Introductions Craft a compelling first sentence to catch readers' interest and make them curious enough to read the essay. It needs to hook the reader. Start with: a question, a vivid anecdote, a common misconception statistics, a quote, or something interesting you found within the text. Ensure that the introduction outlines what will be discussed in the rest of essay (a ‘road map’). Don’t mention irrelevant info. Basic form: Each sentence should become gradually more specific, until you reach your thesis.

A quote (literary, famous, etc.) This type of hook is appropriate when you are writing about a particular author, story, literary phenomenon, book, etc. Using a quote will make your essay sound fresh and establish your authority as an author. “So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.” These words of Nick Carraway perfectly describe…”

An anecdote Don’t be afraid to employ this type of hook. Remember, even if you start with a humorous anecdote, it doesn’t mean that your entire essay has to be funny. A bit of humor can help you grab readers’ attention and spark their interest in the topic. In the classroom where I tutor, a five-year-old boy is fighting with the letter E. With knees bent and shoulders cocked, he is poised on his bench as though ready to pounce. His whole being is devoted to this singular, monumental task. I focus on him over the din of the classroom. I see the blunt pencil caught in his grip, and I realize that an entire process is beginning again. Tens of thousands of years of evolution are being re-enacted right in front of me.

A common misconception The most interesting essays will teach the readers something new. If you start your introduction by showing that a commonly accepted truth is actually false, your readers will be instantly hooked. While most coffee enthusiasts would tell you that their favorite drink comes from a bean, they would be wrong. Coffee is actually made from a seed that is simply called a bean.

Statistics By listing proven facts at the very beginning of your paper, you will create interest that can be carried throughout the rest of the essay. 70% of all jobs found today were got through different networking strategies

A question Almost nothing can attract interest better than a well-constructed question. Readers will want to continue reading your essay in order to discover the answer. Be sure to avoid simple “Yes” or “No” questions and try to pose questions that ask reader to consider the other side or engage in some critical thinking. What would you do if you could play God for a day? That’s exactly what the leaders of the tiny island nation of Guam tried to answer.

An interesting fact These types of hooks start by surprising the reader with something that may not have known. Provide an interesting fact about something you are going to discuss in your essay’s body and your audience will want to keep reading to learn more. Spain, though hardly a literary juggernaut, translates more books in one year than the entire Arab world has in the past one thousand years.

How important is physical exercise in the daily routines of college students? Most college students brush off exercising as inferior to school and put more emphasize on their school workloads. Little do these students know that exercising increases your ability to perform better in school, lessens stress and anxiety, and enhances brain stimulation and energy. The positive impacts of physical activity on a college student’s mental health should be emphasized on a college campus to enhance their daily lives.

Conclusions This will remind the reader of the thesis stated in the introduction, but in different words. Don't simply restate what has been already said in the introduction and body of your essay. This is not a summary! This paragraph is an opportunity to make your point one last time. Don't bring in any new information in the conclusion. Leave them with a question, idea, or invitation to think further on the subject (i.e. the argument does not end with this paper).

It is certain that physical exercise impacts an individual’s mental health. Now, who will take a stand to inform students of the benefits and provide them with better opportunities to relieve stress, anxiety, and depression? Preventing the trend of lacking exercise among college students can be accomplished in three steps. One. Identify ways to improve your own life through exercising. Two. Hit the gym. Three. Bring a friend and spread the word of how physical activity has influence your own life. Exercise: it’s that simple.