BELLRINGER: WRITE A PARAGRAPH ANSWERING THE FOLLOWING: RECALL THE LAST TIME YOU SAW AN ITEM ON THE INTERNET, TELEVISION, ETC. THAT YOU REALLY WANTED. WHAT WAS IT? DESCRIBE THE ADVERTISEMENT YOU SAW FOR THE ITEM. WHAT ABOUT THE AD MADE YOU WANT TO BUY THE PRODUCT?

INTRODUCTORY PARAGRAPHS: WHY ARE THEY IMPORTANT? THE INTRODUCTORY PARAGRAPH IS LIKE AN ADVERTISEMENT FOR YOUR ENTIRE ESSAY. WE USE INTRODUCTIONS TO CAPTURE THE READER’S ATTENTION AND “SELL” THEM OUR IDEAS. HOW???

HOOKS! WHAT IS A HOOK? THIS IS THE VERY FIRST SENTENCE IN YOUR INTRODUCTORY PARAGRAPH. WRITERS USE THE “HOOK” TO CAPTURE THE READER’S ATTENTION AND PERSUADE THEM TO CONTINUE READING.

HOW DO I HOOK MY AUDIENCE???

GLAD YOU ASKED….

Here are a few techniques you can use…

SHOCKING STATEMENT STATEMENTS/STATISTICS ARE GREAT HOOKS BECAUSE: 1. THEY EXPOSE READERS TO A NEW IDEA 2. DRAW THE AUDIENCE’S ATTENTION TO AN UNFAMILIAR FACT 3. LEARNING SOMETHING NEW SPARKS READER’S CURIOSITY

EXAMPLE: RECENT STUDIES SHOW THAT LOUISIANA HAS THE LARGEST CHILD HOMELESSNESS RATE IN THE NATION. THERE ARE THOUSANDS OF CHILDREN ON THE STREETS OF OUR STATE THAT HAVE NO MEANS FOR FOOD OR SHELTER, MUCH LESS THE OPPORTUNITY FOR A GOOD EDUCATION…

QUOTATION ALLOWS THEM TO SEE THE PERSPECTIVE OF SOMEONE ELSE HELPS ESTABLISH YOUR CREDIBILITY SPARK INTEREST BECAUSE OF A “FAMILIAR” NAME USEFUL IN MOST ESSAY TYPES

EXAMPLE: ACTRESS, AMANDA BYNES ONCE STATED ON HER TWITTER, “I KNOW I LOVE DRAKE BECAUSE IF HE GOT PARKINSON’S OR GOT IN SOME SORT OF ACCIDENT HE’D STILL BE THE ONLY ONE I WANT.” THOUGH, HER LOVE FOR DRAKE WAS UNSTABLE, AT TIMES, HER AFFECTIONS WERE NOT MISPLACED. DRAKE IS ONE OF THE GREATEST ARTISTS OF OUR GENERATION…

PERSONAL STORY/ANECDOTE ALLOWS YOUR AUDIENCE TO RELATE TO/TRUST YOU MAKES YOUR IDEAS MORE RELATABLE USEFUL FOR (NARRATIVE, PERSUASIVE]

EXAMPLE: WHEN I WAS FIVE, I HAD A FAVORITE STUFFED ANIMAL THAT I NAMED TIPPY. SHE WAS A FLUFFY LITTLE STUFFED DOG WITH FLOPPY, BROWN EARS. SHE WAS MY BEST FRIEND UNTIL THE DAY THAT THE SCHOOL BULLY THREW HER OVER THE FENCE OF THE PLAYGROUND. BULLYING SITUATIONS LIKE MINE HAPPEN ON PLAYGROUNDS ALL THE TIME...

POINTED QUESTION ENGAGES READERS BY INVOLVING THEM IN THE TOPIC MAY HELP THE AUDIENCE TO RELATE TO THE IDEAS PRESENTED BY THE WRITER GOOD FOR (PERSUASIVE, EXPOSITORY, ARGUEMENT)

EXAMPLE: HAVE YOU EVER TRIED EXOTIC FOODS? IF NOT, YOU ARE MISSING OUT ON SOME VERY DELICIOUS CUISINE! FOODS FROM COUNTRIES LIKE ASIA, INDIA, AND OTHER FOREIGN COUNTRIES PROVIDE A DINING EXPERIENCE THAT IS BOTH UNIQUE AND CULTURAL...

LET'S PRACTICE... GOOD HOOK: STUDENTS TODAY HAVE ACCESS TO MORE INFORMATION THAN EVER BEFORE IN HISTORY, THANKS TO THE WORLD WIDE WEB. BAD HOOK: I'M GOING TO BE TALKING ABOUT WHY IT IS GOOD TO LET STUDENTS USE THEIR SMART PHONES IN CLASS.

IMAGINE YOU ARE WRITING A PERSUASIVE ESSAY IN WHICH YOU MUST CONVINCE YOUR AUDIENCE TO JOIN YOUR FAVORITE SOCIAL NETWORKING SITE. BASED ON THIS PROMPT, WHICH HOOK WOULD YOU CHOOSE? HOOK #1 I BECAME HOOKED ON TUMBLR FROM THE FIRST MOMENT I LAID EYES ON A GIF OF THREE OLD LADIES TWERKING IN FRONT OF THE SUPERMARKET. HOOK #2 WITH OVER FOUR BILLION DAILY VISITORS, TUMBLR HAS BECOME ONE OF THE MOST POPULAR SOCIAL NETWORKING SITES ON THE WEB!

PEER REVIEW INSTRUCTIONS: SWAP PAPERS WITH YOUR PARTNER AND CAREFULLY READ THROUGH THEIR INTRODUCTION. UNDERLINE THE HOOK AND THESIS STATEMENTS IN THEIR PAPER ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS ON A SEPARATE SHEET OF PAPER: 1. WHAT TECHNIQUE IS USED IN THE HOOK? 2. DOES THE HOOK CATCH YOUR ATTENTION? 3. FROM THE THESIS STATEMENT CAN YOU CLEARLY SEE THE DIRECTION OF THE ESSAY? 4. WHAT DO YOU LIKE ABOUT THE INTORDUCTION? 5. DO YOU HAVE ANY SUGGESTIONS FOR IMPROVEMENT?