14 Types of Essay Hooks and How to Write Them

If you want your essay to have a unique and intriguing hook, it’s not a difficult thing to do. There is always somebody who appreciates you for who you are, regardless of your reputation, and there will always be somebody who doesn’t like your essay, even if you think that it’s absolutely perfect. Some readers will find it boring, others will say that it’s too pretentious. There’s no universal approach that will help you write perfect essays, however, you can make your essays more interesting if you start them with great hooks. Sometimes, a good quote or anecdote can make a big difference, encouraging your readers to learn more. In this article, experts from Paper-Due-Now.com share their knowledge about essay hooks. We hope that their experience will help you write an essay that will impress your readers!

What Is an Essay Hook?

Essay hooks are a very common topic among students for a good reason. The hook is the first thing your readers see, so it directly impacts their opinion about your essay. A good hook will make them want to keep reading, while a bad hook can ruin the impression of your paper even before your readers actually familiarize themselves with it.

We are living a the world full of information. Every time we see another piece of content, we decide whether or not we want to read it. Therefore, your hook should “sell” your paper, giving your readers a reason to read the whole essay. Essay hooks are especially important in creative or narrative writing, however, they can also make a big difference in academic writing, as well. Successful papers always have an exciting introduction.

What You Should Know

Before we consider the most common types of essay hooks, let’s find the answers to some common questions.

How to write a hook sentence?

Think of the purpose of your essay and its main idea. Your hook should be directly related to the main message of your paper and highlight your thesis. For example, if the purpose of your essay is to inform, you can start it with some striking statistical facts. Keep in mind your hook while researching the topic and gathering information.

How to write an introduction?

First of all, an introduction is not optional. It’s one of the key sections of your essay. Even though it doesn’t provide detailed facts, it sets the mood for the whole essay and introduces your thesis statement. The thesis statement outlines the subject of the essay, while the hook is aimed to evoke certain emotions.

How to start an essay?

If you want your essay to be substantial and interesting, you should clearly understand what you’re going to write. We recommend that you start by writing an outline, creating the overall structure and making sure that you won’t miss anything important. Keep in mind that you don’t need to start with the introduction: many students write it when the whole essay is ready, in order to write an introduction that perfectly fits the content.

What a good hook is?

A good hook draws attention and makes you want to read the whole thing. Think of your favorite book or article that impressed you. How did it begin? How did the author make you want to keep reading? Just imagine yourself seeing your essay for the first time and try to come up with something interesting and catchy.

Types of Hooks

Here are the 14 most common types of essay hooks. Depending on the type of your essay, every hook may be more or less effective, so make sure that your hook fits the overall style and topic.

• Statistical fact
  Make sure that your audience doesn’t know this fact. It should be related to the subject.<

• Advice
  A useful piece of advice will help get your readers’ attention.

• Contradictory statement
  Two contradicting facts will make your readers want to figure out what it’s all about.

• Definition
  Giving a definition of a concept or term is a nice solution for scientific papers.

• Strong statement
  A forecast or evaluation can be intriguing.

• Anecdote
  Break the ice with a funny story from your life or a story about somebody famous.

• Dilemma
  Provide two options, both of which are equally bad. Your readers will want to find a solution with you.

• Famous quote
  Make sure that it fits the context of your paper.

• Interesting fact
  If you’ve found some information that made you really excited, it may be a nice hook.

• First person story
  A personal story from your life can be a good solution if the type of assignment allows you to write in the first person.

• Humor
  Puns and jokes are a great way to start the introduction if your topic is not too serious.

• Rhetorical question
  Make your readers reflect and think.

• Metaphor
  Show instead of telling, using vivid imagery.

• Context
  Describe the setting of your story so that your readers can imagine it in detail.