How To Write An Informative Essay (with Pictures) - WikiHow

Understand your assignment. If you're writing for school, confirm the essay's required length and any topic parameters. This helps determine how much information you'll need to gather and present. Check your syllabus and any assignment prompts or sheets first; if you still need clarification, ask your teacher. Be sure you know how your teacher wants you to cite your sources so you can keep track of what you research. Some schools provide reference software like EndNote or RefWorks, which can make collecting and keeping track of research sources easier. Be aware of any formatting requirements. The essay prompt will often tell you things such as whether the essay needs to be handwritten or typed, and what font type and size to use. If it doesn't stipulate, the safe choice is a standard, readable 12-pt font such as Times New Roman or Arial. Avoid using "cute" or "quirky" fonts in an academic paper unless given specific permission to do so. Know the due date!

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Get started early so that you have plenty of time to complete the essay. Choose a topic. If the topic is not already assigned, you'll need to select your own topic. It's easy to get stuck on this step if you have a wide range of choices, so take your time and abide by a few general rules: - The topic should not be too broad or too narrow. See Write an Essay for more information. There should be enough information about the topic to write about, but not so much that you can't present clear, concise information. For example, writing on "the history of animal shelters" is probably much too broad, while "the history of Sunny Days Animal Shelter in X County" is probably too narrow. The topic should be appropriate and interesting to your audience. Think in advance about who might be reading your essay. Obviously, if this is for school, your teacher is your primary audience, but you should always have a target audience in mind. What will they want to know?

What do they probably not know already that your essay will provide? Ideally, the topic should be one that interests you. This will make the writing process that much easier, and you can pass your enthusiasm on to your reader. Conduct good research. This is especially important for an informative essay, where you need to impart accurate information. Be very careful to use objective sources written by experts on your topic. A librarian can best help you find reliable sources of information, such as encyclopedias, books, journals, and relevant websites. Be careful when using the Internet, including sites like Wikipedia, as many pages are full of unreliable content. For best results, try to find online sources from reputable organizations, government agencies, and universities. Google Scholar can be a good place to start. Take notes as you research. Use a blank sheet of paper or notebook to jot down interesting facts that you read. Alternatively, you can type notes on a computer. Whatever you choose, find a way to keep all your notes for the essay in one place.

For your informative essay, you will need an introduction, at least three main points, and a conclusion. You may want to make these sections and write notes down under the section where you expect it to go. Keep track of your sources. You should know in advance what information you'll need when citing sources. You will usually need to include the author(s), title, publisher, copyright information, and website address (if relevant). Brainstorm your ideas. When you feel you've gathered enough material from your research, brainstorming will help you put the information into relevant groups and see the connections between them. Make an ideas map. Put informative essay outline in a circle at the center of a piece of paper, then write down the most important pieces of information or ideas related to it in circles surrounding the topic. Make lines connecting each idea to the topic. Next, add details around each idea, circling them and making lines to show connections.

There may be lines connecting ideas to each other, as well, or between supporting details. Make a list. If you prefer the linear format of a list, write down your topic at the top and then below it any ideas you have. Under the ideas, add extra details that support them. Don't worry about putting them in specific order - that comes next. Free write. Free writing can help you generate ideas, even if it usually doesn't provide polished prose you'll use in your final draft. Set a short time limit, such as 15 minutes, and then write whatever comes to mind about your topic. Don't stop to edit or change spelling, and keep writing even if you aren't sure you have anything to say. The important thing is to write for all 15 minutes. Plan an introduction with a hook. You should have some idea that you want to present in your thesis statement, which is typically two to three sentences long and articulates your overall argument.