‍ Expository essays can use all sorts of tones and be written to a variety of audiences, so think carefully about the tone that best fits your subject matter. Whatever tone you choose for your narrative essay - comical or gentle or bold - should be used for your hook. Your hook should match that tone and support your effort.Ī narrative essay is likely to welcome more lyrical language, so starting with a colorful description or an anecdote might make more sense than, say, a bold claim or surprising fact.

You don’t want to turn them off with snarky or offensive language - but you do want to be authoritative. To make sure your essay is properly engaged and understood, you need to keep your audience in mind and choose a tone that fits both your subject and your audience.įor an argumentative essay, you’re trying to convince someone who doesn’t agree with you that what you’re claiming is right or, at least, reasonable. ‍ Take action: Go through your list of potential hooks and cross out anything that doesn’t fit the type of essay you’re writing, whether it's a persuasive, argumentative or any other essay. And a shocking statistic may not be the best way to set the stage for a narrative story. ‍ The type of essay you’re writing is key to choosing the best hook for your piece.Ī serious argumentative essay probably shouldn’t start with a joke.

Narrative: Telling a true story as a way to explore different ideas.

Expository: Explaining the who, what, when, where, why, and how of some phenomenon.

Argumentative: Making the case for a certain stance or route of action.

In academic settings, there are generally three kinds of essays: These are just a couple questions we’ll answer in this article.īut first, let’s talk about what you need to know before attempting to write that opening sentence.

‍ How do you use AI to produce better hooks?.

Is there a way to make sure the hook fits the piece you’re writing?.

‍ How do you write a hook that grabs your reader’s attention right away?.

Especially if you’re writing an academic essay or other piece of nonfiction that needs to stick with the facts. But there are better ways to start your essay than the sleepy “A recent study observed 300 chimpanzees in 50 habitats over seven years.

‍ ‍The truth is: every piece of writing can’t start with an explosion or a chase scene. But then we sit to write our own and all we can think of is “once upon a time” or “a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away” or, worse, “imagine yourself…” Out in the wild, we spot first lines that are startling and mind-bending and stoke our curiosity. For many writers, hooks (or ledes, as they’re referred to by journalists) are both tantalizing and infuriating.

5 types of hooks for writing