Different sections of the introductory paragraph (Click here for the lesson content)

The topic sentence is usually the first sentence in any paragraph. In introductory paragraphs, the topic sentence is essential for the general organization of the paragraph. It acts as an introduction itself and gives a general idea about the topic under discussion. The topic sentence can be a definition or a general statement.

The hook can be the first or second sentence of the introductory paragraph. It is used to attract readers’ attention. To develop an interesting hook, you can use:

-           Questions

·        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? 

-           Quotes

·        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.”

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.

-          Anecdotes (personal stories)

·        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.

Here’s an example of a story hook for an essay about the differences between British and American English.   I used my own story about a trip to England.

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. 

-          Metaphor – Simile

·        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.

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.

-          Statistics

·        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. 

Source: The Pew Research Centre, “America’s Relationship with Guns: An In-Depth Look at the Attitudes and Experiences of US Adults”  

http://www.pewsocialtrends.org/2017/06/22/americas-complex-relationship-with-guns/  

-          Interesting information or Facts

-         Background information

The Thesis Statement is the most important section of the essay. It usually takes the form of one sentence at the end of the introductory paragraph. It must be very specific, straight to the point, and states exactly the information that will be discussed in the body paragraphs.