What is an informative essay? As the name suggests, informative papers are written by students to enlighten audiences about events or phenomena. Authors assume that readers lack knowledge of the subject, so they should explain it to them. For example, when writing about gun control, students must inform readers about what gun control implies, its societal significance, global trends, benefits, and risks.
Unlike other forms of writing, authors do not intend to persuade readers to accept certain options. Although writers often have personal biases, they must refrain from displaying them, which makes the question of how to write an informative essay very important. Students must learn to present all sides without fairly demonstrating their opinions. Some academic assignments are incredibly time-consuming and nerve-racking, so you could pay someone to write an essay, and our professional writers will take care of your academic paper.
Informative Essay Structure Explained
The informative essay follows a basic essay structure and usually consists of an introduction, body paragraphs (the number of them is not limited), and a conclusion. Here is a more detailed description of each structural part:
- Introduction
How to start an informative essay? The first paragraph should briefly describe the subject to your readers. A good introduction provides background information about the topic and notifies the audience of its importance. A common way of starting an introductory paragraph is by asking, “Have you ever experienced fever after a vigorous workout? The condition is known as Exertional Heat Illness (EHI).
Approximately 68% of professional athletes experience EHI daily.” Alternatively, one may start with interesting statements like, “People often complain about the fever that appears after vigorous exercise. Medically, this is EHI.” Generally, professors in most universities in the USA recommend an introduction of approximately seven sentences.
- Thesis
Every introduction should finish with the thesis statement. It describes the paper’s scope in one or two sentences and summarizes the main points of an essay. After selecting informative essay topics, students must think of the thesis. However, while writing, some new ideas often emerge. Consequently, one can adjust thesis statements after finishing the paper to reflect them.
Thesis statements tell more about an author and paper, such as their understanding of an issue, ability to present ideas in an informative essay, and ability to retain focus on the main problem. Most students find formulating a thesis or finding a good topic challenging, so Edubirdie's writing help is very useful.
- Body
The body section is the main part. Writers express all their ideas in the body segment. It contains several paragraphs depending on the essay's length. Each paragraph contains a unique idea and must follow a logical sequence. Lengthy papers require students to split the body into subtitles with at least two paragraphs. The main criteria to be followed for the argumentation are sequence, chronology, and contrast. These principles allow you to form a comprehensive and effective essay body.
Good body paragraphs are cohesive. Paragraphs should anchor to their predecessors. Transition words enable writers to achieve cohesion. Words and phrases like ‘in addition,’ ‘similarly,’ and ‘likewise’ introduce supporting ideas, while ‘but,’ ‘however,' ‘on the contrary,' ‘on the other hand,' and ‘nevertheless' introduce contrasting opinions. ‘To conclude,’ ‘in the closing,’ and ‘in summary’ indicate the conclusion. Finally, words like ‘first’, ‘secondly’, and ‘thirdly’ indicate sequence. Below is a sample body paragraph:
However, business trips to the Middle East are incomplete without visiting the United Arabs Emirates (UAE). For the last two decades, UAE has risen as a leading business tourism destination in the Eastern hemisphere for three main reasons. First, the country has extremely low crime rate compared to its counterparts. Secondly, traveling from the USA to the UAE is convenient. One can fly directly by either Fly Emirates or Etihad to Dubai or Abu Dhabi. Finally, the country boasts of an established hotel and real estate sector. Hotels and luxury apartments that surpass Western standards. Basically, everything you need is available in the UAE.
- Conclusion
The conclusion occupies the last paragraph of informative essays. They recap ideas discussed by authors in different words. After finishing a paper, conclusions let students look back and assess if it matches their thesis. If some parts of the thesis are not addressed, one must change either the content or thesis statement accordingly. Authors also use this area to call readers into action. However, students should not introduce new points. Below is a sample conclusion:
Clearly, insects are not as useless as selfish capitalists portray them. Their role in nature is immense. In their absence, food will become scarce, and humans will starve. Disputed areas may be insignificant in size, but allowing their destruction would set a dangerous precedent for developers.
Therefore, local authorities must revoke already issued ‘change of land use’ permissions and instead invite innovative ideas for restoring destroyed parks. Future generations must not suffer the consequences of the current greedy generation.
Tips on Informational Essays Every Student Should Know
Writing an informative essay is not very simple. One should perform several steps before sitting and writing an actual paper. Here are some tips that you should consider
- Select narrow topics. Broad themes like insecurity, sports, clouds, music, forests, or love are unsuitable. Students should choose manageable topics that they can discuss conclusively in a few pages. Good informative essays must display professionalism. The author should tell the audience more than what they already know. If a student is familiar with sports, a theme like “Causes of injuries during physical exercises” would be an appropriate option.
- Information availability. After you decide on your issue, surf the Internet to check if there are reliable and available sources. You should lean towards peer-reviewed articles, websites of official organizations, and books. Avoid materials that have no author or date when they were published. Wikipedia is also not a reliable source. If you need further assistance, you can find informative essay examples for students online better to understand the structure and content of such essays.
- Research. Nobody knows everything. Reading articles written by other authors opens students’ insight. However, research is not limited to written literature. Certain subjects require authors to conduct interviews or perform laboratory experiments for scientific research.
- Brainstorming, often conducted by individuals or in groups, helps writers generate ideas. For individual brainstorming, the first step is defining goals. Writers should note different perspectives on subject matters, note challenges, and state objectives. Osborn states that during brainstorming, writers should not judge ideas, allow a wide array of ideas, expound on existing ideas, and encourage unconventional ideas.
- Mind mapping is a standard organizational tool. Unwritten ideas quickly vanish, so maps allow writers to visually arrange random ideas by collecting similar ideas into clusters. Writers also weigh idea strength, arranging them from most relevant to most irrelevant. Designing maps is left to the writer's discretion. However, it is advisable until the writer runs out of ideas. Nevertheless, authors can add new information they come across.
- Review instructions. Lecturers may have preferences on topics, writing styles, essay length, font style, and size. Good students review instructions issued for every paper even when they believe they know the requirements. Learn all the details before writing and follow all the comments from your professor. Also, don’t hesitate to ask for help or pieces of advice.
- Create an outline. Outlines provide a map of where to go with an essay. They display the preliminary title, thesis statement, main points, and supporting points. Most universities in the USA require students to submit outlines to prove adequate preparation before starting the essay.
- Drafts and editing. Professors may require students to submit various drafts before delivering the final essay. After every draft, lecturers write their comments and return papers to the students for correction. Revision involves considering the professor’s comments and editing the paper for spelling mistakes, wordiness, comma misuse, and run-off sentences. Grammarly, Ginger, and Microsoft Office grammar checkers are some useful tools for revision.
Mistakes To Avoid While Writing an Informative Essay
Writing an informative essay involves presenting clear and detailed information on a topic, and if you're feeling overwhelmed, you might consider seeking professional help to write my essay and ensure it's both informative and engaging. Although an informative paper may sound complicated for some students, there are a few things they should consider before completing this kind of essay.
- Do not use personal pronouns - an essay should inform, not express, your attitude. Imagine yourself as a writer of an encyclopedia article. Provide facts, not thoughts.
- Do not analyze—it is important to avoid analyzing the topic. You should not show your emotions or thoughts, as this may mislead the audience.
- Be honest - provide all data or facts you have found. Do not hide essential things or opposing sides of an issue you write about. Your readers must know everything and decide based on the information you serve.
- Use logic. The informative essay format should be logical. Do not write fact after fact. Firstly, create an outline. Make sure it is consistent, and don’t forget to use transition words or phrases. The essay should sound smooth and clear.
- Avoid repetition - ensure that info is not repeated several times. Proofread your text and illuminate possible mistakes.
Q&A
- How do you write a thesis statement for an informative essay?
A thesis statement tells a reader about an informative essay’s focus. While writing a thesis statement, (1) Identify the scope of the essay. (2) Note key points she/he is going to discuss. (3) Connect parts 1 and 2 using appropriate connective words.
- What are the parts of an informative essay?
Informative papers have three parts: introduction, body, and conclusion. The introduction gives background and tells readers why a topic is relevant. The body contains paragraphs that address issues mentioned in the thesis statement. The conclusion wraps up an informative paper. Drafts and outlines are not considered part of an essay.
- What should be included in an informative essay?
An informative essay enlightens readers about an object, person, or event. Therefore, it must have three objectives: First, it explains the origins and history of a research problem. Second, it informs readers of the processes involved in the issue. Finally, it discusses the risks and benefits of an issue using facts and opinions.
- Does an informative essay need a thesis?
Yes. Like other writing forms, informative papers require thesis statements to prepare readers by preempting a writer’s intention. However, unlike argumentative essays, students do not create an argument but summarize facts and ideas. Example: “Police brutality is more than extrajudicial killings. It includes corruption, intimidation, and unwarranted surveillance.”
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