As much as some students get excited once given an essay, some always find it tiresome and time-consuming because of various reasons. However, with the right resources, attitude, and approach, you will always find it easy to craft an essay and deliver high-quality and satisfying work. Different essay types call for slightly different requirements. However, the overall structure and format of the essay are almost the same. This article features an informative guide on writing an informative essay and all the considerations a student needs to put in place to ensure they follow the appropriate informative essay format.
What is the purpose of an informative essay?
Before we describe the purpose of writing an informative essay, maybe you are wondering what is an informative essay? What does it address?
An informative essay is like any other essay. However, the reason why students write such an essay is to explain or inform the reader of a detailed concept about a specific topic or subject. The reason for writing such an essay is to educate the reader.
Based on the topic you are writing on, take note of the audience. For instance, do not underexplain to an audience with little knowledge of the subject. Also, avoid over-explaining to an expert audience.
The informative essay structure
The informative essay outline has three main sections, including the introduction, the main body made up of paragraphs, and the conclusion.
- The introduction
This is the section that welcomes the reader to your paper. Here, the writer needs to share the ideas of the topic for the reader to understand easily. While writing this section, the writer needs to use catchy phrases and words to ensure they keep the reader glued to the paper as they read up to the end.
After hooking the reader, the next step is to add the background information as part of the introduction.
Once you have the background information, that is when the writer includes the thesis statement, which is usually one or two sentences comprising the keywords or key focus of the entire paper.
- The main body
In the main body, the writer should include all the points that support the thesis statement. Each paragraph should have a topic sentence that guides the reader on what the paragraph is all about. After the topic sentence, the writer then describes the ideas according to the research and the required citation style. Ensure each paragraph has a valid point with supporting evidence (the research sources). Also, avoid repeating the same ideas using different words while crafting the main body of an informative essay.
- The conclusion
Every essay should have a conclusion to wrap up all that has been discussed in the entire paper. The same should apply to informative essays. Re-write the thesis statement as you sum up all the ideas you have discussed in the paper.
Writing an informative essay: pro tips
Getting informative essay ideas from already written materials is an ideal way to master the art of writing such an essay.
1. Choosing informative essay topics
One of the elements that will determine the flow of your informative essay is the topic you choose. Be sure to go for a unique topic with plenty of resources to ease the research process. Should you have the freedom to select the topic, consider a topic, you have some knowledge about, as long as it aligns with your course.
Examples of informative essay prompts include:
- Why is smoking bad?
- Is learning history significant?
- The negative impacts of cyberbullying and how to avoid cyberbullying
- Managing homework stress
- What are the positive and negative impacts of playing video games?
2. Create an informative essay outline
An outline is a rough structure that will guide you through the writing process. Apart from helping you organize your work well, an outline saves you time since you don’t need to research as you write at the same time.
3. Always proofread your work
Never submit your informative essay without proofreading. Check for simple grammar mistakes and errors as you correct them. Also, don’t forget to verify plagiarism in your paper.
Conclusion
Once you have an informative essay topic to research, take time and plan the way you will handle the work. Gather enough resources and implement the tips above. You will realize how easy it is to create an incredible informative essay.
