1.“开门见山”式
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…
查看更多 ：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.