How do you start an academic sentence?

Academic sentences can be tricky to start, but there are some great tips and tricks you can use to get them going. Check out our quick guide on how to start an

How do you start an academic sentence?

The first sentence of the paragraph should outline the main idea (topic sentence). Each supporting sentence should directly explain, refer or build on the main idea using specific evidence and examples where possible. In some situations, sentence starters are not necessary, but they help to highlight a point. Save them for the phrases you really want your readers to remember above all else.

Sentence starters can clarify this relationship and show which sentence is the cause and what the effect is. So, to start polishing your own ability to write essays, try using the words on this list as an inspiring starting point. Needless to say (but we'll say it anyway) that there is a certain formality that comes with academic writing. To solve this, you can change the sentences to put the object first, add one of these transition sentence starters, or simply rephrase the sentence.

If you're quoting an idea that isn't your own, like in research papers, you save space by putting attribution in words to start a sentence. When you write a conclusion, remember that sentence starters can tell the reader that you are about to “finish things so they don't wait for new points or tests. In addition, academic words and phrases like the ones above are also especially useful for not repeating the word “also” too many times. Any of these sentence starting phrases will work, but persuasive writing sometimes focuses on the most common or emotionally charged language, avoiding words that sound more academically.

These academic words help introduce a sentence or paragraph that contains a very significant point in your essay. Including a quote that fits naturally into your work can be a little difficult, but these academic phrases provide a great way to do that. However, that can get monotonous and that's why I suggest you try using some of these sentence starters, or words from ing (called gerunds) or other types of phrases that come before the topic. While fiction unifies writing through narrative, nonfiction often incorporates a variety of facts, which sentence starters come together for the reader.

Although they are common in fiction, sentence starters are more useful for non-fiction, particularly for essay writing. The quality of your essay will improve dramatically only with the use of academic phrases and words such as “similar”, “as well”, etc.

Dr. Isla Merrick
Dr. Isla Merrick

The Cognitive Writing ScholarA guide who frames writing not simply as a skill, but as a cognitive process, a lens for understanding the world, and a discipline that teaches precision of thought.Background:Dr. Isla Merrick is a lecturer in Academic Literacy and Applied Linguistics, with a research focus on the cognitive and rhetorical foundations of writing. She has spent over a decade helping undergraduate and postgraduate students understand the why behind academic conventions—objectivity, clarity, argumentation, third-person stance, formality, and structured reasoning.Her work draws from:• rhetoric and composition theory• cognitive science and writing psychology• applied linguistics• research writing + epistemic literacy• academic integrity and ethical authorship• dissertation and thesis pedagogyIsla’s writing style blends analytical calm, conceptual clarity, and supportive instruction, helping students move from confusion to control. She specialises in explaining complex academic principles in simple, structured language.