一般来说，文章的开头应尽量做到“开门见山”，即要用简单明了的语言引出文章的话题，使人一开始就能了解文章要说明的内容。

① 对于叙事类的文章，可以在开头把人物、时间、事件和环境交代清楚。如“A Trip to Huangshan(黄山之旅)”的开头可以是：Last month, my family went to Huangshan by train. It took us ten hours to get there. What a long and tiring journey! We were tired but the beautiful scenery excited us.

② 对于论述性的文章，可以在开头处先阐明自己的观点，接着展开进一步的论述。如“The Time and the Money (时间和金钱)” 的开头可以是：Most people say that money is more important than time. But I don’t think so. First, when money is used up, you can earn it back， but……

2. 回忆性开头

在描述事件或游记类的文章中，采用回忆性的开头往往更能吸引人的眼球。这种类型的开头中通常含有描述自己心情或情绪的词汇，如never forget(永远无法忘记)、 remember (记得)、unforgettable(难以忘怀的)、 exciting(令人激动的)、surprising(令人惊讶的)、sad (难过的)……如“A Trip to Huangshan(黄山之旅)”的开头还以这样写：I will never forget my first trip to Huangshan. 或It was really an unforgettable experience I had.

3. 疑问性开头

在叙事类或论述性的文章中，都可采用疑问型开头，这样既可以吸引阅卷者的注意又容易抓住中心。如“Planting Trees(种树)”的开头可以是：Have you ever planted trees? Don’t you think planting trees is …… 再如“Traveling Abroad(出国之旅)”的开头可以是：If you have an opportunity to travel abroad, why not consider Singapore?

4. 倒叙式开头

在有的文章，特别是叙事类的文章中，可以采用倒叙的写作手法，先写出事件的结果，再陈述过程。如“Catching Thieves (捉贼)”的开头可以这样写：I lay in bed in the hospital. I smiled at my friends even though my legs hurt. Do you want to know what happened to me? Let me tell you. It’s a ... story.