How to Write a Hook to Captivate Your Readers

Kelly Konya

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.

Catch your reader's eye Grammarly can help make your writing shine Write with Grammarly

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.

how to start a hook for a persuasive essay

How to Begin a Persuasive Essay

Last Updated: January 31, 2023 References

This article was co-authored by Christopher Taylor, PhD . Christopher Taylor is an Adjunct Assistant Professor of English at Austin Community College in Texas. He received his PhD in English Literature and Medieval Studies from the University of Texas at Austin in 2014. There are 9 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been viewed 331,323 times.

The goal of a persuasive essay is to convince your readers of a certain perspective on a topic. To do this, you'll have to get them hooked with a well-crafted, engaging introductory section that leads into a developed thesis statement. The best opening, however, will depend on the issue at hand, the argument you are trying to make about it, and the audience you are trying to persuade. Before you can write an amazing introduction, you need to do some initial research so that you can tailor your introduction to the needs of the essay, your argument, and your audience.

Brainstorming and Outlining Introduction Ideas

Image titled Woman thinking about the topic for her persuasive essay.

Image titled Begin a Persuasive Essay Step 2

Image titled Begin a Persuasive Essay Step 3

Image titled Begin a Persuasive Essay Step 4

Image titled Begin a Persuasive Essay Step 5

Image titled Begin a Persuasive Essay Step 6

Crafting Your Hook

Image titled Begin a Persuasive Essay Step 7

Image titled Begin a Persuasive Essay Step 8

Image titled Begin a Persuasive Essay Step 9

Image titled Begin a Persuasive Essay Step 10

Image titled Begin a Persuasive Essay Step 11

Introducing Your Topic and Thesis

Image titled Begin a Persuasive Essay Step 12

Image titled Begin a Persuasive Essay Step 13

Image titled Begin a Persuasive Essay Step 14

Image titled Begin a Persuasive Essay Step 15

Avoiding Common Mistakes

Image titled Begin a Persuasive Essay Step 16

Image titled Begin a Persuasive Essay Step 17

Image titled Begin a Persuasive Essay Step 18

Image titled Begin a Persuasive Essay Step 19

Writing Help

how to start a hook for a persuasive essay

Community Q&A

Community Answer

how to start a hook for a persuasive essay

You Might Also Like

Write an Academic Essay

About This Article

Christopher Taylor, PhD

To begin a persuasive essay, start with a hook to catch the reader’s attention, such as a startling statistic, a question, or an intriguing anecdote. Next, briefly explain why they should care about the topic and provide some background information to help them feel comfortable with it. Then, present your thesis statement, which is a short, concise explanation of your perspective and why it’s the right one. Lastly, hint at your opening pieces of evidence before going on to your first paragraph! For tips on how to organize your essay and avoid common errors, read on! Did this summary help you? Yes No

Reader Success Stories

Olivia Ramirez

Olivia Ramirez

Feb 9, 2018

Did this article help you?

how to start a hook for a persuasive essay

James Harris

Mar 5, 2018

Am I a Narcissist or an Empath Quiz

Featured Articles

Play FIFA 23 Career Mode

Trending Articles

Talk to a Girl in a Group

Watch Articles

Make Homemade Soup

Don’t miss out! Sign up for

wikiHow’s newsletter

How to Start a Persuasive Essay: Best Tips and Tricks

thumbnail@2x.png

Table of contents

Here’s a dilemma: you work so hard on your persuasive essay, do in-depth research, develop strong arguments, but in the end, you get a low grade. And all this happens because your introduction isn’t convincing enough. As you can see, understanding how to start a persuasive essay in an effective manner is crucial. Fortunately, you are in the right place. Keep reading our guide to find useful tips on beginning a persuasive essay. From crafting an irresistible hook to formulating your main statement, you will find plenty of helpful suggestions. By the way, we’ve got some good examples to share. So let’s get started.  

Importance of Knowing How to Start a Persuasive Essay

Before discussing how to start off a persuasive essay, you should keep in mind that you must hook your audience from the very beginning. Your reader should understand what you are going to say and why it is important. Still, you shouldn’t lay all your cards on the table and reveal your arguments. Your main thesis statement should be presented after some context. An introduction is used to convince the reader not just of your opinion, but of the entire paper being worth reading. Therefore, one should take an especially reasonable approach. Further, we will share some helpful tips on drawing up a good introduction and give real examples.  But first, be sure to prepare a persuasive essay outline template .

How to Start a Good Persuasive Essay: Main Elements

Before starting a persuasive essay, you should think about its structure in detail. An introduction will be effective if you compile it based on our scheme. When drawing up an introductory part, you should include such elements:

This structure makes it possible to convey any idea in a concise way. Remember: An opening paragraph should be short while writing a persuasive essay . All you need is to present a clear idea which will potentially hook the reader. Giving some hint on the gist of writing will be enough.

Starting a Persuasive Essay with a Hook

One idea that always works is starting a persuasive essay with a hook. You should make it clear about your topic in advance. Thus, you will attract reader’s attention. You should choose a strong sentence that will hook your addressee and may give them a particular idea. You can start persuasive essays with any question related to your topic or with an interesting fact. Quite often students use statistical data or quotes of some experts in their field of knowledge. This is the first step towards persuasion. It demonstrates that the subsequent text won’t be inferior. But just having an effective hook won’t be sufficient, so you should gradually prepare your reader. And we will learn more about this in the next section. In the meantime, have you already considered hiring a persuasive essay writer ? Our writers are academic-savvy and can create a great persuasive essay quickly and efficiently. 

Background Information in Persuasive Essay

In an introductory paragraph of a persuasive essay after the hook, we recommend outlining some topic’s context. Focus reader’s attention on background information. Here’s what you can include to develop your topic further:

This section should not only familiarize your readers with some background facts that you have researched. You also should smoothly lead to a thesis statement.

How to Write a Persuasive Essay Thesis

Your writing should begin with a strong persuasive essay thesis statement. Your thesis should introduce the topic and offer your viewpoint on some matter. Besides, it should list several arguments you are going to discuss in the main body. This statement will complete an introduction. Then, you will proceed to presenting the gist of an essay. Keep in mind several things that make a persuasive essay thesis stronger. First of all, a claim that you make should be debatable. This means that other people may have an opposing viewpoint. Secondly, your thesis statement should have a reasonable scope. Don’t make it too narrow, and, yet, this statement should be focused. Now that you know what elements should be included in your persuasive essay introduction, let’s discuss some writing tips.  

How to Start a Strong Persuasive Essay: Main Tips

While working on your text, you will surely need tips on how to start a persuasive essay. By following our hacks, you will be able to convey important information to readers. Based on our experience in preparing academic texts, we have developed some recommendations. Our writing tips will make your persuasive essay introduction as informative and attractive as possible. Meanwhile, some of these suggestions may be applied to other types of academic writing.  

Tip 1: Brainstorm Your Topic Before Starting a Persuasive Essay

Don’t rush to start writing right away – you should think about some good persuasive essay topics to begin your essay. The most effective way is to work on any topic in line with the purpose that you have set for yourself. Focus on any subject that you are genuinely interested in and do preliminary research. Make sure you have enough supporting facts that prove your opinion. Follow these steps to make your persuasive essay topic irresistible:  

This way, you will know whether you should conduct any additional research. Besides, you will know if there is enough information that can convince readers of your point of view.

Tip 2: Provide a Hook for Your Persuasive Essay Introduction

An introduction of persuasive essay won’t be complete without a hook. If you fail to include it, such paper will unlikely captivate reader’s attention. A catchy hook helps to break the ice between your writing and readers. In turn, an increased attention ensures that your audience understands your topic well. Here are several things you may include in your hook to make it more effective:  

These recommendations may help you create a good hook that will attract readers, so use them wisely.

Tip 3: Create a Context for Your Persuasive Essay

When working on your persuasive essay introduction, be sure that you provide some background on the topic. Put readers in some context. You are more than welcome to use any statistical facts, numbers or in-depth definition. Historical or biographical details will work as well. Your task is to set an exact direction of thoughts. But don’t reveal any arguments and proofs in this section – you will do that later. Mention why this problem should be investigated, with more precise explanations being provided in body paragraphs. With the clear context, it will be much easier to perceive any idea. On top of that, given the proper background, there should be no doubts about your argument. Consider our best college essay writing services to speed the process up.

Tip 4: Write a Thesis Statement for Your Persuasive Essay Intro

How to start a persuasive essay thesis? It is easy: just write 1-2 sentences that clearly describe your main claim. Remember that your whole essay will be based on this statement. So, when crafting the thesis statement, make sure that you will be able to prove it. Make it sound logical – your statement shouldn’t be based on some blind guesses. Readers should understand your point and what they will find in the following paragraphs. Feel free to list your arguments, but don’t overdo it with extra details. Save more room for in-depth thoughts that will be covered in body paragraphs.  

Tip 5: Start Persuasive Essay Briefly

Start a persuasive essay with some brief information on what one will learn from the text. Choose the main theses, provide them in a concise way, so as not to overload the reader’s mind. Mention the importance of your topic – your reader should be convinced that this essay is worth reading. Although your opinion should be arguable, this doesn’t mean that you can write vague sentences. Refer to those facts that resonate with your central statement. Long story short, be concise and stay on point. Buy essay online  that may be of help to you if anything seems too vague right now.  

Tip 6: Be Convincing in Your Persuasive Essay Introduction

When you try to start a persuasive essay, chances are that you will come across advice to use credible references. While this is all good and well, we suggest focusing more on the convincing arguments – your personal opinion. Indicate that your paper has been written based on personal experience and resulted from your own research. With this approach, the fact that it includes your thoughts won’t surprise anyone. You shouldn’t write about the truths known to everyone interested in this topic. You should better provide your ideas on why your thesis is correct. Explain why you have decided on this position. This is a polemical style that will trigger a number of debates.  

Persuasive Essay Introduction Examples

If you don’t know how to start a persuasive essay, examples will surely be useful for you. After all, this is a good opportunity to get acquainted with successful patterns and include the best of them in your text. For instance, you can see ways of structuring arguments in an actual example and use it as the basis for your own essay. Still, you should choose your own arguments related to the topic. It all may sound complicated. For this reason, we will introduce an example of what a convincing introduction structure may be like.  

How to Start a Persuasive Essay About a Book: Example

Before finding out how to start a persuasive essay about a book, decide on the literature. However, regardless of any genre and author, your topic will be dedicated to providing your opinion. Focus on your position and provide 3 arguments that you will discuss further. Our example will help you make it clear.

how to start a hook for a persuasive essay

Persuasive Essay Introduction on Gun Control: Example

Your opinion on such an important topic as gun control should sound convincing. Before deciding on how to start a persuasive essay on gun control, make readers believe you have chosen some weighty thesis to develop further. Let’s look at an example.  

how to start a hook for a persuasive essay

How to Start Off a Persuasive Essay About Debates: Example

It is not difficult to work out the topic of debates. But before you find out how to start off a persuasive essay about debates, highlight the thesis that you support. You should specify the purpose of an essay in an introduction and avoid unsupported value judgments.  

how to start a hook for a persuasive essay

Starting a Persuasive Essay on Too Much Homework: Example

Before deciding on how to  write a persuasive essay  on too much homework, you should keep in mind that this topic is quite unusual. To define your position, you should prepare strong arguments; statistics will make an especially good hook.  

how to start a hook for a persuasive essay

Writing a Persuasive Essay on Starting a Colony: Template

To write an introduction of a persuasive essay on starting a colony, you should take on a strong stance on this matter. Be clear and convey the need for this action. Give general arguments, referring to historical practice – this will convince an audience to accept your point.

how to start a hook for a persuasive essay

Final Thoughts

An introduction of a persuasive essay should be effective. After all, it’s the first thing that the readers will see. So, to make a persuasive essay introduction informative and convincing, you should make arguments clear and prepare your arguments. Include such elements in your introduction:

By using the above-listed recommendations, you will create a really high-quality introduction for an essay, where you will specify your position and convince readers of the topic's importance. BTW, a free essay maker might help you generate a persuasive essay. Use it to simplify the process.

If you are struggling with your persuasive essay, entrust this task to our academic writers. Share your requirements and our experts will work miracles in a timely manner.

FAQ About Persuasive Essay Introductions

1. what comes first in a persuasive essay.

When writing a persuasive essay introduction, you should indicate the problem you are going to cover. Specify some types and characters that are important to readers. Don’t forget about presenting your personal achievements and opinions. But make sure that you don’t dilute your first paragraph. An introduction should be to the point, just like the rest of writing.

2. How to start a persuasive essay about littering?

Before deciding on how to start a persuasive essay about littering, you should  outline  the issue. In our case, this is litter that pollutes our planet, with its influence having already been proven by hundreds of studies. Highlight the fact that litter doesn’t only harm our planet in general, but also does affect us directly. Prove it by an argument that it accumulates in the environment. These can be the places we work, live and have fun in, which is harmful to our health.  

3. How can I create a hook for an essay about refugees?

Many people ask how to start a persuasive essay with a hook when it comes to writing a paper about refugees. We recommend describing some feelings and loneliness that this category of people experiences. Make an emotional hook to evoke the readers’ moral side. This will work, and you will get readers interested. After all, this is the most important aspect of any type of writing.

Daniel_Howard_1_1_2da08f03b5.jpg

Daniel Howard is an Essay Writing guru. He helps students create essays that will strike a chord with the readers.

You may also like

Daniel_Howard_1_1_2da08f03b5.jpg

IMAGES

  1. What Is A Good Hook Example

    how to start a hook for a persuasive essay

  2. College Essay: Persuasive essay hooks examples

    how to start a hook for a persuasive essay

  3. persuasive writing hooks examples

    how to start a hook for a persuasive essay

  4. 007 Essay Example Good Hook Persuasive Hooks Examples And Attention How To Write Sentence For

    how to start a hook for a persuasive essay

  5. Hooks for persuasive writing

    how to start a hook for a persuasive essay

  6. 009 Essay Example Good Persuasive Topics For Middle School As Well Argumentatives Examples

    how to start a hook for a persuasive essay

VIDEO

  1. Persuasive Writing

  2. I done start hook up ooh🤣🤣🙆🏾

  3. 5 Easy Steps in Writing an Effective Persuasive Essay

  4. Start Reading Today! (Persuasive Speech Comm 2025)

  5. Hook--Sorry Wrong Number

  6. Persuasive Writing

COMMENTS

  1. How to Write a Hook Masterfully

    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. Catch your reader's eye Grammarly can help make your writing shine Write with Grammarly

  2. How to Start a Persuasive Essay: Tips & Examples

    All you need is to present a clear idea which will potentially hook the reader. Giving some hint on the gist of writing will be enough. Starting a Persuasive Essay with a Hook One idea that always works is starting a persuasive essay with a hook. You should make it clear about your topic in advance. Thus, you will attract reader’s attention.

  3. Write Good Hooks For Persuasive Essays: 15 Great Hook Examples

    A hook for any paper should be relevant to the topic or main idea the paper is written. Practice creating different sentences to start your work. Think about significant details you know about your topic that could be used as a hook such as an interesting fact or quote.