How to write a good hook for an essay

How to write a good hook for an essay

Would you like to excite the reader at the beginning of your work?  You can get your audience captivated by making your essay introduction intriguing. The best way to grab the reader’s attention is by using an ideal hook. This will not only make the reader interested in the rest of your essay, but also it will also prove that you are an intelligent student. Let us look at how to write a good gook that will make your essay a spotlight.

How do you start a good essay?

The only way you can start a good essay is by coming up with a top-notch hook. A hook is the first statement of your essay. It is meant to grab the reader’s attention and intrigue interest to read the rest of your work. It can be one sentence at the beginning of your work, or two. It sparks the reader’s curiosity leaving them wondering what is likely to happen next. If your hook is well written, the audience will automatically fall in love with your work.

What is a good hook sentence?

A perfect hook should contain the following.

·       Attracts the reader’s attention. The primary purpose of the hook statement is to grab the attention of the reader. Therefore, the hook you come up with should take the readers by storm.

·       It should be relevant to the topic under discussion. Failure to which the hook statement will lose the reader.

·       It should be clear.  Consequently, the reader should not struggle to understand what you mean. Moreover, it should be simple and straight forward.

Types of hooks

Often students enquire what are the 5 types of hooks. Or six types of hooks. The following are hook ideas you can use in your essay writing.

Literary quotes

It is the most ideal hook to use for a book review. Such a hook establishes your authority as a writer. For example, “it matters not what someone is born, but what they grow to be.” A quote from one of Harry Potter’s books.

Quotes from famous people

This is a common type of hook and often overused by students since it’s the easy one. If you opt to use it, pick a modern figure who has acquired great achievements in the contemporary world.  For example, you can use, “the path to success is to take massive, determined action,” by Tony Robbins when writing a persuasive essay to give in a class meeting or graduation party.

Common misconception

You can start your introduction writing about something that is commonly accepted to be true, but it is relatively false. This is written to show something they believe is not a fact. You should further connect such a statement with the thesis. Such an idea will automatically intensify a disagreement within the topic or create disturbance in the reader’s mind that will force the reader to read further.

Anecdotes

An anecdote is generally a short story which is designed to demonstrate a point a writer is trying to drive home. It is a perfect option when writing a descriptive essay or a narrative. The anecdote can be humorous even when writing a serious essay to lighten up the mood of the reader. Moreover, do not write a paragraph full of a story; you should be brief and relevant to your topic.

Personal stories

It is an appropriate hook for college applications when you are writing your personal essay. However, be careful, do not tell much of your personal details. Also, make sure you are using the appropriate style of writing, as recommended in the instructions. In other types of writing like narrative essays, you can tell another person’s story depending on the kind of paper.

Statistics

It is a type of hook often used when any other kind of hook is not useful. If you decided to use it, you should include exact figures and the source of your information. As you identify the kind of statics to use, go for what the reader is likely not aware of.

Questions

This is one of the most effective hook because it triggers the audience's brain. The brain works automatically when you come across a question even when no one has asked you to answer it. That’s why it does not matter whether it is a rhetorical question. The reader will automatically think about it, have their own answer, and at the same time, get curious to find out more about your point of view.

Facts and definitions

This is appropriate when one decided to define something that the reader is not likely to know about. However, you should not copy paste definitions from the web. This will make your essay flat. Instead, use an exciting, unexpected, and shocking explanation.

Writing skills of using an intriguing hook will be very useful when putting together an article or an essay. You can consult us for further guidance on good hooks for opinion writing, and we will provide you with great opening lines for essays.