一篇文章通常可分為三個部分，即開頭、正文和結尾。這三個部分安排是否得體，直接影響到文章的質量。文章的開頭一般來說應盡量做到開門見山，用簡單明白的敘述引出文章的話題，使讀者了解文章要談論什麼，一下於引起讀者的興趣。
作文常見的開頭形式大致有以下幾種：
1、開門見山，揭示主題
文章一開頭就交待清楚文章的主題是什麼。如“How I Spent My Vacation”(我怎樣度假)的開頭是：
I Spent my last vacation happily.
下面是題為“Honesty”(談誠實)一文中的開頭：
Honesty is one of the best virtues.An honest man is always trusted and respected.On the contrary, one who tells lies is regarded as a "liar",and is looked upon by honest people.
2、交代人物、事情、時間或環境開頭
在文章的開頭，先把人物、事件和環境交待清楚。例如“A Trip to Jinshan” (去金山旅遊)的開頭：
The day before yesterday my class went on a bus trip to Jinshan. The bus ride there took three hours. The long trip made us very tired, but the sight of the beautiful sea refreshed us.
3、 回憶性的開頭
用回憶的方法來開頭。例如“A Trip to the Taishan Mountain”(泰山游)的開頭是：
I remember my first trip to the Taishan Mountain as if it were yesterday.
4、概括性的開頭
即對要在文章中敘述的人或事先作一個概括性的介紹。如“The Happiness of Reading Books”(讀書的快樂)的開頭：
People often say that gold and silver are the most valuable things in the world. But I say that to read books is more valuable than anything else, because books give us knowledge and knowledge gives us power.
5、介紹環境式的開頭
即開頭利用自然景物或自然環境引出要介紹的事物。如“An Accident”(一場事故)的開頭是:
It was a rainy and windy morning. The sky was gloomy, the temperature was low, and the street was nearly empty. I was on my way back to school. Suddenly, a speeding car came round the corner.
6、交待寫作目的的開頭。
在文章的一開頭就交待寫作目的，如通過文章要表揚誰，批評誰，或說明一個什麼問題等。如“Pollution Control”(控制污染)的開頭：
In this article I shall draw your attention to the subject of pollution control.