Also, be sure to accurately mention the person who made the quote. A question is a good way to get the readers’ attention. It can be rhetorical, but it must be relevant to the topic of your essay. The key is that you are asking something that will make them want to read on and find out more about what you have to say. Anecdotes are daily life stories or stories that somehow link to the topic. They can be funny, emotional, or even shocking, depending upon your topic. Try to keep the story has to be as short as possible.
- Both of these examples should pull the reader in by piquing their curiosity.
- It also helps those students who are stuck or who use the same approach time and time again.
- But for the second essay I’ll choose a metaphoric hook “music is the spot of light who makes shine in gray tones” or sth like this.
Usually, many academic essays will expect you to argue and prove your major points with valid evidence. A short story or an outcome of your imagination is identified as an anecdote. In order to catch the attention of your target readers, you can likely use an anecdote that is appropriate to your essay topic as a hook. For hooks, you can use statistics in the form of figures, numbers, or percentages.
Know Your Audience
Some famous examples of hooks in literature you may have encountered are as follows. This should provide a smooth transition into the body of your persuasive essay. A critical or expository essay is an informative look at your topic. This essay relies on facts and analytics, so a statistical hook is a perfect opening. Other anecdotes might come from recent stories you’ve read in newspapers or magazines. An anecdote is a true story about a person or event that works best in a nonfiction or informal essay.
This thesis provides the writer’s point of view on the topic, and further sheds light on the angle of the essay. I don’t start my essays with a question because some teachers think it is a childish way of beginning an essay, but definitions often make a great hook. Just like with essays, you should try to raise a question in your reader’s head. This can be a strange character, an unusual setting, or a mysterious fact. However, a story hook will look very different from an essay hook.
Types of Attention Getters
Gaining the reader’s trust early on through your knowledge can strengthen the remainder of your case. In addition, an arresting statistic might pique your audience’s interest in the topic at hand, encouraging them to continue reading and learn more.
- But typically they come at the beginning of sentences or paragraphs.
- There are many methods for writing it, and often you will be tempted to start your essay with a quote.
- They may help you start your first draft, but please — for the sake of your readers — do not submit an essay with any of these leads.
- You can mention laws, social actions, current events, etc.
An essay hook is that particular instrument you need to meet this challenge. And you have to find a perfect hook for your essay even when you don’t know what to write. There you have it—a complete guide to writing a fantastic hook.
Using a Quote as a Hook
A strong statement hook is a sentence that makes an assertive claim about your topic. It connects to the thesis statement and shows the importance of your essay or paper. The secret is to get them interested in reading your essay by making the first part of your introduction intriguing.
A quotation hook is often used in academic writing to make a point or provide evidence for an argument. A hook is the first sentence of the introductory paragraph of a paper or essay. The hook differs from a thesis statement in that the purpose of the hook is to get the reader’s attention and encourage them to read the rest of the paper. The thesis statement is usually the last sentence of the introduction and is the one-sentence point or argument the writer is making in the paper. Learn about hooks for essays, which are commonly referred to as attention getters. Explore essay hook examples, tips for writing, and types of attention getters. The introduction of an argumentative essay should be similar to a trial.
Types of Hooks With Examples
For example, anecdotes don’t work for writing a critical précis, but they would catch readers of dialectic essays. Quotes and questions are perfect hooks for novel critiques or persuasive essays, while facts or statistics fit argumentative essays best.
If you are using a story as a hook, keep in mind that it can be a few sentences long. Presenting the visuals alongside your hook will also take some time.
Example 5: Description Hook
Traditionally, introductions use the hook and background information to lead the reader to the thesis statement at the end of the first paragraph. However, you can open with the thesis if you think it’s interesting and exciting. In this case, you’ll provide background information after the thesis, so you’ll need to think of a good transition into the first body paragraph.
A metaphor is a figure of speech that uses one thing to represent another. It can be used to grab the reader’s attention and make them think about what you are saying in a new way. The ultimate purpose different types of hooks for essays of using strong hooks in the opening sentence of the essay introduction is listed below. Here are 7 writing hooks that make readers want to find out what you will say in the rest of your essay.
How to Write a Hook to Captivate Your Readers
Here are five samples to give you an idea of what’s expected of you. The hook sentence in this essay will create curiosity in the reader by making a shocking revelation or stating statistics. In most cases, people can efficiently process and remember visual information. As human beings, we quickly transform words into pictures in minds. Scenes are, in most cases, used in descriptive or narrative essays.
The goal of this essay hook is to make you want to learn what students who succeed in college do, and what college students who don’t succeed in college do wrong. Professional writers spend decades honing their skills, so don’t be disappointed if you cannot come up with a good essay hook on your first try. The more you work on it, the better your essay openings will become.
Examples of Hooks in Speeches
Using the statistic hook is a way to gain the trust of your readers through expertise. These three examples are a few out of the various other attention grabbers for essays—and they are especially effective when they are unique.
Another creative way to introduce an essay and hook your readers is by describing a historical event related to your topic. A historical event can establish context and provide an interesting starting point for the essay. A hook is the first thing that a reader sees when they look at your essay. It sets up the tone of your paper, and it is an essential part of all academic writing. Though you might not think too much about them at first, hooks can be difficult to create because they need to be original and memorable.
Guide to Writing an Interesting Expository Essay Introduction
Depending on feelings you want to evoke, an essay hook may be some shocking statistics, a romantic personal story, a funny anecdote, a motivational quote, etc. To get a better idea of what a terrific introduction looks like, watch the video tutorial from James, who defines essay hooks as grabbers. This hook/grabber assumes that readers are already familiar with and interested characteristics of narrative in the topic of algae. The writer creates a hook/grabber by choosing one of the most interesting ideas from the essay and placing it at the beginning. Even though the essay hook is just the first sentence, it is worth crafting a compelling one to grab your reader’s attention. After all, the first impression is the last, so you better make it work for you.
