How To Write A Informative Essay? - Step By Step Guide

If you were to write an essay on World War II, would you straightaway explain when and how the war ended? Needless to say, that would be abrupt for the readers.

Unless you discuss the background of the event and every factor that led to World War II, the readers will be left in the dark. That is the very essence and purpose of an informative essay - Representing the important information on World War II, in this case.

However, if you take the side of one of the allies and justify your support, it won't be an informative essay anymore. It will become an argumentative essay. Again, if you are discussing the difference in the situation and impact of World War II from that of World War I, it will be a comparative analysis essay.

Now providing the information is a common theme for all three essays. Then why is one informative and the others not?

Keep reading this blog to find an answer.

What is an Informative Essay?

In simple words, an informative essay is a piece of writing that provides the readers with basic information on a topic in an unbiased manner. The intent is to inform the readers about the incident and help them form an unbiased and uninfluenced opinion.

The structure of these types of essays includes an introductory paragraph, a body consisting of a few paragraphs, and a conclusion. The body portion of the expository essay usually contains the facts and figures about the subject in discussion.

Informative essays serve the following five purposes.

For example, the Health benefits of animal protein can be a very good informative essay topic bringing into light known and unknown facts about animal protein and its advantages for the human body. On the other hand, if the topic is chicken is the best source of animal protein can be a little argumentative and thus not informative entirely.

The essay helps readers understand a process minutely. For example, how to make DIY gifts for your best friend can be a great choice for an informative essay.

An informative essay sheds light on clear and justified information. It can focus on the main differences between a metaphor and a simile. Note here that this is not a comparative analysis essay. It would have been one of the goals of the process essay to establish which of these two will be a better literary device. But when you only state the differences without analyzing them, it remains an informative essay.

For instance, a befitting topic for this category would be what climatic conditions the camels need to survive or what helps them sustain through a rough climate of the desert.

For example, an informative essay can describe the main parts of a combustion engine.

Read More: Rhetorical Analysis Essay

The Structure of an Informative Essay

As mentioned earlier, the informative essay can be divided into three broad portions – introduction, body, and conclusion. Let's have a look into these separately.

1. Introduction 

This kind of essay's opening part, which is usually the first paragraph, provides a succinct summary of the paper's topic. It might also include startling information designed to pique the reader's interest and entice him to continue reading the article.

2. Body 

An informative essay will often include data that back up the thesis statement in the body paragraphs, giving the reader organized knowledge on the subject. The information could, for instance, respond to queries the reader might have regarding the subject. Examples, step-by-step analysis, or the presentation of professional opinions can all be used to accomplish this.

3. Conclusion 

The author will write the conclusion paragraph of the informative essay. Typically, the facts that were covered in the personal essay's main body are summarised in this section. The thesis statement may also be restated. The author should ensure that this paragraph does not introduce new ideas or information.

On that note, let's move on to how to write an informative essay.

 How to Write an Informative Essay?

Where to Start?

Before you start writing the exemplification essay, there are a few things you need to work on. You must read a few informative essay samples to understand the tone to be used and the right way to present the facts. The more examples you refer to, the better piece you will write.

Next, you have to make sure that you have no doubt regarding the topic you are writing about. See, you will have to do research, but if the basics are unclear, no matter how well you research, you have a high chance of messing up! So take care of this before you start working on it.

How to Conduct the Research?

If you know where to look, conducting research can be an enjoyable and simple process. This section provides information on your subject you may not have known. It's important to take note of the URLs of websites you visit or the name and page number of the book containing the data you'll use in your article as you collect material. If you are not aware of where to look, have a consultation with your professor. You can even search for the topic on a search engine and refer to the related scholarly articles for reference purposes.

 How to Assess the Reliability of a Source?

The first research guideline is to never utilize wikipedia.com since anyone with internet access can update it. Use the library's own information databases instead of the internet if you're looking for information.

You can also use "Google Scholar" at scholar.google.com, which will provide you with a huge selection of reliable sources. A standard Google or Bing search should be avoided because it might not return reliable results.

What about Outlining the Essay?

Once you are done with the research work, do you know the next step? No, it is not straight writing! It is very important that before you begin writing, you put your thoughts into a proper outline. The biggest advantage of doing this is that it gives clarity and helps you stay organized.

Remember that your informative essay will usually have five paragraphs, with paragraph one serving as your introduction, paragraph two serving as your first main point, paragraph three serving as your second main point, paragraph four serving as your third main point, and paragraph five serving as your conclusion. (Remember that the number of paragraphs may differ based on how many significant points you have to discuss). Additionally, keep in mind that each paragraph must begin with a theme sentence, subsequent informative sentences to support it, and a conclusion or transitional sentence.

How to Write the Introduction?

This is the first paragraph the readers will read in your persuasive essay. Here you have to ensure that you give a background detail on the topic, and at the same time, you also have to make sure that you create a hook so that the readers are interested to read your essay. You can start with a piece of catchy information about the topic that people do not commonly discuss or know.

Slowly you have to share some basic details so as to create a base on the reader’s mind. Try to use some alarming fact or a quote in the introduction. This often serves the purpose.

How to Construct the Body of the Essay?

In the body of the essay, you'll have to discuss all the significant points that you intend to bring to the reader's notice about the topic. We should separate each point into different paragraphs and explain them in detail. But keep in mind that neither makes the paragraphs too long nor do you include too many paragraphs. The standard number of paragraphs for the body of an informative essay is 3.

How to Conclude the Essay?

The conclusion of the essay will restate the highlighting points of the essay and, at the same time, not make it repetitive and monotonous to read. Use a different stance. For example, state the crucial points using another set of words and also state the impact or their application in the present date.

An informative essay is one of the easiest types of synthesis essay existing. If you have a detailed idea of the subject you are writing, it won't be very difficult to compose an informative essay. Hence before you write, read. Read more about the subject and also read about informative essays and the respective samples for better understanding.