Beautiful phrases for an essay in English. Introductory phrases for an essay. Phrases that add new arguments

26.11.2019

Dear Guest! Writing an essay in English is not so difficult if you understand what is checked in this type of work, except for grammatical and spelling errors. But let's start in order. There are two types of essays: an essay with arguments "for" and "against" and an essay with elements of reasoning. Recently, essays of the first type have been removed from the written part of the exam, and therefore this article will focus on an essay with elements of reasoning or"opinion-composition" (an essay expressing a personal opinion). The maximum score for an essay is 14 points.

From this article you will learn:

The first thing that matters is essay structure. A good essay is divided into 4 paragraphs. If you carefully read the task BELOW, you will see what these paragraphs are:

note that there are 5 points in the plan for the task, and four paragraphs. As a rule, the fifth paragraph does not contain much information, because you have already disclosed your point of view in paragraph 2, so it turns out to be short. It is better to combine the fourth and fifth paragraph of the plan into one paragraph.

Essay structure in English

1) Introduction (introduction) 2) Your informed opinion (2-3 arguments in defense of your point of view, one should be disclosed more fully) 3) Reasoned opinion of other people on the problem raised in the essay (1-2 arguments) and one more of your counterarguments (why do you disagree with them) 4) Conclusion (conclusion)

THIS IS IMPORTANT essay should ideally be 250 words (minimum 180), then the volume of paragraphs is approximately the following:

introduction - 50 words main body (second paragraph) - 80 words main body (third paragraph) - 70 words conclusion - 50 words

It does not follow from this, however, that words must be counted. In no case! This will take time, and on the exam every minute counts. You just have to understand that the introduction and conclusion are approximately the same in volume, and the second paragraph of an ideal essay is equal to the third. But this is ideal, in reality, of course, everything goes as it goes ...

So your essay consists of 4 paragraphs, and you are about to proceed with the first, which is the introduction. First, read the task carefully and try to understand the essence of the problem. To be honest, it was easier to write an essay before, since the task itself already spoke about the dual nature of the problem, and for the introduction it was necessary to simply rephrase the task in other words. Now you have to do it yourself. Let's get back to the task (taken from the USE task bank from the FIPI website):
The task is extremely short and there is nothing special to paraphrase. So, then let's put the writing of the introduction aside for now and start THINKING!

So, how to write an essay in English?

STEP 1. The first thing to do is to make your own point of view. And try to be categorical. That is, in this particular example, you would say: Yes, I believe that extreme sports help the formation of character (+). OR Not, I do not believe that extreme sports help the formation of character (-)

Then you take a draft and write your arguments.

Yes, I believe that extreme sports help the formation of character, because 1) 2) 3) You can write arguments on a draft in both Russian and English. This will be the outline for your second paragraph. EXAMPLE- STEP 2. Similarly, you write down on a draft the arguments of people who think differently. 1) 2) 3) this item may not be This will be the outline for your third paragraph. EXAMPLE So, you wrote the arguments on the draft, and the most important THOUGHT on this topic. Now you already know what to write in the introduction? STEP 3. Now we write the introduction to the draft. Here are the phrases to use.

Essay phrases (introduction)

In an introduction, it's good to start with a general introduction to the topic and use the following phrases. Also, already in the introduction, it is desirable to indicate the dual nature of the problem (that is, two opposite points of view "+" and "-"), using unions: though-although, yet- nevertheless, etc.

An example of an introduction to an essay in English on the topic "Extreme Sports" (three options):

In today's world of fierce competition, it is important for young people to get well-prepared for the challenges of the future. Thus sports and extreme sports in particular build character though it is not also without its problems. There is no doubt that living in today's world of fierce competition takes much effort to be successful in life. People have always believed that sport is a good way to help a young person build character. As for extreme sports, they can be regarded as too dangerous and often are criticized. There is no doubt that doing sports is useful both for body and character. almost all people have agreed on this matter. Yet the question of extreme sports is rather controversial and has always been widely discussed in our society.

STEP 4. You wrote an introduction to a draft and corrected it. Now write the introduction on a clean copy. STEP 5. Then you write all essays on a clean copy. Use when linking your arguments into long sentences. At the same time, it is desirable to reveal various aspects of the problem, namely social, economic, moral. STEP 6. Finally, let's move on to the last paragraph - the conclusion.. This is the conclusion, in which you summarize all of the above. In terms of volume, the conclusion is approximately equal to the introduction (about 40-50 words). In conclusion, once again emphasize the inconsistency of the problem and express the hope for finding a compromise or your opinion.

Phrases for an essay (conclusion)

An example of a conclusion to an essay in English on the topic "Extreme sports" (three options):

All and all, extreme sports may arouse mixed feelings but still thousands of young people continue doing them in spite of some risk. One can only hope that they will do them wisely, minimizing the danger and taking full advantage of sports in general.

to sum up, I strongly believe that sports and extreme sports in particular can be regarded as a good way to build character though it is not also without its risks. One can only hope that young people will do them wisely to take full advantage of sports in general.

In conclusion, I can say that every question always has its positive and negative sides and the point is that doing extreme sports young people should be aware of the risk involved. One can only hope that they will do it wisely to minimize the danger and unnecessary risk.

So you've learned write an introduction and conclusion and realized how to write an essay in english (in theory). Now it's up to practice! Practice and write an introduction and conclusion for all essays posted on the FIPI website in the open task bank —> http://www.fipi.ru/content/otkrytyy-bank-zadaniy-ege. Use the suggested methodology to think through topics and arguments in advance. That's all for now! , we will consider in the next article. Good luck everyone!

Respectfully to all your readers, Tatyana Nabeeva

Task 40.

Introduction
"It is common knowledge that ..." - "Everyone knows that ...".
"The / issue / question of ... has always aroused heated / sharp problem disputes / debates / discussions / controversy" - "The problem ... has always caused a lively debate."
“The sight of smb Ving*… is familiar to everyone. But have you ever wondered whether…?” “The sight (of someone doing something) is familiar to everyone. But have you ever wondered… did…?”
“Our modern world is unthinkable / unimaginable / inconceivable without… However, there are plenty of people who believe that it is not necessary / doubt the necessity / importance / use / benefit / good of…” - “Our modern world is unimaginable without… However, there are a lot of people who don't think it's important/question the importance….
"Let's speculate what makes them think so" - "Let's think about what makes them think so."
“There has been a dispute on… Let's speculate who is right: to proponents / defendants / fans of… who claim that… or the opponents / adversaries, who believe in…” (something) who claim that… or opponents who believe in…”.
“…has become an integral / inalienable / imprescriptible part of our life. Let's speculate, however, what stands behind it" - "... has become an integral part of our lives. However, let's think about what's behind it."
"New technology and advances in ... have raised ethical dilemmas" - "New technologies and advances in ... have led to a dilemma that affects the ethical side of this issue."
“…gaining increasing popularity today, many still dispute / doubt / challenge / bring into question / cast doubt on its use for the society” ".
It is often difficult to decide which position to take whenever there is a debate regarding a choice between… and…
"Development in... seems to have had an adversary effect on..." - "Development in... seems to have had the opposite effect on...".

Second paragraph

“I think / I believe / I consider that…” - “I believe / I believe that…”.
"Some opponents of ... might argue / contend that ..." - "Some opponents ... may argue that ...".
"They assume / suppose ..." - "They assume ...".
"I am convinced that ..." - "I am convinced that ...".
"I don't share the above-given view" - "I do not share the above opinion."
"You would probably agree with me that ..." - "You will most likely agree with me that ...".
“To my mind… / In my opinion… / It seems to me that…” - “In my opinion… / It seems to me that…”.
"They look upon it as ..." - "They look at it as ...".
"I can't but agree that ..." - "I cannot but agree that ...".
“They are in favor* of… / They approve of… / They favor…” - “They are for… / They approve…”.
“I am against… / I don't approve of… / I don't support the idea of… / I personally frown on… ... "
“It is said / believed that…” - “It is believed that…”.
"...is believed to V1**" - "It is believed that someone is doing something ...".
“It goes without saying that…” - “It goes without saying that…”.

Third paragraph

However
On the other hand
…. Whereas….

Firstly, ….
Secondly….
Finally,…..

Fourth paragraph

“To a certain extent, it is right, but isn’t there…? / don't smb V1? /…” - “To some extent it is, but doesn’t it exist…? / isn't (someone doesn't do something)."
“To a certain extent, it is right, but we shouldn’t forget that… / we consider should the fact that… / we shouldn’t underestimate… / one shouldn’t disregard… / one should take into account…” - “ To some extent this is true, but we must not forget that ... / we must take into account the fact that ... / we must not underestimate ... / we must not neglect ... / we must take into account ... ".
"However veracious it sounds, I wouldn't agree with the above mentioned idea" - "However true it may sound, I would not agree with the idea mentioned above."
"Defenders of… may be applauded for seeking to V1, but what they propose would in fact seriously damage / decrease / threaten, etc." “You can applaud the defenders…for their attempts (to do something), but what they are proposing is actually seriously harming/reducing/threatening….”
"However, I disagree with these contentions" - "However, I do not agree (sleep) with these points of view."
“While… could lessen / worsen / decrease, etc… this is a small loss that could be offset by…”
“However, this idea cannot go further than being an immature claim because / since…” - “However, this idea cannot be anything but a superficial statement, because…”.
“This point has merit on the surface and could be acceptable to an extent. Yet, serious doubts can be raised against this view when one considers…” - “This view has some advantages on the surface and can be accepted to some extent. At the same time, this idea can be called into question when we consider…”.

Last paragraph
"To conclude / sum up, / in conclusion ..." - "In conclusion ...".
"All in all ..." - "In general ...".
"All things considered ..." - "Given all of the above ...".
“Taking everything into account… / Taking all this into account / consideration…” - “Considering all this…”.
“…is a controversial issue, so it is up to a person whether to V1 or to V’1. Yet, I am convinced that ... "-" ... a controversial issue, so everyone here must decide personally (to do something or not to do something). And yet I am convinced that…”
“Although numerous skeptics frown on… our society need(s)…”
“But to all who… I have only one response: we cannot afford to wait / ignore / neglect / disregard…”

Format and rules for writing an essay “expressing opinion”

The essay “expressing opinion” is written in a formal (business) style.
In this type of essay, you need to express your point of view on a given topic, as well as bring other people's points of view that are opposite to yours and explain why you do not agree with them. Your opinion should be clearly articulated and supported by examples or evidence.
Essay size 200-250 words (minimum 180 words, maximum 275)
The essay should actively use constructions like "In my opinion", "I think", "I believe"
It is necessary to use introductory words and constructions like “On the one hand, on the other hand”…, linking words (Nevertheless, Moreover, Despite…)
It is forbidden to use abbreviations, such as “I’m”, “they’re”, “don’t”, “can’t” (otherwise the score for organizing the composition will be reduced)
The “expressing opinion” essay has a strict structure, changing which when writing an essay will lead to a decrease in the score. The essay “expressing opinion” consists of 4 paragraphs:

1) Introduction(introduction)

In the introduction, it is necessary to clearly formulate the topic-problem, indicating that there are two opposite points of view on the problem (Some people claim that mobile phones are very useful devices while others argue that life could be less stressful without them.) and express your opinion without using too many personal designs
However, the first sentence should not repeat word for word the given topic of the essay. Recommended end of the first paragraph: Now I would like to express my point of view on the problem of …

2) Main body

1 paragraph. Give 2-3 arguments supporting your point of view, supporting them with examples or evidence.
In the second paragraph, you should stick to only ONE point of view, for example: Mobile phones in my opinion are very useful devices. OR I consider the mobile phone to be a harmful and useless invention.
It is necessary to give 2-3 arguments with evidence to support your own opinion

2 paragraph. Give opposing points of view (1-2), and explain why you do not agree with them. Example: However, some people think that mobile phones not only keep you in touch with your relatives and friends but also provide you with a great number of facilities. I can't agree with this statement because…
Your counterarguments to other people's opinions should not repeat the 2nd paragraph.

3) Conclusion (conclusion)

It is necessary to conclude, referring to the topic given in the 1st paragraph, that there are 2 points of view on the problem, and also to confirm your own point of view.
For example: “There are different points of view on this problem. I think that…” or “Taking everything into consideration, there are two different points of view on this problem. I believe that…

Useful vocabulary for composition"expressing opinion"

1 paragraph Introductory phrases

It is popularly believed that….
People often claim that... Some people argue that…
A lot of people think that…
It is often suggested /believed that…
Many people are in favor of the idea that... Many people are convinced that...
Some people are against…

2 paragraph. Phrases expressing your point of view:

I would like to explain my point of view on this situation.
I would like to express my opinion on this problem.

Phrases characterizing the advantages of the problem under discussion:

As already stated I’m in favor of… for a number of reasons…
There are many things to be said in favor of…
The best/thing about……. is…

Phrases listing points of view:

Firstly, /First of all….
In the first place
To start with, / To begin with,
Secondly, Thirdly, Finally,
Last but not least

Phrases that add new arguments:

Furthermore, /Moreover, /What is more,
As well as…. /In addition to this/that…
Besides, /…….also….
Not only…., but…… as well.
Apart from this/that….
not to mention the fact that

3 paragraph.

Some people understand that… however they fail to that…
they fail to consider that… they forget that…
Some people argue that…. I can't agree with it as...
I disagree with this point of view (statement, opinion) because …
It has become fashionable for some people to argue that…
Contrary to what most people believe, I think that…
As opposed to the above ideas…I believe that…

4 paragraph. Closing phrases:

in conclusion,
on the whole,
to conclude,
to sum up,
all in all,
All things considered
finally,
lastly,
taking everything into account,
Taking everything into consideration

Expression of personal opinion:

In my opinion this subject is very controversial
In my view…
To my mind…
To my way of thinking…
Personally I believe that…
I feel strongly that…
It seems to me that…
As far as I am concerned…

Criteria for assessing the performance of tasks С2

Solving a communicative problem (CONTENTS)	ORGANIZATION OF THE TEXT		Grammar	Spelling and punctuation

The task was completed in full: the content reflects all the aspects specified in the task; the stylistic design of the speech is chosen correctly, taking into account the purpose of the statement and the addressee; the norms of politeness accepted in the language are observed.	The statement is logical: the means of logical connection are chosen correctly; the text is divided into paragraphs; the format of the statement is chosen correctly	The vocabulary used is appropriate for the task at hand; there are practically no violations in the use of vocabulary. (1-2 mistakes)	Grammar structures are used in accordance with the task. Virtually no errors. (1-2 mistakes)
Assignment completed: some aspects specified in the assignment are not fully disclosed; there are separate violations of the style of speech; the norms of politeness accepted in the language are mostly observed	The statement is basically logical; there are some shortcomings in the use of logical links; there are some shortcomings in dividing the text into paragraphs; there are some violations of the format of the statement	The vocabulary used corresponds to the task, but there are some inaccuracies in the use of words or the vocabulary is limited. But the vocabulary is used correctly (3-7 mistakes)	There are a number of grammatical errors that do not make it difficult to understand the text (3-7 mistakes)	There are practically no spelling errors. The text is divided into sentences with correct punctuation (1-2 mistakes)
The task was not completed completely: the content does not reflect all the aspects indicated in the task; style violations are common; generally the norms of politeness accepted in the language are not observed	The statement is not always logical: there are shortcomings or errors in the use of logical connection means, their choice is limited; division of the text into paragraphs is illogical or absent; there are numerous errors in the format of the statement	Unnecessarily limited vocabulary used; there are often violations in the use of vocabulary, some of which may make it difficult to understand the text	Either elementary-level errors are common, or the errors are few but make the text difficult to understand. (8-12 errors)	There are a number of spelling or punctuation errors that make it difficult to understand the text (3-10 mistakes)
The task was not completed: the content does not reflect the aspects indicated in the task, or does not correspond to the required volume (200-250 words) Note: the minimum number of words is 180, the maximum is 275. If there are 179 words in the essay - “0” for the content, if there are more than 276 words, then only 250 words from the beginning are checked.	There is no logic in the construction of the statement; the format of the statement is not respected	Extremely limited vocabulary does not allow you to complete the task (cannot be set if there is no "0" for the content)	Grammar rules are not followed (more than 12 errors)	Spelling and punctuation rules are not respected Over 10 bugs

Essay Sample

many cities in Europe do everything to promote bicycles as an ecologically clean type of transportation; however the governor of St. Petersburg signed a decree according to which bicycles will not be allowed in the city centre.

Do you agree that bicycles should be banned in the center of St. Petersburg?

Write 200-250 words

Use the following plan:

1.Introduction. (state the problem)

2. Express your opinion and give reasons for it.

3. Give other people's arguments and explain why they are wrong.

4. Make a conclusion

In European cities people ride bicycles a lot because they are aware that bikes help to save fuel and reduce pollution in cities. However, the governor of Saint-Petersburg decided to ban bicycles in the city center and I fully agree with it. I would like to explain my point of view on it.

In my opinion, the governor is absolutely right. In the first place, our roads are not adapted for biking as in Europe; they are too narrow and there are no separate lanes for bicycles. Bikes do not help the traffic situation but even sometimes make it worse as bicyclists often break traffic rules and cause accidents. In addition, the weather in St. Petersburg is not good for bicycle commuting. In winter roads are covered with ice, in autumn and in spring rains are frequent and roads are wet, so it is very difficult for cyclists to move.

On the other hand, some say that bikes are undoubtedly useful for our health, I can not agree with it completely as there are a lot of road accidents where cyclists are injured. Some people may argue that bikes are ecologically clean, but you can also put special purifying facilities on cars which are faster and more comfortable as transport.

To sum up, there are different points of view on this problem. I believe that bicycles should be banned in the city center where streets are not specially created for them. As I see it, a bike is a kind of transport for short trips in the countryside.

USE in English. Letter. Task C2. Video lesson.

Introductory phrases and insert words exist in any language. Such phrases help start a conversation, link parts of a conversation, parts of a sentence, thoughts and ideas to each other. Introductory phrases and words in English help to give emotional and semantic coloring to speech, make speech more expressive and rich. Such expressions can convey the attitude of the speaker to the statement. Examples of using introductory words and phrases in English

Knowing the introductory phrases and interjections in English will be very useful for those who are learning this language, because it will help the beginner to improve his language skills. Today we will look at the most common and frequently encountered introductory phrases in English, the so-called clichés, and their use in speech.

What are these English introductory phrases?

Introductory phrases are called introductory phrases because the sentence begins with them, and they do not play any grammatical or semantic role in the sentence. Such expressions enhance the emotionality and expressiveness of the statement, but if they are discarded, then the meaning of the sentence will not change in any way.

Here are the main clichés with examples that will help you diversify your English speech:

Moreover, …- Furthermore…
Tom is absent today, moreover, he is ill. Tom is absent today, moreover, he is ill.
Most of all, …- Most…
Most of all I like ice-cream. - Most of all I like ice cream.
It is important to know that … It's important to know that...
It is important to know that this question needs an urge decision. It is important to know that this issue needs to be resolved as soon as possible.
It is important to remember that … It's important to remember that...
It is important to remember that we have no time to be late, nobody will wait for us. — It is important to remember that we do not have time to be late, because no one will be waiting for us.
In conclusion… In conclusion... As a conclusion...
In conclusion I'd like to say that you've done a great job. In conclusion, I would like to say that you have done an excellent job.
After all, …- Finally…
I am sick and tired of this conversation, and after all, it's late, it's time to go home. - I'm tired of this conversation, and in the end, it's already late, it's time to go home.
In any case, … / Anyway, … / Either way, …“In any case…, still…
In any case, we should prevent him. Anyway he must know about the problem. “Anyway, we should warn him. Still, he should be aware of the problem.
Actually,…“Actually…
Actually Tom didn't know about the problem, so he isn't guilty. Actually, Tom didn't know about the problem, it's not his fault.
Happy…- Fortunately…
Tom is late. Fortunately, we didn't manage to begin the conference. Tom is late. Fortunately, we have not started the conference yet.
Unfortunately…- Unfortunately…
Unfortunately, I didn't finish my homework. Unfortunately, I didn't finish my homework.
Firstly…“First, first…
Let's begin. Firstly, I want to ask you some questions. - Let's start. First I would like to ask you a few questions.
Instead of…- Instead of…
Instead of watching TV now, you'd wash up. Instead of watching TV now, you should wash the dishes.
In the first place, …- At the first place…
In the first place we must finish our work for today. “First of all, we must finish our work for today.
From time to time, …- Occasionally…
Do you often see Alex? Yes, from time to time he visits me. Do you see Alex often? Yes, he visits me from time to time.
As a result of …- As a result of...
As a result of what is done, we have a great job. “As a result of what has been done, we have done a good job.
Indeed, …“Actually, actually…
Indeed, I need you. “Actually, I need you. Also in the proverb A friend in need is a friend indeed. - A friend in need is known (literally: a friend in need is really a friend).
In order to …- In order to, in order to ...
In order to manage everything, you should plan your day. To be successful, you must plan your day.
In other words, …- In other words…
She doesn't want to finish her task, in other words, she is lazy. She doesn't want to finish her work, in other words, she's lazy.

Popular introductory clichés in English speech

More English introductory clichés

Of course, there are a lot of expressions in the English language that do not play any grammatical role in the sentence, but lexically enrich and decorate speech:

It seems that…- It seems that…
It is cloudy and windy outside. It seems to me that it will rain. — It is cloudy and windy outside. I think it will rain.
In short, …- Briefly speaking…
I am not sure he understood the problem. In short, he didn't understand anything. I'm not sure he understood what the problem was. In short, he did not understand anything.
Besides, …- Besides…
I am very tired; besides, I think that I've caught a cold. I'm very tired, besides, I think I've caught a cold.
In addition,…“Besides, besides…
We have a lot of work. In addition, we must finish it till Sunday. — We have a lot of work. Besides. we have to finish it before sunday.
By the way, … By the way, by the way...
By the way, did you pay for the internet? By the way, did you pay for the Internet?
However,…“Nevertheless, still…
I've finished my article; however, I have some details. - I have finished my article, however, there are still some details left.
Frankly speaking, …- Honestly…
Frankly speaking, I don't believe him. “Honestly, I don't believe him.
In my opinion, … In my opinion, in my opinion...
In my opinion, Alex is a very sincere man. — In my opinion, Alex is a very sincere person.
At first, ... / First, ...- First, first...
Can I take your car? At first, I must speak with my parents. — Can I take your car? First I have to talk to my parents.
First of all, …- Primarily…
I want to be a doctor. But first of all, I must finish the school. - I want to be a doctor. But first of all I have to finish school.
Let us/Let's/Let me…- Allow me, let's...
Let me see your documents. Let me see your papers.
On the one hand, …, on the other hand, …- On the one hand on the other hand…
On the one hand this question is very important, but on the other hand it can wait.- On the one hand, this question is very important, on the other hand, it can wait.
Also, …- Also…
I've bought some dresses for my daughter; also I've bought a skirt for me. — I bought some dresses for my daughter, I also bought a skirt for myself.
Nevertheless, …“Nevertheless, despite…
Nevertheless, Ann is late, we'll begin without her. Even though Anna is late, we will start without her.
I would rather…- I would prefer…
I would rather finish this exercise. — I'd rather finish this exercise.
I would like to…- I would like to…
I would like ice cream with fruits. — I'd like ice cream sundae.
I think, … / I believe, … / I guess, …/I consider… I think, I think, I guess...
I consider that our planet needs protection. “I think our planet needs protection.
Maybe...- May be…
Tom didn't come to our party. Maybe he is ill. Tom didn't come to our party. Maybe he got sick.
Probably...- Probably…
Probably Kate will win the contest. - Probably, Katya will win this competition.
It's possible that…- It is possible that...
I can't connect the internet. It's possible that our computer is broken. I can't access the internet, maybe our computer is broken.

So, these were the main introductory phrases and plug-in constructions in English. We hope that these simple clichés and expressions will help you connect sentences as you speak.

The goal of learning written English can be different for everyone: someone has to pass international exams, where they need to pass the written part, someone needs to write letters for work, and someone wants to blog in English. Introductory phrases for writing an essay in English, which we will consider today, will also be needed in order to beautifully express your opinion orally.

Before we begin, I want to give a little recommendation that may seem obvious, but many neglect it: before writing an essay or letter, make a plan. A lot of students consider this optional, but a clear plan will help indicate what questions you want to cover in the essay. For example, if you are writing an essay for an exam, the assignment itself can be very voluminous, and it is very easy to not reveal one of the questions posed, simply because you are immersed in your own thoughts and forgot about it. The plan also helps to reduce the time for reflection and start writing faster. For me, the hardest part of writing an essay is getting started writing it. The given topic can be so alien to me that I have a question: what actually can be written here? Or, on the contrary, there can be so many different thoughts on a given question that I am lost, where is it better to start, and how to put all this mess in my head into a beautiful structured text, and invest in a given word limit. In this case, the plan helps me a lot. After spending 5 minutes writing it, I already know where to start and how to continue.

The phrases that we have given below will help you start your thought competently, and win a few correctly spelled words if you are writing an essay specifically for the exam.

What can be written in the first paragraph of an essay in English:

Starting to write an essay, it is important to voice the problem statement, and it is also worth noting what position you take on this issue. You do not need to disclose your opinion in the first paragraph in full, just express it in general terms. For example, you need to express your opinion about what kind of rest is better: passive or active. Then you can start your essay like this:

Most people think that the best way to spend their vacation is to lie on the beach and do nothing, but in my opinion, the more active you are — the more energy you will have.

Most people think that the best way to spend a vacation is to lie on the beach and do nothing, but I personally think that the more active you are, the more energy you will have.
In this paragraph, you only express your opinion in general terms. Why do you think so - you will write in the next paragraph.

Now let's move on to phrases that can be used in the first paragraph of an essay:

Most people think/suppose/reckon/consider that…

If you're writing an essay for an exam, it's best to replace the word think with synonyms to demonstrate good vocabulary.

Many people believe (any other synonym can be used instead of believe) …., but others don’t agree. - Many people think... but others do not agree with this opinion.
It is generally agreed today that …
Today, with increased frequency - today more and more often ...

Suppose you need to write an essay in which you need to compare live communication with communication in social networks. Then you can start it like this:

Today, with increased frequency, people prefer to tell the news, using their phones, instead of doing it face-to-face.
Today, more and more often, people prefer to tell the news using their phones, instead of doing it face to face.

Consider the following cliché phrases in English:

For the great majority of people ... - for most people ...
We live in a world in which ... - we live in a world in which
They / people often say that ... - people often say that ....

Do not forget that we can replace the word people with they. We can also use they when talking about a person whose gender we do not know. That is, instead of writing ‘she or he’, you can simply write ‘they’.

At the end of the first paragraph, after you have written the introduction, you can summarize your arguments:

Let us consider what the advantages and disadvantages of ... are - let's consider what the advantages and disadvantages are ...
Let's consider some pros and cons of it. Let's take a look at some of the pros and cons.
Let us start by considering some facts. Let's start by looking at some facts.
I suppose we should start by looking at some facts - I suppose we should start by looking at the facts

Here are the arguments for and against:

First of all, it is worth mentioning / highlighting the fact that ... - First of all, it is worth noting / emphasizing the fact that ...
To begin with, ... - Let's start with that ...
Firstly, ... / Secondly, ... / Finally, ... - Firstly, ... / Secondly, ... / Finally, ....
On the one hand…., but on the other hand…. on the one hand... but on the other hand...

Do not forget that if you write 'firstly' (firstly), then you should also write 'secondly' so that the structure of the essay is logical. The same goes for ‘on the one hand’.

One argument in support of - one argument in support
The first thing that needs to be said is - the first thing to say is ...
First and foremost I want to highlight that ... - first of all, I want to emphasize that ...
It is true that ... the truth is that
It is clear that - it is clear that ...
It is undeniable that .. - it cannot be denied that ...
It is a well-known fact that ... - a well-known fact that ...
A number of crucial issues arise from the statement. For example / for instance, ... - This statement touches on many key issues. For example,….
One of the most striking features of this problem is - One of the most striking aspects of this problem ...
Another good thing about … is that … . - the second positive aspect regarding .... - this is what…
What is more, … . - Furthermore…
Besides, - in addition to this ...
What I meant to say is that ... - I meant that ...
Although ... - although ...
In spite of ... - despite ...
In spite of widespread belief that…., in my opinion…. — contrary to popular belief that…., I believe….
Furthermore, one should not forget that .. - moreover, we should not forget that ...
In addition / moreover - in addition
Thus, thus
Nevertheless, one should accept that - Nevertheless, it should be recognized that ...
Perhaps we should also point out the fact that ... - Perhaps we should also point out the fact that ....
It would be unfair not to mention that fact that ... - It would be unfair not to mention the fact that ...
We cannot ignore the fact that … . We cannot ignore the fact that...

You can confirm your opinion by inviting the reader to imagine a certain situation, this can be done using the phrase:

Let us concede that - let's say that ...
We are not warranted in believing .. - we have no reason to believe ...
The most common argument against this is that ... - the most common argument against this is that ...

Synonyms for think

We already wrote above that it is better to replace the word 'think' with synonyms so that the speech looks richer.

I believe ... - it should be remembered that believe can mean not only "believe", but also think, believe, be convinced. This word means your confidence in a particular issue.

You can enhance the effect by saying:

I strongly believe ... - I firmly believe
I suppose ... - to believe, to admit ...
In my opinion / On my mind - in my opinion ...
I'm of opinion that ... - I believe that ...
it can believed that - we can assume that
I ween - I think, I think, I hope ..
As I can judge ... - as far as I can judge ...

We refer to the opinion of experts

Many teachers advise, when possible, to support their arguments with the opinion of experts.

We can’t be dismissive of experts’ opinion… — we cannot neglect the opinion of experts…
Experts in this field have a theory - experts in this field believe that (experts in this field have a theory)
Specialists in this area convinced that ... - specialists in this area are convinced that ...
Experts emphasize that ... - experts emphasize that ...
From these facts, one may conclude that - based on these facts, one can conclude ...
Which seems to confirm the idea that ..

We draw conclusions:

In the last paragraph, it is worth summing up the above, emphasizing your point of view. You can use the following linking words for this:

To sum up what has been said - let's summarize what has been said;

Or you can just write:

To sum up, to summarise - let's summarize, thus
In conclusion, I want to say that although ... - in conclusion, I want to say that although ....
To draw the conclusion, one can say that - Summing up, we can say that
The arguments we have presented prove that - the arguments given prove that ...
So it's up to everybody to decide whether ... or not - everyone must decide for himself ... whether or not.

These introductory phrases for writing an essay in English will help you write high-quality coherent text, as well as express your opinion beautifully. Learn at least some of them - it definitely won't be superfluous :).