In essays or research papers, the hook is one or more lines that act as an introduction. Its purpose is to entice the reader and establish a distinct writing tone. As you can see, it is critical to start academic papers with strong starting paragraphs that include catching words and phrases. There are several types of hooks: narrative, causal, rhetorical, analytical. Each type of hook can be used to begin a paper or section of a paper. For example, if you were writing on the Civil War, a rhetorical hook might well begin your essay: "The war was caused by differences in political ideology between Northern and Southern states." A causal hook would begin such an essay by saying something like this: "The war resulted when Lincoln wanted to abolish slavery in the South but not in the North." Use your best judgment about which type of hook would be most effective in any particular situation. But remember: no matter what kind of hook you use, it must be followed by a strong closing paragraph. Hooks can also help readers understand the main idea of a paper without explaining everything at once. For example, if you were writing on the causes of the Civil War, a good hook might be "This article will discuss how these causes included politics, economics, and ideals." This hook tells readers that they should expect to learn about all three causes in the paper and that their connection will be discussed in detail later.