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7 Essential Types of Essay Hooks to Intrigue Readers

To get your readers more interested in your research paper from the onset, the introduction should contain a hook. Attention-grabbing hook attracts the reader to want to know more about your topic. A hook basically engages the readers and spark their curiosity to want to read more. There are several types of hooks, and this article from en.ibuyessay.com takes you through some of them.

Main Types of Essay Hooks

There are seven main types of hooks used in writing research papers and other kinds of essays. They are:

  1. Question Hook
  2. Strong Statement or Declaration Hook
  3. Fact/Statistic Hook
  4. Quotation Hook
  5. Metaphor/ Simile Hook
  6. Description Hook
  7. Story Hook

Question Hook

Using a question as a hook is one of the perfect ways to attract readers to your piece. This is because to get answers to the question, the reader needs to keep read more of the paper. When a question is asked in the introduction, a reader's instinct will push him/her to find the answer. As such, they would want to continue reading until the question is answered. The question should, however, relate to your research topic. An example of a question hook is, “does everyone require university education”?

The Quotation Hook

With this type of hook, you begin your introduction with a famous quotation. The quotation should relate to your research topic and strongly communicate the message you want to send. For example, if you are writing on education, you can quote Nelson Mandela’s “Education is the most powerful weapon you can use to change the world.”

The Declaration or Statement Hook

A statement hook makes a strong claim about the research subject. It should be able to links the thesis statement and talks about the relevance of the paper. Such statements don’t need to be agreed upon by all readers. What it seeks to do is project the topic and later back the claims with facts. An example of a statement hook is: online business is the most effective and profitable way of doing business compared to the traditional market.

The Fact or Statistic Hook

Using facts and statistics as a hook is an interesting way to attract attention to your paper. Such hooks give factual information on the subject. These facts or statistics may be less known to many, hence, generate interest, making the reader want to read more. Note that you must only present factual and accurate information from a credible source when using such hooks. About 8.9% of the world's population, 690 million people, ends the day without food.

The Description Hook

A description of hooks gives the reader a real depiction of the subject. It seeks to attract attention from the onset, enticing the reader to want to know more. Description hook is mostly used in narrative essays but can be used in other writings if applicable.  

The Story Hook

With a story hook, the writer starts the introduction with a short story relating to the topic. This type of hook is mostly used in informal research papers and not meant for intellectual, academic works.

How to write a good essay hook?

These are some things to remember when creating a hook for an essay.

  • Learn the type of literary work

It is crucial to have a clear understanding of the work that you are using for your paper. This is where you will need to explain what a particular essay type requires and what techniques are required to support your arguments.

  • Make an outline

To see how information can be organized more efficiently and which points should be highlighted, create an outline. Find an attention grabber that increases the importance of each point.

  • Know who is your reader

Find out who your target audience is and how you plan to reach them. The hook statement should reflect this. Write in simple language if you're writing for children. Write in a simple language if you are writing for professionals.

  • What is the purpose of writing your essay?

Pick hooks that are appropriate for your paper. You should know the type of essay you are writing and its purpose. You can use humour for papers on light topics. For conference papers, you will need to be more formal.

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