The role of the first sentence in any piece of writing should never be underestimated. Since it's the first thing the reader encounters, it should be strong enough to create a good impression about the rest of the work. When it's about academic essays, the opening sentence is even more important because it needs to motivate the readers to read the essay till the end. That's why so called hooks are popular among students. Which ones are the most commonly used in order to produce the best essay you've ever managed to.

Question

The best thing you can do at the beginning of an essay is to make your readers think. One of the most common techniques that can help to achieve this result is starting an essay with a question. By doing so, you make the readers engaged in a discussion and show that you value their participation however indirect it is. There are different types of questions you could incorporate. For example, you can ask whether the readers have some personal experience with the topic that is to be discussed. You can also start with a rhetoric question about the subject or with the one that sounds controversial. All questions are good because they involve the reader.

Joke

Jokes are not suitable for just any type of essays, but when they are, they create a powerful hook. Who doesn't like reading a joke? If you start in such a friendly and relaxed way, the readers will immediately take to you and your writing. Jokes create a warm-hearted atmosphere and make readers relaxed so that they are willing to continue reading. But, once again, jokes fit only for those kinds of essay that don't discuss serious matters.

Quote

This approach is by far the most beloved one among students. Its popularity is mostly caused by the fact that you don't need to come up with anything new. As long as you can find a quote that fits the discussed topic, you're good. This way, you partially take the responsibility of writing a good first sentence off your shoulders and put it on some prominent personality who once managed to find the right words. So if you're looking for an easier way out, start searching for a suitable quote.