Kōkiri Learn

Background reading · English

Hooks, headings and transitions

The writer's tools that make non-fiction easy and enjoyable to read: strong leads, clear headings, linking words and precise vocabulary.

You can have the most interesting facts in the world, but if your writing is hard to follow, readers will give up. These tools help them stay with you from the first line to the last.

Hooks: the first few lines

  • Question lead: 'Have you ever wondered why the Waikato River runs brown after rain?' - Surprising fact lead: 'A single kererū can carry seeds hundreds of metres from the tree they came from.' - Scene lead: 'The bell rings, and 300 students pour out of the gate. Only 40 of them walk.' - Quote lead: '"This street used to be a swamp," says local historian Mere.'

    • Headings and topic sentences

    Headings are signposts. They let readers skim, find what they need and see how your ideas fit together. Under each heading, start your paragraph with a topic sentence that tells the reader what the paragraph is about. Then add facts, examples or quotes that support it.

    Transitions: the glue

    Transition words link your ideas so they flow instead of sounding like a list.

  • Adding: also, in addition, furthermore. - Showing cause and effect: because, as a result, consequently. - Comparing: similarly, in the same way. - Contrasting: however, on the other hand, in contrast. - Giving examples: for example, such as, for instance.

    • Precise words

    Swap vague words for exact ones. Not 'a big bird' but 'a 650-gram pigeon'. Not 'lots of rain' but '120 millimetres in two days'. When you use a topic word, such as 'seed dispersal' or 'estuary', explain it the first time: 'seed dispersal, which is how seeds travel away from the parent tree'.

    Strong endings

    A conclusion shouldn't just stop. Sum up the big idea in a fresh way, then leave readers with something to think about or do: a question, a hope, or a small action. 'Next time you hear the whoosh of kererū wings, you'll know you're hearing a forest being planted.'

    Sources and further reading

    Written for Kōkiri Learn students in our own words. Check facts against the sources.

    Used in: Explain It: Non-fiction and Feature Writing