The first intention of every essay writer is recognition. However, being listened to or seeing your essay read isn’t automatic. First, you need a “winning essay topic” to attract your target audience.
However, even after someone picks your essay, it will take them only fifteen seconds to decide whether to read or drop your piece for another. What you write in that first fifteen seconds of your essay is the lifeline of your essay—that is where you make or mar your opportunity to be heard.
So, you don’t only need a winning topic to get over the line, and you need a sustaining hook.
A hook is a sentence or two sentences in the introductory paragraph of your essay that motivates your target audience to read your article. In some cases, it can be the entire opening paragraph of your essay.
A hook engages your reader, spark their curiosity, arrest their attention, and make them happy slaves of your essay. It should be intriguing, engaging, and complimentary—it should complement every other part of the piece.
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There are different types of essay hooks to different kinds of essays, and sometimes for a distinct target audience.
Here are eight types of essay hooks that you can use when writing your essay:
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This hook is an assertive statement about your topic. It should be a personal perception of your question or a rare school of thought. This type of hook appeals to audience opinion. If your audience agrees with your statement, they will read on also to assert it in their minds.
If they disagree, they will read on to know your debate point and oppose it. A strong statement essay hook is an excellent hook for argumentative essays. An example of this type of essay hook is here: “To have a saner society, all boarding schools should become boys’ schools.”
You can also use definitions here. For example, “Oxymoron is a combination of contradictory words, E.g., beautifully ugly.”
This is a simple essay hook. It is like a strong statement hook. However, the statement burden rests on another person. You must ensure that you use a quote that focuses on the essay topic.
For example, if you intend to advocate for education, you shouldn’t use a quote like “The roots of education are bitter, but the fruit is sweet” (Aristotle).
Instead, you should use something like this: Nelson Mandela once said, “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.”
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Most people read because they are seeking answers to their questions. Starting your essay with an interesting question is an excellent way to engage your answer-seeking audience.
You can ask a straightforward question like “What is love?” or a rhetorical question like, “Do we deserve another day?” You can also use items to present a dilemma.
For example, “What would you do if you met a young girl bleeding to death, but had an undertaken that stops her from receiving blood transfusion due to her religious sect? When using questions, try to pick questions that will make your audience think and reflect.
Do-you-know facts or research statistics are an excellent hook for your essay. Merely stating something or showing some numbers makes your audience want to know more about your discovery. For example, “All coronaviruses have reservoir animal hosts.” This kind of opening generates questions in the mind of your reader—what animals are these?
Metaphors and similes are good essay hooks for descriptive essays. Metaphors and similes are used to compare two unrelated things. When used in the opening paragraph of your article, metaphors and similes stir up the minds of your audience and cause them to imagine what could be the relationship between these two unrelated things. It keeps them reading your essay. Examples of these kinds of hooks include:
Her eyes were like two golden wristwatches from different time zone.
Her words were delicate flowers.
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A vivid description of a place or a person you are going to write about is the right way of hooking your reader to your essay. A descriptive hook is often used in narrative essays.
For example, “It was a town of myth and magic. The rivers appear red at noon, and the flowers bloom at nightfall. Some persons walk around without clothes, while others sleep in the air. The chariots are cabins without horses, and no one gets old.”
Stories are some of the best essay hooks for argumentative essays or essays that are written to advocate a social issue. You can use your own story or another story.
However, ensure that the story is relevant to the essay topic. For example: “I had just graduated from high school, and was preparing for the college entrance test when the biggest tragedy of my life struck. My father died that year, and I was only 17.”
This essay hook appeals to the emotions of the reader. It is best to use these jokes as the opening line. For example, “How do you pay all your debts at once? Announce your funeral service.”
There are other essay hooks that you may use like a piece of meaningful advice, a misconception, or even a contradictory statement. It is important to note that your essay hook should be relevant to the main idea of the essay. It should also suit the status of your target audience and the purpose of the piece.
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For example, if you are writing to a board, using a humorous hook line may sound offensive and defeat the purpose of your essay. However, if you are writing to a set of high school girls, an entertaining hook line will be perfect.
Your essay hook should open or close your introductory personal. This article that you just read started with a strong statement essay hook: “The first intention of every writer is to be heard.” You, too, can get your readers to the last line of your essay.
Try out these hooks and leave a comment of the feedback in the section below.
Below we’ve listed some of the “Best Essay Writing Scholarships” which will be a great way to pay for your financial needs.
Highly motivated aspirants from all over the globe are invited to apply for the Student Scholarship Essay Contest in Canada. Organized by Fraser Institute, the program is designated just for high school students. Winning essays may be published in Fraser Institute journals and authors will have the opportunity to experience the peer-review process.
Provided By: Fraser Institute
Course: Any degree
Award: $9,000-$3,000
Application Deadline: June 1, 2020
Apply Now
The Royal Commonwealth Society is inviting applicants to take part in the scholarship essay competition. The QCEC is open to all citizens and residents of the Commonwealth aged 18 and under. Entries can be submitted in a number of different formats: for example, a poem, letter, article, story, essay or a short play/script.
Provided By: Royal Commonwealth Society
Course: Any degree
Award: Varies
Application Deadline: June 30, 2020
Apply Now
The Ayn Rand Institute (ARI) have open entries for Atlas Shrugged Essay Contest for the year 2020 from grade 12, college undergraduate and graduate students from all over the world. It offers various educational programs to enable students at all levels of knowledge. Candidates will get 1 winner receives $ 3,000, 2nd place: 2 winners receive $ 1,000 and 3rd place: 10 winners receive $ 500.
Provided By: Ayn Rand Institute (ARI)
Course: Undergraduate and graduate
Award: $ 3,000, $ 1,000 and $ 500
Application Deadline: April 30, 2020
Apply Now
Waiting for an opportunity to get a scholarship? If yes, then go ahead and apply for the EssayPro Writing Contest Scholarship for international aspirants having excellent writing skills. To apply for this opportunity, applicants need to demonstrate academic excellence. Top three winners will get the cash prizes. The first place holding applicant will receive $500, and the second and third place, winning candidates will receive $250 each!
Provided By: Essaypro
Course: Any degree
Award: $500, $250
Application Deadline: June 1, 2020
Apply Now
The American Indian College Fund is providing scholarships to American Indian and Alaska Native college students seeking undergraduate and graduate degrees at tribal colleges, nonprofit, and accredited schools. U.S. citizen or Canadian citizens are eligible to attend college in the U.S. under provisions of the Jay Treaty.
Provided By: The American Indian College Fund
Course: Undergraduate and graduate
Award: Fund
Application Deadline: August 1, 2020
Apply Now
| Ranking | University Name | Tuition fee |
| 1 | Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) | 48,452 USD |
| 2 | Stanford University | 47,940 USD |
| 3 | Harvard University | 47,074 USD |
| 4 | University of Oxford | 9,250 GBP |
| 5 | California Institute of Technology (Caltech) | 47,577 USD |
| 6 | ETH Zurich (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology) | 1,229 CHF, International tuition 1,229 CHF |
| 7 | University of Cambridge | 9,250 GBP, International tuition 21,732 GBP |
| 8 | UCL (University College London) | Domestic tuition 9,250 GBP, International tuition 17,710 GBP |
| 9 | Imperial College London | Local tuition 9,250 GBP |
| 10 | University of Chicago | 53,649 US |
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