To meet academic expectations, students must write outstanding essays. How students present, their work has a significant impact on the grades they receive. In this case, direct quotes are an appropriate way for students to present their work. Then, when using quotes in their work, successful essayists must follow proper guidelines. This guide on how to start an essay with a quote also includes practical steps that must be followed. Students should avoid using clichés by obtaining original quotes from credible scholarly sources. 

Furthermore, authors should provide context for quotes to help readers understand their significance in academic essays. Furthermore, successful scholars ensure that direct quotes are relevant to a thesis statement. Furthermore, essayists must provide accurate in-text citations using the MLA 8, APA 7, Harvard, or Chicago/Turabian referencing styles. Finally, students should follow the guidelines when using block quotes to avoid extreme plagiarism cases. 

What Exactly is a Quote?

A quote is a short passage or phrase from another author’s text or speech. In general, quotations are an effective tool in essay writing. There are numerous famous quotes on almost every topic, including life, wisdom, knowledge, experience, etc. You can use the most famous quotes from any celebrity, past or present, in your written assignments or speeches if they are relevant to your topic.

Types of Quotes

To begin an essay, one can use a variety of quotes. The most common quotations are paraphrases, summaries, and direct quotes. To begin, paraphrases are rephrased statements with the same meaning as the original phrases. In this case, writers ensure that the facts are preserved.

Second, a summary summarizes the main points of the initial quote.

Third, a direct quote includes all of the spoken words. Students, in turn, copy and paste direct quotes without changing the expression. As a result, authors must use these three forms effectively to avoid interfering with the original citation’s actual meaning.

Students frequently use direct quotes when writing academic essays without changing the expression. However, you can effectively use any of the forms mentioned above to avoid interfering with the original citation’s actual meaning.

Tips for Starting Essay with Quotes

When considering how to begin with a quote, consider the following suggestions:

Choose quotations that are relevant to your purpose

When looking for them, remember your goal: is it to inspire, prove a point, alert, invite action, demonstrate the complexity or delicate nature of an issue, create a good mood by using humor, and so on? Selecting quotes that precisely match your purpose is complex, but consider whether selected quotations contribute to your overall message or accomplish what was intended.

Consider your target audience

The quotation should be appropriate for the audience. For example, its belonging to professionals in a given narrow discipline would normally be understandable only to people who have studied in this field. Choose quotes that are neither too obvious nor too complex in this case. Other factors that may be considered include an audience’s age, experience, gender, interests, familiarity with US history (immigrants or foreigners may be less familiar), and so on.

Make a connection to your point

Make sure to explain how the quotation supports your argument or thesis, how it relates to your topic, and how it highlights a problem or depicts a situation. This is important if the link is not immediately visible because you risk having an out-of-context quote that could be more useful.

Recognize the source

Since quotations are remarks or thoughts of other authors, they must be appropriately acknowledged. More details, such as exact page, line, or paragraph numbers, may be required when mentioning quotes in an essay, depending on the citation format – the purpose of this is to help reliably locate information and to avoid any plagiarism suspicions. Given how seriously academic institutions and society take plagiarism in the United States, be extremely cautious with this aspect if you anticipate significant public outreach.

Academic essays are valuable tools that students can use to communicate specific ideas. Essentially, the introduction of the essay determines whether or not the intended audience reads the entire work. For example, there are various ways for writers to begin an essay to impress targeted readers. In this case, using a quote is one method scholars use to begin their essays. Such quotes, known as attention grabbers, capture the reader’s attention. Quotes from famous leaders, politicians, academics, or individuals they know may also be used. All quotes must be used effectively to improve clarity in a research paper.

Guidelines for Beginning an Essay with a Quote

Quote Varieties

To begin an essay, one can use various quotes. The most common quotations are paraphrases, summaries, and direct quotes. To begin, paraphrases are rephrased statements with the same meaning as the original phrases. In this case, writers ensure that the facts are preserved. Second, a summary summarizes the main points of the initial quote. Third, a direct quote includes all of the spoken words. Students, in turn, copy and paste direct quotes without changing the expression. As a result, authors must use these three forms effectively to avoid interfering with the original citation’s actual meaning.

Making Use of a Quote as a Hook

Quotations serve as a hook at the start of an essay. Outstanding writers, for example, use appropriate quotes and phrases to pique the reader’s interest. Essentially, the approach keeps readers from becoming bored while reading academic essays. 

In practice, a hook is one or two sentences in an article that help readers determine whether or not they will understand the content. Furthermore, a wise author must make an informed decision when selecting necessary phrases to include in the introduction by following the rules for beginning an essay with a quote.

Quotes, in turn, must entice the audience to read the entire work. As a result, quotes used to begin an essay must serve as a hook, capturing the reader’s attention.

Pros and Cons of Starting Assay With Quotes

Starting an essay with a quote has several benefits and drawbacks, which are listed below.

Pros:

Quotations can help you set the right tone

Quotations may contain condensed information that frequently appeals to emotions or state truths that ring true with readers. As a result, there are few other ways to draw readers into a deep discussion so quickly.

They aid in attracting attention

Powerful quotations are highly effective at capturing attention, especially when they are shocking, humorous, controversial, or reveal profound truths. Learning to use a quote as a hook ensures a smoother introduction and increases the likelihood that your paper will generate interest.

They enlist the authority of the original authors to work for you

Having Newton, Tesla, or another authority on your side makes it much more difficult for readers to argue against your claims, as long as they are correctly connected with the quotes.

Cons:

They are overused

This is usually fine if the quote is short and to the point. However, this approach precludes other ways to begin an essay, such as describing shocking or remarkable situations or events that illustrate the problem you are discussing.

Finding a powerful and perfectly matching quotation can take a long time

Because a student does not have the freedom to change these quotes even slightly, every word must match.

They rush to the conclusion

A reasonable quotation can be the most intensive sentence in your paper; therefore, it may be but refrain from using it as the first sentence and save it for when the momentum is at its peak.

How Do You Begin an Essay with a Quote?

The tips discussed below will be helpful for you if you are wondering how to start an essay with a quote.

• Consider your intended audience

When looking for a quote, prioritize simple quotes for your readers to understand and relate to. If you use a less well-known or unfamiliar quote as a hook, your audience will have little impact when they read the first paragraph of your essay.

You can typically use a quote from a pop culture celebrity or popular personality to attract the general public. To connect with more specific audiences, however, you should select an appropriate source for your target audience.

Unless you intend to contradict the quote, never use an offensive quote to the readers. If the quote you use is obscure or you believe it will be unfamiliar to your readers, provide more information about it. Remember that the quote you prefer should be clear and informative, but it should respect your reader’s intelligence.

• Investigate the context of the quote

Before using a quote in your essay, do some research and learn about the original context of the quote. If you already have an idea about the quotation, you can quickly determine whether you can use it in the first section of your essay.

• Avoid cliches and overused quotations

The quote you use in your essay must be appropriate for your topic. If you use a quote that is unrelated to the topic, it may distract your intended readers rather than draw them into your essay. So, when selecting a quote, consider the tone and purpose of the essay. A humorous quote, for example, will not work well in an essay about sensitive topics.

If you use a famous quotation the same way as everyone else, your readers will become bored. It also gives your readers the impression that you haven’t thought about your target audience. So, avoid clichéd quotes or frequently used quotations in your essay.

• Link your quote and point

Never start your essay with a random quote. The quote you use should be relevant to your essay or thesis topic. Make a connection between the quotation and the subject of your essay. Above all, explain how the quote supports your argument or opinion on a specific essay topic.

For example, if you’re writing an essay about gender equality or feminism, you can use any quote from a feminist author to emphasize your main point.

• Recognize the source

All quotations used in your essay must be appropriately cited. If you use a quote in your essay, make sure to mention where you got it because citing the source will boost the credibility of your essay. Remember to use proper citation essay format when including quotes in your essay.

We recommend using proper documentation formats, such as Modern Language Association (MLA) or American Psychological Association (APA) style, to help your readers quickly find the source.

Considering all of these tips on beginning an essay with a quote will assist you in selecting the appropriate quote. Whatever quote you use to begin your essay, make sure it is relevant to the topic of your essay before incorporating it. Generally, the introduction to your essay should be clear, concise, and specific. As a result, avoid using too broad or general openings to make your essay seem boring.

Essay with a Quote Example

The quote you use to introduce the essay should not stand alone. Also, when mentioning the quote, use quotation marks around it to correctly punctuate it. Failure to cite the sources of the quote may result in plagiarism.

As previously stated, cite the source and authors’ names in a standard reference format when you write a quote. Here are some examples of proper citation styles or formats for citing the source of a quote.

“A winner is a dreamer who never gives up,” Nelson Mandela once said.

“This is not a quote; this is a formatting example,” the witch says, regretting leaving his forest cave (Shelley 10).

Steven explains in progress report 12: “This is not a real quote; this is a formatting example” (Keyes 402).

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

How to Select a Good Quote to Begin an Essay

1. Select quotes related to the essay’s topic

First, carefully read the essay prompt to determine what topic your instructor wishes you to address. This will make it easier for you to select a quote relevant to the topic’s central theme.

Aside from being closely related to the essay’s primary theme, the quote you select should be memorable. This is significant because it keeps readers’ attention, allowing them to read the rest of the essay while thinking about the opening sentence.

2. Obtain your quote from reputable academic sources

It can be tempting to create your quote and use it as the first sentence of your essay. Unfortunately, beginning an essay with a quote is not a common academic practice. It cannot be a good fit for an essay if it does not come from a credible scholarly source.

3. Use clear and concise quotations

What’s the point of using a lengthy quote that the reader is unlikely to remember? Even if it’s interesting and relevant to the essay prompt’s central theme, you shouldn’t use it if it’s longer than necessary. Instead, keep it short and sweet. Choose a quote that a reader can easily remember after only 30 seconds. Furthermore, short quotes improve clarity, allowing you to capture the intended meaning and support for your argument.

4. You should explain the quote’s importance

If you decide to begin your essay with a quote, don’t explain its significance in the paper. There are two benefits to doing so.

• To begin, explaining a quote helps to strengthen your essay. 
• Second, more explanation allows you to present clarity so that you don’t lose a reader, as well as make your content easy to understand.

5. You must include a relevant reference to the quote

Because a quote is someone else’s words, it must be attributed to the correct author. Furthermore, your readers will want to know where you got the quote, so make it easy for them to find it.

Bottom Line

If one thing is certain, it is that you can begin a great essay with a quote relevant to the topic. As long as you can find and attribute great quotes, you’ll be set to write an essay that your professor will enjoy reading.

However, if you want more freedom to express yourself and share something more enlightening with your target readers, starting your essay with a quote is pointless.