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A quotation is a phrase or short passage you borrow from other people’s speeches or texts to enhance your writing. Often, these popular remarks come from respected individuals in human history or present-day celebrities and authorities. 

To most people, such quotes represent wisdom, knowledge, and credibility. But how do you begin your paper with a popular quote? This post shares the necessary insights you need to master how to start an essay with a quote. Keep reading to discover how these fragments can add value to your essays from the onset. 

When Is Starting Essay With Quote Necessary?

Whether you buy essay projects to beat your deadlines or write papers on your own, it’s vital to know when starting an essay with a quote is necessary and when it isn’t. Indeed, quotes can make your papers more palatable to your readers’ taste, irrespective of where you use them in your projects. Still, understanding when to use it at your paper’s beginning is critical when you want to master how to start essay with quote.

You need to start your essay with a quote when you want to reinforce your arguments and boost your essay’s credibility and authority. This inclusion becomes necessary, especially when your audience needs to connect to your paper from the angle of a recognizable expert in your area. 

Moreover, you can place these quotes at your assignment’s beginning as hooks to spark audience interest because your readers can easily connect with familiar voices rather than with obscure ones. This way, you whet your readers’ interest early on and glue them to your paper’s remaining sections. 

Depending on your audience, you can use statements from business, religious, political, or civil society leaders to hook your readers. You can also use ideas of well-recognized scholars to spice your essay’s opening, thus mastering how to start an essay with a quote.

Easy Tips on How to Start Essay With Quote

As seen from the beginning, writing an essay starting with a quote from a relevant voice can significantly boost its penetration and acceptance power. But how do you do it? Below are tips on how to start an essay with a quote effectively. 

Choose a Quotation That Fits Your Purpose

When using a quote to start your essay, you must focus on your goal—to inspire, alert, invite positive response, create a good mood, or prove a particular point. This way, you will be better positioned to hook your readers with something that will serve your goal. 

Mind Your Audience

Unless you want to use a general opener, for instance, humor, always choose a quote that matches your audience. Your quote shouldn’t be too complicated or obvious. Pay attention to your readers’ demographics, such as age, sex, experience, and interests. 

Link to Your Point

Moreover, starting essay with quote requires you to link it to your point. Be sure to explain how the quotation supports your thesis, relates to your topic, points out a challenge, or portrays circumstances. Otherwise, failing to point out this relevance could be counterproductive because you will seem to have used an irrelevant quote. 

Acknowledge Your Sources

Lastly, you must remember to credit the authors for their remarks. If the quote is in a book or a website, follow your assignment’s required citation style. But if it’s from a popular historical or current figure, you will need to name them. For instance, you can mention the author’s name and where or when they made the popular remark. 

Pros and Cons of Starting a Paper With a Quote

Starting an essay with a quote has advantages and disadvantages. Do you still want to learn more about how to start a paper with a quote? Then, check out the pros and cons of using this practice in your writing. 

Pros

Cons

Examples of Expository Essay Topics

We’ve shared what you need to know how to start a paper with a quote. Is there anything else you need to master how to start a paper with a quote? Yes, a good example. Below are two examples of how to start an essay with a quote.

Example 1 – A paper on the environment

“If there must be trouble, let it be in my day, that my child may have peace; and this single reflection, well applied, is sufficient to awaken every man to duty.” (Paine, The American Crisis, 1776). 

This citation constantly reminds us that the earth is our God-given inheritance, which we must also leave to our children. This quote implies that we must play our role in our generation to handle environmental challenges so that our children can live in a better world. 

Example 2 – A paper on self-sufficiency and gratitude

“The best definition of man is: a being that goes on two legs and is ungrateful” (Fyodor Dostoyevsky, Notes from Underground, 1864).

This humorous quote underscores mankind’s ungrateful nature. It shows us that no matter how much you give people, many of them will always find a reason to complain, including whining about the things others admire in their lives. It reminds us that ungratefulness is the foundation of unnecessary unhappiness in many people’s lives. 

Parting Shot 

Now, you know all you need about how to start an essay with a quote. The ball is in your court to use these insights to leverage citations to make your essays more authoritative and credible. If you need any further help with your classwork beyond learning how to start an essay with a quote, don’t hesitate to contact us. Our lines are open. Talk to us today.