Every student writes an essay with the hope that the reader will enjoy reading the whole paper, apart from the obvious reason of scoring higher grades. To get the attention of the reader, the students ought to use hooks for essays to spice up the paper.
The secret to including a perfect hook to tit in your topic is brainstorming different ideas that will match the concept you want to drive home. As you brainstorm the hook, keep the reader in mind. Will the reader love the hook? How will the hook connect the reader to the paper? These are some of the queries you should ask to ensure you settle on a hook that matches your topic.
There are many essay hook types, and despite the nature of your topic, you will always find a perfect hook that fits your topic well. Keep reading to explore different types of hooks for essays and how to use such hooks to bring out a captivating essay.
What is a hook in an essay?
An essay hook is the first statement or phrase the reader reads once they start reviewing your paper. Writers use this technique to keep the reader glued to the paper. Reading to the end without getting bored or losing interest.
Based on the nature of the essay, you can apply different hooks to suit the topic. While such hooks come in different forms, each topic will always have that perfect hook that will fit in perfectly and make the reader glued to your paper.
How to start a hook for an essay: pro tips
Well, you will read more about essay hook types; however, that is not all. You need to master the art of keeping the reader focused on your paper through such hooks. Therefore, you can always apply the pro tips outlined below.
- Define your essay type
You need to get an appropriate hook that will fit in your essay because not all essays are the same. For instance, a hook that will fit in an argumentative essay will differ from a hook that will fit in a romantic novel review.
- Define the aim of the hook
Before using any hook, think of what goal you want to achieve. Do you intend to surprise the reader? Or do you want the reader to get shocked?
- Write the hook at the end of the writing process
While writing the essay, you will get creative along the way as you brainstorm ideas. This will give you room to get a perfect hook for your topic, and that is why you should write the hook after finishing your essay to get the best ideas.
- Keep the hook short
A good hook doesn’t have many details. You do not need to describe everything, but give the reader a tip of what they are about to explore from reading your paper.
Types of hooks for writing with essay hook examples
The following are common essay hooks that many writers have used to make the paper as captivating as possible.
College essay hooks
- Add Anecdotes
This is a perfect hook to use, especially when writing your college application essay. However, it cannot fit in all essays. It is simply a humorous statement that will light up the reader’s moment.
For instance: It was on my fifteenth birthday when my parents taught me a life lesson: “Be ready for what you don’t expect.”
- State an interesting fact
Some facts may be new to the reader, and they will be interested to read more about the facts.
For instance, “The Egyptians used to apply heavy eye makeup in the olden days to keep off evil spirits.”
- Pose a question
A question is a perfect hook to keep the reader feeling part of the essay. The question should relate to the topic you are covering.
For instance, “Can you accommodate a stranger in the middle of the night?”
Good essay hooks examples
- Use a quote
Knowing how to use a quote as a hook is another hack to writing the best essay. For instance, you can quote, “It’s never late until it is done.”
- Use factual statistics
Statistics help reveal awareness of a given subject. For instance, “80% of students skip at least one meal every day.”
- A short story narration
Some essay topics are complex, and the best way to make them interesting is by writing a short and captivating story to ease the reader’s moments. The story should, however, reflect the topic.
Quotes for essay hooks
The essay quote hook can include the following:
- Books
You simply include phrases from famous and common books.
- Scientists
These are people known for their quotes.
- Philosophers
These are bold statements well-known from famous philosophers.
Social media essay hooks
- Create a curiosity scene
This will make the readers want to read more details.
- Use superlatives
This involves using words that have a high degree in relation to the subject matter. This includes words like highest, worst, and the like.
- Use keywords
Keywords are unique phrases that define the topic by narrowing down the focus.