twelve year old kid took his first steps into Home Depot: the epitome of manliness. As he marched through the wood section, his eyes scrolled past the options. Red Oak? No, too ubiquitous. Pine? No, too banal. Mahogany? Perfect, it would nicely complement his walls. As days went on, the final product was almost ready. 91 degree angles had been perfected to 90. Drawer slides had been lubricated ten times over. Finally, the masterpiece was finished, and the little boy couldn’t help but smile. A scrawny 12-year-old kid had become a scrawny 12-year-old man. This desk I sit at has not only seen me through the last six years, but its story and the story of the objects I keep on it provide a foundation for my future pursuits.

Why It Works: As we read the first few sentences of this paragraph we might wonder, “Where is this going?” But this sentence sets us at ease and—again, without giving too much away—gives us a sense of what’s to come. We know that we’re going to learn about the author and his future through the objects on his desk. Great! It also signals to the reader “Don’t worry, you’re in good hands. I’m still aware of the task at hand.” 

Begin with a concept that’s unusual, paradoxical, and/or marked a turning point in your thinking. This is often followed up with context explaining where the concept came from and why the author is considering it. 

Crayfish can turn their red blood cells into precursor neuronal cells, I read in shock. The scientific paper, published in Cell 2014, outlined the process where crayfish could regenerate lost eyestalks or olfactory (smell and odor) nerves with their blood – they could see and smell again! It seemed unfair from an evolutionary standpoint. Humans, who were so much larger than a 7-ounce crayfish, couldn’t use their abundant blood to fix their brain damage.

Why It Works: This opening signals to the reader that the author is: a) someone who has read quite a bit, b) curious, and c) knows, as I like to say, “some stuff about some stuff.” In this case, she knows some science stuff.

Do you know some stuff about some stuff? If so, a little geeky language can help signal this to the reader. Don’t overdo it, though, or it can seem showy.

FYI: I see this more often at the start of great essays than personal statements, as this can often lead to an essay that’s more heady/intellectual and less vulnerable/personal. A variation on this that’s a bit more personal is the...

Begin with a strange fact about yourself to grab our attention. Then go on to say why it’s meaningful. Example: 

I subscribe to what the New York Times dubs “the most welcomed piece of daily e-mail in cyberspace.” Cat pictures? Kardashian updates? Nope: A Word A Day.

(Read the rest here .)

Why It Works: It pulls us in by making us think, “Oh, that’s cool!” and then wondering, “Okay, where is this going?”

Grab our attention with an incredibly specific and arresting image or sentence. Then tell us why it matters.

Smeared blood, shredded feathers. Clearly, the bird was dead. But wait, the slight fluctuation of its chest, the slow blinking of its shiny black eyes. No, it was alive.

Why It Works: This style subtly highlights the writing talent of the author without drawing attention away from the content of the story. In this example, the staccatoed sentence fragments convey a sense of halting anxiety and also mimic the movement of the bird’s chest as it struggles to breathe. All sorts of questions come up: What happened to the bird? What will the author do? (Read the rest of the essay here .)

February 2011– My brothers and I were showing off our soccer dribbling skills in my grandfather’s yard when we heard gunshots and screaming in the distance. We paused and listened, confused by sounds we had only ever heard on the news or in movies. My mother rushed out of the house and ordered us inside. The Arab Spring had come to Bahrain.  

(Read the rest of the essay here .)

Bowing down to the porcelain god, I emptied the contents of my stomach. Foaming at the mouth, I was ready to pass out. My body couldn’t stop shaking as I gasped for air, and the room started spinning. (Read the rest of the essay here .)

There are, of course, many more kinds of openings—and I’ll add to this post as I discover new ones. 

We get it, writing a standout introduction is easier said than done. Hopefully though, after seeing some examples of dynamic and thoughtful intros that used our techniques, you’re inspired to brainstorm some of your own . You’ve got this. DTDT has never looked so good.

Have a great college essay opening or a new type of opening you’d like to suggest? Share it in the comments below!

This post was co-written by me (Ethan) and Luci Jones (Brown University, CO ‘23).  Luci took my How to Write a Personal Statement course last year. The essay that she produced was so good and her writing was so beautiful, I’ve asked her to help me co-write this blog post with me, create a few techniques for writing a great introduction, and analyze why they work so well.

• Essay Editor

How to Start an Essay with a Quote

Starting an essay with a quote is more challenging than picking some excellent words from a famous person. It's about finding words that make people want to read more. You may have tried before and ended up with something that didn't sound very serious. Don't worry; lots of people have this issue. This article will help you choose and use the best quote to begin your essay.

Helpful Tips for Starting Your Essay with a Quote

Using a quote at the start of your essay can get your reader's attention and set the mood for your writing. But how do you start an essay with a quote? Here are some helpful tips:

• Pick carefully: Choose a quote that fits your topic and helps prove your main point.
• Give some background: Tell a little about who said the quote or where it came from.
• Fit it in nicely: Introduce the quote with words like "Jane Doe says" or "In John Smith's words."
• Say why it matters: After the quote, explain how it connects to your main idea.
• Keep it short: Try to use quotes that are only one or two sentences long unless you need a longer one.
• Use the right format: Follow the proper citation format (MLA, APA, Chicago, etc.) for your required style guide.

A quote in an essay can help you get your readers interested from the start. And if you ask yourself, "How to introduce a quote in an essay?" remember that the quote should help you share your own ideas, not replace them.

What You Should Know When Choosing a Quote for Your Essay

When picking a quote to start your essay, consider the following:

• Does it fit? : The quote should match your topic or main idea.
• Is it from someone credible? : Pick quotes from reputable sources.
• Does it leave a lasting impression? : Choose thought-provoking quotes.
• Is it unique? : Try not to use quotes that everyone knows already.

How to quote someone in an essay is more than just copying them. It's about finding the right mix of their words and your thoughts. A good quote can:

• Help prove your point with expert words
• Show a new way of thinking about your topic
• Make readers feel connected to what you're saying

Choose carefully and make sure that it is fully related to your topic. Find the right introduction and part to write down — a smooth start will help your readers understand why the quote is important.

Pros and Cons of Starting Essays with Quotes

Starting with a quote can be good, but it's important to think about the pros and potential cons of doing so:

• Grabs attention right away
• Makes your writing seem more credible
• Sets the mood for your essay
• Gives you something to focus on in your introduction
• May seem cliché if not done well
• Can be used too much, especially with famous quotes
• Might make your own words seem less important
• Could look like you're not being original if you have not carefully chosen

Can you start an essay with a quote? Absolutely, but it's important to weigh these pros and cons and ensure that doing so improves your writing, not worse.

Practical Examples: How to Start Your Essay with the Right Quote

Let's look at some real examples of how to introduce a quote:

• For an essay on environmental conservation:

"The Earth is what we all have in common," said Wendell Berry, environmental activist and poet. This simple yet profound statement encapsulates the core argument of this essay: our shared responsibility in protecting our planet.

• In an essay about perseverance:

Maya Angelou once wrote, "You may encounter many defeats, but you must not be defeated." These words serve as a powerful reminder of the resilience of the human spirit in the face of adversity.

• For a paper about new ideas in technology:

"Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower," stated Steve Jobs, co-founder of Apple Inc. This perspective highlights the crucial role of innovative thinking in driving progress and success.

When considering how to start an essay with a quote, remember to pick one that gets attention and helps introduce your main idea. The quote should be a starting point for your own thoughts and ideas.

A Quick Recap

When you use quotes, remember to:

• Introduce the quote with words like "As X said," or "According to Y,".
• Use quotation marks around the exact words you're using.
• Add the origin of the quote right after you use it. Always.
• Explain what you think it means and why it's important.

Starting your essay with a quote can be a good way to grab your reader's attention and set the tone for your writing. Remember, it's not just about picking any famous saying — it's about finding one that fits your essay. If you follow the tips we've discussed, you can learn how to quote someone in an essay in a way that makes your writing better and helps prove your point. Just keep in mind the balance between the quote and your voice — after all, your ideas are the show's star.

"How do you start a quote?" is just as important as the quote itself. Finding and using that perfect quote well in your essay can be hard. That's where Aithor comes in handy. This easy-to-use writing tool helps you write strong, memorable introductions. Whether you're having trouble adding quotes to your essay or looking for new ways to start your paper, Aithor can give you ideas that fit your topic.

Why not give it a try for your next essay? With Aithor , you can confidently start your essay, knowing you've found the right quote to leave a lasting impression.

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Suggested Ways to Introduce Quotations

When you quote another writer's words, it's best to introduce or contextualize the quote. 

How To Quote In An Essay?

To introduce a quote in an essay, don't forget to include author's last name and page number (MLA) or author, date, and page number (APA) in your citation. Shown below are some possible ways to introduce quotations. The examples use MLA format.

Use A Full Sentence Followed by A Colon To Introduce A Quotation

• The setting emphasizes deception: "Nothing is as it appears" (Smith 1).
• Piercy ends the poem on an ironic note: "To every woman a happy ending" (25).

Begin A Sentence with Your Own Words, Then Complete It with Quoted Words

Note that in the second example below, a slash with a space on either side ( / ) marks a line break in the original poem.

• Hamlet's task is to avenge a "foul and most unnatural murder" (Shakespeare 925).
• The speaker is mystified by her sleeping baby, whose "moth-breath / flickers among the flat pink roses" (Plath 17).

Use An Introductory Phrase Naming The Source, Followed By A Comma to Quote A Critic or Researcher

Note that the first letter after the quotation marks should be upper case. According to MLA guidelines, if you change the case of a letter from the original, you must indicate this with brackets. APA format doesn't require brackets.

• According to Smith, "[W]riting is fun" (215).
• In Smith's words, " . . .
• In Smith's view, " . . .

Use A Descriptive Verb, Followed by A Comma To Introduce A Critic's Words

Avoid using says unless the words were originally spoken aloud, for instance, during an interview.

• Smith states, "This book is terrific" (102).
• Smith remarks, " . . .
• Smith writes, " . . .
• Smith notes, " . . .
• Smith comments, " . . .
• Smith observes, " . . .
• Smith concludes, " . . .
• Smith reports, " . . .
• Smith maintains, " . . .
• Smith adds, " . . .

Don't Follow It with A Comma If Your Lead into The Quotation Ends in That or As

The first letter of the quotation should be lower case.

• Smith points out that "millions of students would like to burn this book" (53).
• Smith emphasizes that " . . .
• Smith interprets the hand washing in MacBeth as "an attempt at absolution" (106).
• Smith describes the novel as "a celebration of human experience" (233).

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How to Put a Quote in an Essay

Last Updated: November 28, 2022 Fact Checked

This article was co-authored by Christopher Taylor, PhD and by wikiHow staff writer, Danielle Blinka, MA, MPA . Christopher Taylor is an Adjunct Assistant Professor of English at Austin Community College in Texas. He received his PhD in English Literature and Medieval Studies from the University of Texas at Austin in 2014. There are 11 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 2,656,142 times.

Using a direct quote in your essay is a great way to support your ideas with concrete evidence, which you need to support your thesis. To select a good quote , look for a passage that supports your argument and is open to analysis. Then, incorporate that quote into your essay, and make sure you properly cite it based on the style guide you’re using.

Sample Quotes

Incorporating a Short Quote

• For instance, let's say this is the quote you want to use: "The brown leaves symbolize the death of their relationship, while the green buds suggest new opportunities will soon unfold."
• If you just type that sentence into your essay and put quotes around it, your reader will be disoriented. Instead, you could incorporate it into a sentence like this: "The imagery in the story mirrors what's happening in Lia's love life, as 'The brown leaves symbolize the death of their relationship, while the green buds suggest new opportunities will soon unfold.'"

• "Critic Alex Li says, 'The frequent references to the color blue are used to suggest that the family is struggling to cope with the loss of their matriarch.'"
• "According to McKinney’s research, 'Adults who do yoga at least three times a week have lower blood pressure, better sleeping patterns, and fewer everyday frustrations.'"
• "Based on several recent studies, people are more likely to sit on the park benches when they're shaded by trees."

• You still need to use quotation marks even if you're only quoting a few words.
• If you're in doubt, it's best to be cautious and use quotes.

• For example, let’s say you used the quote, “According to McKinney’s research, ‘Adults who do yoga at least three times a week have lower blood pressure, better sleeping patterns, and fewer everyday frustrations.’” Your commentary might read, “This shows that yoga can have a positive impact on people’s health, so incorporating it into the workplace can help improve employee health outcomes. Since yoga makes employees healthier, they’ll likely have reduced insurance costs.”

• When you use a paraphrase, you still need to provide commentary that links the paraphrased material back to your thesis and ideas.

Using a Long Quote

• The reader will recognize that the material is a direct quote because it's set off from the rest of the text. That's why you don't need to use quotation marks. However, you will include your citation at the bottom.

• "In The Things They Carried , the items carried by soldiers in the Vietnam war are used to both characterize them and burden the readers with the weight they are carrying: The things they carried were largely determined by necessity. Among the necessities or near-necessities were P-38 can openers, pocket knives, heat tabs, wristwatches, dog tags, mosquito repellent, chewing gum, candy cigarettes, salt tablets, packets of Kool-Aid, lighters, matches, sewing kits, Military Payment Certificates, C rations, and two or three canteens of water." (O'Brien 2)

Variation: When you're citing two or more paragraphs, you must use block quotes, even if the passage you want to quote is less than four lines long. You should indent the first line of each paragraph an extra quarter inch. Then, use ellipses (…) at the end of one paragraph to transition to the next.

• Your block quote will use the same spacing as the rest of your paper, which will likely be double-spacing.

• For example, “According to Li, “Rosa is the first sister to pick a rose because she’s the only one who’s begun to move on after their mother’s death” might become “According to Li, “Rosa is the first sister to pick a rose because she’s … begun to move on after their mother’s death.”
• Don’t eliminate words to change the meaning of the original text. For instance, it’s not appropriate to use an ellipsis to change “plants did not grow faster when exposed to poetry” to “plants did … grow faster when exposed to poetry.”

• For example, let’s say you want to use the quote, “All of them experienced a more relaxed, calmer disposition after doing yoga for 6 months.” This doesn’t tell the reader who you’re talking about. You could use brackets to say, “All of [the teachers in the study] experienced a more relaxed, calmer disposition after doing yoga for 6 months.”
• However, if you know the study is talking about teachers, you couldn’t use brackets to say, “All of [society experiences] a more relaxed, calmer disposition after doing yoga for 6 months.”

• If you don't explain your quote well, then it's not helping your ideas. You can't expect the reader to connect the quote back to your thesis for you.

• For instance, you may prefer to use a long block quote to present a passage from a literary work that demonstrates the author's style. However, let's say you were using a journal article to provide a critic's perspective on an author's work. You may not need to directly quote an entire paragraph word-for-word to get their point across. Instead, use a paraphrase.

Tip: If you’re unsure about a quote, ask yourself, “Can I paraphrase this in more concise language and not lose any support for my argument?” If the answer is yes, a quote is not necessary.

Citing Your Quote

• An MLA citation will look like this: (Lopez 24)
• For sources with multiple authors, separate their names with the word “and:” (Anderson and Smith 55-56) or (Taylor, Gomez, and Austin 89)
• If you use the author’s name in your lead-in to the quote, you just need to provide the year in parentheses: According to Luz Lopez, “the green grass symbolizes a fresh start for Lia (24).”

• An APA citation for a direct quote looks like this: (Ronan, 2019, p. 10)
• If you’re citing multiple authors, separate their names with the word “and:” (Cruz, Hanks, and Simmons, 2019, p. 85)
• If you incorporated the author’s name into your lead-in, you can just give the year and page number: Based on Ronan’s (2019, p. 10) analysis, “coffee breaks improve productivity.”

• For instance, a Chicago Style citation will look like this: (Alexander 2019, 125)
• If you’re quoting a source with multiple authors, separate them with the word “and:” (Pattinson, Stewart, and Green 2019, 175)
• If you already incorporated the author’s name into your quote, then you can just provide the year and page number: According to Alexander, “the smell of roses increases feelings of happiness” (2019, 125).

• For MLA, you'd cite an article like this: Lopez, Luz. "A Fresh Blossom: Imagery in 'Her Darkest Sunshine.'" Journal of Stories , vol. 2, no. 5, 2019, p. 15-22. [17] X Trustworthy Source Purdue Online Writing Lab Trusted resource for writing and citation guidelines Go to source
• In APA, you'd cite an article like this: Lopez, Luz. (2019). A Fresh Blossom: Imagery in "Her Darkest Sunshine." Journal of Stories , 2(5), 15-22. [18] X Trustworthy Source Purdue Online Writing Lab Trusted resource for writing and citation guidelines Go to source
• For Chicago Style, your article citation would look like this: Lopez, Luz. "A Fresh Blossom: Imagery in 'Her Darkest Sunshine.'" Journal of Stories 2 no. 4 (2019): 15-22. [19] X Trustworthy Source Purdue Online Writing Lab Trusted resource for writing and citation guidelines Go to source

Selecting a Quote

Tip: Quotes are most effective when the original language of the person or text you’re quoting is worth repeating word-for-word.

• If you’re struggling to explain the quote or link it back to your argument, then it’s likely not a good idea to include it in your essay.

• Paraphrases and summaries work just like a direct quote, except that you don’t need to put quotation marks around them because you’re using your own words to restate ideas. However, you still need to cite the sources you used.

Community Q&A

• Always cite your quotes properly. If you don't, it is considered plagiarism. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0

You Might Also Like

• ↑ https://www.ursinus.edu/live/files/1160-integrating-quotespdf
• ↑ https://lsa.umich.edu/sweetland/undergraduates/writing-guides/how-do-i-incorporate-quotes-.html
• ↑ https://helpfulprofessor.com/quotes/
• ↑ https://advice.writing.utoronto.ca/using-sources/quotations/
• ↑ https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/mla_style/mla_formatting_and_style_guide/mla_formatting_quotations.html
• ↑ https://guides.libraries.psu.edu/apaquickguide/intext
• ↑ https://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/tools_citationguide/citation-guide-2.html
• ↑ https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/mla_style/mla_formatting_and_style_guide/mla_formatting_and_style_guide.html
• ↑ https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/apa_style/apa_formatting_and_style_guide/reference_list_articles_in_periodicals.html
• ↑ https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/chicago_manual_17th_edition/cmos_formatting_and_style_guide/periodicals.html
• ↑ https://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/quotations/

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The content of this article is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, examination, diagnosis, or treatment. You should always contact your doctor or other qualified healthcare professional before starting, changing, or stopping any kind of health treatment.

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To put a quote in an essay, incorporate it directly into a sentence if it's shorter than 4 typed lines. For example, you could write "According to researchers," and then insert the quote. If a quote is longer than 4 typed lines, set it off from the rest of the paragraph, and don't put quotes around it. After the quote, include an in-text citation so readers know where it's from. The right way to cite the quote will depend on whether you're using MLA, APA, or Chicago Style formatting. For more tips from our English co-author, like how to omit words from a quote, scroll down! Did this summary help you? Yes No

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Your chance of acceptance, your chancing factors, extracurriculars, starting strong: quotes in college essays.

I've seen a few sample essays that open with a quote and I'm wondering, how should I start my college essay with a quote? Is it a good hook, or is it too cliché? I've found some really inspiring quotes that I feel relate to my life and could set the tone for my essay.

Hey there! Starting your college essay with a quote can definitely be a strong hook if chosen wisely. The key is to make sure that the quote ties directly into the narrative or point of your essay in a meaningful way—it should illuminate something about your personality, values, or experiences that you'll expand upon in the rest of the essay. Always pick a quote that you can unpack and that adds depth, rather than one that might be overused or too general.

For instance, if you've found a quote that encapsulates a pivotal moment when you learned something significant, and you reflect that insight in your essay, it can be a great opener. Just ensure that each word in that quote and the attribution (who said it) is pertinent to your story and doesn't overshadow your own voice. Remember, the essay is about you, your perspective, and what you bring to the table, so don't let the quote do all the talking! Good luck with your writing process!

About CollegeVine’s Expert FAQ

CollegeVine’s Q&A seeks to offer informed perspectives on commonly asked admissions questions. Every answer is refined and validated by our team of admissions experts to ensure it resonates with trusted knowledge in the field.

Guide: How to Start an Essay with a Quote

A quote is a specific text written in a written assignment with an accurate construction of words to argue your point of view or explain some theory. Most often, people use the statements of famous people – both past centuries and present. Such passages from authoritative people contain a lot of life experience, useful information, wisdom, and knowledge. All these statements can be applied to any written work, provided that you quote correctly. A quote is a powerful tool for writing essays because many readers believe such statements, and your text automatically becomes reliable. Therefore, every student should know how to start an essay with a quote.

Useful Tips for Starting Essay with Quotes

Have you thought about starting the text with a quote in an original way, but you don’t know what to start with first? Put the alarm aside and heed the advice of the experts:

• Choose statements that support your goal. Once you start looking for quotes, decide what purpose you want to achieve. The goals can be as follows: to inspire the reader, to prove their point of view, to alert the reader not to share certain actions, to call for action, to tell how to solve a particular problem, to motivate, to amuse. Choose only those quotes that will successfully convey the meaning of the composition;
• Get to know your target audience. When choosing a quote, you must understand who it is intended for. Therefore, find out who your readers are. For example, if you discuss some scientific topic, then, accordingly, only scientists who have been working in this field for a long time will understand it. Don’t choose too trivial or hard-to-read quotes. Look for the intriguing ones. We understand that not everyone knows how to define their target audience, so we will give you a few tips: find out the age of potential readers, find out the gender and make up the percentage, find out the interests, find out how readers understand the topic;
• Choose a quote that will support your point. Having a quote, explain how it relates to the topic or how it supports the thesis, argument, problem, and situation. This stage is essential because if you write a statement that does not help your point in any way, then it will look ridiculous. The essay should unite one topic, and it is not worth taking individual phrases out of context;
• Indicate the source. When writing an essay that contains quotations, be sure to add a link or note where the quote was taken from. If you don’t tag the author, you could be accused of plagiarism. Regarding formatting, it all depends on the citation style. Sometimes you need to include the specific book pages, paragraphs, or even phrases you are quoting. Sometimes just the name of the source and the year of publication is enough. If you are writing an article for a large audience, then be sure to consider the concept of plagiarism. Academic institutions take this very seriously, so you have no margin for error.

Key Points to Consider When Choosing a Quote

If you have decided that you want to write a text and insert a quote initially, we recommend that you pay attention not to the person who wrote the phrase but to the essence of the statement. We want to convey to you that it is not necessary to turn to famous personalities to quote them. Your goal is to convey your thoughts using other statements successfully. If you use a not very well-known quote, you do not risk being unoriginal and repeating the text’s structure after previous writers.

Sometimes readers want to see the story behind the writing of sayings. That is, to find out under what circumstances such a thought occurred to a person. By writing a little background story, you can help readers find out what obstacles people faced when formulating statements or how they felt the statements. Describing the story behind the creation of a quote should be dynamic and effective. This is especially true of those statements related to life and vivid events, extraordinary disputes, strange phenomena. No one will remember a boring story.

Let us warn you right away that it can take a long time to find suitable quotes, so please be patient and strong. However, to simplify finding quotes, we have prepared some good methods that you can put into practice. We recommend starting your search for a quote in the relevant books. Certain editions have been publishing books for a long time that contain quotations in various directions, starting from scientists and ending with art critics. The list of quotes is arranged in alphabetical order. You do not need to study the statements for a long time since experts have already done this before you and have divided the topics into categories. The experts did it for you. We also recommend using Internet search engines. However, you must be clear about your search terms. You can adjust the publication date yourself and keywords – it is the most flexible tool. The last method, which is particularly effective, is selecting appropriate sources that contain known passages.

Pros And Cons Start Essay With Quote

If you want to start your text with a quote, you should know both the positives and the disadvantages.

• With a quote, you can create your own writing style. Sometimes quotes contain a lot of meaning. After reading the statements, people will have different emotions, and from the first words, your text will respond in the reader’s memory. We believe that this is the most successful hook for which the reader will remember you;
• With a quote, you will grab attention. Strong and meaningful quotes are an excellent technique to grab the reader’s attention. We recommend writing quotes that are shocking, humorous, controversial, or revealing deep truths for maximum impact. We assure you that you can smoothly redirect the reader to the article’s primary content with this technique, where you will continue the topic. Also, by applying a quote, there is a chance that people will read your text to the end;
• Thanks to the quote, your text will become more authoritative. If your essays include Newton, Shakespeare, Leonardo da Vinci’s statements, people will respect your text. That is, no one will challenge your words, which are also confirmed by other authoritative people.
• Quotations are often perceived as cliché. Usually, if the quote is strong, meaningful, then it will only benefit the writer. However, if you use quotes, you will not add some shocking data or numbers because your introduction will be filled with difficult information. That is, if you use a quotation, then you need to develop your thought further and not grab onto other data that is well known;
• Finding compelling and containing quotes can be time-consuming. When composing a quote, the student is forbidden to change its words since it is already inaccurate. Accordingly, if some words do not suit you, you need to look for other quotes, leading to a loss of time.
• Quotes are very often similar to culmination. If you find a fascinating quote that fits perfectly into the article’s context, then it’s better to keep it to the end. At the beginning of the article, you will provide the owl with an opinion on the topic. Then in the central part, you will prove your beliefs based on the statements of scientists, historians, art historians, etc. If you understand that quotation is best suited as an element of argumentation, then it is best to leave it for the climax, but you cannot insert a quotation at the beginning of the text.

FAQ About How To Start An Essay With A Quote

Is it okay to start an essay with a quote?

You can, of course, start your essay with a quote. A persuasive and robust quote can grab the reader’s attention.

How do you write a quote at the beginning of an essay?

To correctly quote the beginning of the text, you must adhere to the citation rules. The main citation styles are MLA, APA, ASA . All the citation rules are described in detail in the manuals.

How do you start a college essay with a quote?

If you’re writing an essay for college, we recommend that you pick a quote that fits your direction. If you are a future doctor, then find the statements of a doctor who is known throughout the world.

How do you start an essay with a quote in MLA format?

MLA is excellent for the humanities. In the MLA format, the reference to the author of the quotation in the document itself is brief and clear so that the reader can easily find him in the bibliography. The source of information is indicated in parentheses in the “author-page” format.

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How to Use a Quote in an Essay

Table of Contents

MLA in-text citation how-to

You can take a quote from different sources of information, such as books, magazines, websites or printed journals. Using quotes in an essay serves three goals:

• Present additional evidence to support your point of view or oppose a claim or idea;
• Help a reader better understand a topic under analysis;
• Strengthen your argumentation on a topic using another writer’s eloquence.

Since quotes are mostly used in Humanities, you’ll have to follow MLA citation referencing guidelines. The Modern Language Association citation manual implies two types of quotes – short and long.

• Short quote – Is less than 4 lines of typed text and can be embedded directly into a sentence;
• Long quote – Is more than 4 lines of typed text and requires a separate content block in an essay without quotation marks.

Writing college essays, the recommendation is to use short quotes.

Parenthetical citation

Referring to the works of other authors in-text is done using a parenthetical citation . Such a method implies the author-page style of quoting. For example:

When it comes to writing, King suggests: “Write. Rewrite. When not writing or rewriting, read. I know of no shortcuts.” (5)

Given the MLA in-text citation already contains King’s last name, you shouldn’t mention it in the parenthesis. If the author’s name isn’t mentioned in-text, it has to be specified in a parenthetical citation.

When it comes to writing, there’s a quote I like the most: “Write. Rewrite. When not writing or rewriting, read. I know of no shortcuts.” (King 5)

According to MLA guidelines, at the end of the essay, there has to be the Works Cited page . It contains the full reference featuring author’s full name, the full title of the source, the volume, the issue number, the date of publishing, and the URL (if the source was found online). Here’s an example of the full referencing in the Works Cited:

King, Larry L. “The Collection of Best Works.” Oxford University Press, vol. 2, no. 3, Jan.-Feb. 2017, http://www.prowritersdigest.com/editor-blogs/inspirational-quotes/72-of-the-best-quotes-about-writing.

How to start an essay with a quote?

Starting an essay with a quote is a matter of controversy. Experts in the pro camp suggest that a quote at the beginning of an essay helps make a powerful statement right from the start. Moreover, an interesting, captivating quote grabs the reader’s attention right from the start.

Experts from the against camp suggest that when you begin an essay with a quote, you miss on the opportunity to present your own take on the subject matter. In their opinion, when writing the introduction, you have to rely only on your words. Whereas quotes are most useful in the main body, serving as an additional argumentation. In conclusion, a quote can be placed, too.

How to use quotes in the middle of an essay?

Main Body is the place you’re meant to state a quote or two, depending on the length of a paper. A standard 5-paragraph essay will imply you to use 2-3 quotes in the main body. More quotes aren’t necessary for such a short assignment. Two quotes in the main body will do just fine.

In the main body paragraph, a quote is placed in the middle of the passage . First, you introduce a focal sentence of a paragraph highlighting your point of view regarding a topic. After that, you provide the evidence data and argumentation, among which is a relevant quote. And finally, you smoothly transit to the next body paragraph or the conclusion. Here’re three examples of how to present a quote in one of the main body paragraphs.

Accurate integration of a citation in a text is key. Or the whole passage will sound off.

People who want to become a writer don’t really need any piece of advice. “Those (…) who know that they really want to do this and are cut out for it, they know it.”

College essay quotes have to be naturally embedded in a text .

People who want to become a writer don’t really need any piece of advice: “Those (…) who know that they really want to do this and are cut out for it, they know it.”

There’s also the way to write an essay with quotes in the smoothest way possible.

People who want to become a writer don’t really need any piece of advice. They simply “know that they really want to do this and are cut out for it, they know it.”

See how organically a quote is inserted in a sentence? That’s the best-case scenario of using a quote in a sentence.

How to end an essay with a quote?

Sometimes, ending an essay with a quote is better than merely restating your thesis statement. Citations can be taken from both primary and secondary sources. Good quotes to end an essay might be of your course professor’s. According to essay writing websites , quotations taken from the words of subject authorities and thought leaders will do great, too.

A quote ending an essay helps meet 5 objectives:

• Provide a solid closure to your essay;
• Fortify your point of view;
• Give one final argument in favor of your thesis statement;
• Establish your authority on a topic;
• Helps your essay stand out.

Having a quotation at the end of an essay gives a good chance to score an “A”.

15 tips for using quotations in an essay

• Look up quotes in academic sources in the first place;
• Rely on the printed matter rather than internet sources;
• Avoid citing information from Wikipedia;
• Give context to every quotation you use;
• Always use quotation marks to avoid plagiarism-related troubles;
• Explain why the quote you’re about to use in a text is important;
• Seek to integrate quotes smoothly in a sentence for the best effect;
• Each quotation has to be attributed to the original source using parenthesis;
• Gather 10-15 quotes relevant to your topic and then sift through 5 quotes that will serve you best;
• Use the exact wording, punctuation, capitalization and sentence structure as in the original;
• Watch your punctuation when using quotes in a sentence;
• Avoid misquotations, as it’s a sign of a careless attitude towards the assignment;
• Use an ellipsis (…) to withdraw a part of a quote you don’t actually need;
• Try to use short quotes rather than long;
• Avoid quoting quotes, as it’s where students make mistakes most often.

5 motivational quotes for essay writing

Inspiration is a staple in every great writer’s routine. As a student, you might find drawing inspiration a bit too difficult. Here’re a couple of inspiring essay motivation quotes to help you break through the writer’s block. Or you can buy argumentative essay if doing the task yourself isn’t an option.

“I don’t need an alarm clock. My ideas wake me.”

“It’s none of their business that you have to learn to write. Let them think you were born that way.”

“The difference between the almost right word and the right word is … the difference between the lightning bug and the lightning.”

“Making people believe the unbelievable is no trick; it’s work . … Belief and reader absorption come in the details: An overturned tricycle in the gutter of an abandoned neighborhood can stand for everything.”

“To defend what you’ve written is a sign that you are alive.”

Many times life catches us off balance. Lots of written homework. Tight schedule. Sudden illness. Personal matters. Writer’s block. An instructor returned the essay for revisions. At the moments like these, it’s always a good idea to have someone to cover your back. GradeMiners can always write you a new essay, rewrite an existing draft, perform an ending an essay with a quote, or proofread your text for mistakes, typos, as well as correct the use of quotations. Let us know if you need anything, and we’ll help you out!

100 Proposal Topics Ideas for Your Assignment

How To Write A Great Essay On Sports?

How to write an essay: a complete guide.

How to Start an Essay: 13 Engaging Strategies

ThoughtCo / Hugo Lin

• Ph.D., Rhetoric and English, University of Georgia
• M.A., Modern English and American Literature, University of Leicester
• B.A., English, State University of New York

There are countless ways to start an essay effectively. A solid introductory paragraph both informs and motivates. It lets readers know what your piece is about and it encourages them to keep reading.

For folks new to learning how to start an essay, here are 13 introductory strategies accompanied by examples from a wide range of professional writers.

State Your Thesis Briefly and Directly

One straightforward way to begin is to get right to the point. But avoid making your thesis a bald announcement, such as "This essay is about...". 

"It is time, at last, to speak the truth about Thanksgiving, and the truth is this. Thanksgiving is really not such a terrific holiday...." (Michael J. Arlen, "Ode to Thanksgiving." The Camera Age: Essays on Television . Penguin, 1982)

Pose a Question Related to Your Subject

A thought-provoking way to start an essay is by asking a relevant question that needs to be unpacked. Follow up the question with an answer, or an invitation for your readers to answer the question.

"What is the charm of necklaces? Why would anyone put something extra around their neck and then invest it with special significance? A necklace doesn't afford warmth in cold weather, like a scarf, or protection in combat, like chain mail; it only decorates. We might say, it borrows meaning from what it surrounds and sets off, the head with its supremely important material contents, and the face, that register of the soul. When photographers discuss the way in which a photograph reduces the reality it represents, they mention not only the passage from three dimensions to two, but also the selection of a point de vue that favors the top of the body rather than the bottom, and the front rather than the back. The face is the jewel in the crown of the body, and so we give it a setting." (Emily R. Grosholz, "On Necklaces." Prairie Schooner , Summer 2007)

State an Interesting Fact About Your Subject

Leading with a fact that draws readers in immediately can grab their attention effectively.

" The peregrine falcon was brought back from the brink of extinction by a ban on DDT, but also by a peregrine falcon mating hat invented by an ornithologist at Cornell University. If you cannot buy this, Google it. Female falcons had grown dangerously scarce. A few wistful males nevertheless maintained a sort of sexual loitering ground. The hat was imagined, constructed, and then forthrightly worn by the ornithologist as he patrolled this loitering ground, singing, Chee-up! Chee-up! and bowing like an overpolite Japanese Buddhist trying to tell somebody goodbye...." (David James Duncan, "Cherish This Ecstasy." The Sun , July 2008)

Present Your Thesis as a Recent Discovery or Revelation

"I've finally figured out the difference between neat people and sloppy people. The distinction is, as always, moral. Neat people are lazier and meaner than sloppy people." (Suzanne Britt Jordan, "Neat People vs. Sloppy People." Show and Tell . Morning Owl Press, 1983)

Briefly Describe the Primary Setting of Your Essay

"It was in Burma, a sodden morning of the rains. A sickly light, like yellow tinfoil, was slanting over the high walls into the jail yard. We were waiting outside the condemned cells, a row of sheds fronted with double bars, like small animal cages. Each cell measured about ten feet by ten and was quite bare within except for a plank bed and a pot of drinking water. In some of them brown silent men were squatting at the inner bars, with their blankets draped round them. These were the condemned men, due to be hanged within the next week or two." (George Orwell, "A Hanging," 1931)

Recount an Incident That Dramatizes Your Subject

Sharing an incident from your life or history in general is an impactful way to start an essay.

"One October afternoon three years ago while I was visiting my parents, my mother made a request I dreaded and longed to fulfill. She had just poured me a cup of Earl Grey from her Japanese iron teapot, shaped like a little pumpkin; outside, two cardinals splashed in the birdbath in the weak Connecticut sunlight. Her white hair was gathered at the nape of her neck, and her voice was low. “Please help me get Jeff’s pacemaker turned off,” she said, using my father’s first name. I nodded, and my heart knocked." (Katy Butler, "What Broke My Father's Heart." The New York Times Magazine , June 18, 2010)

Use the Narrative Strategy of Delay

The narrative strategy of delay allows you to put off identifying your subject just long enough to pique your readers' interest without frustrating them. 

"They woof. Though I have photographed them before, I have never heard them speak, for they are mostly silent birds. Lacking a syrinx, the avian equivalent of the human larynx, they are incapable of song. According to field guides the only sounds they make are grunts and hisses, though the Hawk Conservancy in the United Kingdom reports that adults may utter a croaking coo and that young black vultures, when annoyed, emit a kind of immature snarl...." (Lee Zacharias, "Buzzards." Southern Humanities Review , 2007)

Use the Historical Present Tense

An effective way to start an essay is to use historical present tense to relate an incident from the past as if it were happening now. 

"Ben and I are sitting side by side in the very back of his mother’s station wagon. We face glowing white headlights of cars following us, our sneakers pressed against the back hatch door. This is our joy—his and mine—to sit turned away from our moms and dads in this place that feels like a secret, as though they are not even in the car with us. They have just taken us out to dinner, and now we are driving home. Years from this evening, I won’t actually be sure that this boy sitting beside me is named Ben. But that doesn’t matter tonight. What I know for certain right now is that I love him, and I need to tell him this fact before we return to our separate houses, next door to each other. We are both five." (Ryan Van Meter, "First." The Gettysburg Review , Winter 2008)

Briefly Describe a Process That Leads Into Your Subject

"I like to take my time when I pronounce someone dead. The bare-minimum requirement is one minute with a stethoscope pressed to someone’s chest, listening for a sound that is not there; with my fingers bearing down on the side of someone’s neck, feeling for an absent pulse; with a flashlight beamed into someone’s fixed and dilated pupils, waiting for the constriction that will not come. If I’m in a hurry, I can do all of these in sixty seconds, but when I have the time, I like to take a minute with each task." (Jane Churchon, "The Dead Book." The Sun , February 2009)

Reveal a Secret or Make a Candid Observation

"I spy on my patients. Ought not a doctor to observe his patients by any means and from any stance, that he might the more fully assemble evidence? So I stand in doorways of hospital rooms and gaze. Oh, it is not all that furtive an act. Those in bed need only look up to discover me. But they never do." ( Richard Selzer , "The Discus Thrower." Confessions of a Knife . Simon & Schuster, 1979)

Open with a Riddle, Joke, or Humorous Quotation

A fun way to start an essay is to use a riddle , joke, or humorous quotation that reveals something about your subject. 

" Q: What did Eve say to Adam on being expelled from the Garden of Eden? A: 'I think we're in a time of transition.' The irony of this joke is not lost as we begin a new century and anxieties about social change seem rife. The implication of this message, covering the first of many periods of transition, is that change is normal; there is, in fact, no era or society in which change is not a permanent feature of the social landscape...." (Betty G. Farrell, Family: The Making of an Idea, an Institution, and a Controversy in American Culture . Westview Press, 1999)

Offer a Contrast Between Past and Present

"As a child, I was made to look out the window of a moving car and appreciate the beautiful scenery, with the result that now I don't care much for nature. I prefer parks, ones with radios going chuckawaka chuckawaka and the delicious whiff of bratwurst and cigarette smoke." (Garrison Keillor, "Walking Down The Canyon." Time , July 31, 2000)

Offer a Contrast Between Image and Reality

A compelling way to start an essay is with a contrast between a common misconception and the opposing truth. 

"They aren’t what most people think they are. Human eyes, touted as ethereal objects by poets and novelists throughout history, are nothing more than white spheres, somewhat larger than your average marble, covered by a leather-like tissue known as sclera and filled with nature’s facsimile of Jell-O. Your beloved’s eyes may pierce your heart, but in all likelihood they closely resemble the eyes of every other person on the planet. At least I hope they do, for otherwise he or she suffers from severe myopia (near-sightedness), hyperopia (far-sightedness), or worse...." (John Gamel, "The Elegant Eye." Alaska Quarterly Review , 2009)

• Examples of Great Introductory Paragraphs
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• What Is Expository Writing?
• An Essay Revision Checklist
• Make Your Paragraphs Flow to Improve Writing
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• Writing an Opinion Essay

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Put a Quote in an Essay

Home / Blog / How To Put A Quote In An Essay (with Examples)

Introduction

When writing an essay , it is essential to incorporate quotes from reputable sources to support your arguments and ideas. However, knowing how to use quotes effectively is crucial in maintaining the flow and clarity of your essay. This blog will discuss the proper ways to put a quote in an essay with examples.

Why Use Quotes in an Essay?

Quotes are used in an essay to support or reinforce the writer's arguments and ideas. They provide evidence for your claims and demonstrate that your argument is backed up by research and authority. Incorporating quotes also helps to provide context and depth to your writing and can add a unique perspective to your essay.

Types of Quotes

There are two types of quotes you can use in your essay: direct quotes and indirect quotes.

Direct Quotes: Direct quotes are the exact words used by the source that you are quoting. When using direct quotes, you need to use quotation marks and indicate the source.

Example: According to John Smith, "The Earth is round."

Indirect Quotes: Indirect quotes are a paraphrase of the original source. When using indirect quotes, you do not need to use quotation marks.

Example: John Smith claims that the Earth is round.

How to Put a Quote in an Essay

When using quotes in an essay, there are several rules that you need to follow to ensure that your writing is clear, accurate, and appropriate. Here are the steps to follow:

Step 1: Choose a Relevant Quote

Before you start writing your essay, identify the quotes that you want to use to support your arguments. Ensure that the quotes you select are relevant, reliable, and add value to your essay.

Step 2: Introduce the Quote

Introduce the quote by providing context and indicating who the source is. This will help the reader understand the significance of the quote and its relevance to your argument.

Example: According to Jane Doe, a renowned climate scientist, "Climate change is the biggest threat facing humanity."

Step 3: Use Quotation Marks

When using a direct quote, use quotation marks to indicate that you are using the exact words of the source.

Example: According to Jane Doe, "Climate change is the biggest threat facing humanity."

Step 4: Provide the Source

Provide the source of the quote, including the author's name, the title of the book or article, and the page number. This will help the reader find the source if they want to read it.

Example: According to Jane Doe, a renowned climate scientist, "Climate change is the biggest threat facing humanity." (Doe, The State of the Climate, p. 25)

Step 5: Punctuate Correctly

Punctuate the quote correctly by placing the comma or period inside the quotation marks, depending on whether it is a part of the quote or your sentence.

Step 6: Explain the Quote

Explain the significance of the quote in your own words. This will help the reader understand how the quote supports your argument.

Example: Jane Doe's quote highlights the urgency of addressing climate change as it poses a significant threat to human survival.

Step 7: Cite Your Sources

Ensure that you cite your sources correctly using the citation style specified by your instructor or the style guide for your discipline.

Common Mistakes to Avoid When Using Quotes in an Essay

Using quotes in an essay can be tricky, and many students make mistakes that can impact the quality of their writing. Here are some common mistakes to avoid when using quotes in an essay:

Failing to provide context: It is essentialto provide context when using a quote in an essay. Failure to do so can confuse the reader and make the quote appear out of place. Always introduce the quote and provide some background information about the source and why you are using the quote.

Overusing quotes: While quotes can add value to your essay, it is essential not to overuse them. Use quotes sparingly and only when necessary. Overusing quotes can make your writing appear lazy, and it may give the impression that you are not confident in your own ideas.

Incorrectly citing sources: Always cite your sources correctly using the citation style specified by your instructor or the style guide for your discipline. Failure to do so can lead to accusations of plagiarism , which can have serious consequences.

Misquoting or altering a quote: When using a direct quote, it is essential to use the exact words of the source. Do not alter the quote or misquote the source as this can distort the meaning and accuracy of the quote.

Failing to explain the quote: When using a quote, it is important to explain its significance and how it supports your argument. Failure to do so can make the quote appear irrelevant and disconnected from your essay.

Examples of Quotes in an Essay

Here are some examples of how to use quotes in an essay:

Example 1: Argumentative Essay

Topic: Should students be required to wear school uniforms?

Quote: "School uniforms promote a sense of unity and equality among students, and they help to reduce instances of bullying based on clothing." (Johnson, School Uniforms, p. 10)

Explanation: The quote supports the argument that school uniforms can have a positive impact on student behavior and reduce instances of bullying. It is introduced with the source and provides context for the argument.

Example 2: Persuasive Essay

Topic: The importance of recycling

Quote: "Every ton of paper that is recycled saves 17 trees, 7,000 gallons of water, and 463 gallons of oil." (Environmental Protection Agency)

Explanation: The quote provides a powerful statistic that supports the importance of recycling. It is introduced with the source, and its significance is explained in the following sentences.

Example 3: Expository Essay

Topic: The history of the American Civil War

Quote: "Four score and seven years ago, our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal." (Lincoln, Gettysburg Address)

Explanation: The quote is an iconic line from Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Address, which is a significant event in American history. It is introduced with the source, and its significance is explained in the following sentences.

Incorporating quotes in an essay can add depth, context, and authority to your writing. However, it is important to use quotes effectively and appropriately. Always choose relevant and reliable quotes, introduce them with context, use the correct punctuation, explain their significance, and cite your sources correctly. By following these guidelines, you can effectively use quotes in your essay and improve the quality of your writing.

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How To Start An Essay With A Quote | Key Principles And Rules

EditingLeads » Blog » How To Start An Essay With A Quote | Key Principles And Rules

Starting an essay is never easy because the beginning sets the tone for the rest of the assignment. You need to invent an interesting and academic opening to motivate readers to learn more about your paper. But how is it possible to create a powerful beginning without being a professional writer?

We understand your worries, and every day hundreds of students ask us how to start an essay with a quote.That is why we decided to create a comprehensive article to answer all of your questions.

How to Start a Paper With a Quote

It doesn’t matter whether you are assigned with a research paper or an essay: every academic document should have an engaging introduction to motivate readers and make them want to know more. It is an important stage of any writing process, so neglecting it may result in a lower grade and a weaker paper.

Is there a winning strategy for beginning a paper with a quote?Actually, there is. Remember that your writing’s main goal is to convey your thoughts to the audience and persuade it to agree with your arguments. That is why an effective beginning should include the following points:

• Introduce the discussed subject clearly.  The audience needs to know what the essay will be about;
• Explain the main point . There are different ways how you can do it. For example, by introducing a thesis statement or asking a question and suggesting an answer afterward. It is possible to include a combination of both.
• Is it possible to start an essay with a quote?  Yes, surely! Actually, it is one of the most popular and effective instruments when trying to hook the audience. Your goal is to make the readers understand why they should read further, so don’t forget about the following tips:
• Always include a hook.  It will motivate the public to read the paper till the last line. A hook persuades the audience that the paper is worth reading;
• Provide clear data to orient the audience.  Usually, this information acts as an overview of the paper and answers the main questions such as Who, What, Where, and Why.

As you see, there are many things to bear in mind when beginning an essay. They may seem difficult at first, but we guarantee that the task won’t be as challenging with time and practice as it is now.

Effective Quote at the Beginning of the Essay

Essays can be rather time and energy-consuming. That is why many students fail. However, if you approach the process correctly, you will be able to succeed. First of all, break the process into several stages and approach each stage without thinking about the general picture. Thus, you will be more relaxed and confident and will be able to take one step at a time.

We recommend starting the process by choosing a good topic. The best approach is to choose an issue you are genuinely interested in. Write down all the ideas and then narrow the list to a few options. Research them and pick the topic which has more information and evidence.

The next important step is to create an outline, which will help to sort and organize ideas and build correct links between arguments. Are you ready to find out how to start an essay with a quote example? Then let’s get started!

The Most Effective Tips

Writing an essay introduction is real art because it involves lots of steps and requires your full devotion and creativity. Let us discuss several tricks to help you get started.

• Plan everything beforehand.  Above, we have discussed why it is so important to start with an outline. It is a map of your future work, which helps to avoid writer’s blocks, stick to a common structure, and ensure the paper’s smooth flow. Brainstorm main ideas and write down the main arguments concerning these topics. Don’t worry; you will have a chance to return to your introduction and rewrite it if the direction of your paper changes. Don’t forget that your introduction should include a thesis. It’s not the same as the quote but should relate to it.
• Never use cliché quotes. First of all, your classmates might also use them as well. Secondly, the readers may think that you were too lazy to find a unique and interesting quote;
• Explain the relationship between the topic and the quote;
• Choose a relatable quote. A saying that the audience will easily understand;
• The saying should fit the general tone and flow of the paper;
• Always refer to the quote by applying the requirements of a particular citation style.
• The tips above will help you choose a great quote and insert it organically into the text, not depending on the paper type. Remember that your essay’s beginning should always be clear and engaging, and the quote you will find will significantly contribute to success.
• Devote enough time to body paragraphs and conclusion.  Even though these guidelines concern the beginning of an essay, we couldn’t neglect other parts of the paper. The structure of body paragraphs is common, not depending on the essay type. First of all, you should write a topic sentence with the key argument. Then, add supporting evidence and back it with your findings. The number of body paragraphs depends on the number of arguments. A common essay is usually 5 paragraphs long (introduction, 3 main paragraphs, and conclusion).

Finally, you should write a powerful conclusion. Here you should review the essay’s main aspects and write up to 6-7 sentences that would remind the readers why the topic is important and what makes your arguments strong. When the conclusion is written, it’s time to read it aloud, check the structure, flow, and fix all the mistakes. If you have any doubts, ask someone to read the paper and offer changes.

As you see, it may not be easy to write an essay, especially if you want to start it with a strong quote or another interesting hook. However, the tips above will surely help you to succeed.

How to Start an Essay With a Quote Example

If you decide to use a saying in an essay, it is important to insert it correctly and to help readers understand why you have included it. Don’t just insert the quote and leave the audience questioning. Plus, you should explain how the quote links to the main question and argument of your paper. For example,

‘The greatest glory lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.’-Nelson Mandela .

This was the phrase my grandfather used to tell me every single day. I was too young to understand its deep meaning, but everything changed on a cold October evening when I got in a car accident and had to collect myself in pieces. From that day, I couldn’t do sports, play outdoors with my dog, or even have a pleasant walk with my girlfriend without experiencing severe pain. That is when I remembered that life is about rising after falling. And since that day, I found myself.

Things to Remember

Some scholars think that starting an assignment with a quote is very easy, and there’s nothing difficult about understanding how to do that. However, you should take lots of things into account, and the result might not be as good as you have planned at the beginning.

One of the biggest challenges is that starting texts with a quote is a rather popular tool, so most quotes have already been used. We recommend sticking to quotes of not so well-known people. Thus, the phrase will be fresh, and you won’t have to worry that your classmates will use the same saying.

That is why the search may take hours or even days. There’s nothing worse than starting an essay with a quote that has been used millions of times before you. Secondly, you will need to double-check the chosen quote to make sure that it is rendered correctly. To do so, you should use several sources and compare.

Need Professional Help? Contact Us!

In this article, we have discussed how to begin an academic assignment with a quote and how a solid introduction should look like. As you see, the process might be quite challenging and take lots of your time.

Fortunately, there are many sources with good quotes, so you only need to choose the right topic and understand how a good, academic, and relevant phrase should look like.

It often happens that students don’t have enough time for the task or don’t know where to find an appropriate quote. That is when our experts can help. They have been writing essays for years and know how to begin them with quotes, anecdotes, facts, and other engaging sentences.

The complexity of the future paper is not important because our experts hold academic degrees and are experienced in various subjects. Our essay editing service is there 24/7 to support and guide you, so send us a message any time, and we will answer the request immediately. Enjoy yourself while we will work on a paper you can be proud of.

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Is it ok to begin an essay/report with a quote?

I am writing an essay on project management within IT and in my introduction I will give a brief description of project management, to being my essay I was looking at using one of these:

Project management is 'A unique set of co-ordinated activities, with definite starting and finishing points, undertaken by an individual or organisation to meet specific objectives within a defined schedule of cost and performance parameters' Almost by definition, innovation relies on project management (Wheatley 2004)

Would either (#1 vs #2) of these quotes be an appropriate way to start an essay?

• 1 I would shy away from starting off your essay with someone else's thought. Try to think of an engaging first sentence that makes the reader think you have something interesting to say. –  onomatomaniak Commented Dec 7, 2011 at 11:56

6 Answers 6

There are pros and cons to starting off with something attributed to someone else.

It can lead the audience to expect something derivative so you really have to work to demonstrate why your ideas are either supported by the quote or can refute it - depending on your aims.

You may also use quotes to carefully point out the main idea of essay/report for the reader or to make a good statement right from the beginning to make your essay interesting and relevant .

I could not provide you with some examples but feel free to google it. and also check out some essay writing tips like this or this

The opening words of an essay should immediately enmesh the reader in your wiles. Purpose-written paragraphs have broader latitude to do so than have found quotations. To start with a quote is not wrong, but you may do better, as onomatomaniak suggested, to "think of an engaging first sentence that makes the reader think you have something interesting to say."

Aside from limiting range of expression, starting with a quote requires attribution (crediting the source of the quote) which may cause the reader to look aside, to a footnote or a bibliography, during that important first moment with your essay.

I'm sure great essays can be started with quotations, because there are so many great quotes to be found, and I hope someone will present examples. But you often have more freedom of expression and can get to the point more quickly without one.

Yes, I suppose, especially, the second quote. By the way, you did not attribute the first quote to anyone.

• Thanks. I do have the citation for the first quote i just missed it during copying and pasting. I was leaning towards the second, to be honest just wasn't sure it was considered ok to begin with a quote. –  Darren Burgess Commented Dec 7, 2011 at 11:42
• However, let's not take my answer alone. I suggest we wait for any better ideas further down. –  Kris Commented Dec 7, 2011 at 11:47
• +1 for suggesting i wait for more answers instead of just accepting your own. –  Darren Burgess Commented Dec 7, 2011 at 11:49

I kind of like the idea of starting with #2, but italicized and as its own paragraph — almost like an epigram leading off your essay. In fact, if you can get two or three of these short pithy quotes and set up each on its own line, before you begin your intro, that would be a rather intriguing start.

• Thanks for the input, i was leaning towards starting with #2 also but your suggestion sounds a lot better. –  Darren Burgess Commented Dec 7, 2011 at 13:42

It is a good idea to begin an essay with some interesting quotes or sentences. You have to make your starting sentence attractive to grab the reader's attention.

• Hi and welcome to Writers.SE. I edited your answer to remove the part about general writing help as it doesn't seem to address this question and also seems to promote the site you mentioned. (Linking to commercial services is fine if relevant and if you disclose affiliations.) This answer would be stronger if you could edit in something to support what you say about this being better. For example, do quotes grab the reader's attention, or do people skip past them? How do you know? Thanks. –  Monica Cellio Commented Oct 27, 2013 at 19:24

No quote is self-explanatory.

Do not assume that the person who reads the quote will interpret it the same way you do. Do not assume that they will agree or disagree with it as you do.

Every time you share a quote, you need to do some work before or after the quote to unpack it. Until it is unpacked, the reader doesn't know why you think the quote is significant, or even if you agree with the quote!

Do not begin an important message with something ambiguous. A quote that hasn't been explained yet is by definition ambiguous. Begin with a strong statement that does not need to be unpacked to be interpreted correctly. That means you can't begin with a quote.

If it were possible to unpack the quote before your essay begins, I'd say go for it, but it is obviously impossible to begin an essay before the essay begins.

Here's a tip: write your introductory paragraph, and your title, last . The single most important job of the first sentence and paragraph is to summarize your whole essay. You can't do that until you know exactly what your essay will say, and you can't know that until you have written the final paragraph.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged essay or ask your own question .

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How to Start an Essay with a Quote: Recommendations, Examples, Pros & Cons

Bradley Willis

Quotations are terms or quick passages borrowed from texts or speeches of other authors. Oftentimes, those are well-known remarks of various celebrities either from the existing or from humanity’s remote past. Most famous charges are exceedingly treasured seeing that they represent focused portions of know-how, knowledge, life revel in, and wit, all of which can be magnified by way of situations in which these had been made or by way of the life and contribution of human beings they belong to. This explains why they represent powerful gear in essay writing.

Hence, understanding how to begin an essay with a quote is a critical ability that permits college students to make the most pleasant of their written assignments or speeches.

Simple Tips for Starting Essay with Quotes a way to start an essay with a quote

When thinking about the way to start with a quote, there are some tips that would virtually prove useful:

select quotations that suit your reason. When seeking out them, stick to your intention — is it to encourage, show a point, alert, invite movement, show the complexity or delicate nature of an issue, create proper temper by means of using a little humor, and so forth.? Obviously, picking rates to precisely fit your motive within reason is difficult, however as a minimum think whether selected quotations paint closer to your ordinary message or whether they accomplish what become supposed to.

Recall your audience. The quotation should be in song with the audience. For instance, its belonging to experts in a given slim field might typically be intelligible handiest for humans with research on this same field. In this example, pick out quotes that could be neither too apparent nor too complicated. Contract law assignment help There are different components that could count as nicely, inclusive of a target market’s age, experience, gender, pastimes, familiarity with US records (immigrants or foreigners might be less familiar), etc. Hook up with your point. Be certain to explain how citation helps your argument or thesis or the way it relates to your topic, the way it highlights a hassle, or portrays the state of affairs. This is important in case the link isn’t always straight away visible as you threaten to have an out-of-context quote that received is of extremely good cost.

Renowned the supply.

Given that quotations are remarks or thoughts of different authors, it’s miles vital that those are recounted correctly. When bringing up costs in an essay, relying on the citation format, extra info is probably mandatory, such as the precise web page, line, paragraph numbers, etc. — the purpose of this is to help reliably locate facts and to keep away from any plagiarism suspicions. Given how seriously plagiarism is dealt with by using US educational institutions and society, be very cautious with this aspect, if expecting sizeable public outreach. Need greater writing help? Connect with our top writers and acquire a paper sample crafted for your desires.

four.Eight /five

Key Things You Should Know When Picking the Right Quote When trying to find an appropriate quote at starting off an essay, usually prioritize content material over authority. In different phrases, a quote’s first-rate, contained idea, thought, and message must usually be extra essential than the determination in the back of it. Besides giving extra freedom, this will spare you from the hazard of now not being original by bringing up the same well-known personalities as absolutely everyone else.

Note that it might be frequently opportune to describe the context in which those quotes were made, i.E. Instances that made authors say or write those words. This facilitates readers better imagine what internal struggles authors faced while formulating these. Describing context has to be effective if rates come from authors that confronted intense activities, phenomena, existence circumstances, dilemmas, etc.

Although searching for quotes might be time-consuming, scholars should know that there are multiple techniques that facilitate this method. Thus, there are top books containing collections of charges broken up into exceptional classes indexed in alphabetical order — this must be efficient for popular topics. Alternatively, appoint online engines like google with cautiously formulated queries, that are plenty of extra bendy gear. Yet some other approach is picking applicable assets at once and searching out quotable passages in them.

Our academic help carrier Edubirdie helps with finding rates or with every other writing issue experienced by means of you. Whether you surprise by a way to write an article, research paper, speech, or lab file, do coursework, or the way to write approximately yourself, we take care of anything you can imagine — just check out with our operators and area your order.

Pros And Cons of Starting Essays with Quotes Starting an essay with a quote comes with some benefits and downsides as provided under.

Pros: quotations help set a proper tone. Quotations can also contain very condensed statistics that often appeal to feelings or kingdom truths that resonate with readers. Consequently, there aren’t many other methods that assist have interacted with readers in a deep dialogue so unexpectedly. They assist seize attention — powerful quotations are excellent at shooting interest, especially if these are really stunning, humorous, debatable, or display deep truths. Learning the way to use a quote as a hook guarantees a smoother creation and a greater probability that your paper might generate interest. They recruit the authority of the unique authors in your provider. Having Newton, Tesla, or different authorities via your aspect honestly makes it harder for readers to argue towards your claims, provided these are properly linked with the rates.

they are cliché — that is typically not an issue if the quote is robust and strictly to the point. However, this starting excludes different approaches to beginning an essay, for instance, one wherein you may describe surprising or super conditions or occasions that would paint the hassle you’re speaking approximately.

Figuring out effective and preferably matching quotations may be pretty time-ingesting. As a pupil does not have the liberty of altering these prices, even barely, every unmarried word needs to be in shape. They rush the end result. An appropriate quotation may be the maximum intensive sentence in your whole paper, hence, it can be wiser to keep away from usage of it as the very first sentence and alternatively, set it aside for when the momentum could reach its maximum fee. How to Begin an Essay with a Quote Example Example 1 — an essay on the environmental “legacy” of cutting-edge generations

“If there have to be trouble, let it be in my day, that my toddler might also have peace; and this single mirrored image, well implemented, is sufficient to awaken every guy to obligation.” (Paine, The American Crisis, 1776). This quote by our Founding Father Thomas Paine serves as a steady reminder that this Earth belongs to our descendants just as properly. One implication of these phrases is that it’s miles our duty to do the whole thing for addressing modern problems if we need our generations to stay in an ordinary world. This is applicable to present-day environmental issues which constitute a civilizational risk.

Example 2 — In an essay on self-sufficiency, both humor and intensity are employed

“The pleasant definition of guy is a being that goes on two legs and is ungrateful” (Fyodor Dostoyevsky, Notes from Underground, 1864). Seems like human nature is a regular. What if Dostoyevsky had the chance to witness the abundance in our societies in comparison to the only one he lived in and irrespective of this abundance, a lot of sadness and a lot of ungrateful humans?

To conclude, a citation is a powerful device that substantially complements your essay if used correctly, and now you understand the way to start a paper with a quote. If you need to combine rates for your paper, just let our instructional assistants know and they might remember this along with other listed commands.

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Contract Law Assignment Help

Written by Bradley Willis

Text to speech

Frequently asked questions

Can i start my admissions essay with a quote.

In most cases, quoting other people isn’t a good way to start your college essay . Admissions officers want to hear your thoughts about yourself, and quotes often don’t achieve that. Unless a quote truly adds something important to your essay that it otherwise wouldn’t have, you probably shouldn’t include it.

Frequently asked questions: College admissions essays

When writing your Common App essay , choose a prompt that sparks your interest and that you can connect to a unique personal story.

No matter which prompt you choose, admissions officers are more interested in your ability to demonstrate personal development , insight, or motivation for a certain area of study.

The Common App essay is your primary writing sample within the Common Application, a college application portal accepted by more than 900 schools. All your prospective schools that accept the Common App will read this essay to understand your character, background, and value as a potential student.

Since this essay is read by many colleges, avoid mentioning any college names or programs; instead, save tailored answers for the supplementary school-specific essays within the Common App.

Most importantly, your essay should be about you , not another person or thing. An insightful college admissions essay requires deep self-reflection, authenticity, and a balance between confidence and vulnerability.

Your essay shouldn’t be a résumé of your experiences but instead should tell a story that demonstrates your most important values and qualities.

When revising your college essay , first check for big-picture issues regarding your message and content. Then, check for flow, tone, style , and clarity. Finally, focus on eliminating grammar and punctuation errors .

If your college essay goes over the word count limit , cut any sentences with tangents or irrelevant details. Delete unnecessary words that clutter your essay.

If you’re struggling to reach the word count for your college essay, add vivid personal stories or share your feelings and insight to give your essay more depth and authenticity.

If you’ve got to write your college essay fast , don’t panic. First, set yourself deadlines: you should spend about 10% of your remaining time on brainstorming, 10% on outlining, 40% writing, 30% revising, and 10% taking breaks in between stages.

Second, brainstorm stories and values based on your essay prompt.

Third, outline your essay based on the montage or narrative essay structure .

Fourth, write specific, personal, and unique stories that would be hard for other students to replicate.

Fifth, revise your essay and make sure it’s clearly written.

Last, if possible, get feedback from an essay coach . Scribbr essay editors can help you revise your essay in 12 hours or less.

Avoid swearing in a college essay , since admissions officers’ opinions of profanity will vary. In some cases, it might be okay to use a vulgar word, such as in dialogue or quotes that make an important point in your essay. However, it’s safest to try to make the same point without swearing.

If you have bad grades on your transcript, you may want to use your college admissions essay to explain the challenging circumstances that led to them. Make sure to avoid dwelling on the negative aspects and highlight how you overcame the situation or learned an important lesson.

However, some college applications offer an additional information section where you can explain your bad grades, allowing you to choose another meaningful topic for your college essay.

Here’s a brief list of college essay topics that may be considered cliché:

• Extracurriculars, especially sports
• Role models
• Dealing with a personal tragedy or death in the family
• Struggling with new life situations (immigrant stories, moving homes, parents’ divorce)
• Becoming a better person after community service, traveling, or summer camp
• Overcoming a difficult class
• Using a common object as an extended metaphor

It’s easier to write a standout essay with a unique topic. However, it’s possible to make a common topic compelling with interesting story arcs, uncommon connections, and an advanced writing style.

Yes. The college application essay is less formal than other academic writing —though of course it’s not mandatory to use contractions in your essay.

In a college essay , you can be creative with your language . When writing about the past, you can use the present tense to make the reader feel as if they were there in the moment with you. But make sure to maintain consistency and when in doubt, default to the correct verb tense according to the time you’re writing about.

The college admissions essay gives admissions officers a different perspective on you beyond your academic achievements, test scores, and extracurriculars. It’s your chance to stand out from other applicants with similar academic profiles by telling a unique, personal, and specific story.

Use a standard font such as Times New Roman or Arial to avoid distracting the reader from your college essay’s content.

A college application essay is less formal than most academic writing . Instead of citing sources formally with in-text citations and a reference list, you can cite them informally in your text.

For example, “In her research paper on genetics, Quinn Roberts explores …”

There is no set number of paragraphs in a college admissions essay . College admissions essays can diverge from the traditional five-paragraph essay structure that you learned in English class. Just make sure to stay under the specified word count .

Most topics are acceptable for college essays if you can use them to demonstrate personal growth or a lesson learned. However, there are a few difficult topics for college essays that should be avoided. Avoid topics that are:

• Overly personal (e.g. graphic details of illness or injury, romantic or sexual relationships)
• Not personal enough (e.g. broad solutions to world problems, inspiring people or things)
• Too negative (e.g. an in-depth look at your flaws, put-downs of others, criticizing the need for a college essay)
• Too boring (e.g. a resume of your academic achievements and extracurriculars)
• Inappropriate for a college essay (e.g. illegal activities, offensive humor, false accounts of yourself, bragging about privilege)

To write an effective diversity essay , include vulnerable, authentic stories about your unique identity, background, or perspective. Provide insight into how your lived experience has influenced your outlook, activities, and goals. If relevant, you should also mention how your background has led you to apply for this university and why you’re a good fit.

Many universities believe a student body composed of different perspectives, beliefs, identities, and backgrounds will enhance the campus learning and community experience.

Admissions officers are interested in hearing about how your unique background, identity, beliefs, culture, or characteristics will enrich the campus community, which is why they assign a diversity essay .

In addition to your main college essay , some schools and scholarships may ask for a supplementary essay focused on an aspect of your identity or background. This is sometimes called a diversity essay .

You can use humor in a college essay , but carefully consider its purpose and use it wisely. An effective use of humor involves unexpected, keen observations of the everyday, or speaks to a deeper theme. Humor shouldn’t be the main focus of the essay, but rather a tool to improve your storytelling.

Get a second opinion from a teacher, counselor, or essay coach on whether your essay’s humor is appropriate.

Though admissions officers are interested in hearing your story, they’re also interested in how you tell it. An exceptionally written essay will differentiate you from other applicants, meaning that admissions officers will spend more time reading it.

You can use literary devices to catch your reader’s attention and enrich your storytelling; however, focus on using just a few devices well, rather than trying to use as many as possible.

To decide on a good college essay topic , spend time thoughtfully answering brainstorming questions. If you still have trouble identifying topics, try the following two strategies:

• Identify your qualities → Brainstorm stories that demonstrate these qualities
• Identify memorable stories → Connect your qualities to these stories

You can also ask family, friends, or mentors to help you brainstorm topics, give feedback on your potential essay topics, or recall key stories that showcase your qualities.

Yes—admissions officers don’t expect everyone to have a totally unique college essay topic . But you must differentiate your essay from others by having a surprising story arc, an interesting insight, and/or an advanced writing style .

There are no foolproof college essay topics —whatever your topic, the key is to write about it effectively. However, a good topic

• Is meaningful, specific, and personal to you
• Focuses on you and your experiences
• Reveals something beyond your test scores, grades, and extracurriculars
• Is creative and original

Unlike a five-paragraph essay, your admissions essay should not end by summarizing the points you’ve already made. It’s better to be creative and aim for a strong final impression.

You should also avoid stating the obvious (for example, saying that you hope to be accepted).

There are a few strategies you can use for a memorable ending to your college essay :

• Return to the beginning with a “full circle” structure
• Reveal the main point or insight in your story
• Look to the future
• End on an action

The best technique will depend on your topic choice, essay outline, and writing style. You can write several endings using different techniques to see which works best.

College deadlines vary depending on the schools you’re applying to and your application plan:

• For early action applications and the first round of early decision applications, the deadline is on November 1 or 15. Decisions are released by mid-December.
• For the second round of early decision applications, the deadline is January 1 or 15. Decisions are released in January or February.
• Regular decision deadlines usually fall between late November and mid-March, and decisions are released in March or April.
• Rolling admission deadlines run from July to April, and decisions are released around four to eight weeks after submission.

Depending on your prospective schools’ requirements, you may need to submit scores for the SAT or ACT as part of your college application .

Some schools now no longer require students to submit test scores; however, you should still take the SAT or ACT and aim to get a high score to strengthen your application package.

Aim to take the SAT or ACT in the spring of your junior year to give yourself enough time to retake it in the fall of your senior year if necessary.

Apply early for federal student aid and application fee waivers. You can also look for scholarships from schools, corporations, and charitable foundations.

To maximize your options, you should aim to apply to about eight schools:

• Two reach schools that might be difficult to get into
• Four match schools that you have a good chance of getting into
• Two safety schools that you feel confident you’ll get into

The college admissions essay accounts for roughly 25% of the weight of your application .

At highly selective schools, there are four qualified candidates for every spot. While your academic achievements are important, your college admissions essay can help you stand out from other applicants with similar profiles.

In general, for your college application you will need to submit all of the following:

• Your personal information
• List of extracurriculars and awards
• College application essays
• Transcripts
• Standardized test scores
• Recommendation letters.

Different colleges may have specific requirements, so make sure you check exactly what’s expected in the application guidance.

You should start thinking about your college applications the summer before your junior year to give you sufficient time for college visits, taking standardized tests, applying for financial aid , writing essays, and collecting application material.

Yes, but make sure your essay directly addresses the prompt, respects the word count , and demonstrates the organization’s values.

If you plan ahead, you can save time by writing one scholarship essay for multiple prompts with similar questions. In a scholarship tracker spreadsheet, you can group or color-code overlapping essay prompts; then, write a single essay for multiple scholarships. Sometimes, you can even reuse or adapt your main college essay .

You can start applying for scholarships as early as your junior year. Continue applying throughout your senior year.

Invest time in applying for various scholarships , especially local ones with small dollar amounts, which are likely easier to win and more reflective of your background and interests. It will be easier for you to write an authentic and compelling essay if the scholarship topic is meaningful to you.

You can find scholarships through your school counselor, community network, or an internet search.

A scholarship essay requires you to demonstrate your values and qualities while answering the prompt’s specific question.

After researching the scholarship organization, identify a personal experience that embodies its values and exemplifies how you will be a successful student.

A standout college essay has several key ingredients:

• A unique, personally meaningful topic
• A memorable introduction with vivid imagery or an intriguing hook
• Specific stories and language that show instead of telling
• Vulnerability that’s authentic but not aimed at soliciting sympathy
• Clear writing in an appropriate style and tone
• A conclusion that offers deep insight or a creative ending

While timelines will differ depending on the student, plan on spending at least 1–3 weeks brainstorming and writing the first draft of your college admissions essay , and at least 2–4 weeks revising across multiple drafts. Don’t forget to save enough time for breaks between each writing and editing stage.

You should already begin thinking about your essay the summer before your senior year so that you have plenty of time to try out different topics and get feedback on what works.

Your college essay accounts for about 25% of your application’s weight. It may be the deciding factor in whether you’re accepted, especially for competitive schools where most applicants have exceptional grades, test scores, and extracurricular track records.

Cliché openers in a college essay introduction are usually general and applicable to many students and situations. Most successful introductions are specific: they only work for the unique essay that follows.

The key to a strong college essay introduction is not to give too much away. Try to start with a surprising statement or image that raises questions and compels the reader to find out more.

The introduction of your college essay is the first thing admissions officers will read and therefore your most important opportunity to stand out. An excellent introduction will keep admissions officers reading, allowing you to tell them what you want them to know.

You can speed up this process by shortening and smoothing your writing with a paraphrasing tool . After that, you can use the summarizer to shorten it even more.

If you’re struggling to reach the word count for your college essay, add vivid personal stories or share your feelings and insight to give your essay more depth and authenticity.

Most college application portals specify a word count range for your essay, and you should stay within 10% of the upper limit to write a developed and thoughtful essay.

You should aim to stay under the specified word count limit to show you can follow directions and write concisely. However, don’t write too little, as it may seem like you are unwilling or unable to write a detailed and insightful narrative about yourself.

If no word count is specified, we advise keeping your essay between 400 and 600 words.

In your application essay , admissions officers are looking for particular features : they want to see context on your background, positive traits that you could bring to campus, and examples of you demonstrating those qualities.

Colleges want to be able to differentiate students who seem similar on paper. In the college application essay , they’re looking for a way to understand each applicant’s unique personality and experiences.

You don’t need a title for your college admissions essay , but you can include one if you think it adds something important.

Your college essay’s format should be as simple as possible:

• Use a standard, readable font
• Use 1.5 or double spacing
• If attaching a file, save it as a PDF
• Stick to the word count
• Avoid unusual formatting and unnecessary decorative touches

There are no set rules for how to structure a college application essay , but these are two common structures that work:

• A montage structure, a series of vignettes with a common theme.
• A narrative structure, a single story that shows your personal growth or how you overcame a challenge.

Avoid the five-paragraph essay structure that you learned in high school.

Campus visits are always helpful, but if you can’t make it in person, the college website will have plenty of information for you to explore. You should look through the course catalog and even reach out to current faculty with any questions about the school.

Colleges set a “Why this college?” essay because they want to see that you’ve done your research. You must prove that you know what makes the school unique and can connect that to your own personal goals and academic interests.

Depending on your writing, you may go through several rounds of revision . Make sure to put aside your essay for a little while after each editing stage to return with a fresh perspective.

Teachers and guidance counselors can help you check your language, tone, and content . Ask for their help at least one to two months before the submission deadline, as many other students will also want their help.

Friends and family are a good resource to check for authenticity. It’s best to seek help from family members with a strong writing or English educational background, or from older siblings and cousins who have been through the college admissions process.

If possible, get help from an essay coach or editor ; they’ll have specialized knowledge of college admissions essays and be able to give objective expert feedback.

When revising your college essay , first check for big-picture issues regarding message, flow, tone, style , and clarity. Then, focus on eliminating grammar and punctuation errors.

Include specific, personal details and use your authentic voice to shed a new perspective on a common human experience.

Through specific stories, you can weave your achievements and qualities into your essay so that it doesn’t seem like you’re bragging from a resume.

When writing about yourself , including difficult experiences or failures can be a great way to show vulnerability and authenticity, but be careful not to overshare, and focus on showing how you matured from the experience.

First, spend time reflecting on your core values and character . You can start with these questions:

• What are three words your friends or family would use to describe you, and why would they choose them?
• Whom do you admire most and why?
• What are you most proud of? Ashamed of?

However, you should do a comprehensive brainstorming session to fully understand your values. Also consider how your values and goals match your prospective university’s program and culture. Then, brainstorm stories that illustrate the fit between the two.

In a college application essay , you can occasionally bend grammatical rules if doing so adds value to the storytelling process and the essay maintains clarity.

However, use standard language rules if your stylistic choices would otherwise distract the reader from your overall narrative or could be easily interpreted as unintentional errors.

Write concisely and use the active voice to maintain a quick pace throughout your essay and make sure it’s the right length . Avoid adding definitions unless they provide necessary explanation.

Use first-person “I” statements to speak from your perspective . Use appropriate word choices that show off your vocabulary but don’t sound like you used a thesaurus. Avoid using idioms or cliché expressions by rewriting them in a creative, original way.

If you’re an international student applying to a US college and you’re comfortable using American idioms or cultural references , you can. But instead of potentially using them incorrectly, don’t be afraid to write in detail about yourself within your own culture.

Provide context for any words, customs, or places that an American admissions officer might be unfamiliar with.

College application essays are less formal than other kinds of academic writing . Use a conversational yet respectful tone , as if speaking with a teacher or mentor. Be vulnerable about your feelings, thoughts, and experiences to connect with the reader.

Aim to write in your authentic voice , with a style that sounds natural and genuine. You can be creative with your word choice, but don’t use elaborate vocabulary to impress admissions officers.

Admissions officers use college admissions essays to evaluate your character, writing skills , and ability to self-reflect . The essay is your chance to show what you will add to the academic community.

The college essay may be the deciding factor in your application , especially for competitive schools where most applicants have exceptional grades, test scores, and extracurriculars.

Some colleges also require supplemental essays about specific topics, such as why you chose that specific college . Scholarship essays are often required to obtain financial aid .

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7 Simple Tips For Starting Essay With Quotes

Essay writing is already a difficult task by itself. Adding a quote at the start makes it more challenging as it is not easy finding a quote that fits your topic correctly. However, beginning a paper with a quote makes it look more professional and engaging. Buy cheap essays online from Us Essays Writers to get rid of any question related to paper.

Table of Contents

Choose Quotations That Fit Your Purpose

The first and foremost thing to do before inserting a quote in an essay is to consider what kind of tone your essay requires. There are several types—for instance, narrative, persuasive, and argumentative.

So keep in mind as it is significant to choose a quote that fits best according to the tone. After discovering this requirement of the topic, start searching for quotes over the internet.

The web is going to provide you with an abundant amount of quotes. So, in order to trim the unnecessary hedges, try searching specifically by addressing the language requirement of your essay.

For example, is the pen mightier than the sword? Argumentative quotes. This would help you by listing down all the essential content you desire. However, sometimes the internet is of no help when students get assigned a difficult topic to write on. This happens once in a blue moon as the web comprises a vast majority of the content.

It is best to be prepared for all the outcomes regarding situations like these, as college assignments should not be taken lightly. If you run into problems like these, try seeking help from WriteMyEssayForMe , an online site created to satisfy consumer needs.

Consider Your Audience

An essay’s quality is determined by the people who read it. Whether it’s excellent, inadequate, or satisfactory is totally dependent on the audience. Whenever people decide on a quote to start an essay, they always forget one thing to consider, which results in average quality.

Remember, when deciding a quote for your essay, it is essential to consider your audience.  Different aged people require a different writing style. You cannot just assume that your original style would always let you ace your essays.

Maybe in college, it could work because the teacher is already fond of your writing skills, but it would not work in every corner of your life where essay writing is required. For instance, let’s take the example of applying for a college and are required to prepare an essay.

Now college essays need to be perfect in order to implement an excellent impression on their readers. So you are entirely unaware of the person who will read your essay and which leaves you helpless to create a perfect essay.

In situations like these, the best thing to do is change your writing style, which could keep different aged people engaged throughout your essay. Try using quotes that are widely famous for keeping your reader interested throughout the essay, no matter their age.

Avoid Long Quotes

It is an excellent choice to start essay with quote. Several students and people use this technique of inserting a quote at the start of their essays to give it a professional look. However, there is a blunder many of them commit and fail to acknowledge when writing their quote.

Their quotes get too long, comprising two to three lines, which eventually gets boring. It reflects a lousy impression of your writing skills on the teacher as the primary goal of writing an essay is being eye-catchy.

Your essay’s average paragraph should contain about six to seven lines and no more or less than that. If you desire to insert a quote in your paragraph, it should be about one-sixth of your paragraph’s size, which should amount to your quote being about one and a half-line.

Sometimes, the quote consists of four to five lines in its original form. It would be wise for students to rephrase it in their own words and make it short. The words should not be any less than four.

Make sure that your rephrased new quote is making sense as it was in its original form. This would be of great benefit as it would show-off your rephrasing skills in front of the reader. If you need quality help with your college assignments, professionals from writemyessayforme can help you with it.

Match Quotes with Explanations and Examples

Writing an essay starting with a quote is a common technique used by many people. It has many benefits as it increases your word count and imposes a good impression on your reader about your writing skills.

However, it is necessary to follow some rules which should be considered before choosing your quote; otherwise, it could lead to an omission in your work. One of the significant rules is to match your desired quote with your essay topic while explaining it with examples.

Let us take an example of the quote, ‘A pen is mightier than the sword.’ This quote can be inserted in all the essays with the topic relating to the importance of education. After writing this quote, don’t just start right away with a new sentence or a paragraph.

Explain the quote in detail so that your readers can get the idea of what you are talking about and not that you have just copy-pasted it from the internet. After the explanation, provide your readers with a few examples of the quote for their better understanding.

Remember, it is unwise to rush when it comes to writing quotes. The more the details, the more chances of you creating an excellent essay. Another rule of writing quotes in your essay is to be concise and paraphrase.

Read the quote two to three times, analyze it, trim down the unnecessary part, and paraphrase it. This would help you stay concise while keeping the reader engaged in your essay.

Acknowledge the Source

Starting an essay with a quote is good, but most people fail to acknowledge their sources in the essay. It is unethical not to provide sources when writing a quote in your essay. It is necessary to provide citations of your quotes to avoid the doubt of plagiarism to your readers, as plagiarism is seen as a major disgrace in the world of writing.

Connect To Your Point

An out of context quote implies a wrong impression to your reader, and you certainly do not want that. Connect each dot of your essay. Make sure your written quote matches your thesis of the essay and is presenting or solving a situation.

Don’t Italicize Quotes

It is common among many students to use the italic option when writing a quote. They think it gives their essay a professional look, but in actuality, it doesn’t. It would be wise to refrain from using the italic font with quotes, as it looks sloppy, and many readers dislike it.

If you are writing an essay on a small level, it would be my suggestion to refrain from using quotes. Start with baby steps, then after perfecting them, proceed towards writing with quotes. Hopefully, these tips mentioned above helped you in preparing your top-notch desired essay.

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It’s Time to Start Taking Mpox and Bird Flu Seriously

It’s been a bad month for public health.

On August 14, the World Health Organization declared mpox as an international health emergency , given the “unprecedented” spread of a new, more deadly variant . In the United States, bird flu, formally known as H5N1, has spread to 10 agricultural workers in Colorado, an alarming development since only three other cases have been reported this year.

Mpox and bird flu are distinct infectious diseases; however, they have been united by assumptions that containment is easily achievable and thus a complacent public health response. Indeed, almost 100,000 people got infected with mpox after the 2022 outbreak, and while the disease shrinked away from public view, mpox continued to spread and evolve into deadlier variants. Similarly, while bird flu first jumped into mammals around the same time in 2022, the response in the U.S. was anemic with little consistent messaging or concrete action.

This is part of a larger inertia around infectious diseases—one we believe is driven by two key factors.

First, public health leaders have grown overly cautious after the COVID-19 pandemic, seeing how bold efforts to contain the pandemic were met with anti-science aggression, populist outrage, relentless lawsuits, and at least 30 states limiting public health powers . The impending U.S. elections have added to the polarization and disinformation. As such, instead of proactive action, we are seeing trepidation.

Second, there is a sense that another pandemic cannot happen so soon after COVID-19—that these infectious diseases will inevitably burn themselves out like before. This is a “gambler’s fallacy,” and because of it, the U.S. may be underestimating the risks posed by mpox and bird flu, allowing two potential pandemics to brew on the global stage.

This has manifested in several failures for both diseases. For instance, the U.S. saw 1800 mpox cases between October 2023 and April 2024, while the more dangerous Clade 1b variant, which combines efficient sexual transmission with high mortality , started to spread in Africa. However, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) stopped updating their mpox outbreak case count in January , downplaying this added threat since case counts were not yet increasing. The CDC restarted the public reporting in May, suggesting its discontinuation may have been overly expedient and optimistic.

Our mpox global health response mirrors such underestimation and delayed action. On August 7, the U.S. announced that it was donating 50,000 vaccines to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, almost a year after Clade 1b was first reported there. For reference, Africa CDC estimates it needs 10 million doses to control the current outbreak on the continent. In 2022, the U.S. failed to tackle mpox while it was confined to Africa, dragging its feet until the disease was spreading uncontrollably at home; we are seeing history repeat itself in 2024.

Read More: Health Experts are Watching a More Dangerous Version of Mpox

For bird flu, the mortality rate can be as high as 52% , given WHO case data. But as the New York Times noted , “Only recently has the [CDC] begun to mobilize real funding for a testing push, after a period of months in which various federal groups batted around responsibility and ultimate authority like a hot potato.” In the U.S., ignorance is bliss, with our public health leaders rolling the dice that this too shall pass.

So, perhaps we shouldn’t be surprised that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) detected bird flu in cattle four months after it happened, or that the agency has not required routine testing of cattle (unless they cross state lines) nor vaccination of farmworkers . While decisions to leave these programs voluntary are multifactorial, they are likely influenced by political reticence after COVID-19 and recent Supreme Court rulings striking down vaccination requirements.

To be clear, the pandemic risk of mpox or bird flu is currently low. The transmission dynamics of mpox, requiring very close contact , make it more difficult to spread than SARS-CoV-2. Similarly, cases of bird flu have thus far been mild and limited in number. However, these are not absolute truths, but day-by-day assessments, which require real preparedness—measured in testing, ongoing surveillance, and forward planning.

We have no easy answers for overcoming public health paralysis. But at minimum, the U.S. needs better public health communication that not only emphasizes transparency but also holds our leaders accountable. Bringing this COVID-19-era lesson to mpox and bird flu is one way to give Americans a new, positive memory of public health, fostering early, decisive action and realistic risk assessments.

With two rapidly evolving outbreaks, we cannot afford trepidation and false optimism. And, even as we work to make the U.S. safer, we cannot forget our global obligations to share vaccines, medicines, and resources. Global crises require global solidarity and collective action.

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Guest Essay

Another Pandemic Looms. Guess What? We’re Still Not Ready.

By Lawrence Gostin Sam Halabi and Alexandra Finch

The authors are experts at the O’Neill Institute for National and Global Health Law at Georgetown University.

Just one day after the World Health Organization declared the deadly mpox outbreak in Africa a global health emergency, Sweden reported its first case of a dangerous strain of the disease (and there may be more cases ). The threat of a pandemic of mpox is here yet again. To curb this crisis, the affected countries in Africa need tests, vaccines and people to respond. Now.

Cases of mpox (formerly known as monkeypox), a viral illness spread primarily through close physical contact, are up 160 percent in Africa compared to the first seven months of 2023. So far this year , over 15,600 cases have been reported and 537 people have died, a majority of them children.

The bulk of the spread, which is fueled by a subtype of mpox believed to cause more severe illness and death, is happening in the Democratic Republic of Congo and a dozen other African countries. This includes countries that hadn’t reported mpox cases previously, such as Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda. The Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says the reported cases are most likely just the “ tip of the iceberg .” Thousands of cases may remain undetected because of cavernous gaps in surveillance, testing and contact tracing.

Sweden’s case is the first of this kind of mpox outside Africa. The person had traveled to an area affected by the disease. While the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control says that the risk of severe disease among the general public remains low, it’s highly likely there could be more imported cases.

We shouldn’t discount the pandemic potential of mpox. If mpox cases were to seed in Europe, there could be rapid and sustained spread. Routine smallpox vaccinations were discontinued after the W.H.O. declared the disease eradicated in 1980. (The United States stopped routine vaccinations in 1972.) This means the world’s population, including in the United States, is relatively naïve to orthopoxviruses — the group of viruses that include mpox and smallpox. Given how effectively mpox can spread through sex and other kinds of close contact, for instance, in homes and hospitals where there’s insufficient protective gear, mpox could become a major threat.

This is the second time the W.H.O. has declared mpox a public health emergency of international concern. The last time was in 2022, when there was an outbreak of a different type of mpox centered on Europe and the United States, especially among men who have sex with men. It affected nearly 100,000 people and was largely quelled thanks to vaccines and behavior changes.

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Trump jumps off script right from the start of event at border wall

Even before Trump spoke, the Harris campaign had deployed surrogates to try to flip the border issue back on the former president.

Arizona Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly challenged Trump’s calling the U.S.-Mexico border “wide open,” arguing crossings have drastically decreased while Harris as been vice president

“The fact is that Vice President Harris is the only candidate who has a record of standing up for Arizona border communities and can be trusted to support our communities and fix the broken system,” Kelly, who was due to speak ahead of Harris at the convention Thursday, said in a statement.

“We’ve seen crossings at Arizona’s border decrease — including a 32 percent decline in July — thanks to the executive actions of the Biden-Harris administration,” Kelly added. “There is more work to be done, but Kamala Harris is the one for the job. This is [in] stark contrast to Donald Trump and JD Vance, who don’t want real solutions to the issue.”

Speakers at this week’s convention have repeatedly noted that Trump spearheaded an effort that sunk a bipartisan border and immigration package the White House negotiated with Senate Republicans and Democrats.

“Trump killed that bill, and he did it because he knew that if we fixed the border, he’d lose his ability to divide us, his ability to fan the flames of fear,” Sen. Christopher S. Murphy, D-Conn., who was involved in the negotiations, told delegates Wednesday night. “For 20 years, Kamala Harris has been tough as nails when it comes to securing our border.”

Asked about such comments, Trump called the Senate package “weak” and “terrible,” instead endorsing a more conservative version crafted and passed by House Republicans.

To be sure, Harris has a long way to go on the issue.

A survey conducted Aug. 14-16 by CBS News found that among likely voters who called the southern border a major issue, 76 percent supported Trump while just 24 percent supported the vice president.

“San Francisco liberal Kamala Harris’ fake promises to secure the border will never become reality,” Will Reinert, the National Republican Congressional Committee’s national press secretary, said in a Thursday statement. “The same Kamala who wanted to abolish ICE and decriminalize illegal border crossings, will cave to House Democrats’ open-border demands.”

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