College admissions committees cannot guarantee that they will read every applicant’s essay. First, admissions counselors don’t have enough time. Secondly, they may decide not to read your essay after taking a glance at the first few sentences. At the same time, if admissions counselors are not sure whether or not they should accept you, your essay may determine their decision. Thus, we recommend that you get their attention right from the beginning, creating an impressive introductory paragraph that will make your readers want to read more. Experts from writers-house.com prepared this list of the best attention-getters for you.
Anecdote
An anecdote should be related to your story. If you start your essay with an anecdote, you’ll be able to get an emotional reaction from your readers, which is a great way to engage the audience. If your readers can relate to the anecdote, they can relate to your essay as well, which makes them more likely to enjoy reading it.
Question
A good question can also grab attention and engage your readers. It’s also a great way to make them think about something important. Don’t choose questions that require a simple answer (“yes” or “no”). Instead, choose a question that will introduce your readers to the topic. For example, you may ask “why?” and lead your readers to the thesis statement that provides the answer.
Quotation
Quotes are effective attention-getters that also make your essay more credible. We suggest that you choose a quote from an expert on the topic of your essay. In addition, you should make sure that the quote supports your thesis statement. Such an essay hook will demonstrate that you’ve researched your subject. It can also be used to convey your ideas in an emotional way, which will help you create a strong introduction.
Humor
Sometimes, a good joke can quickly engage your readers and create the right mood. Obviously, this type of essay hook is a nice choice if you write an essay on some positive topic. A joke can also help you make your essay entertaining and tell your reader that they shouldn’t take it too seriously. Make sure that your joke isn’t controversial or offensive.
Shocking Statistic
Another way to grab your readers’ attention is to provide an impressive statistic that is directly related to the topic of your essay. This is a great approach for persuasive essays because your readers may get shocked by the fact that they don’t know something important about the issue. Obviously, statistical facts also work great with informative essays and various types of technical writing.
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