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Sentence openers & connectives for Section B: Writing

A practical bank of varied openers, organised by the job they do. Strong, varied openers and connectives are exactly what the writing objectives reward - they show control of structure and sentence variety. Every example here is original and is not taken from any past paper.

Why this matters

WAO1

Communicate appropriately according to form, audience and purpose; organise writing, sequencing and structuring information appropriately and coherently.

WAO2

Communicate meaning in writing through the use of accurate grammar, punctuation and spelling.

Students complete a single writing task that requires extended writing and is related to the theme in Section A.

The opener bank

Sequencing

Move the reader through events or steps in order.

To begin with, the harbour was still and grey.
Moments later, a gull screamed overhead.
Before long, the tide had turned against us.
Once the rope was secured, the work could finally start.
In the hours that followed, the wind never once dropped.
By the time the sun rose, the storm had moved on.
At last, the lighthouse beam swept across the water.

Usage note

Use these to control the order of a recount or narrative. Vary them - a paragraph that opens "Then… Then… Then…" feels flat and earns no credit for organisation.

Adding

Layer extra ideas or detail onto a point.

Furthermore, the path had crumbled into the sea.
In addition, the maps we carried were years out of date.
What is more, nobody had warned us about the current.
Equally, the boat itself was in no state to sail.
Alongside this, the radio had stopped working entirely.
Not only that, but our supplies were already running low.
Beyond the obvious danger, there was the cold to consider.

Usage note

These build a point without starting a brand-new sentence with "And". Place a comma after the opener when it introduces the main clause.

Contrasting

Signal a turn, a difference or an objection.

However, the calm did not last.
On the other hand, staying behind felt just as risky.
In contrast, the older sailors seemed entirely unworried.
Despite the warnings, she untied the boat anyway.
Even so, something kept pulling me towards the cliff.
Yet for all the noise, the village slept on.
Whereas the harbour was sheltered, the open water was not.

Usage note

Use a contrasting opener to pivot the argument or surprise the reader. In persuasive and argumentative writing these mark the strongest moves.

Causal

Show why something happens or what follows from it.

As a result, the rescue had to be called off.
Consequently, we were stranded until morning.
Because the engine had failed, every plan changed at once.
For this reason, the captain refused to leave the dock.
Since the bridge was gone, the only route was the river.
Owing to the fog, the search party turned back.
Therefore, waiting was the only sensible choice left.

Usage note

Causal openers make reasoning explicit, which the writing objective rewards. Match cause to consequence clearly so the logic never wobbles.

Emphasising

Make the reader stop and weigh a key idea.

Above all, the silence was what frightened me.
Indeed, no one had ever survived that crossing alone.
In fact, the danger had been there from the very first hour.
Crucially, the lamp still worked when nothing else did.
What mattered most was that everyone reached the shore.
Without question, that night changed how I saw the sea.
More than anything, I remember how quickly it all happened.

Usage note

Use sparingly: an emphasising opener loses its force if every sentence claims to be the most important. Save it for the point that truly matters.

Concluding

Draw the threads together and land the final impression.

In the end, the lighthouse had saved us after all.
Looking back, I would not have changed a single decision.
Ultimately, the storm taught the village to listen.
All things considered, we had been remarkably lucky.
To conclude, the sea gives and the sea takes without warning.
For all these reasons, the harbour wall was rebuilt that spring.
In short, no one took the tide for granted again.

Usage note

Reserve these for the closing paragraph. A clear concluding opener signals deliberate structure and helps the ending feel controlled rather than abrupt.

Descriptive scene-setting

Open a paragraph by placing the reader inside the moment.

Far out beyond the rocks, the water lay like dark glass.
Under a bruised sky, the gulls had already gone quiet.
Salt hung in the air long before the harbour came into view.
Through the gap in the cliffs, a thin grey light was rising.
Where the path met the shore, the sand had turned to stone.
Somewhere below, the engine of a small boat coughed and died.
All along the seawall, lanterns flickered against the wind.

Usage note

Lead with place, time, weather or a sensory detail to ground description before any action begins. Strong in narrative and descriptive forms.

Vary your openers: before & after

The same five events told two ways. The first version repeats the same subject-first opener every time and reads as a list. The second varies the opener for each sentence using the bank above, giving the writing rhythm and a sense of deliberate structure.

Before - every sentence opens the same way

The boy walked to the harbour.

The boy saw the storm coming.

The boy ran home.

The boy told his family.

The boy waited for the morning.

After - openers varied by job

Early that morning, the boy walked down to the harbour.

Before long, he saw the storm building far out at sea.

Without waiting, he ran the whole way home.

As soon as he reached the door, he told his family everything.

In the end, all he could do was wait for the morning.

Home · KS3 · iLowerSecondary English · Reference · Sentence openers

Sentence openers & connectives for Section B: Writing

Why this matters

WAO1

Communicate appropriately according to form, audience and purpose; organise writing, sequencing and structuring information appropriately and coherently.

WAO2

Communicate meaning in writing through the use of accurate grammar, punctuation and spelling.

Students complete a single writing task that requires extended writing and is related to the theme in Section A.

The opener bank

Sequencing

Move the reader through events or steps in order.

To begin with, the harbour was still and grey.
Moments later, a gull screamed overhead.
Before long, the tide had turned against us.
Once the rope was secured, the work could finally start.
In the hours that followed, the wind never once dropped.
By the time the sun rose, the storm had moved on.
At last, the lighthouse beam swept across the water.

Usage note

Use these to control the order of a recount or narrative. Vary them - a paragraph that opens "Then… Then… Then…" feels flat and earns no credit for organisation.

Adding

Layer extra ideas or detail onto a point.

Furthermore, the path had crumbled into the sea.
In addition, the maps we carried were years out of date.
What is more, nobody had warned us about the current.
Equally, the boat itself was in no state to sail.
Alongside this, the radio had stopped working entirely.
Not only that, but our supplies were already running low.
Beyond the obvious danger, there was the cold to consider.

Usage note

These build a point without starting a brand-new sentence with "And". Place a comma after the opener when it introduces the main clause.

Contrasting

Signal a turn, a difference or an objection.

However, the calm did not last.
On the other hand, staying behind felt just as risky.
In contrast, the older sailors seemed entirely unworried.
Despite the warnings, she untied the boat anyway.
Even so, something kept pulling me towards the cliff.
Yet for all the noise, the village slept on.
Whereas the harbour was sheltered, the open water was not.

Usage note

Use a contrasting opener to pivot the argument or surprise the reader. In persuasive and argumentative writing these mark the strongest moves.

Causal

Show why something happens or what follows from it.

As a result, the rescue had to be called off.
Consequently, we were stranded until morning.
Because the engine had failed, every plan changed at once.
For this reason, the captain refused to leave the dock.
Since the bridge was gone, the only route was the river.
Owing to the fog, the search party turned back.
Therefore, waiting was the only sensible choice left.

Usage note

Causal openers make reasoning explicit, which the writing objective rewards. Match cause to consequence clearly so the logic never wobbles.

Emphasising

Make the reader stop and weigh a key idea.

Above all, the silence was what frightened me.
Indeed, no one had ever survived that crossing alone.
In fact, the danger had been there from the very first hour.
Crucially, the lamp still worked when nothing else did.
What mattered most was that everyone reached the shore.
Without question, that night changed how I saw the sea.
More than anything, I remember how quickly it all happened.

Usage note

Use sparingly: an emphasising opener loses its force if every sentence claims to be the most important. Save it for the point that truly matters.

Concluding

Draw the threads together and land the final impression.

In the end, the lighthouse had saved us after all.
Looking back, I would not have changed a single decision.
Ultimately, the storm taught the village to listen.
All things considered, we had been remarkably lucky.
To conclude, the sea gives and the sea takes without warning.
For all these reasons, the harbour wall was rebuilt that spring.
In short, no one took the tide for granted again.

Usage note

Reserve these for the closing paragraph. A clear concluding opener signals deliberate structure and helps the ending feel controlled rather than abrupt.

Descriptive scene-setting

Open a paragraph by placing the reader inside the moment.

Far out beyond the rocks, the water lay like dark glass.
Under a bruised sky, the gulls had already gone quiet.
Salt hung in the air long before the harbour came into view.
Through the gap in the cliffs, a thin grey light was rising.
Where the path met the shore, the sand had turned to stone.
Somewhere below, the engine of a small boat coughed and died.
All along the seawall, lanterns flickered against the wind.

Usage note

Lead with place, time, weather or a sensory detail to ground description before any action begins. Strong in narrative and descriptive forms.

Vary your openers: before & after

Before - every sentence opens the same way

The boy walked to the harbour.

The boy saw the storm coming.

The boy ran home.

The boy told his family.

The boy waited for the morning.

After - openers varied by job

Early that morning, the boy walked down to the harbour.

Before long, he saw the storm building far out at sea.

Without waiting, he ran the whole way home.

As soon as he reached the door, he told his family everything.

In the end, all he could do was wait for the morning.

iLowerSecondary English sentence openers & connectives · iLowerSecondary English · The English Hub