Essay lead ins examples

How to write a lead sentence or paragraph: Top 10 do’s 1. Determine your hook. 2. Be clear and succinct. 3. Write in the active voice. 4. Address the reader as “you.” 5. Put attribution second. 6. Go short and punchy. 7. If you’re stuck, find a relevant stat. 8. Or, start with a story. 9. Borrow this literary tactic.

The lead should capture the essence of the who, what, when, where, why and how — but without giving away the entire show. Funny thing about this blog post: When I sat down to write it, it dawned on me that I was trying to write a good lead for a post about how to write a good lead. That sure sent me down a rabbit hole.

Put simply, a lead sentence is a sentence that summarizes an essay, a section of an essay, or a paragraph perfectly.

A lot is hinging on your lead, because from it readers will decide to continue investing time and brain power in your content or jump ship. And, dare I say, a compelling lead is even more important in today’s rapid-fire digitalized world, where we have notoriously short attention spans and even less patience.