14 Types of Essay Hooks with Samples And How to Write Them
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As Jim Carrey once noted, “Behind every great man is a woman rolling her eyes”. No matter what kind of reputation you have, there will always be that someone who knows who you really are and loves you for that. Also, no matter how good you might think your essay is, there will always be someone rolling their eyes. To some, it may seem too pretentious, to others too boring. There is no recipe for writing the perfect essay but essay hooks help a lot in making it more interesting. Putting a quote of someone famous at the beginning of your narrative immediately attracts the attention of readers. It makes them wonder what will come next. Using various hooks you can keep that feeling of curiosity alive in them.
Table of Contents
What is an essay hook.
- How to Write an Essay Hook
- Types of Essay Hooks:
- Statistical Fact
- Meaningful Advice
- Contradictory Statement
- Strong Statement
- Famous Quote
- Interesting Fact
- First person story
If you are wondering why there is so much fuss about essay hooks, we’ll give you a broad explanation. An essay hook is the first thing you see starting to read someone’s essay. It’s the moment when you decide whether to continue reading it or not. So, this first sentence should be something special. A good essay hook can help a writer attract the attention of a reader. Just imagine how much information we get every day from reading.
A century ago, people, did not have such an abundance of information. The choice of what to read was not that difficult. But now, if you do not interest a reader with the first two lines of your writing, he will not have any second thoughts about reading it further. As to the academic writing, essay hooks can make a big difference as well. An example of a well-written paper will include an exciting introduction that shows a student’s mastery.
Everything You Want to Know
Before we move on to the different types of college essay hooks, you might have some more questions about this phenomenon. Let’s discover this topic in all the details.
How do you write a hook sentence?
You need to keep in mind the main idea of your essay, its purpose. The hook you choose to use should be relevant and underline this central idea. For example, if your goal is to present some new facts on a particular topic, you might start your essay with some startling statistical data. Think about the hook you’d like to use during the research stage to find the necessary information.
How do you write an introduction?
Do not consider an introduction an optional part of an essay. Although it does not present any major findings or convincing facts, it sets the mood for the rest of a paper. The main points you have to include are essay hook and thesis statement. The former one has an aim of evoking emotions in your readers while the latter one informs them about the topic of this essay.
How do you start off an essay?
You want it to be interesting and substantial. To do so, you are going to need a clear idea of the points it will consist of. Make an outline to make sure there is nothing missing. Some of the students find it easier to write an introduction after the rest of an essay. Then, you know exactly what write and won’t have to edit it later. Use the hooks you find to be appropriate for the topic you discuss and move on to stating the main point of your paper.
What is a good hook for an essay?
A good hook immediately makes you want to keep reading. Try to remember some of your favorite pieces of writing and the way they begin. What kind of a hook did the authors use? The art of choosing the information correctly and turning it into a fascinating story is something you will have to learn. Just think what you as a reader would find to be interesting about the topic of your essay
Types of Essay Hooks
Now we finally can discuss the types of essay hooks. There are 14 we can think of but there might be more. You are free to invent a new one as long as it is as effective as the ones we present here.
1. Statistical Fact
Shocking facts on the topic of an essay your audience might not be aware of. Around 25% of dreams blind people have are nightmares compared to only 6% of nightmares others have.
According to the National Soft Drink Association, the annual consumption of soda by the U.S. citizens is 600 cans.
Even though we live in the 21st century, there still are around 3 billions of people living in poverty.
2. Meaningful Advice
Giving your readers a piece of advice is always beneficial. You get their attention and they get some useful information.
Don’t make decisions when you’re angry. Don’t make promises when you’re happy.
Remember you’ll always regret what you didn’t do rather than what you did.
Never make someone a priority who only makes you an option.
3. Contradictory Statement
Writing two facts that contradict each other will definitely attract the attention of your readers.
“All animals are equal, but some are more equal than others”. George Orwell
“I must be cruel to be kind.” Hamlet, William Shakespeare
I know one thing; that I know nothing. Socrates
4. Definition
This hook is widely used in scientific papers. You simply give the definition of a term or concept.
A black hole is a place in space where gravity pulls so much that even light can not get out.
Oxymoron is a combination of contradictory or incongruous words (such as cruel kindness).
Altruism is the willingness to do things that bring advantages to others, even if it results in disadvantage for yourself.
5. Strong Statement
Surprise your audience with something they don’t know yet.
In just 10 years we all will be able to have a pet bot with an artificial intelligence.
In the future, the artificial intelligence will learn to write fiction novels and creative posts that will lead to people losing their jobs.
There is a chance that by 2050 human and robot marriages will become quite widespread and legal.
6. Anecdote
Start with a short funny story to break the ice. You can rely on your personal experience or that of someone famous.
It is very helpful when you don’t speak English and call the support department just to hear: “If you understand English, press 1. If you do not understand English, press 2.”
Tolstoy was a great pacifist. He believed that people should not demonstrate any kind of violence towards animals. Once during a lecture, he was asked what one should do if a tiger attacked him on the woods. Tolstoy said, “Do the best you can. It doesn’t happen very often.”
Albert Einstein’s parents were concerned about him not starting to talk when other kids of his age already did. One day, during having a supper, Albert said: “The soup is too hot.” His parents then asked him why had he kept silence up until then. He replied: “Because up to now everything was in order.”
You present two options that are both not quite desirable.
What would you choose to do if your best friend was about to marry someone you definitely know is not loyal? Would you ruin the happiness of your friend revealing the infidelity or let them marry a liar?
You see a man robbing a bank and then donating everything to an orphanage. You have the options of going to police and remaining silent.
If there is a way to save the lives of 4 people by not helping 1 individual to save his, would you do it?
8. Famous Quote
It’s simple. Just paste the quote of a famous person that fits the context.
“The most difficult thing is the decision to act, the rest is merely tenacity.” – Amelia Earhart
“Life is what happens to you while you’re busy making other plans.” – John Lennon
“Strive not to be a success, but rather to be of value.” – Albert Einstein
9. Interesting Fact
If there is an exciting piece of information you’ve found during the research stage, turn it into a good hook.
There are more lifeforms on a human skin than there people on the planet.
Otters sleep holding hands.
One of Leonardo da Vinci’s talents was that he could write with one hand and paint with the other simultaneously.
10. First person story
If there is something from your personal life that is relevant to the topic and you would like others to know, make it your essay hook.
When I was a little girl, I wanted to have a telescope more than anything. My family could not afford it so I had to become a scientist and get a job in an observatory.
My grandmother died when I was 21. She was the one who raised me as my parents died in a car accident when I was 6.
I’ve worked in multinational companies and can say that they do not value their employees as much as they should.
A joke or a pun can be a nice introductory sentence.
How do you make holy water? You boil the hell out of it.
Why the storm trooper had to buy an iPhone? Because he could not find the droid he was looking for.
I never make mistakes. I thought I did once but I was wrong.
12. Question
Ask a rhetorical question that fits your topic. It should be one that makes people think and reflect.
What are we all living for on this planet?
What is love?
What is the real meaning of kindness?
13. Metaphor
To paint a picture for a reader, use a metaphor.
Her eyes were like two fireflies mesmerizing me completely.
As it turned out, her promise was a delicate flower.
He was so funny as an abandoned house in the woods with no one around at night.
14. Context
Describe the surroundings of the place you are going to write about to paint a vivid picture in a reader’s mind.
“The public-houses, with gas-lights burning inside, were already open. By degrees, other shops began to be unclosed, and a few scattered people were met with. Then, came straggling groups of labourers going to their work; then, men and women with fish-baskets on their heads; donkey-carts laden with vegetables; chaise-carts filled with livestock or whole carcasses of meat; milk-women with pails; an unbroken concourse of people trudging out with various supplies to the eastern suburbs of the town.” Charles Dickens, “Oliver Twist”
“It was a town of red brick, or of brick that would have been red if the smoke and ashes had allowed it; but as matters stood, it was a town of unnatural red and black … It had a black canal in it, and a river that ran purple with ill-smelling dye, and vast piles of building full of windows where there was a rattling and a trembling all day long, and where the piston of the steam-engine worked monotonously up and down, like the head of an elephant in a state of melancholy madness.” Charles Dickens, “Hard Times”
“The first den was a rock cavity in a lichen-covered sandstone outcrop near the top of a slope, a couple of hundred yards from a road in Hawley. It was on posted property of the Scrub Oak Hunting Club – dry hardwood forest underlain by laurel and patches of snow – in the northern Pocono woods. Up in the sky was Buck Alt. Not long ago, he was a dairy farmer, and now he was working for the Keystone State, with directional antennae on his wing struts angled in the direction of bears.”
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How to Write a Hook to Captivate Your Readers
The art of the hook is a vital component in the realm of essay writing. But what is a hook?
A hook is typically the first one or two sentences of an essay or article that is designed to grab the reader’s attention. Much like a fish gets literally hooked by bait, the hook of an essay should captivate your audience and make them want to read more.
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But knowing how to write a hook for an essay is a tough skill to acquire. For one, the vast amount of content out there—tweets, blogs , articles, emails, and more—make it challenging to compete for readers’ attention.
Moreover, people get distracted easily, and if you don’t hook them quickly, you might lose them.
Knowing how to write a good hook is an essential part of effective essay writing . By exploring the most common types of essay hooks, you can learn how to best engage audiences from the very beginning and develop a hook that’s right for your paper.
5 examples of essay hooks
1 statistic hook.
The statistic hook gives your audience a true and hard fact to latch onto from the get-go. Gaining your reader’s trust through expertise early on will help reinforce the points you make in the rest of your argument. Plus, a striking statistic can make your audience instantly interested in the topic at hand, motivating them to keep reading and learn more.
For example, if you’re writing a research essay about the link between sleep and stress, you can begin with a powerful statistic from the American Psychological Association like this one:
“According to a recent survey by the American Psychological Association, 43 percent of adults claim that stress has caused them to lie awake at night in the past month.”
2 Quotation hook
If you choose a memorable quotation that directly connects to what you’re writing about, the words will do the attention-grabbing work for you. Just make sure to attribute and explain the quotation after you include it so that the reader isn’t confused. And most importantly, the quotation you choose should add to the credibility and richness of your argument, rather than seeming like a random or one-off statement.
If you’re writing a literary essay about resiliency in Maya Angelou’s poetry, you might start off in this way:
“Maya Angelou once said, ‘Stand up straight and realize who you are, that you tower over your circumstances.’”
3 Anecdotal hook
Depending on the nature of your essay or article, anecdotal hooks can make for an intimate opening that tells your reader more about you. Though it’s not typical to write an essay in the first person , there are some times when you can make an exception, like in a narrative essay . This type of hook can be a little longer than others; just make sure that its length is relative to the rest of your essay.
If you’re writing about the differences between British and American baking, you might discuss an experience you had on a trip to London at the start of the essay:
“ When I first arrived in London, I was ravenous. I headed to a cafe just outside of the hotel to test out some of the local flavors and ordered a pot of tea, a scone, and pudding. But when the pudding arrived, I was surprised not to find a sweet, chocolatey custard. Instead, this pudding was made from something I’d never encountered before: mutton fat.”
4 Question hook
Posing a question at the start of a piece will immediately capture the reader’s attention and leave them wanting more. Make sure the question is open-ended. You want to make sure you’re giving the reader something to explore further, rather than asking them a simple yes or no question. People are naturally inquisitive, so give them something good to chew on.
An essay about dog psychology might begin with a question similar to this:
“ What is the difference between a well-adjusted dog and an anxious one? For starters, owners that encourage their dog’s excitement can make anxiety seem like a behavior that’s rewarded.”
5 Statement hook
Kicking off your essay with a solid declaration of your argument or position is another smart way to hook the reader. Even if they don’t agree fully with your statement, they will be intrigued to see how you support your assertion. Statement hooks often make the reader either want to argue against your view or follow along as you develop your claim.
When exploring the historical value of French cinema, you could start with a strong, declarative hook like this one:
“ French cinema is the most influential genre of film in the last 100 years and has singlehandedly shaped modern cinema as we know it.”
A great hook will not only get your reader’s attention, but it will build toward your thesis and give your reader an idea of the essay they’re about to read. Any of these options, done well, can make your essay start strong and stand out.
Essay Writing Guide
Hook Example
What is a Hook Example For an Essay? Know Now
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Published on: Oct 10, 2017
Last updated on: Jan 23, 2023
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A captivating introduction is a must for any essay. It's important not to bore your readers or sound too formal in your essay writing . It is because they may lose interest in what you have written and choose not to read it at all!
But how can we make sure that does not happen?
An essay hook is what you need to meet this challenge. It is an attention grabber that hooks your reader’s interest.
Grabbing someone’s attention early on makes them keep reading till the end.
Here we will discuss several catchy hook examples to make your piece of writing more engaging. You can also read the steps and tips to write effective hook statements for your essay.
What is an Essay Hook?
“What is a hook sentence in an essay?”
A hook is a catchy opening sentence of an essay introduction that grabs a reader's attention. They are included in high school and college essays and other kinds of assignments.
One important thing to remember about hooks is that they are not introductions or replacements for them. A hook should also stand alone without being boring and predictable.
A good hook fulfills two main purposes. One is that it sets the tone for the essay by informing the reader about the topic. The second is that it creates a compelling introduction that entices the reader to read on at length.
The hook or attention grabber is an essential part of an essay introduction, and when written the right way, it can help in ‘hooking’ your audience to your essay.
How to Write a Good Essay Hook?
Here are the points that you need to keep in mind to write a hook for your essay.
First, it is important to have a clear vision in mind of the literary work you have selected for your paper. Here you need to describe what a certain essay type demands and what types of techniques you require to support your arguments in your essay.
Always create an essay outline to see how the information can be organized better and which points need to be highlighted. Try to find an attention grabber that adds to the significance of that point.
Know your target audience and choose a way in which you want to develop your work. Your hook statement should be according to it. If you are writing for children, write in simple language. If you are writing for professionals, take the specific language into account.
Choose hooks that fit your paper. Know the type of essay you are writing and its purpose. You can go for funny hooks if you are writing a paper on a light topic. If you are writing a conference paper, then you should be more formal.
Hook Sentence Examples
Following are the different types of hooks that can be used for writing different academic papers, such as essays and research papers .
Question Hook
You can grab the reader’s attention by asking them an intriguing question, that they would want to know the answer to. When posing a question, think about the interest of the reader and the things they would want to learn more about.
Avoid making your question generalized or simple Yes or No questions. For instance, asking a general question such as “Do you watch television?” won’t grab their attention and make them think it over.
Using rhetorical questions to engage the reader is always a good idea!
Question Hook Example
“What is an example of a hook question?”
Here is an interesting question hook example for the Romeo and Juliet essay topic.
“What do you think would have happened if Romeo and Juliet didn’t commit suicide?”
An anecdote can be a personal story or a product of your imagination. Provided that the story is relevant to your focus topic.
Typically, an anecdote is a funny statement, written to make the reader laugh and want to continue reading further.
Our lives are full of stories. Every day something interesting, funny, or strange happens. So, why don’t you use such stories to attract the reader’s attention?
Anecdote Hook Example
Here is an example of an anecdotal hook that you can consider for a better understanding.
Anecdotal Hook Example
“Last night my best friend went out to the club with red lipstick splattered across her teeth. I didn’t regret not telling her until everyone started staring...”
Another popular type of essay hook is quotations. You can quote famous people to create a compelling start to your essay. Here you use quotes to explain your topic and its relevance to the idea of your paper.
Make sure to explain the quote later to remove any difficulty the reader might have.
Since you are quoting someone else’s words, make sure that you’re getting it from credible sources.
Quotation Hook Example
The following is a quotation hook example that you can consider for your essay.
"Any achievement in business is never accomplished by a single person; a team of skilled members from diversified fields is always needed." -Steve Jobs
Statistical Facts
Statistical hook works when writing a paper with the focus of providing the reader with information. Such interesting facts are commonly used in a process essay or an informative essay .
It is also a type of quotation from a well-known person, but such quotes are statistical in nature. They present some kind of number, figure, or percentage.
Statistical Hook Example
Below is an interesting statistical hook example for an essay about Facebook.
“Statistics show that on average Facebook users have 155 friends, but will only ask 4 of them for help in case of a crisis.”
Personal Story
Starting a piece of writing with a personal short story is a good idea when writing narrative essays or a college application essay .
It doesn’t have to be an experience that you faced firsthand; it could be something that happened with a friend or a relative.
Personal Story Hook Example
Here is a great hook example for a personal story essay that you can consider.
“Growing up I really was fascinated by movies and Hollywood actors… My passion grew when I found myself on a movie set….”
Description Hook
This hook is a vivid description of a scene or event to draw readers' attention to your writing. A well-written descriptive hook will make your readers want to know more about what is in the rest of your paper.
Descriptive hooks are most commonly used in narrative essays but can be used in any type of writing.
Description Hook Essay Example
The following is an interesting example of a description hook that you can read for your better understanding.
Descriptive Hook Example
“Yesterday morning I watched my brother leave the house with a vibrant mark of toothpaste gleaming on his right chin. I was enjoying seeing him like that until he stepped out of the house…”
Metaphor/Simile Hook
The metaphor/simile hook is used to help readers think about a particular topic in a different way. Your readers will think about the meaning and the context in which the topic is being addressed.
A metaphor directly compares two things that are not related to each other.
Metaphor/Simile Hook Example
Metaphoric Hook Example
“I have an 8-year-old child - the company I founded in 2012.”
Literary Quotes
When writing book reviews, it is often a good idea to use literary quotes. However, it is important to keep in mind that these quotes may not be appropriate for use in persuasive or expository essays .
We remember visual information more efficiently than words. When we see something, our brains quickly turn it into a picture. Scenes are often used in descriptive or narrative essays.
Scene Hook Example
Imagine sitting by a warm fire, enjoying a glass of wine with the person you love.
Hook Examples for Types of Essays
There are different types of essays according to their structure and purpose. For instance, an argumentative essay is a serious essay written to persuade the reader on an argument. Whereas a narrative essay could be a light-hearted narration of an event.
You can not use a funny question to start an argumentative essay. Similarly, you can not use a serious fact to start a funny narrative essay.
“What is an example of a hook in an essay?”
Below are some interesting hook examples according to different types of essays.
Argumentative Essay Hook Example
Here is a hook example for an argumentative essay:
“There are thousands of dams around the world. Dams are used for water supply, irrigation, flood defenses, and hydroelectric power. Despite these good elements, however, there are some bad elements related to dams.”
Persuasive Essay Hook Example
A hook example sentence for a persuasive essay is as follows:
“You probably have no idea how bad it is to use disposable water bottles. Plastic bottles are dangerous to use and there is a solid justification of why it is better to avoid using disposable water bottles.”
Narrative Hook Examples
A hook example for narration is as follows:
“I am really not sure if it is a real memory or just something that became more solid over time. But I am not sure that my neighbor once tried to murder me.”
Hook Examples In Speeches
“In the United States, people are still fighting to be free. Many are fighting for free access to resources, free speech, and even the right to marry.”
“Getting revenge can easily become an obsession for many people. Some really crave for that kind of thing when they are being wronged.”
Hook Example for Informative Essay
Are you nervous, anxious, irritable or moody? Do you feel depressed or sad and often become frustrated over little things? Are you forgetful due to the fact that you have trouble keeping things straight and thinking clearly? If the answer to these entire questions is yes, then you are in a state of tension or pressure, which is stress.
Hook Examples in Literature
A hook example in English literature is given below:
“Yossarian was in the hospital with a pain in his liver that fell just short of being jaundiced.” - Catch-22 by Joseph Heller
“The imagery in the poem ‘Fern Fill’ by Dylan Thomas reveals the ambiguity of the relationship between humans and nature.”
How to Choose a Good Hook?
As there are many types of hooks, you might be wondering which one is right for your essay. There is not a single formula for choosing an essay hook.
But you can keep in mind the following tips for choosing the best hook for your essay.
- Your audience
- Type of essay
The type of your essay and who reads it play an important role in deciding the hook.
So, it is important to nail down what type of hook will work for particular writing and for whom you are writing.
Now you know the different ways to start your essay or research paper. You are the one to decide which hook is better and more effective to use according to the type of paper. Don’t forget to take into account the preparatory steps and figure out what type of hook is best to use.
You know that starting with a hook can make or break your academic essay. However, it is not always easy to come up with the perfect anecdote or statement for an opening line.
Luckily, you can get help from a legit essay writing service like MyPerfectWords.com , which can create perfect essays and papers for you.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is a good hook sentence.
A good hook sentence is a sentence that grabs the reader’s attention or compels them to read your essay further. It is supposed to make your essay more interesting and engaging for them.
A great technique to use is starting out by making an assertive claim about your topic. This will help in grabbing the reader’s attention the moment they begin reading your essay.
What comes first, thesis or hook?
The hook of your essay is the first line of your introductory paragraph or can be more than one also. But the essay hook is written first.
A thesis statement follows it. It is included as a mini-outline of the essay and tells the readers about the essay’s content. Further on, the transitional hook sentence is added at the end of the paragraph.
What is the purpose of a hook?
The main and foremost purpose of a hook is to grab the attention of readers and hook them to your work. It creates an interesting and enticing start to an essay or any other assignment and connects the readers to your work.
What is a hook statement?
The hook is the first sentence of your introduction, and it should be interesting. A great way to start your introduction is by writing an engaging, concise, and clear hook. This will spark curiosity in the reader, which leads them through all that you have written about.
How long is a hook in an essay?
The hook is 1-2 sentences of your essay are important because they help capture the reader's attention. They will continue reading if they are interested in what you have to say.
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Nova Allison is a Digital Content Strategist with over eight years of experience. Nova has also worked as a technical and scientific writer. She is majorly involved in developing and reviewing online content plans that engage and resonate with audiences. Nova has a passion for writing that engages and informs her readers.
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Catchy Hooks for Essays: Examples of Hooks, Guidelines, Ideas
Now here’s the clue.
If you want to wow your teacher, polish the introduction. Add something interesting, funny, shocking, or intriguing. Good essay hooks help you build an emotional connection right from the start. Think of an essay hook as bait for your readers.
Our expert team has prepared numerous examples of hooks for essays. You’ll find hook examples for an argumentative essay, personal story, history essay, and other types of papers.
For 100% clarity, we provided examples using each hook tactic. And a short part about how to write a good hook.
We highly recommend reading all the methods and examples, so you don’t have any questions:
- 💎 What Exactly Is a Hook & How to Write a Good One
- 📜 Examples of Classical Essay Hooks
- 💡 Try Some Informative Essay Hooks
- 🦄 Here are the Most Uncommon Essay Hooks
- 👣 Follow These Final Steps to Using Essay Hooks
- 🔗 References for More Information
We highly recommend reading all the methods and examples, so you don’t have any questions.
💎 How to Write a Hook That Will Work for Your Essay?
The hook of your essay usually appears in the very first sentence.
The average length of an essay hook should be 3-7 sentences, depending on the topic.
But first, let’s quickly go through the key questions.
What Is an Essay Hook?
An essay hook (or narrative hook) is a literary technique that writers use to keep their readers engaged. It shows that the content below is worth reading.
The hook can have different lengths. Some writers make it last for several pages. Though, it better be a short paragraph or even a sentence.
WWhy Do You Need a Good Essay Hook?
Writing the right hook is essential for a few reasons:
- It heats up your readers’ interest. If you did it right, they read the whole piece.
- It shows off your skills . A right hook presents you as an expert in your field.
- It attracts target audience. Only the readers you want will keep reading.
- It keeps the tension on the right level. Use an intriguing question, and a reader dies to find out the answer.
- It makes a good introduction. Starting your essay off a boring fact is simply not a good idea.
How to Write a Good Hook?
It can be hard to come up with a right hook at first.
Moreover, not all hooks are universal. It depends on the type of writing and target audience. For example, using cliche sentences may disengage your readers. However, if your essay is scientific, you can try putting an interesting little-known fact at the beginning.
Personal experience or a funny joke can be good hooks as well. On the other hand, they have some limitations as well. Such type of attention grabbers is more suitable for essays on personal topics.
However, there is one trick that works well for any kind of writing. An intriguing question that you will answer later in the text is an excellent hook as it spikes the interest. It makes the readers more eager to read till the end to find out the answer. It will work correctly for your essay, too!
💬 The Famous Quote Hook
Use a famous quote as a hook for your essay on history, literature, or even social sciences. It will present you as an established writer. It shows how knowledgeable you are and motivates the readers to engage in the text.
⬇ ️ Check out examples below ⬇ ️
Political Science
Hilary Clinton once said that "there cannot be true democracy unless women's voices are heard." Which creates a discussion about how perfect democracy should look like. If it is a form of government that considers all opinions, why are women silenced so often even nowadays? The truth is that we need to ensure completely equal opportunities for women in politics before we talk about establishing the correct version of democracy. And even the most developed and progressive countries are still struggling to get to that level of equality. It can be achieved by various methods, even though they might only work in certain countries.
And even the most developed and progressive countries are still struggling to get to that level of equality. It can be achieved by various methods, even though they might only work in certain countries.
Social Sciences
"Ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for your country." These words of wisdom from John Kennedy reflect the perspective we need to teach the younger generations. For some reason, it has become popular to blame the government for any problem arising in society. Is it their fault that we don't think about waste and keep trashing our home? Social responsibility is a real thing. The well-being of our countries starts with the actions of every separate individual. It is not entirely right to wait until the government fixes all the issues for us. The best strategy is to start thinking about what we can do as a community to make our home even a better place.
And excellent sources of quotes for you:
- Brainyquote.com – you can search quotes by topic or by author.
- Goodreads.com is not only a great collection of e-books but also quotes.
- Quoteland.com has plenty of brilliant words for all imaginable situations.
- Quotationspage.com – more than 30,000 quotations for unique essay hooks.
❓ Rhetorical Question Essay Hooks
It doesn’t have to be rhetorical – any type of question addressed to your audience will do its job. Such a universal kind of hook can spike the interest of your readers immediately.
Some useful patterns of rhetorical questions:
- What could be more important than…?
- What if there was only one… (chance/day/hour)?
- Who wouldn’t like to… (be a cat/turn visitors into clients)?
- Why bother about… (inequality/imperfect education system)?
- Which is more important: … (making money or realizing potential)?
And more in examples:
Wouldn't free access to education for everyone be wonderful? The answer would most likely be positive. However, it is not as simple as it seems. As much as the governments try to achieve this goal, there are still many uneducated people. On the bright side, in the era of technology, learning has never been so easy. Of course, some young adults just prefer the shortcut option of taking a student loan. Other ways are much more challenging and require a lot of responsibility and patience. Finding free educational resources online and gaining experience with the help of video tutorials might sound unprofessional. Still, you will be surprised how many experts hired in different fields only received this type of education.
Is there anything that can help you lose weight fast? You have probably heard of this magical keto diet that is getting more and more popular worldwide. People claim that it helps them shred those excess pounds in unbelievably short terms. But how healthy is it, and does it suit anyone? The truth is that no diet is universal, and thanks to our differences, some weight-loss methods can even be harmful. Keto diet, for example, leads your body into the state of ketosis. What happens is that you don't receive carbohydrates, and in this state, fat is used as the primary source of energy instead them. However, it carries potential threats.
😂 Anecdotal Essay Hooks. What Can Be Better?
This type would usually be more suitable for literary pieces or personal stories. So, don’t use it for formal topics, such as business and economics. Note that this hook type can be much longer than one sentence. It usually appears as the whole first paragraph itself.
It wouldn't be Kate if she didn't do something weird, so she took a stranger for her best friend this time. There is nothing wrong with it; mistakes like that happen all the time. However, during only five minutes that Kate spent with the stranger, she blabbed too much. Thinking that she sat down at the table that her friend took, Kate was so busy starting on her phone that she didn't notice that it wasn't her friend at all. Sure enough, the naive girl started talking about every little detail of her last night that she spent with her date. It was too much for the ears of an old lady. Kate realized she took the wrong table only when it was too late.
Literature (personal story)
Do not ever underestimate the power of raccoons! Those little furry animals that may look overly cute are too smart and evil. It only takes one box of pizza left outside your house by the delivery person for the disaster to begin. When they smell that delicious pizza, no doors can stop them. They will join the forces to find a hole in your house to squeeze into. Even if it's a window crack four feet above the ground, they know how to get to it. Using their fellow raccoons as the ladder, they get inside the house. They sneak into the kitchen and steal your pizza in front of your eyes and your scared-to-death dog. Not the best first day in the new home, is it?
📈 Striking Stats Essay Hooks
Looking deeper into your essay topic, you might find some numbers that are quite amusing or shocking. They can serve as perfect hooks for economics- and business-oriented writings. Also, it is better if they are less known.
Business/social sciences
The UAE workforce is culturally diverse since around 20% of employees (usually called expatriates) come from different countries. Ex-pats tend to take managerial positions, which makes communication within companies quite tricky. The training focused on raising cultural awareness is getting more common, but such educational strategies as games (or gamification) are still rarely applied in the UAE companies. Yet, gamification was a useful tool in other places, making it an attractive UAE team building method. It can significantly help integrate ex-pats and create a more culturally aware environment.
The full version of this paper is here: Gamification and Cross-Cultural Communication in Dubai
The United Arab Emirate's debt has been rising drastically in past years, from about US$17 billion in 2003, which is almost 19 percent of GDP, to US$184 billion in 2009. Only a small proportion of the debt can be tracked directly to the public sector. A report by UBS bank shows that most of the debt comes from the corporate sector. Most of the companies that hold the main section of the debt are financial institutions. The public sector partly owns them. Banks in the UAE have been accumulating their debt amounts in the years mentioned above and could now account for 75 percent of the total foreign debt. The discussion is about the reasons why the UAE debt has been rising at an alarming rate.
Check the whole essay Debts in the United Arab Emirates .
Some good sources for statistics
- Finance.yahoo.com is perfect for business papers.
- Usa.gov/statistics is an easy-to-use governmental engine for searching data and stats.
- Unstats.un.org provides a massive collection of statistics published by UN organizations
- Oecd-ilibrary.org is the online library of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), featuring its books, papers, and statistics and is a gateway to the OECD’s analysis and data.
🤯 Shocking Facts are Very Good Hooks for Essays
Very similar to a statistical hook, a fact can serve as a perfect engaging introduction. Search your field for some shocking phenomenon and gently insert it in the beginning.
Don’t forget to include a reliable source reinforcing your words!
Nowadays, much attention is paid to the problem of shark finning around the world. Millions of sharks are killed annually for their fins, and many of them are dropped back to the ocean finless, where they die because of suffocation. In many countries, the idea of shark finning remains illegal and unethical, but the possibility of earning huge money cannot be ignored (Dell'Apa et al. 151). Regarding available technologies, market economies, trade relations, and cheap employment, it does not take much time to organize special trips for shark hunting. The Trade of shark fins is alive and well developed in countries like the United States and China. However, the number of people who are eager to try shark fin soup has considerably decreased during the last several years because of the popularity of anti-shark fin soup campaigns and laws supported worldwide (Mosbergen). The situation continues to change in China.
Read the full paper about China Southern Airlines being against shark finning .
Daniel Stacey and Ross Kelly observed that long lines and a new gray market trend for bigger screen phones marked Apple's new iPhones debut. As expected, new phone models drew Apple fans outside retail stores (Stacey and Kelly). Global critics, however, noted that this year's lines were generally longer relative to previous periods mainly because of the developing gray market for Apple products. The new Apple's iPhones have larger screens than the previous models. Also, they boast of improved battery life, faster processors, and an enhanced camera. Tim Cook called them "mother of all upgrades" (Stacey and Kelly).
For the whole text, go to Apple’s New iPhones Start Selling in Stores” by Stacey and Kelly
Sources to look for reliable facts:
- Buzzfeed.com – news, videos, quizzes.
- Cracked.com – a website full of funny stuff, like articles, videos, pictures, etc.
- Webmd.com – an incredible collection of medical facts you will love.
- Livescience.com – discoveries hitting on a broad range of fields.
- National Geographic – needs no introduction.
- Mental Floss answers life’s big questions, a compilation of fascinating facts and incredible stories.
🗣 ️ Dialogue as a Catchy Hook for Essays
Dialogue is another type of hooks that goes perfectly with pieces of literature and stories. It can even make your short essay stand out if you include it at the beginning. But don’t forget that it only concerns specific topics such as literature and history.
Here it is:
– Why did you do it? – I don't know anymore… That's why I'm leaving for a little bit right now. I need time to think.
With these words, Anna stepped back into the train car and waved goodbye to Trevor. She couldn’t even find the right words to explain why she ran away on her wedding day. It wasn’t that she didn’t love Trevor, but there was this deep, natural, and unexplored feeling that told her it wasn’t time yet. But the only thing Anna realized was that the city made her sick. That day, she took off her wedding dress, bought a ticket on the next flight leaving that afternoon, and hopped on the train taking her to the airport. She couldn’t even remember the country’s name she was going to so blurry everything was from her tears.
– If we still had inquisition, we could probably set him on fire. – Some dark magic, indeed, my friend! It would have probably been a real dialogue if we knew who was the first automobile inventor for sure. People were undoubtedly shocked to see the cars moving by themselves without horses. However, since they started appearing around the globe around the same time, it is almost impossible to identify who was the original creator of the idea and the first automobile itself. The credit was usually given to Karl Benz from Germany, who created a gasoline car in 1885-1886. But there are also much earlier records of a gentleman named Nicolas-Joseph Cugnot, who built the first vehicle powered by steam in France in 1769.
🔮 A Story Looks Like an Extremely Good Essay Hook
A universal essay hook is a story. You can use this trick pretty much anywhere. The main challenge is to be as authentic as possible, try to tell something fresh and engaging. The more specific and narrow the story, the more chances for a successful introduction.
Dell started fast and strong. The original company was founded in 1984 when the founder was only a 19-year-old student at the University of Texas. Four years after the inception of the company, Michael Dell became the Entrepreneur of the Year. Eight years after he started the company from his dorm room's comfort, Dell was chosen as the Man of the Year by PC Magazine. […] The company was acknowledged as the world's leading direct marketer of personal computers. At the same time, Dell was known as one of the top five PC vendors on the planet (Hunger 9). […] However, the company's journey encountered a major hurdle down the road. Even after recovering from an economic recession in 2010, the company continued to experience declining sales.
Continue reading Dell Technologies Mission, Vision, and Values .
🦚 Contradictory Statement – Queen of Good Hooks
Everybody loves to start an argument by contradicting some facts. Therefore, you simply need to add a controversial statement at the beginning of your essay. People of all ages and beliefs will not be able to stop reading it!
Challenging your readers works well for social sciences, business, and psychology topics.
Examples of contradictory statements essay hooks:
If you think being a manager is a calm and relatively easy task, try surviving on five cups of coffee, a sandwich, and two packs of cigarettes a day. You would rather believe that managers only walk around the office and give their staff orders, wouldn't you? Unfortunately, the reality is much harsher than such rainbowy dreams. The use of the internet in academic contexts is on the rise, and its role in learning is hotly debated. For many teachers who did not grow up with this technology, its effects seem alarming and potentially harmful. A whole set of personal qualities and professional skills must keep up with the successful strategic planning, assessment, and development. All the tasks the managers need to attend to are nerve-wracking and sometimes almost impossible to do. The stress from the demanding managerial position is often overlooked or underestimated.
Social sciences
Video games have been ruining our kids' lives and leading to an increase in crime. Since the gaming industry's development in recent years, the fear of its adverse effects on the younger generations' brains has become a significant concern. There is such a wide variety of games, ranging from educational to violent shooters and horrors. Almost immediately, caring parents jumped on the latter category, claiming that its impact is too significant and children become more aggressive and uncontrollable. Some supporters of this theory went even further. They decided to link real-life crimes to the effects of violent video games on child and adult behavior. However, as we will see later in this article, there is no or little scientific evidence supporting those ideas.
🔁 Vivid Comparison Essay Hook
Introducing your topic with an engaging, vivid comparison is a universal strategy. It is suitable for any kind of writing. The main idea is to grab your readers’ attention by showing them your unique perspective on the topic. Try to make the comparison amusing and exciting.
Comparison Essay Hook Options:
- Comparison with daily chores (e.g., Proofreading your essays is like cleaning your teeth.)
- Comparison with something everyone hates (e.g., Learning grammar is like going to the dentist.)
- Comparison with something everyone loves (e.g., John was happy like a child eating a free vanilla ice cream.)
- Comparison of modern and old-school phenomena (e.g., Modern email has much in common with pigeon post.)
- Funny comparison (e.g., Justin Bieber is the Michael Jackson of his time)
Check out examples:
Environment
For many people, flying feels like a dream come true. More and more people take their first-ever flight thanks to the rapidly developing aviation technologies. Aircraft and airports are advancing, and air traveling is getting cheaper. However, except for transporting eager travel addicted and business people, planes are used in other ways. It appears that the whole economies across the world depend on the effectiveness and efficiency of airlines. Import and export demand this kind of transportation to work at all times. Aviation development seems like a great thing. However, just like any other technological breakthrough, it comes with a price. Environmental issues did not wait too long to show up.
Social sciences/psychology
Leaving home for the first time as a freshman can only be compared to the level of stress you had in childhood when your mother left you in the line at the checkout for too long. Indeed, becoming a student and moving out of the parent's house comes with a great deal of stress. All the unknown that lies ahead makes youngsters too anxious. Then, the difficulties of financial planning and increased academic pressure come as additional sources of worries. However, it does not have to be such a negative experience. Particular techniques can help students overcome their stress related to the separation from their parents.
📄 Definitions = Easy & Good Hooks for Essays
Another versatile essay hook option is introducing a qualitative definition. Try to make it capacious, and don’t fall into verbal jungles. This narrative hook is perfect for short scientific papers where there is only one focus subject.
Business Ethics
White-collar crime refers to the peaceful offense committed with the intention of gaining unlawful monetary benefits. There are several white-collar crimes that can be executed. They include extortion, insider trading, money laundering, racketeering, securities fraud, and tax evasion. Enron Company was an American based energy company. It was the largest supplier of natural gas in America in the early 1990s. The company had a stunning performance in the 1990s. Despite the excellent performance, stakeholders of the company were concerned about the complexity of the financial statements. The company's management used the complex nature of the financial statements and the accounting standards' weaknesses to manipulate the financial records. The white-collar crime was characterized by inflating the asset values, overstating the reported cash flow, and failure to disclose the financial records' liabilities. This paper carries out an analysis of the Enron scandal as an example of white-collar crime as discussed in the video, The Smartest Guys in the Room.
Go to see the full text here: Enron Company’s Business Ethics .
Motivation is the act of influencing someone to take any action to achieve a particular goal (Montana& Chanov, 2008). Employees' motivation depends on the job's nature, the company's organizational culture, and personal characteristics. In this case study, various theories influence and show how employees can be motivated in the workplace.
Continue reading this paper about Motivation Role in Management .
📚 A Metaphor Is Another Great Choice for Essay Hooks
Naturally, using a metaphor as a hook for your essay comes with some limitations. You should only use this type in literature and sometimes in psychology. However, it serves as a great attention grabber if it’s engaging enough.
Let’s see how you can use a metaphor:
When life gives you dirt, don't try to squeeze the juice out of it. It's better to leave it alone and let it dry out a bit. Kate decided to follow this philosophy since nothing else seemed to work. After the painful divorce process, last week's ridiculous work assignments and managing two kids alone almost drove her crazy. No polite discussions, arguing, or bribing helped take care of seemingly a million tasks these little women had to deal with. Even letting out the anger just like her phycologist recommended did not help much. Instead, Kate referred to the last remedy. She put all the issues aside with the hope that it would get better later.
The recipe is relatively easy – take a cup of self-respect, two cups of unconditional love, half a cup of good health, a pinch of new positive experiences, and mix it all for a perfect state of happiness! We all wish it would be possible, right? However, the mystery of this state of being happy is still unsolved. The concept and its perception considerably change depending on time and values. Happiness is so complicated that there is even no universal definition of it. Besides, humans are social creatures, so associating your level of success with others is not unusual. Therefore, being happy means achieving a certain level of several aspects.
🧩 Puzzle? Yes! Amazing Hook for Your Essay
Doesn’t a good riddle grab your attention? Sometimes you just want to find out the answer. The other times, you want to figure out how it is related to the topic. Such a hook would be great for writings on psychology and even economics or business.
Here are the examples:
How many Google office employees you need to destroy a box of fresh donuts? Google is indeed famous for some of the most accommodating and unique working places around the whole world. However, the success of the company does not only appear from treats for employees. It seems that the organizational culture has many effects on business decisions and overall performance. All the staff working in Google share the same visions and values, helping them cooperate and lead the company to success. However, there is one aspect to consider. The organizational culture needs to be adapted to the ever-changing business environment.
Who survives on dirt-like substance, is never joyful, and only returns to the cave to sleep? It sounds horrible, but the correct answer is human. Nowadays, the demands for any kind of workers are rising, which brings tremendous effects on people. As the number of duties increases, it is getting harder for employees not to chug on coffee and come back home in time for a family dinner. The work-life balance is disturbed, leading to anxiety, relationship issues, and even health problems. Social life appears to be as important as making money. Therefore, the correct distribution of time between personal life and work duties is necessary for happiness.
📢 Announcement Is Also a Good Essay Hook Option
Announcements could be suitable for literary pieces and historical essays.
Such a hook doesn’t have to be too long. It should be significant enough to persuade your readers to stick to your writing. Make sure it aligns with your topic as well.
Ways to use announcements as essay hooks:
It was a revolution! The Beatle's first song came out in 1962, and almost immediately, hordes of fans pledged their loyalty to this new band. Nearly all youngsters became obsessed with their music. No one can deny that the Beatles are still considered the creators of some of the best songs in history. However, the arrival of the British band influences culture as well. Many photos depict girls going crazy on live concerts and guys shaping their haircuts after the Beatles' members. The revolution that the band brought left an impact, evidence that we can still trace in modern British culture and music.
I will never go to Starbucks again! Oh, no, mind me. I love their coffee. At some point in my life, I even thought I had an addiction and had to ask my friends to watch my consumption of Pumpkin Spice Latte. Then, the wind of change turned everything upside down. On my usual Starbucks morning run, I noticed a homeless man holding a paper cup begging for money. At first, I didn't pay much attention since it's a usual occurrence in our area. However, one day, I recognized my old neighbor in him. The only cash I had on me, I usually spent on my cup of coffee, but I decided it was not much of a sacrifice. From that moment, I only showed up on that street to shove a few bucks into that poor guy's cup. One day, to my surprise, he talked to me.
ℹ ️ Background Information Essay Hook
Last but not least, give background information on your subject to make a good intro. Such an essay hook is effortless and suitable for practically any paper. Try to find the most unobvious angle to the background information. At the same time, keep it short and substantive.
Here are the ways to use background information essay hooks:
Air Arabia is among the leading low-cost carriers in the global airline industry. The airline is mainly based at the Sharjah International Airport in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) (Air Arabia, 2012). The airline came into inception in 2003 after His Highness Dr. Sheik Mohammed Al Qassimi, the Ruler of Sharjah, issued an Emiri Decree. Later, Air Arabia was transformed into a limited liability company. For nearly a decade, Air Arabia has witnessed tremendous growth, resulting in increased fleet size and improved sales revenues. At the same time, Air Arabia has created a renowned brand that offers reliable and safe services (Dubai Media Incorporated, 2012). Air Arabia identifies itself as a low-cost carrier by providing low fares in the industry. Some of the key strengths of the airline include punctuality and safety. This aims to ensure that the airline serves its customers most efficiently by observing its safety requirements and adhering to the landing and takeoff schedules (De Kluyver, 2010).
Read the full text here: Air Arabia Company Analysis.
Walmart was founded by Sam Walton in the Arkansas United States in 1962 as a grocery store. The company, which operates a chain of over 8,000 stores in fifteen countries, is estimated to employ over two million employees from diverse backgrounds. Wal-Mart was incorporated in 1969 and started trading in the New York Stock Exchange in 1972. […] Although the company can leave its consumers with a saving due to its low-price policy, it has faced some sharp criticisms over how it treats its employees and other stakeholders. Wal-Mart boasts of its ability to save its customers' money, an average of $950 per year. This, however, has been criticized as harming the community. Also, the feminists' activists have focused on Walmart's misconduct in offering low prices. (Fraedrich, Ferrell & Ferrell 440)
👣 Final Steps to Using Essay Hooks
Now we won’t keep you for long. Let’s just go through simple points of essay hook writing.
Someone may think that you have to write your hook first. It comes first in the paper, right?
In reality, though, you can wait until your entire essay is nearly finished. Then go back and rewrite the very first paragraph. This way, you can have a fresh look at what you’ve written in the beginning.
Here’s a simple plan you can follow.
- First, write a basic version of your thesis statement.
- Then, provide supporting evidence for your thesis in every body paragraph.
- After that, reword your thesis statement and write your concluding paragraph.
- Finally, search for an attention-grabbing fact, statistic, or anything from the list above to serve as an engaging essay hook.
Add this essay hook to the beginning of your introduction. Make sure that your ideas still flow naturally into your thesis statement.
⚠ ️ Pro tip: choose various hooks and play around, adding each hook to your introduction paragraph. Like this, you can determine which one makes the most impressive beginning to your paper.
Some of your choices may sound interesting but may not lead to your essay’s main point. Don’t panic! Paper writing always involves trial and error. Just keep trying your essay hook ideas until one fits perfectly.
That’s it 😊
Good luck with your work!
🔗 References
- Hook – Examples and Definition of Hook
- How to Engage the Reader in the Opening Paragraph – BBC
- Hooks and Attention Grabbers; George Brown College Writing Centre
- Hook Examples and Definition; Literary Devices
- What Is a Narrative Hook? Video
- How to: Writing Hooks or Attention-Getting Openings-YouTube
DemoEssays Review: Free Political Science Essay Samples
Psychologywriting review: free essay samples for students of all levels.
Top 100 Essay Hook Examples
Introduction.
Teacher: “I will never forgive you for the essay you submitted.”
Student: “What’s wrong with it? I can see you gave me an A already.”
Teacher: “My dinner got burned because I just couldn’t get myself to stop reading it.”
Do you get the clue?
Polish your essay introduction if you want to wow your teacher. Add something shocking, funny, or interesting.
Right from the start, build an emotional connection. An essay hook should be your reader’s bait.
You can write persuasive essay hooks in several ways.
What is an Essay Hook?
You will use a hook when you want to encourage or intimidate your audience in reading your essays.
A hook is the first sentence that appears in your introductory paragraph. Its average length is 3-7 sentences, but it depends on the essay topic.
The hook will show your readers that the content of the essay is worth reading. Some writers will even make the hook go up to several pages.
Though, it would be best if you kept it as a sentence or a short paragraph.
Remember, the hook does not replace is not an essay introduction. It is an opening line for an introduction.
The essential components of the introduction of an essay are the thesis statement and the hook.
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Writing a Good Essay Hook
To write a good essay hook, you need to follow these steps:
- Understand the literary work
- Craft an outline
- Know your audience
- Know your writing intent
Let us discuss each in detail.
Understand the Literary Work
Have in mind a clear vision of the literary work for your essay. You will need to describe the techniques used in supporting the arguments of the given essay type.
Craft an Outline
Have an outline to organize your information and highlight the relevant points to your essay.
Know Your Audience
Choose how you intend to develop your work and know your target audience. Use simple language if you are targeting children. If it is for professionals, use appropriate language.
Know Your Writing Intent
Your choice of the hook should fit your essay. Know the purpose of the research paper you want to write. If you have an interesting essay topic choice, your hook should be funny.
Have a normal hook if you want to write a conference paper.
Why You Need a Good Essay Hook
- When done right, it heats your reader’s interest, and they end up reading the entire essay.
- The right hook will present your expertise in the field and show off your skills.
- Only the readers you intend to reach will read your content because it attracts the target audience.
- The reader dies to find out more because of your use of intriguing questions to keep the tension levels right.
- A good essay hook gives an excellent introduction to your essay.
Types of Hook Sentences
Different types of hooks exist for different kinds of papers, such as research papers and essays.
- Personal story
- Simile/Metaphor
- Description
- Statistical facts
- Literary quotes
- Common misconception
- Thesis statement
1. Question Hook
When you want to grab your audience’s attention, you can ask an intriguing question that they have an interest in answering.
Question hook examples include:
- What would our lives be if we had to go about our daily lives experiencing chronic joint pain?
- Are your day-to-day activities keeping you from achieving your lifelong dreams?
- How much sugar can one consume in a day?
- Did you know that studies show that women are more predisposed to clinical depression than men?
- Do jobs that require you to have a college education earn you more than those with skilled trades?
- Does online learning offer a better option for K-12 education?
- If commercially processed food was unavailable for long periods, would your family still have enough to eat?
- In this year’s elections, will we experience a record-breaking voter turnout?
- Is the use of Search Engine Optimization (SEO) strategies important to YouTubers?
- Just how much television watching time is too much for school-going kids?
- What would be the difference between a successful person and an unsuccessful person?
- What is love?
- What would you define kindness to be?
- What do you live for?
- What motivates you to wake up and go to work every day?
Think about what the reader would be eager to learn or what they are interested in before posing the question.
Do not make the questions Yes or No or generalized. Tailor them to fit your reader’s needs. Making use of rhetoric is always an excellent way to grab the reader’s attention.
2. Anecdote
We live lives full of strange, interesting, or funny happenings. So, why not attract the attention of your reader using such stories?
An anecdote may be something you have imagined or a personal story. Ensure the story remains relevant to your essay topic.
Examples of an anecdote hook:
- Last night my cousin Harriet went clubbing with red lipstick all over her teeth. I didn’t feel anything about not telling her until everyone started laughing…
- You know, as a child, my cat was my best friend. My childhood was exciting because of her.
- That reminds me of a crazy night we had with my best friend before he got swept off his feet by his girlfriend Sandy.
- I was a vampire last Halloween – it was the real deal.
- Is that a pink rose? Wow! I adore them. My great grandfather had a vast rose garden, with over 300 species. Every Wednesday, he would go and clip many of them and make my great granny a bouquet. Does this kind of love exist anymore?
- Oh, I love Paris! I have visited France six times this year. Have you seen the Eiffel Tower? It’s the most iconic attraction in Paris.
- I once had a Chihuahua: She was adorable. Every morning, I would open the door, and she would run and pick up the newspaper for me.
- Successful college students write a story meant to give a brief account of their favourite Christmas holiday.
- A mother is telling her kids about a childhood holiday she loved.
- In a conversation about experiencing amusement parks, a child talks about their experience in Disney Land.
- At the start of an essay on fire safety, the writer gives a short cautionary story about a severe injury happening due to a failure in following protocol.
- During the Christmas morning breakfast, children and parents talk about the Christmas holidays they’ve enjoyed together.
Ideally, an anecdote makes the reader laugh and gives them more interest in reading your essay further.
3. Quotes
You can use quotes from famous people to explain the relevance of your essay topic . Ensure you elaborate the quote for the reader’s understanding.
4. Statistical Facts
A statistical hook works when you intend to provide your reader with information. These facts are, in most cases, used in informative or process essays.
Statistical facts are also quotes from famous people, only that, in this case, they present a percentage, number, or figure.
5. Personal Story
When writing a college application essay or a narrative essay , it is best to start it with a short personal story.
It could be something that happened to a relative or a friend. It doesn’t have to be something you have experienced firsthand.
6. Description Hook
When writing your essay, you will want to get the reader’s attention. A description hook describes a scene vividly to the readers to want to read more and more.
It is in most cases used in narrative essays but can be used with other types of essays .
7. Simile/Metaphor Hook
A simile/metaphor gives your readers a different way to look at an essay topic. A metaphor makes a comparison between two unrelated things.
An example would be:
“I have a five-year-old baby – my fashion business was founded in 2017.”
8. Literary Quotes
Literary quotes are best in a book review. Keep in mind that they may not be appropriate for use with persuasive and expository essays.
An example of a literary quote:
You can use literary quotes in a compare & contrast essay in the works of William Shakespeare: “Less than kind and a little more kin” (Hamlet, Act 2, and Scene 2)
9. Common Misconception
It shows your reader that what they believe in may not be accurate. Then, make a connection with your thesis statement. This will force the reader to study further because this hook example aims at creating a disturbance.
“Fortune cookies aren’t Chinese,” “The Buddha wasn’t fat.”
Use this type of hook to depict that sometimes things are not what they seem to be. They are most appropriate for reflection or explanation essays.
10. Scenes
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.
“Imagine sitting by the fire sipping some wine with the love of your life by your side.”
11. Thesis Statement
A different way to begin your introduction without using the tricks is to go straight to the main statement. You don’t need to put a lot into just a couple of sentences.
Essay Hook Examples
Below are examples of essay hooks used in writing the different types of essays:
1. Argumentative Essay Hook Examples
In an argumentative essay , the opening paragraph should be similar to that of a trial. You are supposed to claim persuasively and logically. This comes after you have provided some background information, just like a lawyer begins by presenting an issue.
For example, when arguing that all public places should be turned into no-smoking zones because of the adverse smoking effects, use an excellent statistical hook as follows:
“According to the World Health Organization, tobacco consumption kills more than 5 million people yearly. This makes the death rate more than would be from Malaria, HIV/AIDS, and TB combined.”
You may also want to check argumentative essay topics
2. Persuasive Essay Hook Examples
A persuasive essay persuades the reader to take a specific action or agree with you by changing their beliefs.
The hook sentence in this essay will create curiosity in the reader by making a shocking revelation or stating statistics.
For instance, you can choose to write about the seriousness of the climate change issue and its threat to the world. Start your essay by giving facts concerning the atmosphere:
“On average each year, the human population emits approximately 39.2 billion tons of carbon dioxide. More than it has been in the past centuries, the carbon dioxide levels have significantly increased. You are highly mistaken if you think there’s no need to worry about climate change.”
3. Narrative Hook Examples
A narrative essay is more like a story. It gives you the freedom to tell your story just the way you want. This is unlike other types of essays where you need to argue and choose a side.
“I am not sure whether it is just something that became solid over time or it is a real memory. I can’t tell whether at one point my neighbour tried to murder me.”
You can also check comprehensive narrative essay topics !
4. Examples of Hooks in Speeches
You may also want to check speech attention grabbers
5. Examples of Hooks in Literature
How to Choose a Good Hook
You might be wondering what it takes to choose the right hook. There exists no single formula in choosing the best hook for your essay.
That said, you will need to keep the following in mind when choosing your hook:
- The type of essay
- Your audience
Knowing your audience and the type of essay you intend to write plays an essential role in selecting the hook.
So, it is crucial to identify the appropriate hook for your essay and audience.
Final Word – Get High-Quality Essay from Experts
We have provided you with the ultimate essay writing guide to create the best introduction to your essay. You may still find it to be challenging to grab the reader’s attention in your introductory line.
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There are 5 types of essays: expository, persuasive/argumentative, narrative, and descriptive. This blog post will teach you about the various types of essays so that you can choose the appropriate one for your paper in school or on any other type of writing assignment.
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Good hooks for argumentative essays (with examples)
Many students find it hard to create good hooks when writing an argumentative essay. The hook is the first sentence or two of your essay, and it should interest the reader in your topic. A good argumentative hook for example can leave them thinking “Yes! I need to know why this is true!”
In this guide, we will learn how to write a good hook for argumentative essay and earn a top grade.
Some starter questions answered in this guide include:
Argumentative essay layout
- How to Write a Thesis Statement for an Argumentative Essay + Examples
Argumentative essay topics
Argumentative essay outline, gun control argumentative essay, argumentative essay examples.
- How can I write a good hook for an argumentative essay?
- How do you get the reader interested in the topic of your essay?
- What are some examples of hooks for argumentative essays?
If you want to learn how to write a strong good hook for an argumentative essay, just follow these simple rules. If you need essay help , just fill out the order form here . We have over 3000 essay writers standing by ready to craft your paper, so there’s no need to worry about it! Let us know what type of essay paper you’re looking for and let our certified writer make your dreams come true.
What makes a good hook for an argumentative essay?
A good hook is a question or statement that catches the reader’s attention and piques their interest. It must directly relate to the topic of your paper, but it cannot be so on-the-nose that you sound like you’re complaining about something. Keep in mind that your thesis statement won’t be just one sentence; it will have several sentences that need to lead logically from the introduction into the bulk of the text.
Characteristics of a good hook for argumentative essay
So, what are some characteristics of a good hook for argumentative essay?
- A good hook does not announce itself as a hook right away; instead it lures readers into feeling like they’re reading something substantial and meaty before revealing its true nature. It goes beyond just mentioning an interesting argument or position by actually developing it in some way.
- A good hook will be original and creative without being too far-fetched or alienating.
- A good hook is an integral part of your argument, rather than just a starting point for it. It should have a clear purpose in the text as a whole. In other words, it’s less important that your essay starts with a good hook than it is that your essay has a strong and cohesive thesis throughout.
- A good hook does not merely state an opinion; rather, it presents an idea or asks a question (e.g., “Is writing about love more difficult than writing about hate?”)
- You need to use powerful words to make sure your hook doesn’t fall flat. If you’re talking about something like global warming, for example, don’t bother starting with the phrase “the recent rise in temperature.” You need to go deeper into discussion of the topic; this means using language that shows you’re familiar with the research and have a good grasp of the academic conversation surrounding your topic. Additionally, avoid clichés and empty phrases when coming up with a hook for argumentative essay.
6 Types of argumentative essay hooks
There are 6 types of argumentative essay hooks you can use to grab the attention of your audience:
Quotation or citation hooks
Factual hooks, personal experience hook, question hook, case study hook, definition hook.
Below is a detailed analysis of the 6 hooks for essays listed above with examples on how to write a hook for an argumentative essay (with detailed essay hook examples ).
Quotation or citation hooks involve using quotes, statistics, and other research data to support your argument.
For example, if you are writing about how people rely too heavily on cell phones to communicate with each other as opposed to giving face-to-face time as a priority, then one possible hook might be:
“A recent study by the Pew Research Center reveals that American teens between the ages of 12 and 17 send an average of 60 text messages per day.”
Factual hooks use facts and figures from surveys and polls. For example: “According to a survey conducted by CBS news, more than 50% of first year college students wish their parents had not pushed so hard for them to attend college.” Or, “According to the US Census Bureau, the average household spent $2400 on back-to-school supplies in 2014.”
Facts are very important when writing an argument essay because the facts present a valid way to support your argument. For example, if you are writing an opinion essay about how commercialism is damaging Christmas traditions, citing a statistic that shows that spending for Christmas has increased by 500% in the past ten years will help strengthen and support your argument.
Personal experience hooks are effective hooks in argumentative writing because they involve the audience directly. For example: “If I had it my way, students would have to give up social media for an entire semester just so that they could focus on their academics.” Or, “As a college student hailing from a low socioeconomic background, I can attest to how frustrating it is not being able to buy name brand items at school prices after graduation.”
By sharing a personal experience when starting an argumentative essay, the writer is able to catch the reader’s attention right away by either relating to a personal situation or revealing something that many people might find surprising. In addition to this, these hooks have an active voice which makes the argumentative essay feel more direct and forceful.
To use a question hook successfully, you must frame your argument as a question. For example: “Do you think life would be easier if you never had to deal with the in-between moments in life, when your life didn’t fit perfectly into any timeframe?”
Using a question as an argumentative paper hook allows you to organize your paper around a series of questions. The format for this type of paper is simple:
- Introduce the topic with a general question that may have one or two concrete answers.
- Discuss why these specific answers are correct or incorrect from a certain point of view, citing sources in the process if necessary.
- Include a final conclusion in which you state your own position and explain why it is valid based on the evidence you have already presented throughout the essay.
A case study hook allows you to illustrate examples using stories about real people. Using real life case studies can attract your readers’ interest in your paper because everyone loves a good story.
You may consider using this type of hook in any argumentative essay, but it is especially effective when you are writing an opinion essay or persuasive essay . This type of hook has the advantage over other types because it can be personal and easy to understand at the same time. You may use details about people’s lives to make your point clear and maybe even inspire emotions like empathy within your readers. The disadvantage however is that not every reader will find the case study equally interesting or involving; thus depending on what you are writing about, you may want to try out more than one type of hook before deciding which one is best for your particular scenario.
For example: “Jessica was excited to make new friends at college until she realized how difficult it was trying to find common ground between acquaintances.”
A definition hook allows you define terms that may or may not be familiar to the reader. For example: “Art is a form of expression that balances creativity, imagination, individuality, and beauty.”
Example of a definition hook in argumentative essay writing would be:
“Art is a form of expression that balances creativity, imagination, individuality, and beauty.”
Writing challenge: Practise writing good hook for argumentative essays
Now that you know how to write a good hook for argumentative essay, you need to practise writing argumentative hooks by choosing two types of hooks above and creating good argumentative hooks.
Share your views and the results of this challenge in the comment section.
Argumentative essay structure
- How to Start an Argumentative Essay | Introduction Paragraphs examples
Qualitative research question examples
Related guides, how to write a thesis statement for an..., argumentative essay background information, argumentative essay format, how to write a conclusion for an argumentative..., argumentative research paper outline, argumentative essay transition words, how to start an argumentative essay | introduction....
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- The four main types of essay | Quick guide with examples
The Four Main Types of Essay | Quick Guide with Examples
Published on September 4, 2020 by Jack Caulfield . Revised on December 6, 2021.
An essay is a focused piece of writing designed to inform or persuade. There are many different types of essay, but they are often defined in four categories: argumentative, expository, narrative, and descriptive essays.
Argumentative and expository essays are focused on conveying information and making clear points, while narrative and descriptive essays are about exercising creativity and writing in an interesting way. At university level, argumentative essays are the most common type.
In high school and college, you will also often have to write textual analysis essays, which test your skills in close reading and interpretation.
Table of contents
Argumentative essays, expository essays, narrative essays, descriptive essays, textual analysis essays, frequently asked questions about types of essays.
An argumentative essay presents an extended, evidence-based argument. It requires a strong thesis statement —a clearly defined stance on your topic. Your aim is to convince the reader of your thesis using evidence (such as quotations ) and analysis.
Argumentative essays test your ability to research and present your own position on a topic. This is the most common type of essay at college level—most papers you write will involve some kind of argumentation.
The essay is divided into an introduction, body, and conclusion:
- The introduction provides your topic and thesis statement
- The body presents your evidence and arguments
- The conclusion summarizes your argument and emphasizes its importance
The example below is a paragraph from the body of an argumentative essay about the effects of the internet on education. Mouse over it to learn more.
A common frustration for teachers is students’ use of Wikipedia as a source in their writing. Its prevalence among students is not exaggerated; a survey found that the vast majority of the students surveyed used Wikipedia (Head & Eisenberg, 2010). An article in The Guardian stresses a common objection to its use: “a reliance on Wikipedia can discourage students from engaging with genuine academic writing” (Coomer, 2013). Teachers are clearly not mistaken in viewing Wikipedia usage as ubiquitous among their students; but the claim that it discourages engagement with academic sources requires further investigation. This point is treated as self-evident by many teachers, but Wikipedia itself explicitly encourages students to look into other sources. Its articles often provide references to academic publications and include warning notes where citations are missing; the site’s own guidelines for research make clear that it should be used as a starting point, emphasizing that users should always “read the references and check whether they really do support what the article says” (“Wikipedia:Researching with Wikipedia,” 2020). Indeed, for many students, Wikipedia is their first encounter with the concepts of citation and referencing. The use of Wikipedia therefore has a positive side that merits deeper consideration than it often receives.
An expository essay provides a clear, focused explanation of a topic. It doesn’t require an original argument, just a balanced and well-organized view of the topic.
Expository essays test your familiarity with a topic and your ability to organize and convey information. They are commonly assigned at high school or in exam questions at college level.
The introduction of an expository essay states your topic and provides some general background, the body presents the details, and the conclusion summarizes the information presented.
A typical body paragraph from an expository essay about the invention of the printing press is shown below. Mouse over it to learn more.
The invention of the printing press in 1440 changed this situation dramatically. Johannes Gutenberg, who had worked as a goldsmith, used his knowledge of metals in the design of the press. He made his type from an alloy of lead, tin, and antimony, whose durability allowed for the reliable production of high-quality books. This new technology allowed texts to be reproduced and disseminated on a much larger scale than was previously possible. The Gutenberg Bible appeared in the 1450s, and a large number of printing presses sprang up across the continent in the following decades. Gutenberg’s invention rapidly transformed cultural production in Europe; among other things, it would lead to the Protestant Reformation.
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A narrative essay is one that tells a story. This is usually a story about a personal experience you had, but it may also be an imaginative exploration of something you have not experienced.
Narrative essays test your ability to build up a narrative in an engaging, well-structured way. They are much more personal and creative than other kinds of academic writing . Writing a personal statement for an application requires the same skills as a narrative essay.
A narrative essay isn’t strictly divided into introduction, body, and conclusion, but it should still begin by setting up the narrative and finish by expressing the point of the story—what you learned from your experience, or why it made an impression on you.
Mouse over the example below, a short narrative essay responding to the prompt “Write about an experience where you learned something about yourself,” to explore its structure.
Since elementary school, I have always favored subjects like science and math over the humanities. My instinct was always to think of these subjects as more solid and serious than classes like English. If there was no right answer, I thought, why bother? But recently I had an experience that taught me my academic interests are more flexible than I had thought: I took my first philosophy class.
Before I entered the classroom, I was skeptical. I waited outside with the other students and wondered what exactly philosophy would involve—I really had no idea. I imagined something pretty abstract: long, stilted conversations pondering the meaning of life. But what I got was something quite different.
A young man in jeans, Mr. Jones—“but you can call me Rob”—was far from the white-haired, buttoned-up old man I had half-expected. And rather than pulling us into pedantic arguments about obscure philosophical points, Rob engaged us on our level. To talk free will, we looked at our own choices. To talk ethics, we looked at dilemmas we had faced ourselves. By the end of class, I’d discovered that questions with no right answer can turn out to be the most interesting ones.
The experience has taught me to look at things a little more “philosophically”—and not just because it was a philosophy class! I learned that if I let go of my preconceptions, I can actually get a lot out of subjects I was previously dismissive of. The class taught me—in more ways than one—to look at things with an open mind.
A descriptive essay provides a detailed sensory description of something. Like narrative essays, they allow you to be more creative than most academic writing, but they are more tightly focused than narrative essays. You might describe a specific place or object, rather than telling a whole story.
Descriptive essays test your ability to use language creatively, making striking word choices to convey a memorable picture of what you’re describing.
A descriptive essay can be quite loosely structured, though it should usually begin by introducing the object of your description and end by drawing an overall picture of it. The important thing is to use careful word choices and figurative language to create an original description of your object.
Mouse over the example below, a response to the prompt “Describe a place you love to spend time in,” to learn more about descriptive essays.
On Sunday afternoons I like to spend my time in the garden behind my house. The garden is narrow but long, a corridor of green extending from the back of the house, and I sit on a lawn chair at the far end to read and relax. I am in my small peaceful paradise: the shade of the tree, the feel of the grass on my feet, the gentle activity of the fish in the pond beside me.
My cat crosses the garden nimbly and leaps onto the fence to survey it from above. From his perch he can watch over his little kingdom and keep an eye on the neighbours. He does this until the barking of next door’s dog scares him from his post and he bolts for the cat flap to govern from the safety of the kitchen.
With that, I am left alone with the fish, whose whole world is the pond by my feet. The fish explore the pond every day as if for the first time, prodding and inspecting every stone. I sometimes feel the same about sitting here in the garden; I know the place better than anyone, but whenever I return I still feel compelled to pay attention to all its details and novelties—a new bird perched in the tree, the growth of the grass, and the movement of the insects it shelters…
Sitting out in the garden, I feel serene. I feel at home. And yet I always feel there is more to discover. The bounds of my garden may be small, but there is a whole world contained within it, and it is one I will never get tired of inhabiting.
Though every essay type tests your writing skills, some essays also test your ability to read carefully and critically. In a textual analysis essay, you don’t just present information on a topic, but closely analyze a text to explain how it achieves certain effects.
Rhetorical analysis
A rhetorical analysis looks at a persuasive text (e.g. a speech, an essay, a political cartoon) in terms of the rhetorical devices it uses, and evaluates their effectiveness.
The goal is not to state whether you agree with the author’s argument but to look at how they have constructed it.
The introduction of a rhetorical analysis presents the text, some background information, and your thesis statement; the body comprises the analysis itself; and the conclusion wraps up your analysis of the text, emphasizing its relevance to broader concerns.
The example below is from a rhetorical analysis of Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech . Mouse over it to learn more.
King’s speech is infused with prophetic language throughout. Even before the famous “dream” part of the speech, King’s language consistently strikes a prophetic tone. He refers to the Lincoln Memorial as a “hallowed spot” and speaks of rising “from the dark and desolate valley of segregation” to “make justice a reality for all of God’s children.” The assumption of this prophetic voice constitutes the text’s strongest ethical appeal; after linking himself with political figures like Lincoln and the Founding Fathers, King’s ethos adopts a distinctly religious tone, recalling Biblical prophets and preachers of change from across history. This adds significant force to his words; standing before an audience of hundreds of thousands, he states not just what the future should be, but what it will be: “The whirlwinds of revolt will continue to shake the foundations of our nation until the bright day of justice emerges.” This warning is almost apocalyptic in tone, though it concludes with the positive image of the “bright day of justice.” The power of King’s rhetoric thus stems not only from the pathos of his vision of a brighter future, but from the ethos of the prophetic voice he adopts in expressing this vision.
Literary analysis
A literary analysis essay presents a close reading of a work of literature—e.g. a poem or novel—to explore the choices made by the author and how they help to convey the text’s theme. It is not simply a book report or a review, but an in-depth interpretation of the text.
Literary analysis looks at things like setting, characters, themes, and figurative language. The goal is to closely analyze what the author conveys and how.
The introduction of a literary analysis essay presents the text and background, and provides your thesis statement; the body consists of close readings of the text with quotations and analysis in support of your argument; and the conclusion emphasizes what your approach tells us about the text.
Mouse over the example below, the introduction to a literary analysis essay on Frankenstein , to learn more.
Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein is often read as a crude cautionary tale about the dangers of scientific advancement unrestrained by ethical considerations. In this reading, protagonist Victor Frankenstein is a stable representation of the callous ambition of modern science throughout the novel. This essay, however, argues that far from providing a stable image of the character, Shelley uses shifting narrative perspectives to portray Frankenstein in an increasingly negative light as the novel goes on. While he initially appears to be a naive but sympathetic idealist, after the creature’s narrative Frankenstein begins to resemble—even in his own telling—the thoughtlessly cruel figure the creature represents him as. This essay begins by exploring the positive portrayal of Frankenstein in the first volume, then moves on to the creature’s perception of him, and finally discusses the third volume’s narrative shift toward viewing Frankenstein as the creature views him.
At high school and in composition classes at university, you’ll often be told to write a specific type of essay , but you might also just be given prompts.
Look for keywords in these prompts that suggest a certain approach: The word “explain” suggests you should write an expository essay , while the word “describe” implies a descriptive essay . An argumentative essay might be prompted with the word “assess” or “argue.”
The vast majority of essays written at university are some sort of argumentative essay . Almost all academic writing involves building up an argument, though other types of essay might be assigned in composition classes.
Essays can present arguments about all kinds of different topics. For example:
- In a literary analysis essay, you might make an argument for a specific interpretation of a text
- In a history essay, you might present an argument for the importance of a particular event
- In a politics essay, you might argue for the validity of a certain political theory
An argumentative essay tends to be a longer essay involving independent research, and aims to make an original argument about a topic. Its thesis statement makes a contentious claim that must be supported in an objective, evidence-based way.
An expository essay also aims to be objective, but it doesn’t have to make an original argument. Rather, it aims to explain something (e.g., a process or idea) in a clear, concise way. Expository essays are often shorter assignments and rely less on research.
The key difference is that a narrative essay is designed to tell a complete story, while a descriptive essay is meant to convey an intense description of a particular place, object, or concept.
Narrative and descriptive essays both allow you to write more personally and creatively than other kinds of essays , and similar writing skills can apply to both.
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Types of Essay Hooks 1. Statistical Fact. Shocking facts on the topic of an essay your audience might not be aware of. Around 25% of dreams... 2. Meaningful Advice. Giving your readers a piece of advice is always beneficial. You get their attention and they get... 3. Contradictory Statement. Writing ...
5 examples of essay hooks 1 Statistic hook. The statistic hook gives your audience a true and hard fact to latch onto from the get-go. Gaining... 2 Quotation hook. If you choose a memorable quotation that directly connects to what you’re writing about, the words... 3 Anecdotal hook. Depending on the ...
Hook Sentence Examples Question Hook. You can grab the reader’s attention by asking them an intriguing question, that they would want to know... Anecdote. An anecdote can be a personal story or a product of your imagination. Provided that the story is relevant to... Quotes. Another popular type of ...
An essay hook (or narrative hook) is a literary technique that writers use to keep their readers engaged. It shows that the content below is worth reading. The hook can have different lengths. Some writers make it last for several pages. Though, it better be a short paragraph or even a sentence. WWhy Do You Need a Good Essay Hook?
Different types of hooks exist for different kinds of papers, such as research papers and essays. Anecdote Personal story Simile/Metaphor Description Statistical facts Quotes Question Literary quotes Common misconception Scenes Thesis statement 1. Question Hook
6 Types of argumentative essay hooks There are 6 types of argumentative essay hooks you can use to grab the attention of your audience: Quotation or citation hooks Factual hooks Personal experience hook Question hook Case study hook Definition hook
An essay is a focused piece of writing designed to inform or persuade. There are many different types of essay, but they are often defined in four categories: argumentative, expository, narrative, and descriptive essays.