I haven't got any theoretical knowledge of this. However, if I wanted to write an essay which captured people's attention from the beginning, I would write a surprising statement or question which would make the reader think. If you gave details of what your essay is about, I could give you an example. Kind regards, Michael

Rand: The simplest way to do this, is to engage in a bit of sensationalism. Journalists often publish such a hook even though Journalistic Ethics might suggest the contrary. For example, if you are writing an essay on Elephant Poachers, you might write: "Should All Of The Elephants Be Killed?" If you are discussing the ocean's Coral Reefs, you could write; "Coral Reefs Are Devouring People!" If you are writing about the furture of space exploration by manned space flights, you might write: "Space Agency Vows To Find Aliens On Mars" .

I agree with others, it might help if you told us the subject of your essay. The best way to write an attractive "hook" is to think about your audience and what would interest them. The purpose of the "hook" is to convince the reader that they want to read the rest of the essay. The "hook" should be honest--it shouldn't promise something that the essay doesn't deliver. It doesn't need to be extreme. The main thing is to jump right in with something interesting. Let me give you some examples of essays I like that I think have good hooks; maybe they will give you some ideas. I notice that they all fit Michael's pattern: "a surprising statement or question which would make the reader think." "There is a woman in the state of Nevada to whom I once lied continuously, consistently, and shamelessly, for the matter of a couple of hours."--Jack London, "The Road" "Dickens is one of those writers who are well worth stealing. Even the burial of his body in Westminster Abbey was a species of theft, if you come to think of it."--George Orwell, "Charles Dickens" "In Moulmein, in lower Burma, I was hated by large numbers of people–the only time in my life that I have been important enough for this to happen to me."--George Orwell, "Shooting an Elephant" "When Henri Vaillancourt goes off the Maine woods, he does not make extensive plans. Plans annoy him."--John McPhee, "The Survival of the Bark Canoe" "The English have no respect for their language, and will not teach their children to speak it."--George Bernard Shaw, preface to "Pygmalion."