Here’s a dilemma: you work so hard on your persuasive essay, do in-depth research, develop strong arguments, but in the end, you get a low grade. And all this happens because your introduction isn’t convincing enough. As you can see, understanding how to start a persuasive essay in an effective manner is crucial.
Fortunately, you are in the right place. Keep reading our guide to find useful tips on beginning a persuasive essay. From crafting an irresistible hook to formulating your main statement, you will find plenty of helpful suggestions. By the way, we’ve got some good examples to share. So let’s get started.
Importance of Knowing How to Start a Persuasive Essay
Before discussing how to start off a persuasive essay, you should keep in mind that you must hook your audience from the very beginning. Your reader should understand what you are going to say and why it is important. Still, you shouldn’t lay all your cards on the table and reveal your arguments. Your main thesis statement should be presented after some context.
An introduction is used to convince the reader not just of your opinion, but of the entire paper being worth reading. Therefore, one should take an especially reasonable approach. Further, we will share some helpful tips on drawing up a good introduction and give real examples. But first, be sure to prepare a persuasive essay outline template.
How to Start a Good Persuasive Essay: Main Elements
Before starting a persuasive essay, you should think about its structure in detail. An introduction will be effective if you compile it based on our scheme. When drawing up an introductory part, you should include such elements:
- Hook
- Background information (context)
- Main definitions (if there are any)
- Topic-related thesis.
This structure makes it possible to convey any idea in a concise way. Remember: An opening paragraph should be short while writing a persuasive essay. All you need is to present a clear idea which will potentially hook the reader. Giving some hint on the gist of writing will be enough.
Starting a Persuasive Essay with a Hook
One idea that always works is starting a persuasive essay with a hook. You should make it clear about your topic in advance. Thus, you will attract reader’s attention. You should choose a strong sentence that will hook your addressee and may give them a particular idea.
You can start persuasive essays with any question related to your topic or with an interesting fact. Quite often students use statistical data or quotes of some experts in their field of knowledge. This is the first step towards persuasion. It demonstrates that the subsequent text won’t be inferior.
But just having an effective hook won’t be sufficient, so you should gradually prepare your reader. And we will learn more about this in the next section. In the meantime, have you already considered hiring a persuasive essay writer? Our writers are academic-savvy and can create a great persuasive essay quickly and efficiently.
Background Information in Persuasive Essay
In an introductory paragraph of a persuasive essay after the hook, we recommend outlining some topic’s context. Focus reader’s attention on background information. Here’s what you can include to develop your topic further:
- Historical or geographical facts
- Statistics
- Key characteristics.
This section should not only familiarize your readers with some background facts that you have researched. You also should smoothly lead to a thesis statement.
How to Write a Persuasive Essay Thesis
Your writing should begin with a strong persuasive essay thesis statement. Your thesis should introduce the topic and offer your viewpoint on some matter. Besides, it should list several arguments you are going to discuss in the main body. This statement will complete an introduction. Then, you will proceed to presenting the gist of an essay.
Keep in mind several things that make a persuasive essay thesis stronger. First of all, a claim that you make should be debatable. This means that other people may have an opposing viewpoint. Secondly, your thesis statement should have a reasonable scope. Don’t make it too narrow, and, yet, this statement should be focused.
Now that you know what elements should be included in your persuasive essay introduction, let’s discuss some writing tips.
How to Start a Strong Persuasive Essay: Main Tips
While working on your text, you will surely need tips on how to start a persuasive essay. By following our hacks, you will be able to convey important information to readers.
Based on our experience in preparing academic texts, we have developed some recommendations. Our writing tips will make your persuasive essay introduction as informative and attractive as possible. Meanwhile, some of these suggestions may be applied to other types of academic writing.
Tip 1: Brainstorm Your Topic Before Starting a Persuasive Essay
Don’t rush to start writing right away – you should think about some good persuasive essay topics to begin your essay. The most effective way is to work on any topic in line with the purpose that you have set for yourself. Focus on any subject that you are genuinely interested in and do preliminary research. Make sure you have enough supporting facts that prove your opinion.
Follow these steps to make your persuasive essay topic irresistible:
- Summarize well-known facts on your topic.
- Highlight controversial points.
- Prepare points for further argumentation.
This way, you will know whether you should conduct any additional research. Besides, you will know if there is enough information that can convince readers of your point of view.
Tip 2: Provide a Hook for Your Persuasive Essay Introduction
An introduction of persuasive essay won’t be complete without a hook. If you fail to include it, such paper will unlikely captivate reader’s attention. A catchy hook helps to break the ice between your writing and readers. In turn, an increased attention ensures that your audience understands your topic well.
Here are several things you may include in your hook to make it more effective:
- Quotes It’s a good idea if they relate to the topic and bring readers to the main subject.
- Joke It is a great opportunity to dilute this formal environment and create some positive vibe.
- Question It is good when it’s rhetorical and makes readers think. In fact, this will help you involve readers in an action or some kind of dialogue.
- Statistics It works, if numbers are related to your research. Choose the most relevant data.
- Counterargument Starting with an opposite opinion is a great way to refute this counterargument from the very beginning. This technique helps you intrigue readers at an early stage.
These recommendations may help you create a good hook that will attract readers, so use them wisely.
Tip 3: Create a Context for Your Persuasive Essay
When working on your persuasive essay introduction, be sure that you provide some background on the topic. Put readers in some context. You are more than welcome to use any statistical facts, numbers or in-depth definition. Historical or biographical details will work as well. Your task is to set an exact direction of thoughts. But don’t reveal any arguments and proofs in this section – you will do that later.
Mention why this problem should be investigated, with more precise explanations being provided in body paragraphs. With the clear context, it will be much easier to perceive any idea. On top of that, given the proper background, there should be no doubts about your argument. Consider our best college essay writing services to speed the process up.
Tip 4: Write a Thesis Statement for Your Persuasive Essay Intro
How to start a persuasive essay thesis? It is easy: just write 1-2 sentences that clearly describe your main claim. Remember that your whole essay will be based on this statement. So, when crafting the thesis statement, make sure that you will be able to prove it. Make it sound logical – your statement shouldn’t be based on some blind guesses.
Readers should understand your point and what they will find in the following paragraphs. Feel free to list your arguments, but don’t overdo it with extra details. Save more room for in-depth thoughts that will be covered in body paragraphs.
Tip 5: Start Persuasive Essay Briefly
Start a persuasive essay with some brief information on what one will learn from the text. Choose the main theses, provide them in a concise way, so as not to overload the reader’s mind. Mention the importance of your topic – your reader should be convinced that this essay is worth reading.
Although your opinion should be arguable, this doesn’t mean that you can write vague sentences. Refer to those facts that resonate with your central statement. Long story short, be concise and stay on point. Buy essay online that may be of help to you if anything seems too vague right now.
Tip 6: Be Convincing in Your Persuasive Essay Introduction
When you try to start a persuasive essay, chances are that you will come across advice to use credible references. While this is all good and well, we suggest focusing more on the convincing arguments – your personal opinion. Indicate that your paper has been written based on personal experience and resulted from your own research. With this approach, the fact that it includes your thoughts won’t surprise anyone.
You shouldn’t write about the truths known to everyone interested in this topic. You should better provide your ideas on why your thesis is correct. Explain why you have decided on this position. This is a polemical style that will trigger a number of debates.
Persuasive Essay Introduction Examples
If you don’t know how to start a persuasive essay, examples will surely be useful for you. After all, this is a good opportunity to get acquainted with successful patterns and include the best of them in your text. For instance, you can see ways of structuring arguments in an actual example and use it as the basis for your own essay.
Still, you should choose your own arguments related to the topic. It all may sound complicated. For this reason, we will introduce an example of what a convincing introduction structure may be like.
How to Start a Persuasive Essay About a Book: Example
Before finding out how to start a persuasive essay about a book, decide on the literature. However, regardless of any genre and author, your topic will be dedicated to providing your opinion. Focus on your position and provide 3 arguments that you will discuss further. Our example will help you make it clear.
Persuasive Essay Introduction on Gun Control: Example
Your opinion on such an important topic as gun control should sound convincing. Before deciding on how to start a persuasive essay on gun control, make readers believe you have chosen some weighty thesis to develop further.
Let’s look at an example.
How to Start Off a Persuasive Essay About Debates: Example
It is not difficult to work out the topic of debates. But before you find out how to start off a persuasive essay about debates, highlight the thesis that you support. You should specify the purpose of an essay in an introduction and avoid unsupported value judgments.
Starting a Persuasive Essay on Too Much Homework: Example
Before deciding on how to write a persuasive essay on too much homework, you should keep in mind that this topic is quite unusual. To define your position, you should prepare strong arguments; statistics will make an especially good hook.
Writing a Persuasive Essay on Starting a Colony: Template
To write an introduction of a persuasive essay on starting a colony, you should take on a strong stance on this matter. Be clear and convey the need for this action. Give general arguments, referring to historical practice – this will convince an audience to accept your point.
Final Thoughts
An introduction of a persuasive essay should be effective. After all, it’s the first thing that the readers will see. So, to make a persuasive essay introduction informative and convincing, you should make arguments clear and prepare your arguments. Include such elements in your introduction:
- Hook to attract the readers’ attention
- Personal opinion and proprietary research
- Thesis statement.
By using the above-listed recommendations, you will create a really high-quality introduction for an essay, where you will specify your position and convince readers of the topic's importance. BTW, a free essay maker might help you generate a persuasive essay. Use it to simplify the process.
FAQ About Persuasive Essay Introductions
1. What comes first in a persuasive essay?
When writing a persuasive essay introduction, you should indicate the problem you are going to cover. Specify some types and characters that are important to readers. Don’t forget about presenting your personal achievements and opinions. But make sure that you don’t dilute your first paragraph. An introduction should be to the point, just like the rest of writing.
2. How to start a persuasive essay about littering?
Before deciding on how to start a persuasive essay about littering, you should outline the issue. In our case, this is litter that pollutes our planet, with its influence having already been proven by hundreds of studies. Highlight the fact that litter doesn’t only harm our planet in general, but also does affect us directly. Prove it by an argument that it accumulates in the environment. These can be the places we work, live and have fun in, which is harmful to our health.
3. How can I create a hook for an essay about refugees?
Many people ask how to start a persuasive essay with a hook when it comes to writing a paper about refugees. We recommend describing some feelings and loneliness that this category of people experiences. Make an emotional hook to evoke the readers’ moral side. This will work, and you will get readers interested. After all, this is the most important aspect of any type of writing.
Daniel Howard is an Essay Writing guru. He helps students create essays that will strike a chord with the readers.
Comments
Thank you for such pleasant words! We always do our best to make the studying process of our students easier. Good luck with your further studies!
Here are some of the best topics for writing a persuasive essay:
1. People should stop depending too much on computers and smartphones.
2. Computer games make children smarter.
3. Social media should not replace face to face interaction.
4. Aged people should learn how to operate varieties of devices.
5. Parents should allow their children to play video games.
6. AI robots should be in every street.
7. Machines make people lazy.
8. Smart notebooks should replace paper.
Hope you like some of these topics and pick one. Good luck!