How to Write an Informative Essay: Simple Guides

Gaining a firm foundation and the basics applicable when creating an Informative essay that meets the set standards is a task that requires a lot of input from the students. We are always inquiring how best we can bring out an article and pass the message in the best way we can without diluting the content of informative essay topics we choose.

Just like an expository essay that bring to fore some new facts for the readers to appreciate, informative essay interrogates the facts and then reasonably present them without exaggeration or advancement of personal opinion. It is a case of improving the knowledge and telling the reader of the things he or she did not know previously. It could also provide answers to some critical questions the audiences are seeking.

Writing an expository essay is, therefore characterized by a lot of activities including topic identification research and creation of informative essay outline to guide the entire process. Before one event attempts to create an informative essay, it is imperative to lay a good foundation by planning and getting the right information ready. This is called conceptualization of the informative essay.

We should, therefore, make plans for introductory sections bearing hooking elements that keep our targeted readers glued to the article. Having an idea about how to go about this part is very critical. We can look into some of the informative essay examples written before to help us have a feel of how good introductions are written bedside reading the notes provided in class. Another critical point to consider as we think of the general structure of our introduction is the thesis statement.

Given that conceptualization is not the actual writing, writers shouldn't despair but instead, bear in their minds the fact that the thesis statement created at this point may change with the discovery of new ideas and information. As we think about the thesis and the informative essay, notetaking is very paramount because it is the only way that we get to remember the most important elements that we want to include in our paper.

Creating a synopsis of the informative essay is a great way to have a picture of where we are going and the contents of the essay we are writing. Therefore, jotting down any idea that crosses our mind and trying to come up with a sentence or two about the article will prove to be of value added when we finally embark on writing. Now that we have an idea of the informative essay to put to paper, the next logical step would be to make our first draft. This draft is the outline.

Creating an Outline for an Informative Essay

We need to ask ourselves why an informative essay outline is important in the first place. To best answer this question, let's think of a driver headed to some destination he or she does not know. These drivers will, of course, need some help, and this could be someone to show them the direction or a map. The purpose of the informative essay outline is to provide that direction and show us where we are going. The document is also necessary for reference purposes because each time we lose track of the idea as we write, we are likely to refer to it. The organization of the informative essay outline is the same as the organization of the final document; therefore we should create a framework that has virtually all the key points we want to include in our last copy. The basic structure of the outline will be such that:

1. We have an introduction with a topic sentence and a thesis statement to explain our standpoint
2. We have a body with three paragraphs expounding on the points which again must support the topic we are writing about
3. The third section is the conclusion which summarizes our points and a restatement of the thesis statement we have in our introduction.

Writing an Informative Essay

An informative essay outlines everything that we need to know on a subject, and for that reason, the best organization is essentially a replica of the informative essay outline; we will look a little more in details the content of the various sections of the framework for the final document.

The Opening or the Introduction

This section is one of the most scrutinized parts of any informative essay. It gives the first impression of the writer, and it has to be very interesting to warrant the attention of the reader. The content of this part includes the opening sentence, which is also referred to as the topic sentence. In principle, we need to write this starter sentence with a lot of caution. Among the elements that ought to be included in this line is an intriguing sentence that grabs almost instantaneously the attention of our target audience.

The introduction also contains the thesis statement, which is essentially the line stating our position on the topic we are writing about otherwise the readers will question our thought about the item if we exclude this explanatory statement. In many informative essay examples, the thesis statement is written as the last sentence, and this we should ape. Also, the statement is in a single sentence, and all the points explaining it are within that particular sentence.

Lastly, the introductory part also contains a sentence that enables the reader to connect it with the body of the essay. As we write, we should offer our readers a smoother transition into the body through this sentence, and it has to be very brief. We need to avoid overshadowing the thesis statement by this line.

Writing the Body of our Informative Essay

The content of the body of the informative essay is derived from the topic, and they are generally broken down into topics. As we slowly develop the body of our informative essay, we need to think of it as the core of our message in terms of the number of points in discusses. Given that the body does not stand on its own and has to reflect the introduction, the points contained within this section are expounded, and the thesis statement is supported through these points, and the first paragraph contains the first idea in the form of a point. This idea is broken down, and more points are discussed to enable the reader to have details about the topic. The second paragraph does not vary too much from the first one because it also addresses an idea in the form of a point, and is the final paragraph.

Note that:

The length of the paragraphs in the body depends on the topic chosen for discussion because some topics are complex and they have more points than other simple informative essay topics

Writing the Conclusion

We have written our informative essay and outlined all the points, giving our readers new information. However, it is also vital that we make them understand the article without a lot of difficulties. Summarizing the entire document and presenting it in brief at the tail end of our informative essay is very critical. The conclusion is the climax of our informative essay, and it reminds our readers of the major points we have covered in brief. So then, we must start with the main issue or point cascading to the minor ones without explaining them in details.

Another essential section that we need to consider in this part is our comment with regards to the points we have substantiated in the informative essay. Did we find the information being of use to our readers? What lessons can be learned from the article? Are we recommending something to them, or are we letting them figure out for themselves an action that they need to undertake? We must answer these questions in the conclusion paragraph.

Coming up With Topic for Informative Essay

Even though we have gone as far as learning how to write an informative essay and its format, we still have to learn how to generate a good topic for our paper. To have a problem that will showcase our writing in the best way possible, we must answer the following questions:

• Is the topic of interest to us?
• Does the topic have any relevance?
• Who are our audiences?
• What is the audiences' knowledge about the topic?
• Is our topic of interest to the audience?
• Is our topic attainable?

Well, the first question does not only question our credibility but also looks into the possibility of us delivering an excellent informative essay. Our paper must reflect on us. What is meant by this statement is that the topics that we like are more likely to bring the best out of us and are easy to write. Note that at times, the lecturers choose the topic for us, leaving us with little or no room at all to create our own.

When we are answering the question about the relevance of the topic, this guides us in identifying a problem that will appeal to the audience the most and fulfill their need in terms of filling the information gap. Ideally, a good topic should address the concerns of the readers adequately in addition to giving them something more.

Our third concern is our audience. If we get to understand the audience and their expectations, then we are likely to have a good topic to present to then in our informative essay. Audience analysis is a very important task that we cannot overlook if we want to choose an active topic. It will be foolhardy to present informative essay topics that your audience does not identify with and that are why they come first even before we begin to write.

Also, we need to gauge the knowledge level of our audience with regards to the topic we are choosing to write about. For example, topics that are addressed to university lecturers may need a lot of, and for that reason choosing such a topic should be carefully done. What they know to a greater extent will determine specific areas that we need to address and so will be our choice for the topic.

Now, it is also fair that we consider not just our interest in the topic but also the audiences'. Presenting a topic that people don't like or a topic that causes adverse reactions from the audience is something that we don't want to do. The choice that we settle on as the topic must take into consideration our audience and their interest because we are not just writing for ourselves but for others to read. Good informative essay topics go beyond the writer's interest and embrace the audience's too. We must, therefore, think of a topic that has this quality.

Lastly answering the question of attainability is very critical. Some informative essay topics are just too narrow to provide the writer with enough information to write about. We must have a look at some of the informative essay examples that are shallow and trace the reason why there are not giving us as much information as we would like. On the other hand, some topics are also too broad, and they may distract our focus. In that case, we must choose only the topics which are attainable and sustainable when we are writing our informative essay. We cannot, for example, write about fire as our topic because we might lack the points and on the same breath we cannot write about agriculture because that might be too wide.

The Topical Areas

• Water and sanitation
• Urbanization
• Green energy
• Royal wedding

Conclusion

As we write our informative essay based on the lessons taught in class or from our appreciation of the informative essay examples that we read, it is vital to take note of the fact that informative essays are expected to follow some set patterns. We can only have the best article when we are aware of these outlines and the general structure of the piece. However, the topic is the most crucial element for any informative essay that has to be identified first.