how to write a good hook in an essay? – Flashcards
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An essay hook is the first one or two sentences of your essay. It serves as an introduction and works to grab the reader's attention. The first couple sentences will help your reader decide whether they want to continue reading your essay or not.
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what is a hook?
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College essay hooks can be difficult to generate, especially when you are still working on clarifying what your essay is going to say. So, the very first step in writing a strong essay hook is to do some planning.
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The use of hooks in writing goes far beyond just essays and college papers. Every writer, copywriter, screenwriter, and storyteller uses this device to draw in readers and keep them hooked. For example, world-famous ad executive, David Ogilvy, relied on a list of 29 "magic words" that he used in titles in order to hook a client's attention.
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*What type of essay are you writing? *What type of writing style and tone will you need to use? *Who is your intended audience? *What kind of structure do you need to establish?
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Consider the overall presentation of your work:
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Examples: "So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past." These words of Nick Carraway perfectly describe..." "Not all those who wander are lost." And yes, indeed, every person is so..." "When we love, we always strive to become better than we are. When we strive to become better than we are, everything around us becomes better too." Agree or not, but these words from The Alchemist determine..."
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1. A literary quote This type of hook is appropriate when you are writing about a particular author, story, literary phenomenon, book, etc. Using a quote will make your essay sound fresh and establish your authority as an author.
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Examples: "John Wooden once said, 'Never mistake activity for achievement.'" "Learn to laugh" were the first words from my kindergarten teacher after Ralph Thorsen spilled paint on my daffodil picture.
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2. Quotes from Famous People Including a quote from an authoritative and influential person can help support your argument and create an intriguing hook. The key is to make sure that you clearly show how the quote is relevant to your essay.
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Examples: "As my cousin and I pedaled our new bikes to the beach, 6 years old, suntanned and young, we met an old, shaggy-haired man weaving unsteadily on a battered old bike." "When I was a young boy, my father worked at a coal mine. For 27 years, he made it his occupation to scrape and claw and grunt his way into the bowels of the earth, searching for fuel. On April 19, 2004, the bowels of the earth clawed back."
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3.Anecdote Don't be afraid to employ this type of hook. Remember, even if you start with a humorous anecdote, it doesn't mean that your entire essay has to be funny. A bit of humor can help you grab readers' attention and spark their interest in the topic. Keep in mind that most essay assignments will ask you to avoid using the first person. Be sure to check any requirements before using "I" in your writing.
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Examples: "What would you do if you could play God for a day? That's exactly what the leaders of the tiny island nation of Guam tried to answer." "Have you ever wondered, whether Anna Karenina still loved Alexei if she hadn't decided to commit a suicide?"
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4. Pose a Question Almost nothing can attract interest better than a well-constructed question. Readers will want to continue reading your essay in order to discover the answer. Be sure to avoid simple "Yes" or "No" questions and try to pose questions that ask reader to consider the other side or engage in some critical thinking.
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Examples: "The day of his birth began with Hurricane Charlie pounding at our door in Charleston, South Carolina." "Deciding to attend Hampton Roads Academy, a private school, was one of my most difficult decisions."
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5. Set a Scene People respond well to visual cues. Taking the time to set a detailed scene will help your reader have a clear picture in their minds and create an effective hook. You can describe an incident or detail the particular features of a person or a character to help the readers become immersed in your writing.
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Examples: "Spain, though hardly a literary juggernaut, translates more books in one year than the entire Arab world has in the past one thousand years." "Amiable is the best way to describe Elizabeth's personality: she was friendly and caring."
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6.Include an Interesting Fact or Definition These types of hooks start by surprising the reader with something that may not have known. Provide an interesting fact about something you are going to discuss in your essay's body and your audience will want to keep reading to learn more.
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Examples: "It is time, at last, to speak the truth about Thanksgiving, and the truth is this. Thanksgiving is really not such a terrific holiday. . ." "Humans need to invest more time and money into space exploration because Earth is on a certain path to destruction."
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7. State Your Thesis There is no harm in getting right to the point. Start with your main argument and use the rest of your essay to support your point of view. If you have an interesting take on a subject, readers will want to see where you came up with your idea.
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Examples: "Any parent will tell you that goldfish are a great first pet for a child. They hardly need any attention, and they won't be around for too long. Flushing a goldfish in its first week is pretty common—it even happened to my first goldfish. But it turns out that goldfish aren't as helpless as we all think." "While most coffee enthusiasts would tell you that their favorite drink comes from a bean, they would be wrong. Coffee is actually made from a seed that is simply called a bean."
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8.Reveal a Common Misconception The most interesting essays will teach the readers something new. If you start your introduction by showing that a commonly accepted truth is actually false, your readers will be instantly hooked.
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Examples: "The average iceberg weighs over 100,000 metric tons." "70% of all jobs found today were got through different networking strategies"
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9. Statistics By listing proven facts at the very beginning of your paper, you will create interest that can be carried throughout the rest of the essay.
