How to Start an Essay to Grab a Reader's Attention

Readers prefer to go through essays that engage them. They like it when students grab their attention. Students should use a specific style of writing. First of all, they should go through the question of the essay and consult their teachers as to what kind of essay they want to be written such as descriptive, narrative, argumentative or expository. Students should keep a dictionary handy to give a professional look to what they are writing. It also encourages the use of proper words, synonyms and antonyms. Moreover, it develops the vocabulary.

Types of Essay

There are basically four types of essay. They are as:

i. Persuasive - the writer tries to influence the reader to change their opinion. The writer puts their argument forward with facts and data. They put up a very strong stance throughout the essay.

ii. Argumentative - here the writer defends himself through an argument. It is similar to persuasive style of writing. The writer does a lot of research and provides evidence.

iii. Expository -this type of essay explains an issue or idea. Writers can make a statement in the beginning and lay out the rest of the writing from there.

iv. Analytical -writers study and construe what the question wants to do. They analyse the information and put it forward in their own words. Writers also express their views and give an explanation.

Strategies to Grab Attention

Students can catch the reader's eye through a very good introduction. They can make the starter creative with little anecdotes, phrases or sayings, questions and revealing data. This should be done with clear, simple and expressive style. Some of the strategies that students can use in their essays are as follows:

• Audience - it is important to know the audience. Students should be mindful of the fact that the reader has a pile of essays to go through and that the reader may be bored with what they have been reading. Therefore, students must use a writing technique that will make the reader sit upright!

• Brainstorming - a pen and paper should be ready on standby. Students should sit with their peers and brainstorm. This will result in a flow of ideas. They can note it down.

• Draft -through this, they can plan and organize their thoughts and ideas. Writers should connect the points they want to make. Each point should be unique. 

• Introduction -Students should avoid making general statements such as 'everyone says the restaurant is unhygienic'. Introduction is the most important part of the essay. From here, thoughts can flow and be connected through paragraphs. It should specify what the student wants to say. Introductions should be clear and crisp.

• Body - this is where the main part of the essay lies. Students should make their thoughts creative and catchy so that the readers have a good time reading it. Students should do a good research to get all the facts and figures.

• Consultation - if the student is facing any problem, they should consult their teachers and lecturers. Once the doubts have been cleared, they can continue with their work.

• Proofreading - this is a must. Students should go through their work to see whether there's any spelling or grammatical errors that need to be corrected. During proofreading, they can add more ideas.

Making an Impression

Students should make an impression through their essays. This can be done through an organized manner. Students can make use of hooks such as quotes or anecdotes to get started with. They should be interested in what they are writing to make it fascinating for the reader. To develop an interest for the topics, students should do a bit of research. They can go through the books in the library or do an online research. Students should put new facts and information in their essays, and not something which everyone including the reader knows. They should make the reader think through their writing. Use active voice to make the writing style presentable and catchy. It's advised for students to read so that they can get the hang of writing techniques. It also helps in getting the flow of thoughts. Students should think before they write; whether it makes sense or not. This is the reason why making a draft is important. Repetition should be avoided. Students can lay out the information and connect it through paragraphs. They can then proofread it. If they are not satisfied, they can add more points or information and work on the style.