Different types of essays have different focal points. For example, informative essays are designed to give information on specific subjects. The first step for anyone writing an informative essay would be to gather as many details as possible on the subject area. Without a good knowledge of the subject area, your essay will lack depth.
This article will give you tips on how to start an informative essay and the generally accepted structure.
Tips on writing a distinction-worthy informative essay
Starting an informative essay is the same as starting other essay types. The significant difference is the type of content they contain and the aim of each essay. To write and deliver an excellent informative essay, here are the steps you should take.
- Select a suitable topic
This is the first step to writing an informative essay. If you weren’t given a topic, you should select one that interests you. Besides a topic that interests you, it is also essential to pick one easy to research.
The easier your topic is to research, the more information you can find on it, and the better your essay turns out. If you have difficulties finding an informative essay topic, you can ask your instructor or search online to get an idea.
- Conduct extensive research
After selecting a suitable topic, the next important step is conducting research. Since informative essays are objective and aimed at delivering facts, your sources or references must also be objective. A well-done research will help you build a good thesis statement for your essay.
- Create your outline
Once you have gathered and organized the information you need, the next step should be to create your informative essay structure and outline. This should include the introduction, body, and conclusion.
Based on the collated information, you can distribute and discuss the points under every aspect of the essay.
Remember, your introduction should have a paragraph containing the hook and your thesis statement. Meanwhile, the body paragraphs in an informative essay should include a minimum of three paragraphs, each elucidating different points. Lastly, the conclusion should have a paragraph that reiterates your thesis statement and summarizes the essential points.
- Start writing
The best way to start your essay is to start writing. When writing, ensure to follow the standard format – introduction, body, and conclusion.
The introduction is the most crucial part of your essay; it decides who reads and who doesn’t. It is the part of your essay where you build your thesis statement.
Your thesis statement serves as the foundation of your essay. An informative essay thesis is quite different from that of the other essay types, so you must learn how to write a thesis for an informative essay. It should be factual and neutral, not biased or taking a stand.
While writing an informative essay, remember to:
- Research as many topic ideas as you can before settling
- Proofread and edit
- Get a second opinion
- Review and understand the instructions given
How to write an outline for an informative essay
Before you start writing, you need to have an outline for your essay. The outline helps you to keep in line with the subject area. This allows you not to go out of context when writing. An informative essay outline should include key points you wish to expound on. Here is an informative essay outline example:
Causes of stress in middle-aged men
- Introduction
- Body
- Paragraph I – Why are middle-aged men stressed
- Paragraph II – Stress factors in middle-aged men and the effect of stress on middle-aged men
- Paragraph III – Data on stress in middle-aged men
- Conclusion
Examples of informative essay topics
Informative essays commonly focus on one particular subject. Informative essays do not require you to argue or express your views. The aim is to expose readers to important facts about the subject area. Examples of such topics include:
- Maternal mortality in developing countries
- Causes of stress in college students
- Causes and effects of poor parenting on teenagers
- Causes of teenage pregnancy
- Benefits of learning a second language
- The economic policy of the United States
- The impact of Covid-19 on the economy of African nations
- The effect of the Russian-Ukraine war on Europe
- Impact of cryptocurrency on the financial market
- Causes and effects of mass migration in third world countries
Conclusion
Writing an informative essay starts with purposeful research that aims to give valuable information on the subject of interest. Your focus as you write should be to help the reader get a better understanding of the topic. Informative essays do not require you to express your opinion, but it is not to argue any point if you do.
