start essay with a quote

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How to Start an Essay With a Quote

Last Updated: September 7, 2022 Fact Checked

This article was co-authored by Jake Adams . Jake Adams is an academic tutor and the owner of Simplifi EDU, a Santa Monica, California based online tutoring business offering learning resources and online tutors for academic subjects K-College, SAT & ACT prep, and college admissions applications. With over 14 years of professional tutoring experience, Jake is dedicated to providing his clients the very best online tutoring experience and access to a network of excellent undergraduate and graduate-level tutors from top colleges all over the nation. Jake holds a BS in International Business and Marketing from Pepperdine University. There are 8 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 446,936 times.

Writing an effective introduction can be one of the most intimidating aspects of writing an essay. While there are many different approaches to writing introductory paragraphs, you may want to consider beginning your essay with a quotation. Finding the right quotation and using it well within the framework of your own words can ensure that your essay is off to a great start.

Finding the Perfect Quotation

• Quote a person saying something that someone would not expect them to say.
• Quote someone who is not universally famous.
• Use a well-known quote but contradict it.

• Determine whether the audience will be familiar with the person who you are quoting. If it is someone obscure or you think they will not be familiar, consider providing additional (brief) details.
• Do not use a quote that could be offensive to the audience unless you plan to contradict the quotation.
• Strike a balance between assuming your audience knows everything and assuming they know nothing. You should be clear and informative but not insulting to the intelligence of your reader.

Quoting Correctly

• Use the quote as a sentence predicate. The subject of the sentence will be the person who said the quote, and the verb will most likely be a synonym of “said.” For example, "Jane Smith said, 'blah blah blah.'"
• Preview the content of the quote. Use your own (grammatically correct) sentence to preview or paraphrase what the quote will say, then insert a colon or comma, then the (grammatically correct) sentence-length quotation. For example: "Once Jane Smith said something completely awesome: 'the awesome thing she said.'"
• Begin with the quote. If you begin with the quote, be sure to place a comma after the quote and then provide a verb and attribute the quotation to the source. For example: "'Blah blah blah,' said Jane Smith."

• The quote only needs to be capitalized if it begins the sentence or if the first word of the quote is a proper noun, like the name of a person or a place.
• In American usage, end punctuation should be placed inside the quotation marks. For example, “this is the quote.”
• Paraphrased material (someone else’s idea put into your own words) need not have quotation marks around it, but should be attributed to the original speaker.
• If you introduce the quote with the speaker’s name and a verb, provide a comma before the beginning of the quotation. For example: "Jane Smith said, 'blah blah blah.'"

• Be particularly aware of quotations found on social media such as Pinterest, or on quote aggregators such as Brainyquote. These sources are notorious for mis-attributing and even making up famous quotes.

• You may also need to substitute a word (like a name rather than a pronoun) for clarity. If you need to substitute a word, place square brackets around the word to indicate that you made a change. For example: "Jane Smith said, 'blah [blady] blah.'"
• Be sure to keep the original intent of the quotation when making changes. Changes should be made only to preserve clarity or to change length, not to manipulate the content of the quotation.

Incorporating the Quotation into Your Introduction

• In your introduction, you need to be clear about what you're going to talk about and how you're going to talk about it.

• Be sure that the quotation you use supports your thesis.
• Be sure that using the quotation enhances, rather than distracting from, your argument. [12] X Research source

Community Q&A

• Find a quote that is meaningful to you, not just one you found in a list on the internet. If the context and wording of the quote speak to you, you’re more likely to connect it to your essay effectively. Thanks Helpful 4 Not Helpful 0

• Some college professors never want to see a quotation begin an essay. Because the method is often overused, there is some bias against it. You can overcome this by doing it very well. Thanks Helpful 4 Not Helpful 1

You Might Also Like

• ↑ http://writingcenter.unc.edu/handouts/cliches/
• ↑ https://www.esu.edu/writing-studio/guides/hook.cfm
• ↑ https://www.ccis.edu/student-life/advising-tutoring/writing-math-tutoring/introduce-quotations
• ↑ https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/general_writing/punctuation/quotation_marks/index.html
• ↑ https://www.ursinus.edu/live/files/1160-integrating-quotespdf
• ↑ http://writingcenter.unc.edu/handouts/quotations/
• ↑ https://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/quotations/
• ↑ http://www.otago.ac.nz/classics/otago055219.pdf

About This Article

To start an essay with a quote, introduce the quote by including the name of the author, such as, “John Keats once said…” When you include the quote, put quotation marks around it and make sure to put any punctuation inside the quotation marks. If the quote is long, you can use only part of it or remove sections as long as you insert an ellipses. Once you’ve introduced the quote and the author, provide some context for the quotation and how it ties into the thesis of your essay. For tips from our English reviewer on how to find the perfect quotation to start your essay, read on! Did this summary help you? Yes No

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How to Use Quotations and Citations in an Essay

Table of contents

• 1.1 Direct Introduction
• 1.2 Signal Phrases
• 1.3 Contextualization
• 1.4 Setting the Scene
• 1.5 Contrasting Views
• 1.6 Interjecting Commentary
• 1.7 Question or Challenge
• 2 Maintain the Flow of Your Writing While Using Quotations
• 3 Proper Use of Punctuation with Quotations
• 4 Impact of Formatting Quotations
• 5.3 Chicago
• 6.1 Start a Quote With an Active Verb
• 6.2 Use a Descriptive Verb
• 6.3 Select Proper Quotations
• 6.4 Don’t Overuse Quotes
• 6.5 Try to Paraphrase Long Quotes
• 7.1 Using a Quote as a Hook: When and Why?
• 8 Fine-Tuning Your Quotation Skills

Obviously, when we write an academic essay, we can’t create new information or take it from the air. In most cases, or always, there are sources for our thoughts. Therefore, we need to reference them. However, we may also want to quote this source directly in our work. And that’s when the need for correct quotation comes in.

Quotations play a pivotal role in essays, serving as a key technique for integrating information from external sources.

This article will guide you through several aspects of using quotations effectively:

• understanding quotation significance,
• mastering the art of accurate quoting,
• how to identify the original source from which the quotation was derived
• correct punctuation in quotes, and discerning the variations among different citation styles.

7 Strategies for a Smooth Transition into Quotations

Quotations are extremely vital in the academic environment. The quote in the essay is like a unique ingredient in your favorite meal. However, simply putting them in is insufficient. You must do things in such a manner that everything flows smoothly. There are a few ways to start a quote. Let’s have a look at some of them:

Direct Introduction

When you put quotes in an essay , simply state the source and introduce it directly. For example, you could say, “Eckhart Tolle, in ‘The Power of Now,’ said: ‘You create a good future by creating a good present.'”

Signal Phrases

Use signal phrases to attribute the quote to its source: “According to,” “As [author] argues,” or “In the words of.” For instance: “According to Shakespeare, ‘All the world’s a stage.'”

Contextualization

Give a little background before you embed a quote. “In the context of environmental sustainability, Jane Goodall states, ‘What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make.'”

Setting the Scene

Sometimes, you want to create a picture before dropping the embedded quotation. Set the stage for the quote by describing the situation or background. For instance: “As the sun dipped below the horizon, reflecting hues of orange and pink, she whispered, ‘It’s moments like these that stay with us forever.'”

Contrasting Views

This is like presenting a contrasting viewpoint or argument. You could say, “While some argue for the benefits of technology in education, Neil Postman contends, ‘Education is suffering from… the intrusion of industrialism.'”

Interjecting Commentary

Provide a remark or analysis before or after it. For instance: “In the face of adversity, Winston Churchill’s famous words resonate: ‘Success is not final, failure is not fatal: It is the courage to continue those counts.'”

Question or Challenge

Ask a question before dropping the quote to create curiosity or stimulate thought: “What role does technology play in shaping our society? Marshall McLuhan sheds light on this with his statement, ‘The medium is the message.'”

Thus, using quotes isn’t just about putting them in. It’s about introducing them in a way that fits smoothly into your writing. By using the correct ways to embed quotes, they will not interrupt the flow of your writing. If you need more information on the subject, we have an idea. PapersOwl’s essay assistance is an excellent option to go deeper into the subject without losing your academic mind.

Maintain the Flow of Your Writing While Using Quotations

Incorporating quotes into your work should feel easy.

• Introduce the one you quote, and use signal phrases for smooth transitions.
• Mix your comments with the cited content.
• Use strategic punctuation (colons, semicolons, or ellipses) and insert quotes in an essay.
• Establish the reliability of the source.

This guarantees that your thoughts blend effortlessly with the quoted insights. Indeed, quotes should not make your life harder. It’s vice versa ─ they must help you upgrade your work.

Proper Use of Punctuation with Quotations

Punctuation with quotations is a crucial aspect. We use quotation marks to integrate quotes into an essay, which look like these “”. If you use punctuation incorrectly, it may cause some grammatical trouble. However, these rules are easy to remember.

• Period outside of quotes is a common mistake you can see. However, in American English, commas and periods typically go inside quotation marks. Colons and semicolons go outside.
• Question marks and exclamation points vary based on context. Use a question mark or an exclamation point within the closing quotation marks if the punctuation is related to the citation itself. If the punctuation applies to the entire sentence, place it outside the closing quotation marks to end a quote in an essay.

✏️ Example of a quote in an essay:

• She said, “Hello.”
• He said, “I may forget your name, but I never forget a face.”
• Marco asked, “Do you need this pen?”.

There are also single quotation marks, which can be confusing. In American English, they are exclusively used for adding a quote within a quote:

✏️ “One of my students always said, ‘Quotations are confusing,’” our professor said.

Impact of Formatting Quotations

Formatting quotations can enhance the overall visual appeal of your essay. One creative technique involves using block quotations for longer passages. This distinguishes the quoted material. Additionally, it provides a visual break, drawing attention to the content’s significance. It’s a great way to end a paragraph with a quote.

Consider employing formatting elements such as italics or bold text for emphasis. Additionally, experiment with indentation and spacing to get a neat and organized appearance.

Let’s compare two quotes in essays. The examples will aid in understanding the impact of formatting.

• In J.K. Rowling’s “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone,” Dumbledore imparts wisdom, “It takes a great deal of bravery to stand up to our enemies, but just as much to stand up to our friends.”
• In “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone,” Dumbledore says, “It takes a great deal of bravery to stand up to our enemies, but just as much to stand up to our friends”.

The first quote looks more appealing and draws the reader’s attention to itself. Meanwhile, the second one has punctuation mistakes and may be lost in the text.

An effective tool for presenting information is to set up a quote in an essay. Besides, it can visually engage your readers.

Mastering Various Citation Styles with Finesse

In PapersOwl, we have already covered the citation rules topic. However, we would like to talk about it here since it can assist us in explaining a quote in an essay usage.

It is essential to mention the same author’s sources wherever possible. References serve as direct indicators for whatever information you are employing. Citing sources shows readers that a piece of information in your work is not your own.

The most popular citation styles are APA, MLA, and Chicago.

In APA format for the paper , we cite the author’s last name and the publication year in parentheses.

According to recent studies, sleep patterns significantly impact cognitive function (Johnson, 2020).

For citing while writing an essay in MLA style , we indicate the author’s name and page number, e.g., (Jones 45).

The novel explores themes of identity and self-discovery (Doe 72).

In Chicago style, citations can be either footnotes or endnotes. A full citation is added to the bibliography.

The economic implications of globalization are vast and multifaceted.¹

¹Smith, John. Globalization and Its Effects. Chicago: University Press, 2018.

Citation can sometimes be confusing. Not in the modern world, though. Now, you can check your references and citations in the citation generator online. It will help you write an outstanding essay with flawless quotes and citations.

Tips on Embedding Quotations in an Essay

You should also understand how to incorporate a quote into an essay naturally. You can not just put a paragraph from the book you’d read. Here are some tips:

Start a Quote With an Active Verb

To use quotes in an essay seamlessly, begin with an active verb. Use them to enhance subtlety and successfully communicate the speaker’s tone.

Use a Descriptive Verb

Incorporate descriptive verbs to increase the impact of your quotations. These verbs provide depth to your quotations and fill your story with context.

Select Proper Quotations

Add quotes in an essay that are relevant to your topic and give useful information. Moreover, make sure your quotes are brief and clearly support your views. Make relevance, trustworthiness, and clarity your top priorities.

Don’t Overuse Quotes

When you overuse quotes, it is a sign to your teacher that you don’t know how to paraphrase well. How many quotes per paragraph you should use depends on your work length. We recommend using one quote for every five paragraphs. The perfect approximate amount looks like this:

• 2 quotes for a 1500-word paper;
• 3 quotes for a 2000-word paper;
• 4 quotes for a 3000-word paper.

Try to Paraphrase Long Quotes

When dealing with lengthy quotes, try paraphrasing them for more concise integration. This ensures that you understand how to write quotes in an essay and explain them in your own words. At the same time, be careful not to change the meaning of the quote!

How to Start an Essay with a Quote

To start a paper with a quote, you must choose one that brings up the proper tone of your paper. The quotation source must be credible and fit your essay context. Finally, each phrase you pick must support your assertion while demonstrating your case proficiency. All of that’s important because the purpose of quotes is to make a good hook for essay and grab the attention of your target audience, which happens via knowledge and trust.

Using a Quote as a Hook: When and Why?

When crafting any type of paper, it’s crucial to use quotes that are not only attention-grabbing but also relevant to your topic. Many great essay examples written by PapersOwl specialists are proof of that. These experts know how to make quotes a powerful tool to engage readers. Taking into consideration their experience, we provide you with examples of when you could use one:

• When introducing a new topic or a newly found case: A good quotation will show relevance in such situations. It will gain people’s attention while showcasing new topics and establishing their importance.
• If you are in the writing process of a historical essay: In such situations, any quotation from any case-related historical figure may provide context and spark interest in readers.
• Personal experience: For such essays, quotations not only can grab one’s audience but serve as proof of your experience with this case. They show your perspective and give a deeper nuance when writing arguments, which affects those reading your paper.
• To support written arguments’ main point: It’s an outstanding way to start by hooking all readers up while backing up your claims.
• When challenging their beliefs: This is perfect for argumentative essays where you have to challenge their commonly held view. Such quotations engage with people and make them think and be eager to read more.

Using a quote relevant to your case is necessary, so always ensure you use a proper one that creates parallels between all sections. If you don’t see a proper connection, you can seek help from experts who edit essay theses. Many professional editors at PapersOwl can easily edit your text flow and create an effective introductory paragraph by providing reworded statements or better quotations. Additionally, they may help check all relevant sources for credibility, see if they deeply relate to your topic, and if they support your claims or bring controversy.

Fine-Tuning Your Quotation Skills

In summary, quotations are an important addition to your accurate academic essay . Using quotes in essays can improve your work. They also help you understand more about the subject of your paper. Thanks to this guide, it will be easy to embed a quote of any type into your academic work.

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How to Start Your College Essay with a Quote: Unleashing the Power of Words

In every endeavor, there comes a moment that holds immense significance. We’re not talking about the moment of inspiration or the final stroke of genius that garners applause. No, we’re referring to that pivotal instant when you take action and do the thing you’ve been contemplating. It’s the Moment When You Do The Darn Thing (DTDT for short).

Whether it’s putting pencil to paper, fingers to keyboard, or embarking on any other creative endeavor, this moment marks the beginning of something remarkable. However, for many, the hardest part is getting started.

This is particularly true when it comes to crafting a college essay that captures attention and stands out among a sea of applications. One powerful technique to begin your college essay is incorporating a quote that resonates with your topic and captures the essence of your writing.

The Power of a Captivating Opening

Crafting an engaging and authentic opener for your college essay can be a daunting task. Your opening sets the tone for the entire piece and determines whether the reader will be captivated or become lost in the deluge of applications.

A well-chosen quote, carefully integrated into your introduction, can serve as a powerful hook that grabs the reader’s attention and compels them to continue reading. In this article, we will explore the art of starting your college essay with a quote, providing you with techniques and insights to make your DTDT moment a little smoother and a lot less stressful.

can i start my college essay with a quote?

Yes, you can start your college essay with a quote. It is important to select a quote that resonates with your topic and captures the essence of your writing.

A well-chosen quote can be used as a powerful hook to grab the reader’s attention and compel them to continue reading. In addition, it helps to set the tone for the entire piece and will give the reader insight into what will follow.

When selecting a quote for your college essay, make sure to choose one that is relevant and meaningful to you and your writing so that it has maximum impact.

Understanding the Role of a Quote in Your College Essa

Before we delve into the strategies of incorporating a quote into your college essay, it’s important to understand the purpose and potential impact of using one. A quote can act as a window into your thoughts, beliefs, and experiences.

It can provide a unique perspective, lend credibility to your ideas, or evoke an emotional response from the reader. When used effectively, a quote can set the stage for a compelling narrative that showcases your personality, intellect, and passion.

However, it is crucial to approach the use of quotes with care and precision, ensuring they enhance rather than overshadow your voice and message.

Choosing the Perfect Quote

Selecting the right quote for your college essay is a task that requires careful consideration. The quote you choose should align with your essay’s theme, reflect your personal values, and resonate with your intended audience. Here are a few strategies to help you find the perfect quote:

1. Reflect on Your Essay’s Theme and Message

Start by identifying the core theme and message of your essay. Consider the key ideas, emotions, or experiences you wish to convey. This reflection will provide a solid foundation for selecting a quote that complements your essay’s central focus.

2. Research Prominent Figures and Authors

Delve into the works of prominent figures and authors who have explored similar themes or topics. Look for quotes that capture the essence of your essay or offer a unique perspective. Remember to credit the original source and ensure the quote aligns with your personal beliefs and values.

3. Seek Inspiration from Literature and Poetry

Literature and poetry are treasure troves of profound and thought-provoking quotes. Dive into the works of renowned writers, poets, and philosophers to find passages that resonate with your essay’s subject matter. These quotes can add depth and sophistication to your writing.

4. Leverage Personal Experiences and Conversations

Draw inspiration from your own experiences and conversations. Reflect on moments that have left a lasting impact on you or conversations that have challenged your perspective. Extract quotes from these encounters to infuse your essay with authenticity and personal connection.

Once you have identified a pool of potential quotes, carefully evaluate each one to ensure it aligns with your essay’s tone and message. Consider the following factors:

• Relevance: Does the quote directly relate to your essay’s theme or topic?
• Originality: Is the quote unique and not overused in college essays?
• Clarity: Is the meaning of the quote clear and easily understandable?
• Credibility: Is the quote attributed to a respected authority or source?
• Impact: Does the quote evoke emotion, provoke thought, or spark curiosity?

Integrating the Quote into Your Introduction

Now that you have selected the perfect quote, the next step is to seamlessly integrate it into your essay’s introduction. The goal is to create a smooth transition that sets the stage for your essay while captivating the reader’s attention. Here are some effective techniques to achieve this:

1. Provide Context

Before presenting the quote, provide a brief context that explains its relevance to your essay’s theme. This context can be a concise summary of your topic or a thought-provoking question that sets the stage for the quote’s introduction.

2. Introduce the Speaker or Author

When introducing the quote, consider providing some background information about the speaker or author. This can help establish their credibility and expertise, lending weight to the words that follow.

3. Explain the Significance

After presenting the quote, take a moment to explain its significance and how it relates to your essay. Highlight the key ideas or emotions the quote evokes and explain how they connect to your personal experiences or beliefs.

4. Transition to Your Thesis Statement

Following the quote, smoothly transition into your thesis statement. This should provide a clear overview of the main points you will discuss in your essay. The transition should feel natural, allowing the quote to serve as a bridge between your introduction and thesis statement.

Examples of Effective Quote Integration

To provide a practical understanding of how to seamlessly integrate quotes into your college essay, let’s explore a few examples:

“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” – Nelson Mandela

In the context of an essay discussing the importance of education, this quote by Nelson Mandela can be introduced as follows:

“Nelson Mandela once stated, ‘Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.’ This profound insight encapsulates the transformative power of education and serves as the guiding principle of my own educational journey. As I embark on my college experience, I am driven by the belief that education holds the key to unlocking not only personal success but also the power to make a positive impact on society.”

“The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.” – Eleanor Roosevelt

In an essay exploring the importance of pursuing one’s dreams, this quote by Eleanor Roosevelt can be integrated as follows:

“Eleanor Roosevelt once proclaimed, ‘The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.’ These words resonate deep within me as I embark on my college journey, fueled by the unwavering belief that my dreams hold the power to shape not only my future but also the world around me. Through the pursuit of my passions and the unwavering determination to turn my dreams into reality, I am prepared to embrace the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead.”

Starting your college essay with a quote can be a powerful technique to captivate your reader and set the stage for a compelling narrative. By carefully selecting a quote that aligns with your essay’s theme and integrating it seamlessly into your introduction, you can leave a lasting impression on the admissions committee.

Remember, however, to maintain a balance between your own voice and the words of others. The quote should enhance and complement your essay, allowing your unique perspective to shine through. So, embrace the power of words and embark on your college essay with a quote that encapsulates your passion and purpose. Your DTDT moment awaits.

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How to Start a College Essay With a Quote

Just as a good movie, novel or advertisement with a catchy start makes you want to continue watching or reading, good essays grab the audience's attention at the beginning. The best essays often open with a hook, an idea that draws the reader in and generates interest about the topic. An appropriate quotation, properly connected to your topic and cited, makes a strong hook for a college essay.

Choose a Quote That Fits Your Purpose

Any quotation must clearly relate to your topic, including a quote used as an introductory hook. A quote seemingly unrelated to your point distracts your readers rather than drawing them in. Choose a quote that fits the tone and focus of the essay.

For instance, a humorous quote does not set up a paper on slavery well. Similarly, a quote about how attitudes about gender have changed through history likely creates too broad of an introduction for a paper about one specific feminist author's life. Select something interesting rather than quoting a dictionary definition, for instance.

Consider Your Audience

Choose a quote your readers can understand and relate to. If you choose a quote readers have never heard, the hook will likely have less impact.

For a general audience, a quote from a pop culture celebrity or popular program makes a good choice. For more specific audiences, select a source fitting the reader.

For example, a paper written for gamers could use a quote from a game designer like Steve Jackson while one aimed at artists might quote from a painter like Paul Gauguin.

Connect to Your Point

Avoid tacking a quote on at the start of your paper just so you can say you have one. Instead, explain the relationship of the quote to your paper's topic, giving relevance and value to the quote.

For a paper explaining how to train a dog, a quote from a famous dog trainer like Cesar Millan should be followed up with a comment about how this quote emphasizes that no dog's behavioral problems mean obedience is beyond reach, connecting the quote to the paper's point.

Acknowledge the Source

All quotes need proper acknowledgment to explain where you got your information and maintain your credibility. If the speaker is important, give that person's name in a signal phrase.

Add information about the source if needed for context, such as, "As Ancient Greek historian Herodotus said ... "

Then follow proper documentation format so your reader can find the source. For papers that use Modern Language Association (MLA) format, give the author along with a page number for print sources. An online MLA quote looks like this:

Mark Twain once wrote, "Human nature is all alike."

For American Psychological Association (APA) style papers, include the date and either a page or paragraph number for direct quotes, like this example:

Mark Twain (1940) once wrote, "Human nature is all alike" (p. 265).

• California State University Northridge: Attention Grabbers: Opening and Closing Gambits for Writing
• University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill: Quotations
• University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill: Introductions
• Purdue University: MLA Formatting Quotations
• Twain Quotes: Human Nature
• Purdue University: In-Text Citations: The Basics

Kristie Sweet has been writing professionally since 1982, most recently publishing for various websites on topics like health and wellness, and education. She holds a Master of Arts in English from the University of Northern Colorado.

How to Start a College Essay – 12 Techniques and Tips

August 1, 2023

Your college tours are scheduled, you’re knee-deep in SAT/ACT prep , application deadlines are quickly approaching, and then it happens: writer’s block hits you hard. You’re stumped, wondering how to start a college essay. It’s all too easy to overthink it when acceptances are on the line. But don’t fret! We’ve got you covered with 12 tips and techniques, plus answers to common questions like: Can I start my essay with a quote? Should I try to sound as smart as possible? Is it okay to use humor?

Keep reading for all you need to know about how to start a college essay:

• Common Mistakes to Avoid

How to Start a College Essay: The Content

How to start a college essay: the style.

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How to Start a College Essay: Common Mistakes to Avoid

Since admissions readers are looking to be surprised and engaged right away, it’s safest to avoid these overused techniques.

1) Pulling out the dictionary

Chances are, your reader already knows the definition of the word you’re tempted to copy and paste from Merriam-Webster . Unless you’re starting with a word in a non-English language or a word that 98% of the population truly does not know, there’s no need to turn to the dictionary. Assume your reader is a smart person who is already in the know.

2) Choosing clichés

Clichés are boring in writing because they’re, well…cliché. Before you tell an admissions reader that all that glitters isn’t gold or there’s a silver lining to every cloud, remember that their job involves reading hundreds if not thousands of college essays. The way to impress them is to stand out as someone with unique insights, opinions, or creativity. Not sure if the phrase you’re using is trite or overused? Look it up online and see if there is an overabundance of results.

How to Start a College Essay (Continued) 

3) beginning broadly.

Since the dawn of time, students have been starting essays too broadly. Your college admissions essays are about you, your experiences, your values, and your goals. So, starting with general statements like “Different cultures have different traditions and values” or “We have to be the change we want to see in the world” don’t center you as the topic of your essay. If you’re writing your essay about, say, your Polynesian identity and your love of Hula dance or the summer you spent making vats of soup for a food kitchen, jump right into sharing a vivid memory from those experiences instead.

4) Leading with a quote

“Can I start my college essay with a quote?” is one of the most common questions we get. The problem with starting with a quote is the same as starting too broadly: you don’t center yourself as the topic of your essay. Since college essays are short, the quote itself and the many sentences it will take to transition to the rest of your content will eat up precious word count. Unless it’s a deep-cut quote that’s highly particular to you and your niche interests, quotes anywhere in your essay can come across as cliché.

A stand-out college admissions essay will grab your reader’s attention and immediately give them a sense of who you are, what you value, and what’s unique about you. Trying to decide how to start a college essay? First, take a look at our guide to the Common App Prompts . Then, use one of these five techniques to brainstorm content:

1) Share a challenge you’ve overcome

Since college is all about growth and learning, one tried and true strategy is describing a challenge you’ve overcome that you’ve learned a lot from. Example:

For my first three months of middle school choir, I was nothing more than a ventriloquist’s dummy, mouthing words with no sound coming out. I was terrified to use my voice. Then, one fateful morning, Mrs. Garcia asked me to solo in front of the whole class.

A strong essay about a challenge you’ve overcome will explain who you were before, how you overcame the challenge, and who you are now. Taking this approach allows you to demonstrate that you’re able to rise to meet challenges, learn through difficulty, and apply yourself even when you’re uncomfortable. A word of warning though: avoid writing about very common challenges like pushing yourself to beat your cross-country time, studying for the SAT/ACT or other big tests, or transitioning from middle to high school. Since so many students share these experiences as common ground, these topics will make it hard to stand out from the crowd.

Want even more tips on writing about a challenge you’ve overcome? Check out our full guide to the Overcoming Challenges prompt.

2) Show your funny side

Yes, humor works well in college essays! Poking fun at one of your quirks or (inconsequential) shortcomings can be a great way to reveal your personality. Example:

Every day, I begged. At bedtime, at breakfast, for my birthday, for Christmas—I begged for a skateboard. Mom said it was too dangerous, Dad thought they were too noisy, but still I dreamed of cruising the neighborhood and learning to ollie in our driveway. My 14th birthday was the day my begging finally ended. It was also the day I learned I have absolutely no sense of balance.

Opening with a humorous story paints a vivid picture of you right away, but where you take it from there matters. You probably wouldn’t want to write a whole essay about breaking your tailbone and this isn’t the right forum for a stand-up routine. But you could take an opening like this in a variety of directions that reveal more meaningful truths about you. For example, after this opener, this writer could go on to:

• Talk about other new skills they tried that they were able to land better than an ollie.
• Describe how they learned about balance in other avenues of their life.

3) Clear up a misconception about you

Although college essays are brief, you’ll want to squeeze in as much depth and breadth as you can. Starting by addressing an assumption or stereotype you’ve faced can be an efficient and engaging way to move past the superficial. Example:

Blonde. Four foot eight. Size five feet. Strangers and well-meaning friends sometimes offer me a booster seat or ask if I need help carrying heavy things. Little do they know I can deadlift 135 pounds. My first teen powerlifting competition is coming up this spring.

Clearing up a misconception allows you to surprise your admissions reader and share something meaningful about yourself in one stroke. When using this strategy, think about all the different layers of your identity. What assumptions do others make of you and what might casual acquaintances or strangers be surprised to learn? A word of warning: steer clear of being too critical of others. Although stereotypes and assumptions are difficult to bear, for this essay, you’ll want to focus on you —your accomplishments, skills, and passions—instead of others.

4) Invite us in

Are Shabbat dinners with your whole extended family the highlight of your week? Do you feel most alive when you’re at your keyboard composing a new song or when you’re at a Robotics Club meeting, throwing out wild design ideas with your team? When you invite us in, you’re letting your reader in on the places you’re most at home, most excited, or most yourself. Example:

When I was seven years old, my grandma sat me down at her sewing table and taught me how to sew back on the button that had popped off my sweater. I can still feel her hands on mine, showing me where to place the needle. It was the first of what became weekly lessons on backstitching, basting, hemming pants, and embroidery. I didn’t know it then, but it was the first day of my journey into fashion design.

To brainstorm for this technique, list experiences that have helped shape your values, goals, and interests. Think of things you do every week but also once-in-a-lifetime events. You’ll want to begin this essay by choosing one meaningful experience to share in the beginning of your essay. Use vivid details that help a reader imagine the experience for themselves and then explain why this experience matters to you.

5) Nerd out about a problem you’ve solved

If you’ve hit the library stacks to find the answer to a burning question, stayed after class to ask your teacher for more homework, worked with a student club to improve a campus issue, or concocted your own science experiment, this might be the essay tactic for you. Example:

As a volunteer at my local pet rescue, I surprised myself by becoming a crusader for birds. Dogs and cats were adopted all the time, but the parrots, cockatiels, and parakeets sat in their cages for ages, chattering away and waiting for their forever homes. I realized it was an issue of awareness: no one knew our shelter rescued birds. Thirty YouTube tutorials and one online digital marketing class later, I had developed a ten-step social media strategy.

A great way to share your unique interests, this technique lets you showcase the curiosity and eagerness to learn you’ll be bringing with you to college. To brainstorm for this essay, think of times when you’ve worked solo or with a team to discover something new or solve a tricky problem. As you write about this experience, describe the initial problem, any difficulties you encountered, and the strategies you used to find a solution.

We’ve covered essay content, but you may still be wondering how to start a college essay that grabs your reader’s attention. Here are three key style tips that will help breathe life into your writing:

1) Share a story

As you can probably tell from the examples above, we recommend starting your essay off with an engaging story. Before you tell a reader that you’re an introvert who also loves performing in musical theater, you’ll want to tell the tale of the first time you braved the spotlight. Before you explain that you plan to major in political science, describe the town hall meeting you attended in the 7 th grade that started it all.

2) Use vivid descriptions

When we read, we’re most engaged when we feel like we can clearly imagine the scene. To draw a reader in, use the same storytelling strategies that fiction writers use: sensory descriptions, concrete details, and passing time.

• Sensory descriptions: Describe the smell of your mother’s biryani cooking on the stove, the temperature of the air at the start of your first half marathon. Sight, sound, smell, touch, taste. Engage as many of the five senses as you can.
• Concrete details: Concrete details are particular descriptions of places, people, and objects. If you’re describing a service trip to Honduras, describe the buildings, streets, and food you ate so your reader can imagine it.
• Passing time: Making time pass means ensuring you have a clear sense of the beginning, middle, and end of your story. To keep things clear, put your details in linear order and make sure to include temporal transitional phrases like “When I was six years old,” “Later, in high school,” and “Now, as I reflect back.”

3) Use your own voice

When you’re wondering how to start your college essay, it can be tempting to write in the same style you use for academic essays. But the college essay is a personal essay, not an essay for school. For this style of writing, you’ll want to be clear, thoughtful, and grammatically correct, but you’ll also want to be personable, engaging, and, most importantly, yourself. With that in mind, skip the SAT vocabulary words and opt for a more conversational tone instead.

How to Start a College Essay: More Resources

Looking to learn even more about how to start a college essay? If you’re ready to get started on your supplemental essays, check out our walk-through of the Why This College essay and explore our blog posts discussing the supplemental essay prompts for 50+ schools . You may also wish to read our piece on How to End a College Essay .

• College Essay

Christina Wood

Christina Wood holds a BA in Literature & Writing from UC San Diego, an MFA in Creative Writing from Washington University in St. Louis, and is currently a Doctoral Candidate in English at the University of Georgia, where she teaches creative writing and first-year composition courses. Christina has published fiction and nonfiction in numerous publications, including The Paris Review , McSweeney’s , Granta , Virginia Quarterly Review , The Sewanee Review , Mississippi Review , and Puerto del Sol , among others. Her story “The Astronaut” won the 2018 Shirley Jackson Award for short fiction and received a “Distinguished Stories” mention in the 2019 Best American Short Stories anthology.

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Can You Start An Essay With A Quote? (What You Should Know)

by  Antony W

February 28, 2023

The opening paragraph can make or break your essay. Start with a hook and you stand the chance to grab your reader’s attention.

Implement some guesswork and write the introduction haphazardly, and you could lose them completely. But can you start an essay with a quote?

You can start an essay with a quote, but you must do so with caution. Accompany the quote with a clear explanation to help a reader understand how and why it fits in your work. More importantly, ensure the quote you include in your essay is from a credible scholarly source.

Understand that relevant, helpful, and equally credible quotes can capture the attention of a reader, not to mention easily related the thesis statement of your essay.

Key Takeaways

• Quotes can help to spike readers’ interest, making it a powerful writing technique that gets them to read the rest of the essay.
• If you include any quote in your essay, you must show how it fits into your work so that your readers understand its relevance.

Our custom essay writing service can help you get an essay on any topic completed on time. Whether you struggle with introducing your work or you’re not good at choosing the best quote to start the essay with, you can hire one of our expert writers for assistance.

What Types of Quotes Can You Include in an Essay?

You can use direct, summary, or paraphrase quotes in the introduction of your essay.

• A direct quote contains all the words of a speaker. You should write it exactly as it is.
• Paraphrased quotes are reworded statements written in your own words without changing the intended meaning.
• A summary quote is one written in brief, and it retains the message of the original quote.

You can use any type of quote in your essay. Just make sure you don’t interfere with its original meaning as intended by its author.  

How to Choose a Good Quote to Start an Essay

Here’s how you can find the best quote to start any type of essay :

1. Choose a Quote Relevant to the Topic

Read the essay prompt to understand the nature of the assignment.

The first few minutes of going through the assignment brief should make it easy to choose a quote that’s relevant to the central theme of the topic.

Also, ensure that the quote is memorable because it will retain readers’ attention and give them the interest to read the rest of the essay.

2. Get Your Quote from a Credible Source

It’s easy to brainstorm and make up your own quotes.

Such quotes can be interesting enough to draw attention, but they won’t fit in an academic essay because they’re your own thoughts.

The quote you choose to start an essay with should come from a credible scholarly source.

If your teacher asks you where you got the quote from and you tell them you made it up, they’ll more than likely not read the essay past the introduction.

3. Use Clear, Short Quotes

It doesn’t make sense to start an essay with a long quote that a reader will struggle to remember.

Even if a quote is interesting enough to fit the central theme of the essay prompt, you should avoid it in favor of a short, clear quote.

If a reader can memorize the quote within the first 30 seconds of reading, go for it.

Such a quote is good for your essay because it enhances clarity, making it easy for the reader to understand the meaning and support for your argument.

4. You Should Explain the Significance of the Quote 

If you choose to start your essay with a quote, don’t explain to explain its significance in the paper.

There are two advantages to doing this.

First, explaining a quote further helps to strengthen your essay. Second, more explanation enables you to present the clarity so you don’t lose a reader, not to mention make your content easy to understand. 

5. You Should Provide Relevant Reference to the Quote 

Since a quote is someone else’s thoughts, you need to attribute it to the right author.

Besides, your readers will want to know where you got the quote from, and you must make it easy for them to find it. 

When Not to Start an Essay with a Quote

Some students prefer to start their essays with quotes because they find the phrases engaging, and there’s nothing wrong with that.

But purpose-written opening sentences tend to have a broader latitude than quotes, and therefore more powerful than the latter. 

Again, quotes communicate someone else’s thoughts so much so that they tend to undermine your creativity. So it’s best to shy away from them if you have something more engaging and enlightening to share with your readers.

There’s also the problem of limited range of expression, as you don’t have the room to expand on another author’s quotations besides summarizing or paraphrasing it.

Because quotes require attribution, they can cause a reader to look aside, so you risk losing their attention during that first moment with your writing.  

Final Thoughts on Starting an Essay with a Quote

If one thing is for sure, it’s that’s you can start a great essay with a quote relevant to the theme of the topic. As long as you can find and attribute great quotes, you’ll be set and ready to write an essay that your instructor will find interesting to read.

However, if you want more freedom to express your thoughts and share something more enlightening with your target readers, then there’s no point starting your essay with a quote.

Get Essay Writing Help 

Writing an essay when you have tons of additional assignments to complete can be tough. That’s the case especially when you’re short on time but have a tight deadline to beat. You can simply reach out to us and we’ll help you get your essay assignment completed in good time.

At Help of Assessment, we have an established team of writers who dedicate their time and effort to writing high quality essays that will pique your instructor’s interest and earn you the marks you deserve. Plus, we’re far more affordable than many academic writing services online, and we put more effort in writing high quality essays for all our clients.

About the author 

Antony W is a professional writer and coach at Help for Assessment. He spends countless hours every day researching and writing great content filled with expert advice on how to write engaging essays, research papers, and assignments.

Understand How to Start an Essay with a Quote

Table of Contents

Preparing the introductory paragraph is one of the most challenging tasks in the essay writing process. When compared to other essential sections, the introduction plays a vital role because it is the opening part of an essay that has the responsibility to pull the readers inside the essay. Basically, there are different approaches available to begin the introductory paragraph of an essay. But if you know how to start an essay with a quote, then you can easily grab the attention of your readers. Most of the time, the unique and creative quotation added at the start of an essay will stir the curiosity of the readers and will make them read the entire essay.

Never begin your essay without a catchy hook. A catchy hook is a powerful tool that has the vibes to grab the reader’s attention and generate interest in the topic. The hook can be a quote, a fact, a statistic, etc. However, using a quote that is relevant to the topic is one of the most effective ways to begin an essay.

Are you aware of how to start an essay with a quote? If you don’t have any idea, then keep on reading this blog post. Here, in detail, we have explained how to find an ideal quote and open an essay with that

What is a Quote?

It is a brief phrase or a section that is taken from the writing or speech of another author or speaker. It is one of the useful tools that is mostly used to write essays, blog posts, and articles. Additionally, the quotations can be utilized during speech delivery.

In general, there are numerous famous quotes on a wide range of subjects, including friendship, life, knowledge, love, and so on. You can look up the most famous quotes from any celebrity, past or present, especially when preparing your written assignments or speeches based on your topic.

There are generally three types of quotes: direct quotes, summary quotes, and Paraphrase quotes. You can start an essay with any kind of quote. The most important points from the first quote are briefly explained in the summary. The paraphrase consists solely of rephrased statements that convey the same meaning as the originals. Direct quotes are the spoken or written words that are quoted.

When writing an essay, students frequently prefer direct quotes over the other two of these three types. However, you can use any of these types of quotes appropriately to preserve the original citation’s intended meaning.

Learn How to Start an Essay with a Quote

Wondering how to begin an essay with a quote? Cool! The below-mentioned tips will provide you with a clear idea of how to begin the introductory paragraph of an essay with a quote.

Give preference to your target readers

Before you begin searching for the quote for your essay, first understand the mindset of your target readers and then select a quote suitable for them. The quote that you select should be easy for your readers to relate to and understand. Never choose a quote that is insulting to your readers unless you plan to refute the quote.

In order to catch the attention of the general audience, you can pick quotes from a pop culture celebrity or renowned personality. But to engage with a specific set of audiences, find a quote from a source that matches the interest of your target readers. Remember, the quote you use at the start of your essay should be clear, informative, and shouldn’t offend the intelligence of your readers.

Avoid picking a quote that is unfamiliar to your target audience. Choosing a less popular quote will not create any impact on your readers while they read the opening paragraph of your essay. If you feel that the quote you have selected would be unfamiliar to your readers, provide more details on that quote.

Get to know the context of the quote

Don’t randomly use quotes that are appealing to you. Before you finalize a quote, identify the original context of that quote. If you have a proper understanding of that quote, then you can determine whether or not that quote would be appropriate to use at the start of your essay.

Identify a quote relevant to the purpose of your essay

The quote that you have selected to use at the beginning of your essay should be relevant to the purpose of your essay. If you use any irrelevant quote at the start of your essay, then your readers will not even read your essay completely. Note that, using a quote mismatching to your essay purpose may easily distract your audience. Say, for instance, if you explain a sensitive topic with a humorous quote, then it won’t work for the readers. So, while selecting a quote, make sure to consider the purpose and the tone of the essay.

Never use clichés and popular quotations

Your readers will quickly get bored if you use popular quotes in the same way as every other person. Also, it might make your readers think that you haven’t put any effort or haven’t taken your target audience into account. So, whenever you choose a quote, say a big no to clichés and frequently used quotations.

Link your quote and point

When selecting a quote to start an essay, give preference to the quote that satisfies your arguments or main points. Your selected quote should sync with your essay topic or thesis. Also, you should remember to explain how the quote supports your opinion or argument about a particular essay topic.

Say, for example, while writing an essay on entrepreneurship topics, suitable to your main points or arguments, you can use quotes from a successful entrepreneur.

Cite the Sources

You must acknowledge the source of all the quotes that you have used in your essay. Specifically, you should mention where you took that quote and who said that quote. Note that, citing the sources would increase the credibility level of your essay.

To present the quotes in your essay, use a proper citation format or style such as the Modern Language Association (MLA), American Psychological Association (APA) style, etc. The standard citation format or referencing style would help the readers to effortlessly identify the source of your quote.

By following all the above-mentioned tips, you can come up with the right quote to start an essay. No matter what quote you have selected for your essay, before including it at the start of your essay, check whether it is matching to the focus of your essay. Usually, the hook statement at the opening of your essay should be specific, clear, engaging, and concise. So, never choose unimpressive opening quotes that offer a boring feel to your essay.

Examples – How to Start an Essay with a Quote

You shouldn’t just use the quote at the beginning of the introduction. Use appropriate quotation marks around the quote and punctuate it when you write it. If you don’t give credit to where the quote came from, you run the risk of being accused of plagiarism.

In accordance with the standard reference or citation style, whenever you use a quote in your academic essay, you must cite the original source and the author’s name.

We have provided a few examples to demonstrate how to properly cite a quote’s source using the appropriate citation style or format.

Franklin D Roosevelt once said, “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself”.

“I have a dream that my four children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character”.(Martin Luther King, Jr., “I have a dream” speech, August 28, 1963). This quote from the great Martin Luther King’s speech still remains as a dream. Even in this modern digital world, no change is born; someone somewhere is suffering from racism and discrimination issues and waiting for justice.

Mark Twain (1940) once wrote, “Give every day the chance to become the most beautiful of your life” (p. 235).

“The best definition of man is: a being that goes on two legs and is ungrateful” (Fyodor Dostoyevsky, Notes from Underground, 1864). It looks like human nature is a constant. Maybe Dostoyevsky would have changed his thoughts if he had a chance to live around grateful people.

Essay Introduction Quote Selection

Basically, selecting a quote for beginning an essay is a tedious process that is time-consuming. But whenever you search for a quote, make sure to refer to printed books or credible online websites. The internet is loaded with a lot of fake information and the quote you pick might not be actually a quote. So, whenever you use a quote, check for the original source and the name of the person who said that quote.

For starting an essay, there are many catchy methods available but using a quote as a hook is one of the best methods to grab the attention of the readers. Remember, you may fail to impress your readers if you use a quote mismatched with the essay topic. Therefore, in order to identify an ideal quote suitable to the main points of the essay, invest more time and effort.

Final Words

Hopefully, by now, you will have gained a better understanding of how to start an essay with a quote. In case, you don’t know what quote to use in your essay, or if you are unsure of how to start an essay with a quote, then call us immediately. On our platform, we have numerous talented academic writers to offer reliable and cheap essay writing help services online.

To get our essay help, simply book your order by sharing your requirements with us through the order form available on our website. Based on what you send us, we will provide the best assignment writing help for all the academic issues you suffer from

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Can I Start My College Essay with a Quote? Tips and Insights

The blank canvas of a college essay can be simultaneously exhilarating and intimidating, offering a platform to showcase your unique voice and perspective. As you embark on this intellectual journey, you may find yourself contemplating the age-old question: Can I start my college essay with a quote?

The notion of opening your essay with a carefully selected quote is undeniably alluring, like an inviting doorway that beckons readers to step into your world of ideas.

In this exploration, we will traverse the intricacies of using quotes as introductory elements in college essays, while shedding light on their potential impact and pitfalls.

Just as the title of a book serves as a gateway to its narrative, a well-chosen quote has the power to set the stage for the intellectual journey that your essay will embark upon. Delving into the insightful guide on “ How Do You Write a Book Title in an Essay ?” available on WritersShore, you can uncover the art of incorporating literary elements to enhance the richness of your essay.

Much like the careful consideration that goes into including a book title in your analysis, beginning with a quote requires thoughtful alignment with your essay’s theme, ensuring a seamless fusion of ideas.

The allure of starting with a quote lies not only in its capacity to intrigue but also in its potential to encapsulate the essence of your essay’s exploration. Consider the discourse on the contentious topic “ Why Should Abortion Be Illegal? ” from WritersShore, where navigating sensitive subjects is dissected with precision.

Similarly, a well-chosen quote can act as a lighthouse, guiding readers through the stormy seas of complex issues, while simultaneously revealing your stance and inviting them to join you in contemplation.

However, just as a cover page lends an air of professionalism to a term paper, the integration of a quote demands meticulous attention to detail. The article “ How to Write a Cover Page for a Term Paper ” on WritersShore illustrates the importance of presentation and formatting, emphasizing the first impression your work makes.

In the realm of writing, every choice carries significance, and the decision to start with a quote is no exception. As we journey deeper into this exploration, we will traverse the terrain of advantages and potential challenges, equipping you with the insights needed to make an informed choice.

So, can you start your college essay with a quote? Simply Yes and No. The answer lies within the delicate interplay of context, relevance, and resonance.

As we continue our expedition, we will navigate the delicate balance, embracing the potential of a captivating quote while ensuring it harmonizes seamlessly with your essay’s purpose, creating an opening that not only captures attention but also fuels the reader’s desire to venture further into the realms of your thoughts and ideas.

Can I Start My College Essay with a Quote?

Absolutely! Starting your college essay with a quote can be a dynamic way to engage your reader from the very beginning. However, there are a few guidelines to keep in mind to ensure that the quote enhances your essay rather than overshadowing it.

1. Choosing the Right Quote

Select a quote that resonates with your essay’s theme, message, or the story you aim to tell. The quote should serve as a bridge between your personal experiences and the broader topic.

2. Citing the Source

It’s crucial to attribute the quote to its original source. Use proper citation styles, such as MLA or APA, to give credit to the author and avoid plagiarism.

3. Blending Seamlessly

Integrate the quote smoothly into your essay’s narrative. Provide context and explain how the quote connects to your perspective or story.

4. Keeping it Concise

Avoid lengthy quotes that might overshadow your voice. Opt for a concise and impactful quote that adds value to your essay.

Crafting a Captivating Introduction

Your college essay’s introduction sets the stage for the entire piece. Here’s how you can create an introduction that leaves a lasting impression:

5. The Power of Anecdotes

Share a personal anecdote that relates to your essay’s central theme. An engaging story can draw the reader in and make your essay memorable.

6. Posing a Thought-Provoking Question

Consider starting with a rhetorical question that sparks curiosity. It invites readers to contemplate the topic and encourages them to read further.

7. Descriptive Imagery

Paint a vivid picture with your words, using sensory details to create an immersive experience for the reader.

Incorporating Quotes Effectively

Using quotes strategically can elevate your college essay and add depth to your narrative. Here’s how to make the most of quotes:

8. Supporting Your Argument

Integrate quotes that reinforce your argument or perspective. Analyze how the quote aligns with your ideas and enhances your message.

9. Expressing Contrasting Views

Quotes can be used to introduce opposing viewpoints, allowing you to engage in a thoughtful discussion within your essay.

10. Showcasing Academic Depth

Including quotes from renowned scholars or experts in the field can showcase your intellectual engagement and research.

FAQs about Using Quotes in College Essays

Q: can i use a quote as the first sentence of my essay.

Yes, starting with a quote can be an impactful way to begin your essay. Just ensure the quote is relevant and sets the tone.

Q: How many quotes should I include in my essay?

While there’s no set rule, aim for a balanced approach. Too many quotes can overwhelm your own voice.

Q: Do I need to explain every quote I use?

Absolutely. Each quote should be followed by an explanation of its relevance to your essay’s message.

Q: Can I use quotes from fictional characters or movies?

Yes, as long as they tie into your essay’s theme and contribute meaningfully to your narrative.

Q: What if I can’t find a suitable quote?

If you’re struggling to find a fitting quote, consider starting with a different captivating hook and revisit the idea of using a quote later.

Q: How do I format quotes within my essay?

Follow the citation style (MLA, APA, etc.) required by your institution. Proper formatting shows your attention to detail.

Final thoughts

Starting your college essay with a quote can be a compelling way to engage your reader and set the stage for your narrative.

By following the guidelines outlined in this article, you can effectively incorporate quotes while maintaining your unique voice. Remember, a well-chosen quote can be the perfect opening to a memorable essay.

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Your chance of acceptance, your chancing factors, extracurriculars, starting my college essay with a quote - yay or nay.

Ok peeps, here's where I'm at: I found this perfect quote that really captures the vibe of what I want to write about in my college essay, and honestly, it kinda inspired the whole thing. Should I kick off my essay with this quote? Will it make me seem more insightful, or is it coming off as kinda unoriginal since I saw lots of people say it’s overdone? Thoughts?

Hello there! I totally get where you're coming from, as my own kid had a similar dilemma when they were applying. If the quote genuinely inspires you and sets the stage for your unique story, it can work. But it's vital to make sure that your essay says more about you than the person you're quoting. A compelling essay often includes personal reflections, experiences, and growth. If you choose to start with a quote, make sure that it seamlessly integrates into your narrative. Think about how it relates directly to your own journey. For example, my child started their essay with a short, famous phrase that jumpstarted a discussion on their personal experiences with creative problem-solving. It wasn't just a quote plopped into the intro for flair—it was a meaningful anchor for their story. Ultimately, it's about making sure your essay remains heartfelt and authentically yours. Don’t let the quote do the heavy lifting—your insights and voice should be the brightest stars. If the quote amplifies your message and serves as a succinct springboard into your tale, it can be a wonderful addition!

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• How to Start an Essay
• A Guide to Starting an Essay with a Quote: The Best Ways!

How to Start an Essay: Easy Tips to Help You Get Started

Key things you should know when picking the right quote for your essay, need professional help to understand how to begin an essay, how to begin an essay with a quote examples.

How to start an essay with a quote ? Have no idea how to start narrative essays for high school? Are you looking for good essay samples to follow when composing your paper? Don’t know how to start an analytical essay? Writing an effective opening paragraph that will inform, motivate your reader can be challenging for schoolchildren/college students. It is an important step in the writing process everyone should take.

What strategy can help avoid mistakes? Remember that the most important purpose of your academic piece of writing is to persuade readers of your point of view based on evidence from in-depth research. Consider including the following key points in order to succeed:

• At the essay’s beginning, tell the public about the main idea your paper covers. Introduce your essay’s subject in a clear manner
• Focus on your paper explaining your audience the central issue of your discussion. You can do it in various ways. Pose a question, immediately suggesting answers that will be argued; state a thesis; it is possible to combine these two approaches. It’s up to you to choose the most effective way

Can you start an essay with a quote? Definitely, yes! This is one of the killer ways to hook the reader. Bear in mind that when you are thinking how to begin an essay, you should take steps to make your readers fully understand why they might want to continue reading. This is the key

• You have to catch your reader’s attention with a hook - encourage him/her to read the entire paper. Your goal is to persuade the audience that your text is worth reading
• You should orient your readers. You need to provide necessary information and explanations to help your audience follow your arguments. You can do it by answering basic questions of who, where, what, how, when, and why or by providing a short overview of the sources you’ll be analyzing

Do you wonder how these strategies work? Order a model paper on your topic that will be written according to your specific requirements. It will serve you as an example to help you learn how to start essay with quote and other effective ways capable of attracting the reader. You can get the helping list of the best argumentative essay topics online easily.

College essays are long projects. Sometimes, many people find them overwhelming but if you break the writing process into small parts and try to complete your draft step by step, you can expect you will feel more confident and work more productively. Let’s discuss how to start a paper with a quote, taking manageable steps.

First, choose a topic that you find intriguing. Define the purpose of your project and evaluate your options. The most successful strategy is to write about a subject that you are passionate about. Conduct research and study the available sources of information. Before you get started with your piece of writing, make a detailed outline to organize your thoughts, sort your ideas into certain categories, and determine natural links between your thoughts. Now, you are ready to write an introduction.

Follow the tips below to create an impressive introduction. There are 4 simple tips that will help you to cope with this task quickly and easily. Let’s get started!

1. How to start an essay introduction? To attract your readers’ attention, begin with the killer language means. Brainstorm ideas on an attention grabber and add a couple of sentences that lead to your thesis. Use one of the strategies that we’ve already discussed.

Beginning an essay with a quote is a good idea. Finally, use the outline or a mind map of your ideas and create a thesis statement – a sentence or a couple of sentences, the aim of which is to tell your audience about the point you will be arguing about in your paper. A thesis is the last sentence of your introduction.

You may need to return to your introduction after you’ve finished the final draft to clarify the focus, change, and rewrite the beginning of your paper several times to ensure that you are able to engage your readers and establish your authority.

2. How to start essay with quote? Do you wonder “ Can I start an essay with a quote?” Definitely, yes! It’s a rather popular way to begin an essay. You should find the right quote that fits your purpose and use it within the framework of your own words. How to begin an essay with a quote? Check the list with the most effective tips on how to put a quote in the beginning of an essay.

• Avoid the frequently used quotations and clichés that are familiar to everyone because they will bore your target audience making them think that you have been lazy to search for the original quotes
• Explain how the quote connects to your point
• Select a quotation that your audience can understand and relate to
• Make sure the quote exactly fits the tone of your academic paper
• When introducing a quote , always acknowledge the source. Follow the requirements of a specific citation sty le

These tips on how to start an essay with a quote will help you pick the right quote that will impress your reader. No matter what sort of opening you choose, make sure it is related to the focus of your paper and serves a good tool for establishing the context, or plays a significant part in your thinking and analysis. Your opening should be clear, direct, and specific. Try to avoid too broad and general openings because they can make your paper look boring

3. How to start a paragraph in an essay? The next step is writing the body paragraphs. Talking about how to start a paragraph in an essay, we should say that all body paragraphs will have the similar basic structure. Write one of your main ideas in the outline as a topic sentence in a paragraph. Then, add supporting ideas. Back each supporting idea with relevant examples, statistics, and other details and make sure you provide enough information to link these smaller ideas together. You will have to write as many body paragraphs as you have main ideas in your outline.

4. How to start a conclusion for an essay? We’ve come to your paper’s final part. Let’s discuss how to start a conclusion for an essay. The length of a conclusion depends on the length of your paper and its complexity. There is no set formula for how to do this the right way.

Your task is to review the key points and provide a final perspective on your subject. Write 3 to 5 strong sentences. Make sure they reinforce your thesis statement and briefly remind your readers about the significance of your topic, and the research you have conducted. After writing your conclusion, check your paper’s organization and logical flow of ideas, paying attention to the smallest details. Fix grammar, punctuation, and spelling mistakes.

As you see, writing high-scoring essays can be complicated and time-consuming but we hope that our simple tips on how to start a good essay will help you succeed in creating impressive beginnings for your admissions, argumentative, persuasive and other types of essays.

Some students think that it is as easy as ABC to start with a quote. However, it is a misconception as you need to learn how to do this the right way. There are certain things you should take into account when looking for the best quote. You should be patient as the search may take you more than one day. You should look through a number of sources to find a saying of a person that will be exactly what you need. Most students give preference to the sayings of famous people. It may sound surprising but this is not the best way to impress the reader.

It is better to find a quote of a person who isn’t well-known. You can use a part of a long quote not to bore your reader in the very beginning of your paper. If you have found an interesting saying, don’t rush to use it for your piece of writing. You need to conduct research on the history of the quote and create a successful methodology . Learn more about its origin to know what context it was first used in. Choose those sayings that were unexpected and creative.

Lack great ideas for a powerful introductory paragraph? Looking for the answer to the question “Can you start a paper with a quote?” Order a custom paper written by an experienced writer on our site and forget about your worries concerning academic writing. If you face a problem with completing a difficult task assigned to you by your college teacher or university professor, take advantage of the well-written professional examples that we offer to students of all academic levels, regardless of the complexity of the topic.

Do you wonder how they can be helpful? Simply using them, you will get a perfect understanding of how to start an essay on your topic, write a good introduction , organize your argument in the three body paragraphs, create an impressive conclusion, back your points with appropriate evidence and quotes from the relevant sources. We will provide you with the perfectly written model papers that can help you in creating your own pieces of writing.

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If you do use a quote, you must introduce it correctly so that the reader understands why it is there and who said it. Don’t just shove it in and hope the reader knows why you have included it. So say something like:

Regarding survival rates for gladiators, Johnstone states: “Gladiator shows were hardly the bloodbaths we see in modern films and TV programs. If there were five fights in a day, on average only one would end in death.” This shows that the risk of death may have been low enough to entice free men to become gladiators.

You must also explain how the quote helps to answer the essay question (here the question would be: ‘Why would free men become gladiators in ancient Rome?’). Be explicit: don’t leave it up to your reader to work it out.

Karl Marx, writer of the pamphlet The Communist Manifesto, proclaims, “Communism abolishes all eternal truths…instead of constituting them on a new basis” (Marx 81). In other words, communism throws out all beliefs, not only ones that counter the ideas of communism. Marx’s insistence on “abolishment” reflects the greater implication that communism not only represents a change in a political system or a belief, but also negates all previously accepted aspects of life. This would require a radical change of heart for all people. Marx’s call for the abolishment of truths requires too much change in people’s lives; his ideas are not ideal to change society.