The opening statement is the most important, and often the most difficult part of essay writing. An effective opening statement needs to be informative and interesting. It's important to grab your reader's attention while informing them of the purpose of the piece. A few simple tips can help you write a good opening statement, and the rest of the paper will fall into place.
Instructions
1. Hook your reader's attention with an interesting fact or statistic. For example: "China is home to over 1.3 billion people." Stating a statistic will arouse curiosity, and encourage the reader to continue.
2. Try posing a question to the reader. This method is effective in persuasive pieces, since it forces the reader to consider a point of view they may not have considered before. For example: "Many people believe it is more costly to house inmates for life than to execute them, but is that really the case?"
3. Be descriptive. A vivid description can keep the reader interested. For example: "The vast rolling meadows of the countryside are aglow as the sun sets on West Tennessee."
4. Try stating a blunt opinion. A brief, brash, opinionated statement will instantly snatch your reader's attention. For example: "The average citizen having access to automatic weapons was not what the founding fathers had in mind when the Second Amendment was written."
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