[header] How to write a five paragraph essay [title] Start with a hook. [step] Your hook should capture your audience's attention, so choose a creative way to introduce your topic. This sentence should be a generalized statement about your topic that gives the reader a basic idea about your paper's topic. 
Quotes, anecdotes, and quips all make great hooks for an essay. [substeps] For example, you could phrase your hook like this: nature's life cycle is often used as a metaphor to convey ideas about the passage of life.