can you start a 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 450,422 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 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.

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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.

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How to Introduce Quotes in Academic Writing

3-minute read

• 17th October 2019

It would be hard to write a good essay  without quoting sources. And as well as using quote marks , this means working quotations into your own writing. But how can you do this? In this post, we provide a few helpful tips on how to introduce quotes (short and long) in academic writing.

Introducing Short Quotations

The easiest way to quote a source is to work a short passage (sometimes just a single word) into your own sentence. For example:

The tomb was one of archaeology’s “most intriguing discoveries” (Andronicus, 1978, p. 55) and has fascinated researchers ever since.

Here, the only requirements placing the quoted text within quotation marks and making sure the quote follows grammatically from the surrounding text.

Quoting After a Colon

If you need to quote a source after a full sentence, introduce it with a colon:

On the basis of Philip II’s estimated date of death, Andronicus (1978) draws a conclusion :  “This, in all probability, must be his tomb” (p. 76).

When using a colon to introduce a quotation, the text before the colon must be a full sentence. The text after the colon, however, can be just a few words.

Quoting After a Comma

Alternatively, you can use a comma to introduce a quote. When doing this, the quoted text should follow from the preceding sentence (usually after a word like “says” or “argues”):

Andronicus (1978) says ,  “The weapons bore witness that the tomb could not have belonged to a commoner” (p. 73).

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However, when a quote follows the word “that,” no comma is needed:

Andronicus (1978) says  that “The weapons bore witness that the tomb could not have belonged to a commoner” (p. 73).

Block Quotes

Finally, for longer quotations, use a  block quote . These are also introduced with a colon, but they don’t have to follow a full sentence. Furthermore, quoted text should be indented and the block quote should begin on a new line. For example, we could introduce a block quote as follows:

Andronicus (1978) describes the fresco in the following terms:

The barely visible painting depicts three hunters with spears and five horsemen with dogs pursuing their prey, wild boars and lions. This and three other paintings discovered in the adjacent tomb are among the few extant examples of fourth-century BC Greek frescoes. (p. 72)

This emphasizes how important the discovery was for understanding…

Usually, you’ll only need block quotes for passages with more than 40 words (or four lines). The exact rules depend on the reference system you’re using, though, so be sure to check your style guide. And, when in doubt, you can always submit a document for proofreading . We can help make sure your quotations are fully integrated into the rest of your text.

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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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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!

About CollegeVine’s Expert FAQ

CollegeVine’s Q&A seeks to offer informed perspectives on commonly asked admissions questions. Every answer is refined and validated by our team of admissions experts to ensure it resonates with trusted knowledge in the field.

Is it acceptable to begin an essay with a block quotation?

Note: This post relates to content in the eighth edition of the MLA Handbook . For up-to-date guidance, see the ninth edition of the MLA Handbook .

Yes, an essay may start with a block quotation. The quotation should be important to your discussion and referred to in your prose. This distinguishes it from an epigraph, which is ornamental in nature.

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Can you Start an Essay with a Quote? Guide How to

an Essay with A Quote?

Students must produce outstanding essays to reach their academic expectations. What you should note is that the strategy or method you use to introduce your essay plays an imperative role in determining your essay score.

How you start your essay will tell the reader whether they should continue reading it or not. It sets the tone for the entire essay. It acts as the first impression you give to the readers about the essay.  

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Importance of good essay starters.

In our guide on the steps to write good essays , we explained that having a good introduction is key to capturing the attention of the reader. In this section, we will give reasons why this is important.

Good essay starters can arouse the curiosity or interest of the reader to continue reading your paper to the end. The importance of good essay starters includes:

1. Attention-grabbing

Attention-grabbing can be regarded as the greatest importance of good essay starters.

This is because all other reasons for having a good essay starter trickle down to one thing: attention-grabbing. 

When you have written an essay, and you submit it to your instructor for grading, you should be aware that they have to read the entire essay to determine your score.

Furthermore, the instructor has also to read your classmates’ essays so that they can grade their essays.

What this means is that your instructor is busy, and you should give them a good reason to read your essay in its entirety. 

Imagine you are required to write an essay to win a prize or earn a scholarship to your dream university.

Many students will submit their essays in the hope of being considered, and the essay graders will have a lot of work. 

From the two examples, it is apparent that your essay needs to stand out from the start.

The best way to make it stand out is to have a good essay starter that instantly grabs the attention of the reader. Once their attention is grabbed, they will be forced to read the entire essay and award you good grades. 

2. Passing New or Interesting Information to Readers

Apart from grabbing the attention of the readers, good essay starters can also be used to pass new or interesting information to the readers.

The new or interesting information can be facts or even fun facts concerning your topic that will make the reader want to know more through reading your entire essay. Facts can include statistics like, “Did you know that 90% of all dolphins…”

As noted, your instructor will be very busy because he/she will be reading several essays from your classmates. Because of the need to standardize the evaluation process, your class will have to write essays on related topics.

As such, your instructor will already know what to expect, and he/she will treat your essay like any other. To make your essay stand out, start your essay with something interesting that will challenge the instructor to concentrate on your essay more.

3. Creating Awareness Concerning the Subject Matter or Topic

This depends on the topic of your essay. If your essay challenges social, political, economic, or environmental issues, you can start your essay with a statement that creates awareness.

For example, you can start by stating, “Youths in inner cities engage in gang violence because of high unemployment rate”. The reader will want to know why this is the case and therefore, continue reading the essay. 

Can you Start an Essay with a Quote?

The answer to this question is dependent on the type of essay you are writing. It can also depend on the expertise of the writer, especially his or her ability to incorporate quotes in a paragraph.

You can start an essay with a quote if it is within the context of the topic you are writing about or if it is necessary to reinforce the argument you are presenting in the essay. If the quote forms the thesis or the claim you are arguing in the essay. Also, a quote is an attention grabber and captures the attention of the readers’ minds.

In addition, using a quote is among the most creative strategies used to start an essay that distinguishes you from the rest.

Such quotes can come from politicians, famous leaders, academicians, or influential individuals known by readers.

The quotes should be introduced effectively to add value and clarity to your essay.

There are various types of quotes that can be used to begin an essay.

The commonly used forms of quotations include a summary of the original text, paraphrasing, or direct quotes.

When starting your essay using a summary, ensure that you provide a brief account of the major points.

Concerning paraphrases, ensure that the facts are similar to the original text, even if you have reworded the statements. Direct quotes should contain the exact words as the original text enclosed with quotation marks (“…”). 

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How to Start an Essay with A Quote

It should be noted that you can start an essay using either short quotes or long quotes. Below are tips on how to start an essay with a short quote.

1. Direct Incorporation of Short Quotes into A Sentence

Short quotes are those that do not exceed four typed lines.

If you use a short quote, copy-paste it directly into your introductory paragraph.

Make sure to enclose the short quote using quotation marks.

Then, use your words to explain the significance of the quote to the topic and the reader.

2. Incorporate Lead-Ins to Introduce Quotes

Lead-ins offer the context of the quote to the reader. The reader will know that you are presenting support or evidence and where the evidence comes from. You can use the author’s name as a lead-in, for example, “According to Mathew King…” You can also use other lead-ins like “Based on recent studies…”

3. Enclose the Direct Quote Using Quotation Marks

Anytime you directly quote another source, make sure you put them in quotation marks to show your readers that the quote does not belong to you.

When you incorporate quotation marks and an in-text citation of the source of the quote, you can directly utilize another person’s ideas or intellectual property without plagiarizing. 

4. Give a Commentary after the Quote

When you provide a quote without a commentary, you have done nothing. This is because it does not fit the context of the paper or topic, and the readers cannot connect it to the topic.

Therefore, a commentary is very important to analyze the quote and link it to your claims and topic. You can use such commentary to build on a paragraph. Read our guide on how to start a paragraph in an essay and see how this fits well when writing.

5. Paraphrase or Summary

If you have paraphrased or summarized a quote, you do not need to enclose the text with quotation marks. All you need to do is put an in-text citation after the statement to show that the ideas belong to another writer. 

Tips on How to Use Quotes in an Essay

1. Introduce The Quote’s Author

Every time you use a quote in any part of your essay, make sure that you first introduce the author of the quote to show the readers that the content does not belong to you. 

2. State The Quote

The second tip is to state the quote after you have introduced the author.

The quote is directly copied from the source; hence, it should be enclosed using quotation marks. At the end of the quote, make sure that you cite the source using your preferred academic format. 

3. Summarize The Quote

After you have stated the quote, summarize it if it is not easily understandable. However, if the quote is straightforward, there is no need for a summary. You should skip this stage and move to the analysis stage. 

4. Analyze The Quote

This is where you break the quote into its significant bits so that you can get the actual meaning. The different parts of the quote may give different meanings but create a singular meaning when brought together.

5. State The Relevance of the Quote to The Argument 

Finally, ensure that you have stated the relevance of the quote to your essay’s arguments. You must connect the quote to the central argument so that it can add value to your paper. 

Considerations when starting an Essay with a Quote

When using a quote to begin an essay, it’s important to follow a few guidelines:

• Relevance: Choose a quote that directly relates to the topic of your essay and helps to establish the context or theme of your discussion.
• Attribution: Always provide proper attribution for the quote, including the name of the author or speaker and the source of the quote (e.g., book, article, speech).
• Integration: Introduce the quote in a way that seamlessly connects it to your own writing and provides context for the reader. Avoid simply dropping the quote into the essay without any explanation or analysis.
• Explanation: After presenting the quote, take the time to explain its significance and relevance to your argument or topic. Analyze the quote and discuss how it relates to the themes or ideas you will explore in the essay.
• Transition: Use the quote as a springboard to transition into your own discussion or analysis. Make it clear how the quote sets the stage for the points you will be making in the rest of the essay.

Overall, starting an essay with a quote can be an effective way to grab the reader’s attention and provide a compelling introduction to your topic. Just be sure to choose a quote that adds value to your essay and supports your argument or analysis in a meaningful way.

Josh Jasen or JJ as we fondly call him, is a senior academic editor at Grade Bees in charge of the writing department. When not managing complex essays and academic writing tasks, Josh is busy advising students on how to pass assignments. In his spare time, he loves playing football or walking with his dog around the park.

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Put a Quote in an Essay

Home / Blog / How To Put A Quote In An Essay (with Examples)

Introduction

When writing an essay , it is essential to incorporate quotes from reputable sources to support your arguments and ideas. However, knowing how to use quotes effectively is crucial in maintaining the flow and clarity of your essay. This blog will discuss the proper ways to put a quote in an essay with examples.

Why Use Quotes in an Essay?

Quotes are used in an essay to support or reinforce the writer's arguments and ideas. They provide evidence for your claims and demonstrate that your argument is backed up by research and authority. Incorporating quotes also helps to provide context and depth to your writing and can add a unique perspective to your essay.

Types of Quotes

There are two types of quotes you can use in your essay: direct quotes and indirect quotes.

Direct Quotes: Direct quotes are the exact words used by the source that you are quoting. When using direct quotes, you need to use quotation marks and indicate the source.

Example: According to John Smith, "The Earth is round."

Indirect Quotes: Indirect quotes are a paraphrase of the original source. When using indirect quotes, you do not need to use quotation marks.

Example: John Smith claims that the Earth is round.

How to Put a Quote in an Essay

When using quotes in an essay, there are several rules that you need to follow to ensure that your writing is clear, accurate, and appropriate. Here are the steps to follow:

Step 1: Choose a Relevant Quote

Before you start writing your essay, identify the quotes that you want to use to support your arguments. Ensure that the quotes you select are relevant, reliable, and add value to your essay.

Step 2: Introduce the Quote

Introduce the quote by providing context and indicating who the source is. This will help the reader understand the significance of the quote and its relevance to your argument.

Example: According to Jane Doe, a renowned climate scientist, "Climate change is the biggest threat facing humanity."

Step 3: Use Quotation Marks

When using a direct quote, use quotation marks to indicate that you are using the exact words of the source.

Example: According to Jane Doe, "Climate change is the biggest threat facing humanity."

Step 4: Provide the Source

Provide the source of the quote, including the author's name, the title of the book or article, and the page number. This will help the reader find the source if they want to read it.

Example: According to Jane Doe, a renowned climate scientist, "Climate change is the biggest threat facing humanity." (Doe, The State of the Climate, p. 25)

Step 5: Punctuate Correctly

Punctuate the quote correctly by placing the comma or period inside the quotation marks, depending on whether it is a part of the quote or your sentence.

Step 6: Explain the Quote

Explain the significance of the quote in your own words. This will help the reader understand how the quote supports your argument.

Example: Jane Doe's quote highlights the urgency of addressing climate change as it poses a significant threat to human survival.

Step 7: Cite Your Sources

Ensure that you cite your sources correctly using the citation style specified by your instructor or the style guide for your discipline.

Common Mistakes to Avoid When Using Quotes in an Essay

Using quotes in an essay can be tricky, and many students make mistakes that can impact the quality of their writing. Here are some common mistakes to avoid when using quotes in an essay:

Failing to provide context: It is essentialto provide context when using a quote in an essay. Failure to do so can confuse the reader and make the quote appear out of place. Always introduce the quote and provide some background information about the source and why you are using the quote.

Overusing quotes: While quotes can add value to your essay, it is essential not to overuse them. Use quotes sparingly and only when necessary. Overusing quotes can make your writing appear lazy, and it may give the impression that you are not confident in your own ideas.

Incorrectly citing sources: Always cite your sources correctly using the citation style specified by your instructor or the style guide for your discipline. Failure to do so can lead to accusations of plagiarism , which can have serious consequences.

Misquoting or altering a quote: When using a direct quote, it is essential to use the exact words of the source. Do not alter the quote or misquote the source as this can distort the meaning and accuracy of the quote.

Failing to explain the quote: When using a quote, it is important to explain its significance and how it supports your argument. Failure to do so can make the quote appear irrelevant and disconnected from your essay.

Examples of Quotes in an Essay

Here are some examples of how to use quotes in an essay:

Example 1: Argumentative Essay

Topic: Should students be required to wear school uniforms?

Quote: "School uniforms promote a sense of unity and equality among students, and they help to reduce instances of bullying based on clothing." (Johnson, School Uniforms, p. 10)

Explanation: The quote supports the argument that school uniforms can have a positive impact on student behavior and reduce instances of bullying. It is introduced with the source and provides context for the argument.

Example 2: Persuasive Essay

Topic: The importance of recycling

Quote: "Every ton of paper that is recycled saves 17 trees, 7,000 gallons of water, and 463 gallons of oil." (Environmental Protection Agency)

Explanation: The quote provides a powerful statistic that supports the importance of recycling. It is introduced with the source, and its significance is explained in the following sentences.

Example 3: Expository Essay

Topic: The history of the American Civil War

Quote: "Four score and seven years ago, our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal." (Lincoln, Gettysburg Address)

Explanation: The quote is an iconic line from Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Address, which is a significant event in American history. It is introduced with the source, and its significance is explained in the following sentences.

Incorporating quotes in an essay can add depth, context, and authority to your writing. However, it is important to use quotes effectively and appropriately. Always choose relevant and reliable quotes, introduce them with context, use the correct punctuation, explain their significance, and cite your sources correctly. By following these guidelines, you can effectively use quotes in your essay and improve the quality of your writing.

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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.

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.

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How to Use a Quote in an Essay

Table of Contents

MLA in-text citation how-to

You can take a quote from different sources of information, such as books, magazines, websites or printed journals. Using quotes in an essay serves three goals:

• Present additional evidence to support your point of view or oppose a claim or idea;
• Help a reader better understand a topic under analysis;
• Strengthen your argumentation on a topic using another writer’s eloquence.

Since quotes are mostly used in Humanities, you’ll have to follow MLA citation referencing guidelines. The Modern Language Association citation manual implies two types of quotes – short and long.

• Short quote – Is less than 4 lines of typed text and can be embedded directly into a sentence;
• Long quote – Is more than 4 lines of typed text and requires a separate content block in an essay without quotation marks.

Writing college essays, the recommendation is to use short quotes.

Parenthetical citation

Referring to the works of other authors in-text is done using a parenthetical citation . Such a method implies the author-page style of quoting. For example:

When it comes to writing, King suggests: “Write. Rewrite. When not writing or rewriting, read. I know of no shortcuts.” (5)

Given the MLA in-text citation already contains King’s last name, you shouldn’t mention it in the parenthesis. If the author’s name isn’t mentioned in-text, it has to be specified in a parenthetical citation.

When it comes to writing, there’s a quote I like the most: “Write. Rewrite. When not writing or rewriting, read. I know of no shortcuts.” (King 5)

According to MLA guidelines, at the end of the essay, there has to be the Works Cited page . It contains the full reference featuring author’s full name, the full title of the source, the volume, the issue number, the date of publishing, and the URL (if the source was found online). Here’s an example of the full referencing in the Works Cited:

King, Larry L. “The Collection of Best Works.” Oxford University Press, vol. 2, no. 3, Jan.-Feb. 2017, http://www.prowritersdigest.com/editor-blogs/inspirational-quotes/72-of-the-best-quotes-about-writing.

How to start an essay with a quote?

Starting an essay with a quote is a matter of controversy. Experts in the pro camp suggest that a quote at the beginning of an essay helps make a powerful statement right from the start. Moreover, an interesting, captivating quote grabs the reader’s attention right from the start.

Experts from the against camp suggest that when you begin an essay with a quote, you miss on the opportunity to present your own take on the subject matter. In their opinion, when writing the introduction, you have to rely only on your words. Whereas quotes are most useful in the main body, serving as an additional argumentation. In conclusion, a quote can be placed, too.

How to use quotes in the middle of an essay?

Main Body is the place you’re meant to state a quote or two, depending on the length of a paper. A standard 5-paragraph essay will imply you to use 2-3 quotes in the main body. More quotes aren’t necessary for such a short assignment. Two quotes in the main body will do just fine.

In the main body paragraph, a quote is placed in the middle of the passage . First, you introduce a focal sentence of a paragraph highlighting your point of view regarding a topic. After that, you provide the evidence data and argumentation, among which is a relevant quote. And finally, you smoothly transit to the next body paragraph or the conclusion. Here’re three examples of how to present a quote in one of the main body paragraphs.

Accurate integration of a citation in a text is key. Or the whole passage will sound off.

People who want to become a writer don’t really need any piece of advice. “Those (…) who know that they really want to do this and are cut out for it, they know it.”

College essay quotes have to be naturally embedded in a text .

People who want to become a writer don’t really need any piece of advice: “Those (…) who know that they really want to do this and are cut out for it, they know it.”

There’s also the way to write an essay with quotes in the smoothest way possible.

People who want to become a writer don’t really need any piece of advice. They simply “know that they really want to do this and are cut out for it, they know it.”

See how organically a quote is inserted in a sentence? That’s the best-case scenario of using a quote in a sentence.

How to end an essay with a quote?

Sometimes, ending an essay with a quote is better than merely restating your thesis statement. Citations can be taken from both primary and secondary sources. Good quotes to end an essay might be of your course professor’s. According to essay writing websites , quotations taken from the words of subject authorities and thought leaders will do great, too.

A quote ending an essay helps meet 5 objectives:

• Provide a solid closure to your essay;
• Fortify your point of view;
• Give one final argument in favor of your thesis statement;
• Establish your authority on a topic;
• Helps your essay stand out.

Having a quotation at the end of an essay gives a good chance to score an “A”.

15 tips for using quotations in an essay

• Look up quotes in academic sources in the first place;
• Rely on the printed matter rather than internet sources;
• Avoid citing information from Wikipedia;
• Give context to every quotation you use;
• Always use quotation marks to avoid plagiarism-related troubles;
• Explain why the quote you’re about to use in a text is important;
• Seek to integrate quotes smoothly in a sentence for the best effect;
• Each quotation has to be attributed to the original source using parenthesis;
• Gather 10-15 quotes relevant to your topic and then sift through 5 quotes that will serve you best;
• Use the exact wording, punctuation, capitalization and sentence structure as in the original;
• Watch your punctuation when using quotes in a sentence;
• Avoid misquotations, as it’s a sign of a careless attitude towards the assignment;
• Use an ellipsis (…) to withdraw a part of a quote you don’t actually need;
• Try to use short quotes rather than long;
• Avoid quoting quotes, as it’s where students make mistakes most often.

5 motivational quotes for essay writing

Inspiration is a staple in every great writer’s routine. As a student, you might find drawing inspiration a bit too difficult. Here’re a couple of inspiring essay motivation quotes to help you break through the writer’s block. Or you can buy argumentative essay if doing the task yourself isn’t an option.

“I don’t need an alarm clock. My ideas wake me.”

“It’s none of their business that you have to learn to write. Let them think you were born that way.”

“The difference between the almost right word and the right word is … the difference between the lightning bug and the lightning.”

“Making people believe the unbelievable is no trick; it’s work . … Belief and reader absorption come in the details: An overturned tricycle in the gutter of an abandoned neighborhood can stand for everything.”

“To defend what you’ve written is a sign that you are alive.”

Many times life catches us off balance. Lots of written homework. Tight schedule. Sudden illness. Personal matters. Writer’s block. An instructor returned the essay for revisions. At the moments like these, it’s always a good idea to have someone to cover your back. GradeMiners can always write you a new essay, rewrite an existing draft, perform an ending an essay with a quote, or proofread your text for mistakes, typos, as well as correct the use of quotations. Let us know if you need anything, and we’ll help you out!

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9 Powerful Ways to Start an Essay That Positively Impacts Readers

There is just something about essay assignments that seem intimidating at first, especially for beginners. 

The issue for many students is actually a question:

How do I begin writing an essay?

If starting seems to be the hardest part for you, I have a few tips to share that will help you start writing a winning essay—without the stress.

Example of Starting with a Contrast or Deviation from the Norm:

“Contrary to popular opinion, fast food can serve as a primary component of a healthy diet.”

Do You Have a Better Grasp on How to Start an Essay?

The key to writing a good essay starts at the beginning. The introduction to your essay is arguably the most important part. 

If your introduction is boring or confusing, it will be tough to persuade your reader to stick around and read the body of your essay.  (This is especially important if you are writing a persuasive essay .)

But that’s nothing to worry about, is it? 

You are now equipped with nine ways to start an essay that hook the reader from the very beginning. 

It’s just a matter of choosing the introduction style that best suits your essay’s purpose .  

Try to relax and have fun. Your essay will be better for it!

Teach Your Students to Write Skillfully

As they explore the history of ideas!

About The Author

Jordan Mitchell

• 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.

Our experts are ready to help you 24/7. Don’t hesitate to contact us whether you face a need to complete your paper urgently or just want us to review your work! Our team of professionals will wait for your order for assignment writing being ready to provide a helping hand and expert advice, which you may lack.

Entrust us to write your paper and enjoy your free time, which can be spent on things that really matter to you now. You won’t regret choosing us as your reliable academic helper! Want to check if this is true? Read what our loyal customers say about our top quality services! Join them and pass your paper with flying colors!

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.

Is it acceptable to begin an essay's introduction with a quote?

Yes, it is acceptable to begin an essay's introduction with a quote. However, there are a few things to consider when using a quote to start your essay:

Relevance: Choose a quote that is relevant to your topic and supports the main idea of your essay. The quote should provide insight or add value to your introduction.

Attribution: Always credit the author of the quote. Include the name of the author and, if applicable, their credentials or expertise. This helps establish credibility and gives proper recognition to the original source.

Context: Provide some context for the quote and explain how it relates to your essay's thesis or argument. This will help your readers understand the significance of the quote and its relevance to your topic.

Length: If the quote is long, consider using only a portion of it or incorporating ellipses (...) to indicate omitted sections. Make sure to maintain the original meaning and integrity of the quote.

Transition: After introducing the quote, smoothly transition into your own analysis or discussion. Explain how the quote sets the stage for your essay and how it connects to your overall argument.

It's important to note that while starting an essay with a quote can be effective, it's not the only approach. You can also begin with a thought-provoking question, a surprising fact, or a compelling anecdote. The key is to engage your readers from the very beginning and make them interested in reading further.

Learn more:

• How to Start an Essay with a Quote - Most Effective Ways!
• Is it ok to begin an essay/report with a quote? - Writing Stack Exchange
• How to Start an Essay With a Quote: 14 Steps (with Pictures)

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May 6, 2024 Accountancy Alumni Business Administration Faculty Finance Student

Implementing AI technology in business education

By embracing a spirit of experimentation, we can view the changes that lie ahead for our industry with optimism instead of trepidation.

By Robert Brunner

• Artificial intelligence platforms might not yet produce responses that we would mistake as human-generated, but they are   learning and growing more sophisticated by the day.  
• To prepare students for the future of AI, faculty at Gies College of Business ask students to use AI platforms for certain assignments and then discuss what prompts their peers used to receive their results. 
• Faculty also are experimenting with the technology themselves on tasks such as grading and writing quizzes, so that they are prepared to integrate AI into their teaching.

The climate of higher education has been undergoing great upheaval over not just the past few years, but the past few months . In particular, we have seen the quick adoption of ChatGPT and the vast changes this technology has inspired in our courses.

As with many past disruptive technologies, ChatGPT has inspired great uncertainty, even fear and trepidation, among faculty. But I don’t think these are appropriate responses. On the contrary, I look upon these changes with a sense of optimism. And excitement. I believe that, as academics, we must take to heart the quote often ascribed to management guru Peter Drucker: “Innovate or die.”

With that idea in mind, I want to share my experiences and those of my colleagues here at Gies College of Business at the University of Illinois Urbana–Champaign. Our approach to adopting artificial intelligence (AI) illustrates how we can embrace new technologies and prepare students for what they will encounter in their future careers.

A Career Foc used on ‘What’s Next’

My background is perhaps quite different from many people who teach business courses. It has been one of using technology, embracing innovation, and celebrating curiosity.

I am currently the associate dean for innovation, chief disruption officer, and professor of accountancy at Gies Business. But my academic training was not in business; it was in astronomy. I started my career by working on the Sloan Digital Sky Survey , a long-term project that mapped a large fraction of the night sky. During this experience, I worked primarily with big data and machine learning. Later, I accepted a position as a professor in the Department of Astronomy at the University of Illinois, where I also worked with the National Center for Supercomputing Applications .  

In 2017, I moved to Gies College of Business because I thought its programs provided a unique opportunity. Business school administrators and educators could use the university’s strengths in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) as opportunities to really think about what is over the next hill. We could explore important questions, such as what major impacts forthcoming innovations will have on business and society. As director of the University of Illinois–Deloitte Foundation Center for Business Analytics at that time, I could contribute to how our college was educating its students and preparing its stakeholders for the future.

Originally, my role centered primarily around data analytics. But even then, administrators at Gies were thinking about bigger opportunities that were starting to take shape.

What Do We Mean by Artificial Intelligence?

Now, as the college’s chief disruption officer, I’m helping faculty make sense of the impact that other disruptive technologies, such as AI, are having on business. As we discuss the implications and capabilities of AI, it’s natural that we evaluate it through the lens of human intelligence. Consider the people we know or meet during the day. Through our interactions with them, can we gauge their levels of intelligence? Can we know, based on our perceptions of their intelligence, what it means for them to be human?

For this, people most often look to the Turing Test, which was actually called the imitation game by creator Alan Turing. Simply stated, the test asks a human being to converse with both an artificial entity such as a computer and another human, separated from each by a wall. If the human test subject cannot differentiate the responses of the AI from those of the human, we would consider that AI to be intelligent.

We are now in our own 21st-century version of the Turing Test as we interact with ChatGPT. Such platforms promise to be the most impactful technologies we have seen in recent times.

The Usefulness of ChatGPT

We can consider AI technology from two different perspectives. First, we can view its interactive interface as an amazing way to converse with some sort of artificial intelligence. In this respect,   it does seem to be approaching the point of “winning” Turing’s imitation game.

Second, we can recognize that ChatGPT is a generative tool based on a large language model (LLM) that has been “trained” by scraping a huge amount of data from the internet. When we type prompts into interfaces such as ChatGPT, the AI then uses that text to start inferring its answer. When we see the answer, we can give it a thumbs up or thumbs down on how well it answered our prompt. The system will use this feedback to continue to improve the LLM over time, not just for each individual user but for the entire population of people using the same model.

In other words, ChatGPT is basically a propagating, self-training imitation game that’s just going to keep getting better at answering questions more quickly, in ways that make users happy. And this is just the beginning. We are already seeing new ways to interact with LLMs via audio and video in multimodal interactions that closely imitate how humans interact with each other.

Eventually, I believe these types of technologies will blend into the background as they become ingrained into our everyday life, in much the same way as email, text messages, web search, or social media are now no longer considered magical . The next step in the technology’s evolution could involve wearable devices that record our lives to allow an AI to help us deal with information in new and more powerful ways.

Teaching With AI

At Gies, I created an emerging technology course that I now have taught for the last four years. I tell each cohort of students that we are not teaching them to predict the future—that’s a fool’s errand. Instead, we are trying to teach them how to predict possible scenarios. If they know what the possible scenarios are, they can better prepare themselves—and their companies—for those outcomes.

The course is built so that the students don’t just learn about these emerging technologies; they actually must use them as part of their assessments. Thus, we teach the students what AI can and can’t do. We ask students to use AI such as ChatGPT to develop answers for some assignments, as part of the assignment rubric.

However, we don’t want them to just use an AI platform once and say, “Here’s my essay.” Instead, we require them to examine the process of using the technology. What prompts did they use? How did changing the prompts change the responses they received? How much do they trust those responses?

To help them answer these questions, we include peer grading in these assignments. In this case, it’s not about grading someone else’s work as much as it’s about seeing how different students approached the problem at hand. It can be extremely useful for students to know what prompts their peers used to receive their results.

Other faculty at Gies College are also bringing AI into their courses. For example, in IT for Networked Organizations, my colleague Vishal Sachdev developed a bot to serve as a support to students. It is intended to act like a member of the classroom, but with better memory. Based on the course syllabus, this bot helps students become familiar with the basic outline of the course.

Next, Sachdev developed a new bot with the same back-end infrastructure as the first. He trained this one with assignment instructions, a model submission, a rubric, and guidelines on how to respond to students. This bot can provide critiques to student submissions, feedback on possible missing elements in assignments and problems with word length, and guidance on whether students have sufficiently answered the assignment’s question.

We also have a Teaching and Learning team that supports both our in-person and online programs, examines available educational technologies, and provides faculty with guidance and leadership on how the newest edtech can be brought into the classroom. For the past couple of years, in conjunction with our Disruption Lab, our Teaching and Learning team has hosted monthly Zoom coffee hour meetings called Teaching with Innovative Technologies.  During these meetings, Gies faculty share their experiences implementing specific technologies, including AI, in their courses—whether they’ve streamlined their grading with AI or have used chatbots to engage their students. These conversations are opportunities for our faculty to discuss the benefits AI tools can bring to the classroom.

Tips and Techniques

There are a few things I would suggest to others who are interested in bringing AI into their classrooms:

Know that there is a learning curve. Using an AI interface is not as simple as typing text into a Word file. At least not yet. You’ve probably heard about prompt engineering, which is crafting the best prompt to get ChatGPT to write something that is as close as possible to what you want. Many people are out there offering to teach people how to get better at this, but we have to be careful—not all of this training is relevant to higher education, or even useful.

Be willing to experiment. You likely will fail at the start, but don’t stop testing the boundaries of the technology. The beauty of using these tools is that they don’t complain if you ask them to do the same thing over and over. To get good at using AI platforms, you’re going to have to spend time with them to understand how they work and learn how to use them in your courses.

Don’t be afraid to try it in unexpected contexts. AI might be of value in areas where you thought it wouldn’t be helpful! One thing that most surprised me was how well—and how amazingly quickly—these tools could generate quiz questions based on content that I wrote for the course. This addresses one of the tasks I find to be the biggest drudgery of teaching: creating quizzes. Now, I can use ChatGPT (or another AI tool) to create 25 questions, and then I can pick the best 10 questions and edit them as needed.

With a little prompt engineering, you can customize the results. You can tell ChatGPT that you want two answers that are right, or you can ask it to generate one right answer along with an explanation tailored to the level of your students. It also will generate different answers with potential rubrics and explanations for why each answer is correct. Used this way, the tool provides a huge time savings.

Be open to new possibilities. If you think about it, it’s really amazing what generative AI platforms can do. But if you’re not open to trying them   in new ways, you miss the opportunities and risk missing out.

Bigger Things on the Horizon

As academics, we must be open to even bigger things coming. Earlier, I mentioned AI video generation. While it’s not to the point that I would blindly trust AI to create new video content, we are using it to create opening videos for a MOOC I am preparing. And we are starting to look at how AI can be used to translate existing video content into new languages, all while maintaining my voice and mannerisms.

In the end, we must work with these technologies ourselves to prepare our students for the new business world to come. If our students aren’t ready for what the future holds, they could quickly become obsolete in important ways that we may not fully understand right now.

The takeaway is, if we as faculty are not staying abreast of disruptive technologies such as AI, we will face an even bigger task down the line. In short, as the famous quote says, innovate or die.

AUTHOR Robert Brunner , Associate Dean for Innovation and Chief Disruption Officer and Professor of Accountancy, Gies College of Business, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

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