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What are introductory phrases for quotations and citations.
When using quotations in a paper, you must integrate the quotation as smoothly as possible into the text of your paper. Avoid dropping quotations into the text without warning. Instead, provide clear signal phrases that alert the reader to the quotation.
Below are common introductory phrases that can be used to introduce quotations. If you don't use the word "that" to introduce your quotation, you must follow the introductory phrase with a comma.
It is important to use introductory phrases to introduce quotations and to place the quotations in their appropriate places within the paper.
Page last updated June 26, 2023.
How well are you managing to hook your readers?
According to CNN , The average attention on a screen went down from 2.5 minutes (in 2004) to 47 seconds (in 2023). Studies show that for most cases, people don't even read past the headline.
As a writer, one of the best skills you can learn is to hook your readers with a compelling introduction. A good title gets people in the door, but it’s the introduction that decides if they stay or not.
A strong intro draws the reader in and evokes a sense of curiosity or interest, either by speaking to the reader’s pain points or by engaging them on an intellectual or emotional level.
A weak introduction paragraph, on the other hand, does the exact opposite. It fails to delight or intrigue, usually by being too generic. (This is one reason why introductions generated using text transformers like ChatGPT tend to “fall flat.”) Incidentally, failing to keep your readers on-page will result in higher bounce rates, which Google penalizes.
Have I convinced you to stick around? If so, great. In the rest of the article, we’ll go over the most important dos and don’ts of intros and look at some outstanding introduction paragraph examples for inspiration.
Here are some quick and simple tips for writing a compelling introduction .
Talk about a personal experience. Mention emotions like frustration or excitement. Utilize Use plain, conversational language.
Just be sure to avoid clichés, keep it relevant to your topic, and don’t get too abstract.
If you struggle with this like many people, try writing your introduction in the Wordtune editor. The suggestions on flow and clarity will help you stick to the point without being hard to understand.
This doesn’t mean being crass or crude, it means upending assumptions. What surprised you most when researching or writing your article? Start there.
Start in the middle of the story, then segue into how it all started. Or start at the end and work your way back.
It helps put the reader at ease and makes them feel like part of the conversation.
And here are some things to avoid, including some not-so-great introductory paragraph examples. Don’t worry, we’ll get to examples of how to do it right in the next section.
These tools “write” by adding the next most likely word, based on thousands of examples. As a result, the text lacks originality. It is, by definition, the most average way of saying something. If you want to make your content stand out from AI-generated content , start with an original introduction paragraph.
Your introduction is not the place to plead your whole case. Introduce the reader to the topic, generate interest or empathy, and make a promise they want to see fulfilled.
Readers get bored fast. They want to get to the good stuff.
“You won’t believe what…” “Here’s everything you need to know about…” “Are you ready to make your first million?” Unless the news really is shocking, you really do include everything the reader needs to know, or you have offer a long-term, validated strategy for earning a million, you’ll just come off looking like a hack.
“All businesses need to track their financial performance.” “Running a marathon is no easy task.” “It takes hard work to become the best.” Openers like these waste precious seconds on stating the obvious. If you’re lucky, your reader will be kind and keep scanning for something worthwhile. But they probably already hit the Back button.
1. the statistical introduction example.
According to a report by Statista and eMarketer, online retail sales are projected to reach $6.51 trillion by 2023. That same report also says that ecommerce websites will claim around 22.3% of all retail sales. So, if you weren’t planning on investing in your ecommerce strategy this year, you should.
The SEO experts at Semrush have included two interesting and impressive statistics here, sure to pique the reader’s interest. They make a bold statement, too: if you thought you could wait, you can’t .
To help you replicate this kind of introduction, try using Wordtune’s Spices features to find and add interesting statistics and facts.
We’ve all seen that little white label that sits tucked away on the inside of our clothing: “Made in Australia”, “Made in Turkey”, “Made in Bangladesh”. But what do those labels really mean? In this article, we discuss whether locally made clothing is more ethical. Read on to find out before your next shop.
Nothing if not concise, this introduction catches the reader with a common human experience, asks an important question, and gives a quick bridge on what the article has to offer. It’s short and direct, and it speaks to readers who may well have just been looking at a “little white label” before popping the question into Google.
After a moonwalk in April 1972, the Apollo 16 astronauts Charles Duke and John Young returned to their capsule. In the process of putting their suits and other things away, Duke commented to Ground Control:
Duke: Houston, the lunar dust smells like gunpowder. [Pause]
England: We copy that, Charlie.
Duke: Really, really a strong odor to it.
First of all, how’s that for a title?
This introduction tells a fascinating story in just 57 words. Admittedly, the unique topic of cosmic moon dust makes it easier to capture readers’ interest. But the author’s choice to include this short exchange between Charles Duke and the Houston Space Center also pulls us right into the scene.
Wordtune blog: Take Smart Notes From a Textbook (Using AI + Templates)
Call me crazy, but I’ve spent $11,750 on note-taking tools.
Physical stationery in the form of highlighters, post-its, colored pens, subject notebooks, roller scales—you name it. My beautifully-written, detailed, color-coded notes gave me the feeling of being a productive high-achiever.
But these notes rarely translated into results. I was consistently in the average tier of students, despite my organized study practices—till year two of highschool. It was then that I realized all I was doing was beautifying text and not understanding information.
From then on, I set out on a journey to understand which notetaking methods worked for my subjects. I translated this into a 9.2/10 CGPA in my 10th-grade examination and a 1900 score on my SATs. In addition, I was able to achieve these results while reducing my study time by half.
Today, I’m going to show you how to do the same with my step-by-step playbook. This article covers advanced tips for students wanting to upgrade their note-taking skills.
This introduction has a great hook that draws us in immediately: Hold on. $11,000 dollars on pens and post-its?? Then it tells an emotionally engaging story of failure to success. Finally, it clearly prepares us for what’s to come. All these are hallmarks of a strong introduction.
Eleven Writing blog: 7 Reasons Your Business Should Invest In High-quality Blog Articles
Many businesses publish a new blog article, they wait, and then…
Nothing happens.
The anticipated flood of new traffic never materializes. The few visitors that arrive don’t click any links, sign up to your list, or share your article.
The marketing department starts to wonder if a blog is really worth the money and hassle compared to other available channels.
But what if better blog content could change all this?
This introduction was written by one of the SEO experts at Eleven Writing, the writing agency where I work as a writer, editor, and account manager. It features a short and punchy story with a relatable twist. “And then… Nothing happens.” Translation: 🤦
It finishes with an intriguing “What if?” scenario, which leads into an article of tips and practical takeaways. And it’s a reminder of another important point: make sure your article actually fulfills any promises you make in your introduction.
European Commission: Consequences of climate change
Climate change affects all regions around the world. Polar ice shields are melting and the sea is rising. In some regions, extreme weather events and rainfall are becoming more common while others are experiencing more extreme heat waves and droughts. We need climate action now, or these impacts will only intensify.
Climate change is a very serious threat, and its consequences impact many different aspects of our lives. Below, you can find a list of climate change’s main consequences.
The above introduction comes from the European Commission and discusses the dangers of climate change. It starts with a bold and disarming statement: climate change affects everybody.
It discusses just a few of the consequences of climate change, priming the reader for what’s to follow, and then provides a simple bridge into the rest of the article.
It’s short and to the point, but uses descriptive, intense language to convey urgency and emotionally engage the reader.
Harvard Business Review: Rescuing ESG from the Culture Wars
In the past year, ESG investing has become caught up in America’s culture wars, as prominent GOP politicians claim that it is a mechanism investors are using to impose a “woke” ideology on companies. Former Vice President Mike Pence has railed against ESG in speeches and in an op-ed. A variety of Republican governors and red-state legislatures are considering executive action and legislation to boycott asset managers that use ESG as a screening tool for their investments. And in Washington, various Congressional committees have pledged to hold hearings in which the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and major asset managers will face public questioning about the legality of ESG investing.
This introductory paragraph from the Harvard Business Review dumps the reader into the throes of a heated political debate. Whether readers agree or disagree, powerful verbs like “railed against” and politically charged language like “culture wars” and “woke” are sure to grab the attention of those on both sides of the political spectrum.
KonMari blog: 5 Rituals to Build Self-Acceptance
Self-criticism is an all too common struggle. Even the most successful people in the world experience bouts of imposter syndrome and low self-esteem. But the person you’ll spend the most time with in your life is yourself. We owe it to ourselves to strengthen our self-compassion and embrace self-love.
One of the simplest ways to build self-acceptance is to make it a part of your self-care routine. The following rituals, sourced from mindfulness experts and one of our Master KonMari Consultants, can be completed in as little as five minutes daily. Try one for a month — you’ll be surprised how much better you treat yourself.
This intro comes from the queen of tidiness, Marie Kondo, and manages to both connect with the reader and gracefully plug an advertisement for KonMari’s consulting services. There’s a common idea in SEO that “linking away” in the introduction is bad practice, but in this case, it transforms an educational article into a commercial funnel.
There’s another neat trick in this intro: it extends a challenge to the reader. Try one of the methods below and see how much better you feel after a month. With a promise like that, who wouldn’t keep scrolling?
Crippled CEO Blog: Resistance and Leadership Capital
So much has been written on how important it is to have the right people in your company. All a business is, really, is a collection of people. That’s it. So, it follows that getting the people right is practically the only thing that truly matters.
And while I have seen this repeated ad nauseam, I don’t see a lot of people saying what those right (or wrong) people look like – what attributes they possess.
So, I wanted to talk about one of those attributes, and in particular one that I think isn’t just overlooked, but the very concept itself isn’t known, making it impossible to look out for at all.
This attribute is resistance.
Eric Lupton blogs about his experiences and perspective as a business leader with cerebral palsy. This introduction uses incisive language that will no doubt appeal to business readers and high-powered execs.
But it also comes from a very personal perspective, like much of Lupton’s writing, and so we feel like we’re about to sit down and speak one-on-one with someone who very clearly knows what they’re talking about.
It has a conversational tone (“So, I wanted to talk about…”) and promises to reveal to us something that “isn’t just overlooked, but the very concept itself is unknown.” Intrigued? I was.
A strong introduction paragraph bridges the gap between an intriguing title and an article’s real value. It pulls the reader in with boldness, intrigue, storytelling, or relatability.
It’s an art that takes practice, but these introduction paragraph examples show it can be done right. There are also some great tools out there to help you out. Wordtune can offer ideas for analogies, examples, statistics, facts, and relevant quotes — all great sources of inspiration for a strong introduction paragraph.
After that, it’s your turn. Add personality, connect with your readers, and write more introductions, and you’ll be on your way to keeping your audience on the page.
Looking for fresh content, thank you your submission has been received.
The Academic Phrasebank is a general resource for academic writers. It aims to provide you with examples of some of the phraseological ‘nuts and bolts’ of writing organised according to the main sections of a research paper or dissertation (see the top menu ). Other phrases are listed under the more general communicative functions of academic writing (see the menu on the left). The resource should be particularly useful for writers who need to report their research work. The phrases, and the headings under which they are listed, can be used simply to assist you in thinking about the content and organisation of your own writing, or the phrases can be incorporated into your writing where this is appropriate. In most cases, a certain amount of creativity and adaptation will be necessary when a phrase is used. The items in the Academic Phrasebank are mostly content neutral and generic in nature; in using them, therefore, you are not stealing other people’s ideas and this does not constitute plagiarism. For some of the entries, specific content words have been included for illustrative purposes, and these should be substituted when the phrases are used. The resource was designed primarily for academic and scientific writers who are non-native speakers of English. However, native speaker writers may still find much of the material helpful. In fact, recent data suggest that the majority of users are native speakers of English. More about Academic Phrasebank .
This site was created by John Morley .
Academic Phrasebank is the Intellectual Property of the University of Manchester.
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arguments and evidence that will follow. 3. Focuses your writing: A strong thesis statement helps you stay focused on your main argument and prevents you from straying off-topic. It serves as a reminder of the central point you are trying to make and ensures that your essay remains coherent and well-organized. Elements of a Strong Thesis Statement Now that we have a clear understanding of the ...
Transition words play a key role in essay writing. They connect ideas, sentences, and paragraphs, helping readers follow your text easily. These words do many jobs, from comparing things to showing cause and effect. They turn scattered thoughts into a clear story. Learning to use transition words for essays isn't just about making your writing sound better. It's about making your ideas clearer ...
Introduction: Kick things off with a hook that grabs attention, like an intriguing question or a vivid snapshot of a key moment. Set the scene and introduce the main theme. ... If you're looking for help crafting your personal narrative, consider checking out some legit essay writing services to get professional guidance. Step 3. Writing the ...
Mastering the Art of Using Transitions and Signposting Transitions and signposting are essential for creating a smooth and coherent flow in your essay. They help the reader navigate through your ideas and understand the logical connections between different paragraphs and sections. Here are some tips to master the art of using transitions and signposting: 1.
To Sum Up. Writing a research proposal can be straightforward if you break it down into manageable steps: Pick a strong research proposal topic that interests you and has enough material to explore.; Craft an engaging introduction that clearly states your research question and objectives.; Do a thorough literature review to see how your work fits into the existing research landscape.
It has widely been recognized that CF in L2 writing should become a focal point for researchers. In recent years, there has been a call for more researches on CF effects on grammatical accuracy in L2 writing and it is regarded as a highly contentious topic study (Chong, 2022; D. R. Ferris, 2002, 2003, 2010; Zhang et al., 2022).Not only do researchers and L2 teachers of writing hold opposing ...
4. That is to say. Usage: "That is" and "that is to say" can be used to add further detail to your explanation, or to be more precise. Example: "Whales are mammals. That is to say, they must breathe air.". 5. To that end. Usage: Use "to that end" or "to this end" in a similar way to "in order to" or "so".
If you struggle with writing an introduction and finding the right wording, academic key phrases can help! Here is a list of 26 useful academic phrases to write the introduction of a research paper or thesis. Furthermore, examples from published academic papers across various disciplines are provided to demonstrate how the academic phrases can ...
Step 1: Hook your reader. Step 2: Give background information. Step 3: Present your thesis statement. Step 4: Map your essay's structure. Step 5: Check and revise. More examples of essay introductions. Other interesting articles. Frequently asked questions about the essay introduction.
Here are the key takeaways for how to write essay introduction: 3. Hook the Reader: Start with an engaging hook to grab the reader's attention. This could be a compelling question, a surprising fact, a relevant quote, or an anecdote. Provide Background: Give a brief overview of the topic, setting the context and stage for the discussion.
If you're struggling to choose the right words for your essay, don't worry—you've come to the right place! In this article, we've compiled a list of over 300 words and phrases to use in the introduction, body, and conclusion of your essay. Contents: Words to Use in the Essay Introduction. Words to Use in the Body of the Essay.
To do this, use any of the below words or phrases to help keep you on track. 1. Firstly, secondly, thirdly. Even though it sounds obvious, your argument will be clearer if you deliver the ideas in the right order. These words can help you to offer clarity and structure to the way you expose your ideas.
These useful academic expressions, words, vocabulary and phrases will help you to write a top-notch essay. Writing an essay can be a challenging task. However it becomes simpler if it is divided into manageable pieces. There are three main parts in an essay: an introduction, a body, and a conclusion. You can easily overcome your essay writing ...
guide to the most important words and phrases to know in the field of English for Academic Purposes (EAP). This list gives around 370 important phrases for academic writing, grouped into 15 functional areas. Written phrases 1. Specifying topics and relations between ideas in terms of in relation to in/within the context of with respect to with ...
In this blog, we discuss phrases related to introduction section such as opening statement, problem definition and research aims. Introduction section should provide the reader with a brief overview of your topic and the reasons for conducting research. The introduction is a perfect place to set the scene and make a good first impression. Regarding word count, introduction typically occupies ...
How to Write an Essay Introduction. An essay introduction has four main steps: Hook your reader Provide context Present your thesis statement Map your essay. Hook Your Reader. The first part of your introduction should be the hook. This is where you introduce the reader to the topic of the essay. A great hook should be clear, concise, and catchy.
Good sentence starters to establish cause and effect. It's common to use two different sentences to discuss a cause-and-effect relationship, as in something making something else happen. Sentence starters can make this relationship clear and show which sentence is the cause and which is the effect. As a result . . .
These phrases alert your reader that you are about to quote directly from another source. As with the phrases above, some are quite neutral, while others allow you to imply things about the quote's tone, similarity, contrast, and/or significance in relation to other sources or to your larger argument. X states, "[blank]."
Here is the essay introduction format that will help you write an introduction for your essay easily. 1. Hook Sentence A hook sentence is a must for the introductory part of an essay. It helps to keep the reader engaged in your content and seek the readerâ s attention. It is an attention-grabbing sentence that develops the interest of the ...
Introduction Phrases to Start an Article or Essay. Leave a Comment / Writing / By Nuthalapati Jahnavi. "First impression is the best impression". The impact which one makes at the start will always continue that throughout. Because it puts a reader under an impression that the article or an essay comprises of some interesting stuff.
When you write an essay, your introduction provides relevant information about your argument or the purpose of your essay. Here are four simple steps for how to write a good introduction: 1. Write a hook. The first sentence in your introduction is known as the hook. It's called a hook because it's meant to capture your audience's attention.
Transitional words and phrases can create powerful links between ideas in your paper and can help your reader understand the logic of your paper. However, these words all have different meanings, nuances, and connotations. Before using a particular transitional word in your paper, be sure you understand its meaning and usage completely and be sure…
Useful phrases to use in an essay introduction; Things that should not be included in an essay introduction; Essay introduction checklist; We all know that the introduction to an essay is one of the most important parts of the essay format. Yet it seems very few students have truly mastered the art of writing a great introduction.
Common Introductory Phrases: Below are common introductory phrases that can be used to introduce quotations. If you don't use the word "that" to introduce your quotation, you must follow the introductory phrase with a comma. In Amy Cruise's words, Johnson's Field Guide to Exotic Animals reports that. Henry VIII suggested, James Harner shows that.
1. The statistical introduction example. Semrush blog: How to Grow your eCommerce Business in 2023. According to a report by Statista and eMarketer, online retail sales are projected to reach $6.51 trillion by 2023. That same report also says that ecommerce websites will claim around 22.3% of all retail sales.
The Academic Phrasebank is a general resource for academic writers. It aims to provide you with examples of some of the phraseological 'nuts and bolts' of writing organised according to the main sections of a research paper or dissertation (see the top menu ). Other phrases are listed under the more general communicative functions of ...