How to Start an Essay With a Quote: 14 Steps (with Pictures).
Aside from limiting range of expression, starting with a quote requires attribution (crediting the source of the quote) which may cause the reader to look aside, to a footnote or a bibliography, during that important first moment with your essay.
Sometimes, the quotes you want to use in your essay will be longer than 20 words, which means that you will need to introduce it with a colon, remove quote marks, and then indent the quote. Before you just start resorting to quotes this long, you need to ask yourself if it really contributes to the essay argument.
Start with a specific quote in the first sentence of your essay. In some cases, you could be assigned a quote that you will need to research concerning the author's background. This will provide an idea about that person which is important if you want to have an effective essay.
Never allow the quotation to do your work for you. Usually you will want to keep the quotation and your analysis together in the same paragraph. Hence it is a good idea to avoid ending a paragraph with a quotation. But if your analysis is lengthy, you may want to break it into several paragraphs, beginning afresh after the quotation.
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.
Here’s my 5 essential tips on how to write an essay about a quote: 1. Select your Quote Wisely (If you get to choose the Quote!) Okay, so sometimes you’re asked to choose a quote and write an essay about it. Other times your teacher gives you the quote and you have to write about the quote they choose.
Also, to begin an essay with a quote right, and keep it short. Long quotes are not welcomed in the academic environment unless necessary. Generally speaking, to start your text with a lengthy quote is a sign of poor writing skills.