If you have been trying to figure out how to write an informative essay without success, you are in luck. Among the many types of essays you will come across in your school career are informative essays. Though complicated, these types of essays aim at equipping readers with all the correct information about a topic. You must have the right information, know how to write the introduction, body, and paragraphs, and edit your work after writing to develop a high-quality paper.
The following guide aims to equip you with all the information about writing an informative essay that will captivate your audience.
An informative essay educates a reader about a particular topic. This type of essay doesn't involve evaluation or analysis like other essays. Instead, it presents objective facts without subjective opinions from the writer. In other words, it doesn't need you to convince the reader of their truth. An informative essay can discuss various topics about a specific event, theory or phenomenon.
The main goals of these essays are to do the following:
An informative essay requires studying keenly and gathering enough information about the topic before writing. Teachers assign these essays to test subject knowledge, formatting awareness, writing skills, English proficiency, and other skills. Therefore, you must know how to write one.
You will encounter various types of informative essays in school, all of which expect you to provide enough information to educate readers. To know how to write one, you must understand all these types and how they are written. The following are types of informative essays you should know:
Just like architects require blueprints to guide the process of building a house, you must also have structure to guide your essay writing process. Writing an informative essay becomes much easier when you have the right outline. So how do you write an informative essay outline? Like other academic essays, informative essays are divided into three parts: Introduction, body paragraphs, and conclusion. The introduction and conclusion usually are one paragraph long, but the body includes several sections.
This is the first paragraph of an essay. It
The body is organized with different paragraphs, each with a new idea.
The structure of the body paragraphs should look like this:
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 3
Each paragraph is similar to a miniature essay; it begins with a topic sentence introducing the main point you will discuss.
The last part of the introduction is the conclusion which brings to a close the whole essay. When writing a conclusion, you have to:
A perfect informative essay includes a comprehensive introduction (comprising of a hook, background statement or bridge, and the thesis statement), body paragraphs (topic sentences, supporting facts, explanation, concluding sentences, and transition sentences), and a complete conclusion (restatement of the thesis and call to action). It can be three, five, or more paragraphs, depending on your professor or instructor's preferred word count.
Although you can write as many body paragraphs as possible, the least you can have is three body paragraphs depending on the word count. Having said that, there are specific steps you need to consider to create an outstanding informative essay that a professor will skim quickly and ward you an excellent grade.
The following is a stepwise guide to writing an impressive informative essay.
The quality of your essay will depend on the strength of the chosen topic. Therefore, the foremost step to begin writing an informative essay is choosing an interesting research topic to draw readers in and get them to read your essay.
A topic can be either a problem or a question. Use brainstorming techniques to pick out exciting ideas you are passionate about and those relating to the given prompt.
As you do this, consider your target audience, which will help you select the right tone and style for your writing.
Take note that if you choose a broad topic, it will be challenging to address it thoroughly. On the other hand, if you go for a narrow topic, you may not have enough information to write a meaningful piece.
Now that you have an exciting topic, gather enough information through proper research. Start by clearly defining the research topic. Identify the keywords to help you in your search strategy and develop other concepts.
Do some preliminary research before the primary research to determine whether there is enough information about the chosen topic. The last thing you want to happen is to get stuck mid-writing because of insufficient information. Look up those keywords in books, lecture notes, encyclopedias, periodical databases, etc. Depending on the information collected, you may have to adjust the focus of your topic.
Now that you know your research's direction, locate the necessary materials. Locate books from one search, newspaper and magazine articles from electronic periodical databases, and internet resources from search engines.
Not every source is credible and reliable, so you need to evaluate every source you get before using them in your essay.
A credible and reliable source is one that experts would agree with. Do not go for sources that offer opinions.
Your aim should be to find facts and evidence about your argument. Remember that your objective is to inform readers about the topic, so having relevant information is key.
After locating your research materials, start reading and ensure you know what to expect regarding theories and facts to help answer the research question.
As you do this, note all the relevant information and leave out the rest. Ensure you write them clearly and concisely so you do not get confused when writing.
If there is any direct quotation, you need to include a brief description of why the quote will be important in your essay.
Ensure you also write down all the documents you consulted for your research, as you will need them later during the writing stage. For this, you can use online citation management tools such as Zotero, Citefast, or citethisforme, which allow you to format the references in MLA, APA, Harvard, Chicago, or any academic paper formatting styles you choose.
Next, you need to put all the facts and relevant information in an organized format so you don't get confused when writing. This could be challenging because you don't know what you are looking for, and there is no proper strategy. Skim through your written notes to see what ideas connect. Consider splitting your information into different categories and then assign the collected information to each section.
The best way is to write an outline for your informative essay. You can use Roman numbers and numbers to create an alphanumeric outline that lists all the ideas you want to feature in your essay.
When outlining, ensure that the introduction section begins with an attention-getter or a hook, followed by a background statement and a thesis statement. If it is an extended essay, ensure that you signpost the ideas in the introduction so your readers know what to expect.
The body section of your outline should list the subtopic covered in the paragraph. Remember, each body paragraph should cover a single main idea related to the thesis. Ensure you have listed your supporting details, including quotes, paraphrased ideas, examples, and their respective in-text citations.
Finally, wrap up your outline by writing the statements you want to see in the conclusion, such as rephrased thesis, your thoughts on the arguments within your essay’s body, and a call to action to give closure to the readers.
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The writing process may be the most intimidating part of writing an informative essay. However, it will be easier if you have thoroughly researched the topic and outlined the essay. During the writing stage, put every piece of information you listed chronologically in your outline.
Even though it is informative, you want your essay to be convincing. Besides, you can only show your writing prowess by being critical of materials borrowed from scholars; it shows that you researched well and read the instructions. This means that all the ideas and arguments should be consistent.
If you are writing an informative essay that involves a timeline, make sure that you outline the ideas chronologically. Capture the dates accurately and give relevant in-text citations to avoid plagiarism. With that said, here is how you should write an informative essay.
Since you have the outline, you can start with the body paragraphs, write the introduction paragraph, and complete the writing stage by writing the conclusion. Wherever you choose to begin your informative essay, ensure that you capture every thought and idea and back your statements with proper citations.
Related Reading: How to paraphrase ideas in your essay to avoid plagiarism.
Once you have written your essay's first draft, you must cite your sources.
Any type of academic writing, including an informative essay, must have references for all borrowed ideas. Proper references will protect you against plagiarism and show that your work is credible.
Be familiar with the reference style required by your instructor before you begin writing. Ensure that the in-text citations match the references in your reference list.
You should also be consistent with the referencing. Also, format your paper into APA, MLA, Harvard, Chicago, or Oxford, as directed by your teacher or professor.
The final step of your informative essay writing process is ensuring your work is error-free. Therefore, once you finish writing and referencing the first draft, you must take a break. You can revisit the paper later and read it carefully, keenly, objectively, and critically. You are now beginning to work on the final draft that you can eventually submit for grades.
As you read, check that you have effectively chosen the right words, used sources to support the ideas, claims, and arguments, and written sentences and paragraphs that flow into each other. Ensure you have covered every aspect listed within the top-grade band in the rubric.
Take time to go through your work as you check the overall structure (organization). Ensure you have adhered to the writing and formatting structure. Check that you have explained all the points and ideas clearly.
Do not shy away from the idea of rewriting parts you feel were overdone or underdone, as long as you end up with a strong essay that is informative as it should be.
After carefully editing the work, ensure you read it aloud to spot grammatical, syntax, spelling, organizational, and mechanical mistakes.
Double-check your facts and assess whether each body paragraph supports your thesis statement. Countercheck that you have the in-text citations where they should be and have not overused citations to make your essay longer.
You can also ask for assistance from your school’s Writing Center, a professional editor or proofreader, or your colleagues and family members to help identify mistakes that would otherwise escape your keenness.
Once you are confident that your essay meets the instructions, try to submit it before everyone else so that the professor can have ample time to read it. Most of the time, they hardly spend time reading any papers. Instead, they skim through the introduction to spot the thesis, topic sentences, and conclusion and decide what grade to give. Nevertheless, with confidence that you have aced your informative essay, do not hesitate to send it in for the best grades.
In terms of structure, an informative essay follows the three-part structure of a typical essay. It has an introduction, body paragraphs (at least three), and a concluding paragraph. Let us see how to handle the respective sections so that you can make an excellent essay for the best grades.
The introduction should set the tone for the essay, so choose your words wisely. Here are the elements you should include in the introduction.
This is the first sentence of your essay that aims at convincing the readers to read your essay.
The right hook will ensure that your readers stay focused on the essay from the beginning to the end. Sometimes a fantastic hook can come to you quickly, but you might need help other times. So, if you want help with a hook that sparks curiosity, use the following tips.
Some approaches you can take for hooks include writing a:
In this part, you have to provide the topic's history and the scope of the problem you are about to discuss. Additionally, background information provides information on the topic's significance and the ways to solve the problem. It is the supporting information you present to demonstrate your viewpoint. This information must be connected to the hook and continue what you were talking about. The key to writing compelling background information is to write a great hook. When readers are initially hooked, providing the necessary information to help them understand your topic becomes easy. Answer the questions to help you write a good background introduction:
Ensure you only discuss the relevant aspects of your topic that readers must understand in your essay.
A thesis statement sums up the central idea of your essay. An excellent informative essay must have a good thesis statement that guides you throughout the writing process. Your essay should revolve around this thesis statement. So, make sure you write it well. Think of whether it invites readers to read your essay.
The thesis should be something that readers can relate to but not too broad. It should also be a claim you can argue on either side. A well-developed thesis will give readers a glimpse into what your essay is about.
The essay body consists of the biggest chunk of the essay. It consists of all the details about the topic. You should have at least three paragraphs depending on the overall length of your essay or the instructions given by your instructor.
The following is a breakdown of all the key elements to include in your essay.
The topic sentence introduces and summarizes the main point in a paragraph. It is the first sentence and should be general enough to express the main idea. For this reason, it must be written clearly. It should also be related to your thesis statement.
After introducing your topic sentence, provide evidence and relevant facts to support the main point. You want readers to be informed about your topic, so provide necessary information such as figures, examples, and quotations to support it.
Presenting the main point and supporting evidence is not enough. Discuss how this point is related to the main topic. If there are complex terms, clarify them so readers can understand what they mean.
One of the most essential parts of writing an informative essay is using transition phrases. These are unique sentences that help form one idea to the next. Moving to other paragraphs should be effortless. Readers want to know that there is a cohesive flow of information throughout.
The conclusion is the last part of the essay structure, which wraps everything up. You must follow these steps:
The first sentence of the conclusion paragraph should be a restatement of your thesis statement. However, it should not repeat what you said in the introduction. The aim is to bring readers back to the main purpose of your informative essay. To avoid repeating what you said, use new words and phrases.
Go back to the body paragraphs and summarise all the main points. Do this clearly and concisely without introducing any new information.
Your conclusion should be connected to the introduction. You must show the link between the introduction theme and the concluding paragraph. You can achieve this by using the same imagery in the introduction paragraph.
The last sentence of your conclusion should be thought-provoking to leave an impression on the readers. Show your arguments' implications and tell readers why they should care. Make sure you provide readers with something to think about.
Here is an example of a well-written informative essay considering everything we have discussed in the article. DO NOT COPY any content of the example. You are better off placing an order and our expert writers will produce a bespoke informative essay sample for you. The informative essay sample below is in APA 7 format.
Opiate Painkiller Epidemic in Healthcare
Prescription pain medication addiction and abuse have reached alarming levels, giving rise to an epidemic that is affecting individuals and communities worldwide. This essay aims to explore the causes and consequences of the current crisis, arguing that the excessive overprescription of these medications is a significant factor contributing to the addiction and abuse epidemic. Potential solutions to the growing opioid epidemic may be illuminated by examining how opioid addiction is triggered through aggressive pharmaceutical marketing, how opioid addiction manifests among prescribed patients, and how economic downturns play a role in the increase of opioid addiction.
Medical professionals and players in the pharmaceutical industry are to blame for the far-reaching effects of the opioid epidemic. Medical professionals have played a crucial role in this issue, with a number of factors contributing to the excessive prescribing practices. First off, the pharmaceutical industry has heavily influenced the medical field, promoting the use of prescription pain medication for various conditions. According to Perez-Pena (2017), aggressive marketing tactics and incentives provided to healthcare providers have contributed to a culture of overprescription, with medications often being prescribed without adequate consideration of alternative treatments or long-term consequences. Although healthcare professionals try to effectively and efficiently treat patients with chronic pain, pharmaceutical companies are providing funding to medical societies, patient advocacy groups, prominent doctors, and celebrities to win support for the adoption of certain pain management drugs (Perex-Pena, 2017). Most companies spend millions of dollars on annual promotional budgets to trivialize the potential opioid use while overstating the benefits of their drugs.
Another factor relates to inadequate training and education of healthcare professionals regarding pain management and alternative therapies have also played a part in the overprescription crisis (Nakaishi, 2020). A lack of understanding about the potential risks and addictive nature of certain medications has led to excessive prescriptions and a failure to explore other viable options for pain management.
Notably, the overprescription of prescription pain medication has far-reaching consequences that affect individuals, families, and society. Because of overprescription, there have been rising rates of addiction. In recent times, individuals becoming dependent on prescription pain medication and eventually turn to illicit substances, such as heroin, when their prescriptions are no longer accessible (Paris et al., 2023). The resulting addiction not only harms individuals but also strains healthcare systems and social support networks. There are also increased mortality and overdose rates. The addictive nature of prescription pain medication, combined with a lack of proper monitoring and follow-up care, has contributed to a staggering increase in mortality rates, making it clear that this crisis demands urgent attention (Paris et al., 2023). There is an urgent need to curb the overprescription of pain medication, which is the largest contributor to the opioid epidemic.
To combat the raging impacts of opioid abuse, there is a need for public awareness campaigns coupled with the expansion of addiction treatment services. Raising public awareness about the risks associated with prescription pain medication and promoting responsible use is crucial. Public education campaigns can help individuals better understand the addictive potential of these medications, recognize the signs of addiction, and seek help when needed (Rath et al., 2021). In addition, there is a need to expand access to addiction treatment services, including medication-assisted treatment and counseling, which is essential for those struggling with prescription pain medication addiction (The Pew Charitable Trusts, 2022). By providing comprehensive care, individuals can receive the support they need to recover and reduce the harm caused by the epidemic.
As evident in the discussion above, the prescription pain medication addiction and abuse epidemic have had devastating consequences on individuals and communities globally. This crisis can be attributed, in part, to the excessive overprescription of these medications, influenced by factors such as pharmaceutical industry practices and insufficient education among healthcare professionals. By implementing improved prescription practices, raising public awareness, and enhancing access to treatment, we can address the root causes of this epidemic and mitigate its effects. It is vital that we take collective action to ensure responsible prescribing practices, prioritize patient safety, and promote alternative therapies for effective pain management. Only through a collaborative effort, can we alleviate the burden of addiction and restore the well-being of individuals and communities affected by this crisis.
References
Nakaishi, L. (2020). Enhancing training for primary care physicians to expand addiction medicine services beyond specialty care. Journal of Addiction Medicine, 14(5), 441. https://doi.org/10.1097/adm.0000000000000613
Paris, J., Rowley, C., & Frank, R. G. (2023, June 16). The economic impact of the opioid epidemic. Brookings. https://www.brookings.edu/articles/the-economic-impact-of-the-opioid-epidemic/
Perez-Pina, R. (2017, May 31). Ohio sues drug makers, saying they aided opioid epidemic (Published 2017). The New York Times - Breaking News, US News, World News and Videos. https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/31/us/ohio-sues-pharmaceutical-drug-opioid-epidemic-mike-dewine.html?_r=1
The Pew Charitable Trusts. (2022, February 17). Improved opioid treatment programs would expand access to quality care. The Pew Charitable Trusts | The Pew Charitable Trusts. https://www.pewtrusts.org/en/research-and-analysis/issue-briefs/2022/02/improved-opioid-treatment-programs-would-expand-access-to-quality-care
Rath, J. M., Perks, S. N., Vallone, D. M., Barton, A. A., Stephens, D. K., Simard, B., & Hair, E. C. (2021). Educating young adults about opioid misuse: Evidence from a mass media intervention. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(1), 22. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19010022
Even though writing an informative essay sounds easy on paper, students surprisingly end up with poor grades for not addressing the most important aspects. Thanks to our informative essay writers, we have a comprehensive guide that takes you through the necessary steps.
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It does not matter the topic you are given; sparing 10 minutes to go through this guide already puts you ahead of 99% of the students in your class. Remember, informative essays take different forms, including; process analysis essays, definition essays, compare and contrast essays, analysis essays, instructional essays, classification essays, etc.
Writing informatively does not mean attempting to sway the opinions of the readers about a topic. Instead, the primary intention is to inform or enlighten and educate the readers so that they can make informed opinions and decisions about what to think and how to conduct themselves in matters related to the topic you are covering. This is unlike expository essay writing, where you expose the truth to influence how the readers view an issue. It is also not the same as persuasive essay writing, where you influence the readers' opinion so that they adopt your position or take a specific action you proffer.
If you are running out of time or want someone to pay to write your informative essay, our writers are up to the task. Have the chance to work with professional essay writers who understand how to write great essays and research papers.
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