Hooks A brief overview

Hooks Essay hooks are designed to grab the attention of the reader early on They appear in the introduction and are usually the first sentence of the essay

There are many different types of hook

Open questions Open questions are quite effective as hooks and are easy to use For example if the essay title is “Why Vitamin C is good for you” your open question hook might be: “Did you know why Vitamin C is good for you?” It is simple and effective. But you can be more creative in how you write the question: “Did you ever discover something that changed your life? Vitamin C was my answer”

Facts/figures Facts and figures are a useful way to write a hook and can always ‘hook’ someone who has a mathematical mind For example if the essay title is “Why Vitamin C is good for you” your hook might be: “80% of people who live until they are over 90 take Vitamin C everyday” You must know a fact or figure however, and you must not make one up. You can also combine it with an open question: “Did you know that 80% of people who take Vitamin C everyday live until they are over 90?””

Personal story Personal stories are hooks that relate to something from your life For example if the essay title is “Why Vitamin C is good for you” your personal story hook might be: “When I was 11 years old my life changed forever…..I discovered Vitamin C” Personal story hooks might be longer than 1 sentence. They are useful because personal stories can personalise an essay immediately. However, they depend on having a story relevant to the topic Make sure they do not become long and irrelevant. Remember that hooks should be catchy…do not ramble!

Slogan Slogans are short memorable phrases often used in advertising: Nike (Just Do It) McDonalds (I’m lovin’ it) IIS Ramkhamhaeng University (IIS-RU students like….to try new taste) You can refer to famous slogans in a hook because they are instantly recognisable and can be played around with creatively: For example if the essay title is “Exposing Nike’s sweat shops in India” your hook might be: “When it comes to exposing Nike’s sweat shops in India, there is only one thing that we must say, “Just Do It”” Slogans can be very effective, but they rely on knowing a slogan and being able to use them creatively

Controversy Controversy is defined as a public dispute. So it refers to something that usually divides opinion amongst the public Controversy can be used in hooks to grab the reader because the reader may fall on either side of the argument For example if the essay title is “Should cannabis be legalised?” your hook might be: “Alcohol has caused almost infinitely more deaths than cannabis ever has. Legalise it!” The hook refers to the controversial subject of drug legislation in a strong, almost controversial way (by issuing an order ‘Legalise it!’)

Quotations Quotations are references to things that people in the past have said (they are usually famous people or considered experts on a subject) Quotations can grab the attention of a reader due to the relevance and catchiness of what someone has said For example if the essay title is “Why failure leads to success” your hook might be: ““I've failed over and over and over again in my life and that is why I succeed,” Michael Jordan once famously said in 1992.” The hook is catchy because it is from a famous person who is instantly recognisable. It also gives a clear hint and reference to what the essay might be about

Other types of hook Other types of hook might include: Puns -a play on words (“It was pun knowing you.” Kalon Gerber 2012) Examples (using an example relevant to the title as a hook) Combination of hooks (never underestimate the power of combining 2 or 3 hooks at once)