How To Start An Introduction For Grabbing Reader’s Attention
By Laura Brown on 28th December 2020
Carrying an introduction is the most crucial element while you are writing an academic paper. It can give your reader an idea of what is coming next in the complete paper. Either they should give it a read or not.
Well, if you are worried about starting an introduction to your papers, we have come up with seven amazing points that can help you put an engaging introductory paragraph. These ideas can be summarised as follows:
- Making a strong, interesting statement
- Creating authority with stats and facts
- Developing curiosity with questions
- Building up an attractive story
- Leveraging compare and contrast game
- Describing your statement to the readers
- Including a quotation to mark your story
Now, everyone wants their readers to feel curious while reading their papers. The easiest way to grab the interest of your reader is by making an intriguing introduction. You can achieve it by using some attention-grabbing hooks.
An ideal hook is placed in the first paragraph of the introduction to engage readers. It may be a 1-3 sentence long to spark the curiosity of people and makes them wonder what will happen next.
Many people find it difficult because they are unaware of how to write a good introduction, a natural way of including a hook can make your introduction stand out. If you succeed in catching the attention of your readers, then you have 50% achieved the milestone to fall them in love with your manuscript.
How To Start An Introduction – 7 Hooks To Grab Reader’s Attention
Below are seven attention-grabbing writing hooks from the experts of Crowd Writer UK that will make your readers want to find out more in the rest of your paper so you may find a way to compose a better introduction for your essay.
1. The Statement Hook
A strong statement is a bold claim related to the topic. It shows the importance of your context and connects to your thesis statement. Placing a declaration is an excellent technique because it doesn’t seem dependent upon the agreement of your readers, and hence, you may have to support it with authentic evidence.
Example: “In-person educational classes are more costly than online classes.”
2. The Fact/ Statistic Hook
Facts and statistics are the best hooks as they provide proven data to your readers. Some figures may add a WOW factor to them. You can impress them with the research and knowledge from the opening of your paper or an essay.
However, you may need to include accurate facts that are reliable and interesting. Therefore, it is recommended to analyse and evaluate your data to make sure it is coming from a credible source.
Example: “Alzheimer’s is the 5th most common cause of death in old age people of the United States.” (The Pew Research Center)
3. The Interesting Question Hook
A question hook is used to ask a question in the very beginning of your introduction that relates to your topic or its background.
For instance, for this article, you can use a question like, how to write a good introduction?
Moreover, the only way to get the answer is by reading your dissertation.
It is a human psychology that when we hear or read something inquisitive, we want to know the answer. If we don’t know the answer, we opt to find it. Thus, when a manuscript is started with a question hook, it gives a clear signal to your readers that they have to read the entire writing to get the answer. Make sure it’s worth reading.
Example: what are the most common habits of successful students? Or what should a personal statement include?
4. The Story Hook
People love to read stories, especially when a story is unique and well-written. If you know how to start an introduction, a story hook can be your masterstroke. It lets you begin your writing with a short story that is related to your topic. Make sure that the tale relevantly connects to your topic.
A story can be of a famous manuscript or someone else’s personal story. This hook is longer than other types of hooks. However, it should not be a significant part of your introduction. It is recommended to place a story hook according to the length of your essay and ask yourself if this hook is acceptable in particular writing or not.
Example: The phone call
A few days ago, I remember when my father was having a meeting with one of our staff member. I was just sitting beside them on my sea when my father’s company phone rang.
My father ignored it.
After three rings, Melissa (the one my father was having a meeting with) looked at him and asked, “Will you not pick up the phone?”
My father took a pause and replied, “No, I will not as I’m not sure if that call is important or not. But, I’m sure this meeting is important as we are going to discuss how to write an essay introduction.”
Feeling valued, she got a big smile, and they continued the conversation with new energy.
The Lesson: What you pay attention to, and how you respond to things matters a great deal to your team.
5. The Simile/ Metaphor Hook
A simile hook is a unique way to get the attention of your readers as it makes them think differently about your topic. A metaphor is simply a comparison of two or more things that may seem to be unrelated. It makes readers wonder how you are going to compare two entirely opposite entities.
Simile and metaphor both compare two unconnected things. However, a simile is less intense than a metaphor. If you want to write on sensitive topics, then it is better to choose a simile like poetry and history. Alternatively, for fact-based fields like business and physics, you can use a metaphor.
Example:
Metaphor: A website’s blog pulls clients to the company like a magnet.
Simile: A website’s blog is like a magnet that attracts clients to the business.
6. The Description Hook
A vivid description of your scene is an ideal hook to draw your reader’s attention. It may not be as easy as reading how to start an introduction. However, a well-crafted description hook makes readers curious about what will come next in the manuscript. This hook is most used in narrative essays and can be included in academic papers as well. Like the story hook, it’s you to decide if this hook works for your writing or not.
Example: The cat limped along the roadside, moaned in pain and. Blood was streaming down from her injured leg.
7. The Quotation Hook
Most commonly used hook is a quotation hook. It is when you start your writing with the quote of either from a famous person or a favourite book. Also, if it is not notable enough yet connects with your topic, you may insert it with full confidence. It is best to quote precisely the same statement with reference.
Example: “The past is already gone; the future is not yet here. There’s only one moment for you to live.” (Buddha)
Conclusion – How To Start An Introduction
An introduction is, without any doubt, the most important pillar of your content. If you have cracked how to write an introduction, then you can definitely kick things off.
Although students often find it challenging to initiate their papers, it is always an exciting task to perform. You look up numerous ideas and go through various thoughts. With the seven building-block that we have discussed, you can come up with a rock-solid introduction for any of your papers.
However, if you still find it challenging on how to start an introduction, you can contact our experienced team at Crowd Writer UK at any time for all kinds of assignment writing service.
