Essay Hook常见类型及写作步骤

An essay hook is an opening statement which is usually the first sentence, in an essay that attempts to grab the reader's attention so that they want to read on. It can be done by using a few different types of hooks, which are a question, quote, statistic, or anecdote.

Essay Hook指的是文章的开头语句，通常用在文章的第一句话，以此来吸引读者的注意力，使他们愿意继续读下去。这可以通过使用一些不同类型的挂钩来实现，比如问题、引用、统计或轶事。

It’s a piece of writing at the beginning of your essay that engages your reading audience.  Usually, a hook is a sentence or group of sentences that draw people into reading your essay or research paper.A hook sparks a person’s curiosity.  You want whoever reads your essay to wonder what happens next. They are also a way to make an introduction standout.

Essay Hook有哪些常见类型？

• * Interesting Question Hook
• * Strong Statement/Declaration Hook
• * Fact/Statistic Hook
• * Metaphor/ Simile Hook
• * Story Hook
• * Description Hook
• * Quotation Hook. 

Essay Hook常见例句举例

Interesting Question Hook

An interesting question hook is when you ask a question that relates to your essay or paper.  And the only way a person can know the answer to that question is by reading your writing.

People are inquisitive.  When we hear or read a question we want to know the answer.   If we don’t have an answer then we need to find out.  So, when you start your essay with an interesting question hook, this signals to your readers that if they keep reading you’ll give them the answer.

在文章的开头设计一个巧妙的问题是hook常用的一种方式。读者为了找到答案，在好奇心的趋势下会继续阅读你的文章。但所提的问题应具有一定争议，需要读者进行批判性思考，而不是简单的“yes or no”便能解答。

Here’s an example of an interesting question hook on the topic of succeeding in college:

What is the difference between successful college students and unsuccessful college students?  

The goal of this essay hook is to make you want to learn what students who succeed in college do, and what are college students who don’t succeed in college doing wrong.

The Strong Statement/Declaration Hook

A strong statement hook is a sentence that makes an assertive claim about your topic.   It connects to the thesis statement and shows the importance of your essay or paper.

A strong statement is a great technique because it doesn’t matter if your reader agrees or disagrees with your statement.  They will want to see how you support your statement.

强烈的陈述钩指的是对你的主题做出肯定声明的句子。它连接到主题陈述，并显示你的文章或论文的重要性。一个强烈的陈述是一个很好的技巧，因为这与你的读者是否同意你的陈述无关。他们想看看你是如何支持你的陈述的。

This is an example of a strong statement for the topic of online college classes:

Online college classes are cheaper and more effective than in-person college classes.    

This statement either supports your point of view about online classes, or it makes you want to argue against it.  Either way, you are curious about what the writer says.

The Fact/ Statistic Hook

Facts and statistics hook your reader because they give real information about a topic.   You can impress your reader with your knowledge and evidence from the very beginning of your essay. But, you need to include facts that are accurate, interesting and reliable.  Evaluate your information and make sure it comes from a credible source.

在文章的开头罗列真实的事件和数据，让你的文章更有权威性和说服力，也容易赢得读者的信任。

Here’s an example of a factual hook about an essay on gun ownership in the United States.

Almost two-thirds of American adults at some point in their life lived in a home with at least one gun. 

The Metaphor / Simile Hook

The metaphor/simile hook engages your readers because it makes them think about a topic in a different way.  Your audience wonders what you mean and how you compare a topic to something that seems unconnected.

A metaphor is a figure of speech that directly compares one thing to another, but these two things seem unrelated.  An example of a metaphor is: Her boyfriend is a rat.

暗喻能吸引读者，因为它能让他们以不同的方式思考一个话题。你文章的读者会非常想要知道你理解的是什么意思，以及你是如何将一个话题与看似无关的东西进行比较的。暗喻是一种直接将一件事与另一件事进行比较的修辞手法，但这两件事似乎并不相关。

The boyfriend is not really a rat, but he behaves like one.

A simile is like a metaphor.  Both compare two unrelated things to each other, but a simile uses the words like or as to connect them. A simile is less strong than a comparison in a metaphor. For example:  Writing a research paper is like running a marathon when it’s 95 degrees Fahrenheit.

If your essay topic is on business blogging you could write the metaphor hook:

A business blog is a magnet pulling clients to a company.  

Or the simile hook:

A business blog is like a magnet that pulls clients to a company.

The Story Hook

This is a hook where you begin with a short story or episode that relates to your topic.

Readers love stories, especially a well-written story that is memorable.  The key to a great story hook is making sure the story directly connects to your essay or paper topic.

Your story can be personal or someone else’s story.

以故事作为essay开头，也并不意味着在整篇的议论文中失去严谨。相反，故事可以帮助你吸引读者的注意力，激发他们对这个话题的兴趣。

Here’s an example of a story hook for an essay about the differences between British and American English.   

I got off the train and pulled my luggage behind me.  A cab pulled up to the curb, and the driver got out.  He lifted my luggage and said, “Miss, I’m just going to put your stuff in the boot.”  I didn’t know what he meant until I saw him open the car’s trunk.  Then I realized the boot means car trunk.  I got in the cab, wondering how many other words would be different in England. 

The Description Hook

This is a hook where a vivid description of a scene draws your readers into your writing.  A good description hook will make your reader want to know what comes next in your writing.    It’s most popular in narrative essays, but you can use a description hook with any type of writing (yes even academic papers).   But, like the story hook ask yourself, “Will this description hook be acceptable in this course?”

这是一个吸引人的地方，用生动的场景描述吸引读者进入你的写作世界。一个好的描述吸引会让你的读者想要知道你接下来要写什么。它虽然在在记叙文中比较流行，但你我们其实可以运用在任何类型的写作中使用。

Here’s an example of a description hook for a personal narrative essay about saving a dog:

The dog howled in pain and limped along the side of the road.  His leg was cut and blood streamed down his leg.  

The Quotation Hook

This is a hook where you begin your essay with a quotation.  The quotation could be from a famous person, but it doesn’t have to be. You can quote anyone if it connects to what you’re writing about.

If you write an essay on the topic of education you could begin with: Nelson Mandela said, “Education is the most powerful weapon you can use to change the world.”

引用名人名言，引用名人名言用它来开场是非常有意思的一种写作手法。听听名人怎么说？或许你不同意，或许你和名人一样赞同这件事。从而引发读者思考我要读下去么？

If you want to use a quotation for a hook, make sure you quote the words exactly.  Choose quotations where the words are striking, powerful, and/ or memorable.

Essay Hook写作四个简单步骤

1.明确读者

就像写作的主体内容一样，hook sentences也需要有针对性。弄清楚读者是谁，才能运用技巧，写出来针对他们的有意思的hook。比如：大学招生官和同龄阅读者所选择的吸引他们的方式是不一样的。

2.明确写作目的

一个优秀的富有吸引力的hook sentences必须为你的写作目的服务，写作时要非常清晰的了解写作目的。

如果写是一篇社会议论文的hook sentences可以通过列举一个令人震惊的事实来增强论点的说服性。如果写的是爱情故事，那么就可以选择在开头写一段甜蜜浪漫的轶事。如果是一篇关于严禁的科学或者生化文章，那么援引一个令人震惊的数据则更具感召力。

3.选择恰当类型

Hook 的写作方式有很多种。根据选定的目标，和目的，选择不同的手法。

4.推敲琢磨

在明确目标读者、写作目的及hook的类型后，就要开始对你的hook进行推敲打磨了。好hook sentence往往需要反复地推敲琢磨，并且尽可能的精炼。因为Hook就是我们文章的画龙点睛之处，那么，请一定要把重点放在打磨你的hook sentence上吧。

在北美地区，Essay 的写作可以说是贯穿了一个学生的整个学术生涯，因此，掌握正确的写作方法便成了学生们必备的技能之一。对于学生们而言，如果能学会一个规范化的写作模式，加以练习，经过时间的积累，Essay写起来自然会得心应手了。