what is a short informal essay

How to Write an Informal Essay

During their college years, students write dozens of papers, which, when stacked together, can occupy an entire room. These pieces, including articles, reports, or just final papers for the specific course in their nature, are formal writings. So, this guide is devoted to introducing you to the formal side of informal essays.

By this time, you may catch yourself being happy about the chance to say whatever you like about anything that concerns you in the most suitable form. However, this is still an academic assignment, and there is a list of distinctive features of an informal essay you should follow.

What is an informal essay?

● The characteristics of an informal writing style allow the covering of controversial topics. ● Another peculiar feature of informal essays, which also flows out of a personalized writing style, is a similarity with conversation. ● In the end, your personality is the first aspect that the reader should see.

In the case of informal essay writing, you can pretty much ignore strict requirements.

While writing an informal essay, you are supposed to put great emphasis on creating a connection with your audience rather than just proving your opinion or telling a story.

How to write an informal essay: video guide

We know that some people understand information better in video format. That’s why we invite you to watch and hear informal essay writing instructions on YouTube below.

Difference between formal vs informal essay

What are the major differences between a formal and informal essay? There are several peculiarities about the structure of informal essays you should know before you start writing:

1) Informal types of papers do not have a specific format and can be determined by the author personally. You can now forget the “introduction, body, and conclusion” structure. When it comes to an informal essay, you are even allowed to use fiction to interest your readers. 2) There is no conventional way of organizing the thoughts, judgments, and presentation to readers, as well as there is no agreement about the length of informal essays. Of course, your writing should follow general writing rules, such as being logical and concise. Still, you don’t need to place the topic sentence at the beginning of each paragraph and follow other strict rules of academic writing. 3) There are no requirements for informal essays to contain strong theses or even thesis statements as such. The desire to create friendly relationships between the writer and future readers together with the primary objective (the pleasure from the reading process), dictates the situation when structure gives way to a more exciting presentation of thoughts.

How to write an informal essay in 5 steps

The good thing about informal essay writing is that you don’t have a strict plan to follow. We will provide you with the main guidelines on topic choice and completing your essay to help you lead your creativeness in the right direction:

1. Determine the purpose of the future essay. 2. List as many subjects in the focus of your interest as possible. 3. Evaluate each of the topics in the list. 4. Develop a topic of choice using any paper structure you like. 5. Double-check and proofread the completed paper.

How to choose informal essay topics

The key to a well-written essay is choosing a good topic to write about. Writing about something you are sincerely interested in will drive your creativity and writing process.

For example, a teacher has asked you to write about a person or event that has determined your decision to pursue a degree in a particular sphere. How to understand that moment? You will need to dig into your memories. Maybe it was a specific moment in a movie, or your aunt has become a role model you wish to follow. Think about what you have felt and the touching points.

Another case is when your teacher didn’t give you a research question, so you must pick a topic yourself. Then the best way is to brainstorm about the topics that interest you the most or look through the news to discuss the most topical issues.

If you suffer with finding a good topic for your informal essay, you can always ask us to write my essay anytime. Our writers will find a good topic and explore reliable sources to write a unique informal essay for you.

Informal essay topics list

Here is a list of various topi ideas you can use as a basis for your paper. Pick one and use brainstorming techniques to find the ideal topic for the informal essay.

• Traditions in my family and their importance.
• Why I choose religion as my life path.
• How celebrities and influencers affect our choices.
• My view on femininity and feminism.
• The moments of my life that I wish I could have changed.
• Best location in your hometown or elsewhere.
• How advertising uses sexuality for more attraction.
• The best memories from my childhood.
• What is wrong with sex education in schools?
• The worst disappointment I ever had.
• Event or person that influenced your academic interests.
• Describe the event when you have experienced discrimination personally or witnessed discrimination against other people.
• Why do people procrastinate?

How to create an informal essay outline

Use Mind Map to develop your topic and make your structure clear. Write the issue in the center, then start adding new boxes around it with ideas you wish to include in your paper. The more boxes you create, the better. Subsequently, you will choose the best ideas and readily see the structure of your future writing. Add details near boxes to expand your thoughts. You can use just paper and pencil, use online services like Canva, or create a mind map in Word.

While informal essays don’t have strict recommendations for the structure, you can follow a typical three-part outline:

• Introduction
• Conclusions

Introduction. You may be seriously puzzled by a question on how to start an informal essay. The answer is: imagination. Informal writing gives you an unlimited version to create your text.

For example, you can use the following starting points:

• Highlight the topic you are going to discuss.
• Tell why the subject matters.
• Ask a question.
• Take a confident position to cause tension.
• Start with a quote.

Main body. While there is no need to follow an ordinary essay structure, the text of your essay should still be logical. If you are writing on a topic that specifically relates to your personal experience or thoughts, don’t be shy to add a vivid description of what you feel and think. Make your readers feel the scene or how you feel about the subject. You can choose several points of the issue and cover them with descriptions, your personal experience, and facts.

Conclusion. You can’t just leave the text without closing words. Write a brief summary in one or two sentences to point out the main ideas you have covered in the essay.

Tips to write a good informal essay

Before you start writing, check out these short but valuable tips, and check the list of free essay writing tools from EssayShark to create a fantastic informal essay that will leave your readers in speechless awe:

● End the whole paper with a sentence that stimulates the readers to think further about the raised issues, or at least to think outside the box. ● Use more lyrics! It is well-known that lyrics capture the reader, so do not forget to use as many epithets, metaphors, and comparisons as possible. ● The bigger the introductory part, the better the reaction presented by readers. Remember that you are writing to tell a story, not to prove a point. ● Do not give any concrete ideas about the central issue of the essay because you need to stimulate your readers to think and form their own opinions and feelings.

Informal essay writing checklist

When you complete your essay, follow this list of questions to help you improve your writing.

– Does the whole essay reveal the topic that was carefully chosen for your informal essay writing task? – Is the essay’s style in a less formal tone than traditional academic papers? – Did you use everyday words, slang, and colloquialisms, and “you” and “I”? – Did you check whether you used the first-person perspective to address the reader directly? – Does the essay stimulate readers to raise questions in their minds with the information you have provided? – Does the essay fit into the framework of the standard five-paragraph type of structure? – Is the subject described in an entertaining manner? – Did you use examples, quotes, diagrams, anecdotes, narratives, and other types of testimony?

Example of informal essay

Below, you can read an informal essay example written by one of the EssayShark writers. Read it carefully to understand the structure and tone of this type of essay. Also, notice how the author addresses the topic of the most embarrassing memory and uses touching points to describe the situation better.

The Most Embarrassing Memory

Each summer as a child, my parents would surprise the family with a week-long trip. Many summers we would be surprised with a beautiful beach trip or tent camping in a remote forest. I can remember one summer more prominently than others because of how memorable the vacation was. Not because it was one of our best trips, nor because we went on our first long road trip. This trip is burned into my memory primarily due to the fact I had never been more embarrassed as a kid than what happened on this family vacation.

Like most children, I experienced embarrassing moments. I would not say I was more sensitive to experiencing them, but even when I try to forget, my parents still bring it up to this day. The morning of our trip started early. I stared out the window for what seemed like hours. After I finished listening to a few CDs and drank my entire water bottle, I was thrilled to find that we were pulling into a rest stop. The rest stop was full of vehicles and visitors looking at the different historic maps and pictures that had decorated the place. My mom said to be quick, and without skipping a beat, cd player in hand, I headed to the restroom. It was nice to finally stretch out, use the restroom, and get away from the vehicle for a few moments.

Once I was finished, I ran back to the car, got in my seat, and buckled up. As I was staring out the window, I could see my mother off in the distance. She seemed to be worried, but I didn’t pay any mind, as it always felt like she was worried or in a hurry. The car was getting hot and I wondered when my family would make it back to the car, especially since they said to be quick. Seconds turned into minutes, and I was getting bored of waiting. I then heard my mother and father calling my name. I had suspected they knew I was in the car, but from that moment, I knew they hadn’t seen me.

I opened the car door, and with a puzzled look, an older lady was staring at me. She stated, “Are you lost, dear?” I was puzzled, thinking, no, I am just getting out of the car. It was then my mother came running up to me, yelling, “What are you doing!?” As I turned to point to the car, I realized I had gotten into someone else’s car. My father laughed, my mother shook her head, and the older lady joined in, and the laughter seemed to rumble to my core. I felt so embarrassed to not have only climbed into the wrong vehicle, but people I didn’t even know were laughing at my poor decision and lack of awareness.

The road trip to the big red tree forest that year was a great one, though the drive couldn’t have felt longer due to the constant chatter of what I had done. This trip was not memorable for the mountain high trees, the flowing rivers, or even the cave exploration. No, this trip was memorable because a young kid couldn’t look up and notice that he hopped into the wrong car, and everyone, including strangers, laughed.

FAQ about writing informal essays

Q: What is the first stage in writing a short informal essay?

A: First of all, you need to read the assignment carefully, as teachers frequently ask you to do something in the essay or consider several important points. Only then can you start brainstorming about the topic and start writing the text.

Q: How to end an informal essay?

A: An informal essay is an exceptional academic paper, since it allows you to end it as you wish. Think about how books usually end or how authors conclude a long blog post. You can use a question to finish the essay, restate the idea you have covered in the text, call for action, or create a vivid image.

Q: How to identify an informal essay?

A: The main things that distinguish an informal essay are a highly personal tone and the absence of specific structure. Blogs, personal reflections, and magazine articles are great examples of informal texts.

Q: Is an expository essay formal or informal?

A: Usually, this kind of essay explains or describes something. It is typically written with formal language in the third person perspective, but it may be informal depending on your assignment requirements.

Q: Is an argumentative essay formal or informal?

A: It’s mostly an academic type of writing that should follow a formal writing style. In certain cases, the teacher may ask you to write an informal essay on an arguable topic. We also recommend checking teachers’ recommendations.

Order an informal essay from EssayShark

If you still can’t get how to write this type of essay, you can use our informal essay help . We know all the peculiarities of informative writing and can assist you with any essay type. We know that picking a really impressive topic and following an informal tone may be particularly challenging, especially when you face such an essay type for the first time. That’s why we are here to cover your back! Please submit an order on our webpage, and our experts will start working on it promptly.

Except writing, you can count on us with calculations and lab reports. For example, you can request do my math homework for me help and our experts will meet your expectations.

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How to Write an Informal Essay: A Beginners' Guide

A typical academic essay is serious writing. It is serious because it is often well-researched and written formally. The typical informal essay is the exact opposite of this.

It is often not researched at all and is written in a casual tone. Furthermore, it is commonly written for enjoyment rather than serious discourse. And for that reason, it is a non-fiction essay that does not follow the writing conventions and is purely based on the author's reasons, reflections, and ideas.

In this guide, you will discover everything crucial you need to know to write a brilliant informal essay.

What is an informal essay?

An informal essay is an essay that is written for enjoyment rather than to argue or support a thesis with scholarly evidence. The essay is usually personal in nature and based on memory. A good example of an informal essay is – The happiest day of my life.

To write this essay, you simply need to recall the happiest day of your life and then write about it chronologically. As you can see, you don’t have to do much research to write an informal essay.

The fact that an informal essay is written for enjoyment does not mean that it does not have a set structure. The typical informal essay is a five-paragraph essay with three key parts – introduction, body, and conclusion. In terms of word count, the essay is often between 700 and 1,000 words long. The only thing informal about it is the fact that it does not need serious research. Moreover, unlike most essays, the informal can be written in a casual or conversational tone. This means that it can be written in the first and second person.

In most cases, informal essays are written for consumption by the author – to show their creativity, journal an experience, or release emotions through writing pieces.

Structure of an Informal Essay

Like most college students, you are probably used to following the five-paragraph essay structure that most professors recommend for formal essays . While using this structure to write your informal essay is okay, it is not necessary. The rationale for this is that the informal essay is informal and doesn’t follow any rigid structure.

Informal essays involve subjective opinions or ideas through prose. Some common examples of informal essays include impromptu speeches, diary entries, journals, social media posts, personal essays, and personal notes.

While the informal essay does not have a rigid structure or format, it must include four elements – topic, introduction, body, and conclusion.

The informal essay must have a title. It might be informal and without a structure, but it must have a title, and the title must be specific. By giving your informal essay a title, you are basically creating a compass that you can always refer to when writing your essay to ensure you are in the right direction. If, for example, you want to argue a point but are unsure whether it deserves to be in your essay, you can refer to your title to evaluate its importance. If the point helps to contribute to your title, you should include it in your essay. If it doesn’t, you should quickly ignore it.

2. Introduction

The informal essay must have an introduction . In other words, it must simply have a paragraph presenting what you will discuss in the body section. When writing the introduction of an informal essay, there is no specific formula to follow. The only thing that you must do is to make the introduction as interesting as possible. You can do this using a relevant quote, an interesting fact, or a related statistic.

In the body of your informal essay, you must go all out to tell the story you set out to tell in the introduction. You must do the title justice; you must make sure that anyone who reads your essay will agree that what you discuss or talk about in the body section is exactly what they expected. While there is no specific structure to follow when writing the body paragraphs of your informal essay, the best way to write them is chronological. This is because chronologically written paragraphs are easy to follow.

4. Conclusion

After writing your essay, you must write the conclusion part of your essay. The conclusion is usually the easiest part to write when writing an essay. This is because all you need to do is to summarize what you have written in the body section or body paragraphs. After doing this, you simply need to end your essay with a powerful closing sentence to complete it.

The Steps to Take to Write an Informal Essay

An informal essay is written in a conversational tone, which is laid-back, entails breaking academic writing rules, and sounds like everyday communication. You can use informal transition words, short sentences, contractions, common and cliché words, adages, expressions, and personal examples.

Here are the steps to take if assigned to write an informal essay.

1. Choose a topic

When you are asked to write an informal essay, you are normally allowed to choose your own topic. If this is the case, you should choose a topic that is very interesting to you. Because by doing so, the fact that the topic is interesting to you will result in you naturally writing an interesting essay. And interesting is what you want your informal essay to be to get a top grade.

Below the informal essay sample that follows this guide is a list of exciting informal essay topics. This list should inspire you to develop your own exciting informal essay topic; a topic that will make your essay interesting.

2. Create an outline for your informal essay

After choosing an interesting or exciting topic, you should create an outline for your informal essay . An essay outline is an essay writing plan. It highlights what you will include in the introduction section, the body section, and the conclusion section of your essay. To create an outline, provide a short summary of what you will include in your introduction paragraph, your three body paragraphs, and your conclusion paragraph.

But how do you know what you will include in your informal essay paragraphs? Well, it depends. If you are writing an informal essay based on a personal experience topic, you must recall as many details as possible about the experience to plan your essay. If you are writing an informal essay based on an academic topic, you will need thorough research to find as many details as possible about the topic to plan your essay.

3. Write the first draft of your essay

After creating a comprehensive outline for your informal essay, you should write the first draft of your essay. Do this by first writing your essay introduction. After writing your essay introduction, you should write its body paragraphs and the conclusion.

Writing the first draft of your informal essay after creating an outline for it should be a relatively straightforward job. You need to follow the outline like a map and use information from it to begin and structure your paragraphs.

The body paragraphs of an informal essay should each express your main message, perspective, or point of view. You can use persuasive writing skills to convince your readers. It would help to think of the topic as a forum thread where you defend your personal views against opposing opinions. Therefore, you must develop resilient supportive facts to defend your stance.

When developing the body paragraphs, you are allowed to use informal language. You should write short, clear, concise sentences, as long formulations are boring and misleading. You should center your discussions around some emotional vibe, express your personality, and write with vigor and respect.

Following your outline will make your informal essay well-organized and structured. However, it won’t guarantee flow in your essay. You will have to create a flow with your writing and transition words. Also, it won’t automatically give your essay a conversational and laid-back tone. You have to do this on your own using conversational words and writing.

Related Articles:

• Using I in an essay.
• How to format paragraphs for better readership.
• Steps to come up with a great thesis statement.

4. Edit your essay

After writing the first draft of your essay, you should edit it thoroughly. Do this by reading it to eliminate ambiguous and unclear words and statements. After reading it to eliminate unclear words, you should read it to remove all types of grammatical and punctuation errors.

The next thing you need to do with regard to editing your essay is to review it one more time using Grammarly.com or similar software. This will help you to catch the errors you may have missed and to correct them.

After proofreading your essay using Grammarly.com, it will be ready for submission.

Informal Essay Example

Title: Benefits of living in a remote location They say no man is an island. While living in a community surrounded by friends and neighbors is a good thing with many benefits, living alone in a remote location also has its benefits. I have been living alone in a remote Pacific island for the last eight months, and the experience has been bliss. The island has a single cabin research station with basic amenities and a satellite connection. The nearest settled island is over 500 kilometers away. I had doubts when I first stepped on the island. I thought I wouldn’t last long. However, this has obviously not been the case. My stay on this island has been quite amazing. I have enjoyed many benefits, including improved mental health, improved safety, and a low cost of living. When I was living in Sydney, Australia, I was in a bad place mentally because I felt a lot of pressure to succeed. I also felt depressed and was frequently on depression medication. Living in a remote location has changed all this. I no longer feel any pressure. I no longer feel depressed or miserable. Just about every day is a good day nowadays. I wake up, check equipment, spend hours on the beach, and eat fresh food I grow in the station’s garden. I feel amazing mentally. I feel like a new person because life is so slow-paced on this island and devoid of the pressures of city life. Regarding safety, I believe living alone on a remote island is much safer than living in a big town or city. I feel safer on this island because there is literally no one around to cause me harm. I do not have to look over my shoulder when walking, sleeping, or doing anything on this isolated island. I also have no reason to watch the news, so I am not exposed to the constant reports of insecurity that city dwellers are exposed to. Not being exposed to constant reports of insecurity makes me feel even safer. Furthermore, in case of any emergency, there is an emergency number I can call at any time of the day to request urgent help. Lastly, regarding the cost of living, living isolated on a remote island is much cheaper than city or town living. I literally do not pay any rent on this island. I also grow much of my own food, and supplies are brought to me biweekly. Furthermore, I do not pay taxes and am not exposed to constant adverts that force city dwellers to make impulse purchases. And even if I want to purchase something, I wouldn’t because it probably wouldn’t have much use on a remote, isolated island. In conclusion, living in a remote location is very beneficial. If you choose to do this, you will be happier, safer, and less stressed financially. I can only equate it to living in paradise.

Informal Essay Topics

Below are some informal essay topics you can use as inspiration to come up with your own informal essay topic if asked to choose your own topic by your professor.

• The best meals in our college cafeteria
• Celebrities who are excellent role models
• My religion and why I love it
• My thoughts on marriage and divorce
• The best day in my college life
• The most embarrassing incident in my life
• How parents can understand their children better
• Why my mother is the most important person to me
• The most famous African American inventors
• Entrepreneurs who changed the world
• Alcoholism among teenagers
• Why home education is bad
• Elon Musk and life on Mars
• The Illuminati and other conspiracy theories
• Legal migration and its benefits
• Mental health in the USA
• Communism and its benefits
• The United Nations and its failures
• Gender violence in California
• Freedom of speech around the world
• The effects of sanctions on Cuba
• Education during the peak of the pandemic
• East African culture
• Why the death penalty should be abolished everywhere
• Abortion and the right to life
• What would I do if I became a millionaire overnight?
• Why soccer is the most popular sport in the world
• The pros and cons of video gaming
• The Second Amendment and its protections
• Why I would like to become a doctor
• Why I love intermittent fasting
• How I won a half marathon when undergoing chemotherapy
• Lessons from my close friend who betrayed me
• How I plan to win the next marathon
• The car I love most
• My dream job
• Places I would like to visit
• Why I love my step-dad
• The last day at my first job

Dos and don’ts when writing an informal essay

• Do write your essay in the first person. This will make it clearly informal and casual. It will also make it read much better.
• Do write short sentences. Long sentences will make your essay difficult to read. In contrast, short sentences will make your writing easier to read and more casual (which is something you want when writing an informal essay).
• Do rewrite your essay. After writing your informal essay, you should read through it to make it flawless. Do this by editing or rewriting anything that appears out of place in your essay.
• Do proofread your essay. After you are done improving the flow of your essay, you should read it one more time to ensure it has zero grammar, punctuation, and formatting errors.
• Do ensure your essay is chronological. While it is unnecessary to make your informal essay chronological, making it chronological will make it easy to read and understand.
• Do use humor. It is okay to use humor in an informal essay. But you should only do it sparingly to avoid making your essay sound like a comedy script.
• Do use conversational language. Using conversational language will make your article to read like a blog, which is a good thing when writing an informal essay. But do not go overboard with conversational language. It could make your essay difficult to understand.
• Do read any informal essay examples. Before you write your informal essay, you should try to find and read informal essay examples online. This will help to make it easy for you to write your essay because it shows you the pattern you need to follow.
• Do let your personality show. If you have a way of expressing your ideas, arguments, and so on, you should let your personality show in your writing. Let your writing be as unique as it can be. Do not try to make your essay look or even feel academic. Just write it as you would write a blog to be read by a friend. This will help make your essay delightfully informal.                                                                                                                     
• Don’t forget to ensure a good flow throughout. While an informal essay doesn’t have a set structure, it must have a good flow. Therefore, you should ensure your essay is understandable throughout.
• Don’t forget to edit your essay. The best informal essays are flawless ones. So after writing your essay, you should read it severally to edit it and ensure it is flawless.
• Don’t make it formal. When writing informal essays, many students usually use the conventional academic language they use in formal essays. This is not right. You should try hard to make your essay as flawless as possible.
• Don’t forget to include a thesis . At the end of your introduction, you should have a thesis statement, and your entire essay should be centered on this statement. A thesis is what distinguishes an informal essay from a blog article.
• Don’t include weak arguments. It is important to ensure that your essay only contains strong arguments. Doing this will ensure you get a top grade. If you include weak arguments, you risk getting an average grade.

Parting Words!

Writing a good informal essay is not an easy job. It will require you to know the structure and style you must follow when writing an informal essay. Fortunately, you now know these two things. You also know exactly how to go about writing an informal essay. So go ahead and write yours. If you get stuck at any point, hire us to help you.

• The Ideal number of paragraphs in a comprehensive essay
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You can hire professional writers to write excellent informal essays for you. Therefore, you should never hesitate to hire the best creative/composition writers to help you complete your informal essay assignment or to write it from scratch. Try our essay writing services today; you will not regret it.

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Informal Essays: Your Personal Writing Playground

Table of contents

• 1 What Is an Informal Essay Writing
• 2.1 Flexibility in Topic Selection
• 2.2 Tailoring Your Writing to the Audience
• 2.3 Generate Ideas and Insights
• 2.4 Format of an Informal Essay
• 3.1 Add a Personal Voice
• 3.2 Maintain Authenticity
• 3.3 Infuse Your Unique Style
• 3.4 Use Contractions
• 3.5 Address the Reader Directly
• 3.6 Playing With Punctuation
• 3.7 Experimentation With Sentence Structure
• 4 So, How to Come Up with an Informal Essay?

Every student writes an essay from time to time while studying at university. In academic writing, essays are often associated with formality, structure, and a rigid set of rules. However, not all essays adhere to this austere template. Writing informal essays is a versatile and liberating form of written expression. It allows the author to break free from the constraints of conventional essay writing.

This article will help you understand:

• how to make an engaging essay;
• differences between formal essay and informal essay;
• what must be included in your paper;
• principles of college essay informal writing.

If you already have a topic for writing an informal essay, you can follow this guide to complete the assignment in the best possible way.

What Is an Informal Essay Writing

An informal essay definition says that it is a piece of nonfiction writing that conveys the author’s thoughts, emotions, and ideas on a particular subject. It’s not like a formal essay. It adopts a casual and approachable tone as if the author were engaged in a friendly conversation with the reader or a sarcastic tone at some questions.

If teachers want this type of essay from you, they are interested in your attitude to a specific issue, experiences, and thoughts. Therefore, feel free to describe them, and don’t be afraid to make a mistake.

How to Write an Informal Essay?

Writing an informal paper does not require strict standards. However, several rules make working with this type of task easier. They help students quickly produce high-quality informal essays and be satisfied with the results. Next, we will analyze these rules in more detail.

Flexibility in Topic Selection

First, let’s determine how to choose the right topic for your essay. It is easy to do if you are interested in the subject on which you have been asked to write a paper. Therefore, experts recommend choosing a topic according to one of the categories:

• Personal Reflections and Experiences. Here, you can describe your experience, how you found yourself in certain circumstances, what it gave you, and why it is essential to deal with the chosen issue.
• Current Events and Pop Culture. Current events and pop culture also evoke different emotions in each of us. Moreover, current events and culture influence the development of the community as a whole. Therefore, an essay on one of these topics can be exciting and helpful to write.
• Observations and Anecdotes. Usually, the anecdotes reflect some hot topic in the community, and your observations are happening to you right now. Therefore, an essay topic chosen based on anecdotes or observations may express some pressing social issue.

Formal essays have strict rules and a formal tone. Informal essays are not so tough. Formal essays have their laws and strict rules. Informal essays are not so strict. In a formal essay, you need figures and research. In an informal essay, it is not necessary.

Tailoring Your Writing to the Audience

Have you ever heard of speaking to an audience in their language? For example, if you are writing a paper a professor will read, they will want to see formal language, numbers and data, and scientific conclusions. If a child will read the finished text, you must write in simple phrases, informal language, and words. You can choose direct contact with the reader and keep the message clear.

Think about the informal tone and what words and arguments are appropriate for your informal essays, and stick to these rules.

Generate Ideas and Insights

Writing an informal essay is about embracing creativity and sharing your unique perspective. Do you struggle with how to start an informal essay? Here are some tips to help you generate ideas and insights for your informal essay:

• Reflect on personal experiences.
• Look at your everyday life.
• Ask thought-provoking questions.
• Read widely.
• Make conversation and dialogue.
• Use mind mapping.
• Think about emotions and feelings.

Format of an Informal Essay

A formal paper has strict formatting rules , but an informal essay does not. Therefore, every student who receives an assignment to write an informal essay has a question: What should it look like? What is the primary objective?

Typically, there is no common outline of an essay . The informal essay outline can consist of five paragraphs: introduction, thesis statement, body paragraphs, research or arguments, and conclusion. However, the structure can vary depending on what you’re writing about and what information you need to give readers to explain your point. So, don’t be afraid to create your structure for an informal essay.

Tips and Techniques for Informal Writing

If you have never written informal texts or papers, the following tips will help you finish your work quickly and efficiently. Just follow step by step and perfect your paper.

Add a Personal Voice

An informal essay reflects your experiences and emotions, so first, decide how you will write an informal conversational essay and choose a conversational tone. You can describe your experiences, thoughts, facts, and your attitude. You can write with a cohesive flow and clearly with a thesis statement or choose a more artistic style. Don’t be afraid to write “I believe,” “I think,” etc. It will make the reader feel like they are exploring your experience. Your voice is, well, unique. Thus, don’t try to mimic someone else’s style. Embrace your natural way of expressing thoughts and ideas. It’s your authenticity that will connect with your readers.

Maintain Authenticity

One of the defining features of an informal essay is its authenticity. It’s your opportunity to be real, genuine, and authentic to yourself. Here’s why and how you should maintain authenticity in your informal essay:

1. Be honest: Authenticity begins with honesty. Share your thoughts, feelings, and experiences, even if they make you vulnerable. Honesty connects your readers, who can relate to your genuine voice.

2. Embrace imperfections: Nobody is perfect, and that’s perfectly fine. Refrain from presenting a flawless image. Embrace your imperfections and the lessons they’ve taught you. It’s these imperfections that often make your story more relatable and compelling.

3. Write from the heart: Let your emotions guide your writing. If a topic evokes strong feelings, express them. Writing from the heart can be powerful and moving, drawing readers into your narrative.

Infuse Your Unique Style

When you incorporate your style into your writing, it reflects your personality, voice, and perspective. Your writing voice is like your literary fingerprint. It’s the tone, style, and personality that make your writing distinctive.

Personal experiences and conversational style are a goldmine for infusing your writing with authenticity. Draw on your life experiences, whether joyous, challenging, or reflective.

Part of infusing your style is the revision process. Edit your work with a critical eye. Remove unnecessary clutter and refine your sentences. Sometimes, your unique style emerges during the editing stage.

Use Contractions

Contractions are shortened forms or combinations of words created by omitting one or more letters and replacing them with an apostrophe. They help make the site informal, lively, and more understandable because no one communicates in complex scientific language. If you want your essay to be simple, understandable, and appealing to your readers, use contractions.

Address the Reader Directly

In informal essays, building a dialogue with the reader is crucial. It makes the reader feel like an active participant in the essay as if you’re speaking directly to them. And the narrative is more personal. By directly addressing the reader, you capture their attention and maintain their interest. Readers will likely be engaged and invested in your essay when they feel personally acknowledged.

Additionally, when you address the reader directly, you prompt them to think about the main idea and reflect on the topic alongside you. It creates a dynamic interaction where you’re presenting information and inviting the reader to ponder and respond.

Playing With Punctuation

In the writing world, punctuation isn’t just about rules and structure; it’s a versatile tool that can infuse your informal essay with personality, rhythm, and emphasis. Here’s an example of how to play with punctuation to add flavor to your writing process:

• to add energy: “What a beautiful day to hike!”
• to add some pauses: “I thought about it… and then I realized…”
• to make some alternatives: “The decision ─ difficult yet inevitable ─ weighed on my mind.”
• to add additional information: “The concert (which, by the way, was incredible) left me awestruck.”
• to create a specific rhythm: “In the morning, I brew coffee, take a deep breath, and start my day.”
• to explain something:  “Here’s the secret to success: hard work, determination, and a positive attitude.”

Experimentation With Sentence Structure

Experimenting with the arrangement of words and phrases can breathe life into your writing, making it engaging. Here’s how to play with sentence structure and some informal essay examples to inspire you:

• Short and Punchy Sentences: “She opened the door. There it was, her childhood teddy bear, sitting on the shelf.”
• Long and Flowing Sentences: “As I strolled down the cobblestone streets, the scent of blooming flowers filled the air, casting a warm golden hue over everything, made me feel like I was in a dream.”
• Parallel Structure: “She liked to read, to write, and to dream.”
• Repetition: “The storm raged on and on, relentless and unforgiving.”
• Rhetorical Questions: “Why do we hold on to memories, even when they bring pain?”
• Emphasizing With Fronting: “In the heart of the city, I found solace.”
• Interrupted Sentences: “I was so excited about the trip, but then…life got in the way.”

As you can see, work on the informal paper and its structure differ from the formal essay structure .

So, How to Come Up with an Informal Essay?

As you already understand, informal essays have no hard-and-fast rules. It makes it complex and simple at the same time. It is simple because you can meet a few requirements for your familiar essay to be high quality. And it is complicated because you must try to make it attractive and practical. If you are looking for essays for sale , be careful because the paper must show your personality.

The main thing is to understand these few rules. They will help you achieve your goal more easily:

• Use your writing style and share your thoughts.
• Choose an exciting topic that fascinates you and evokes something to say.
• Share your arguments and conclusions so the reader understands your idea and main point.

Experiment, add your thoughts, and make your essay unsurpassed!

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How to write an informal essay

• April 6, 2022

An informal essay is quite different from other types of essays . In an informal essay, you’re writing as if you are talking to a friend. You do not need to engage in a strict  academic writing process , but you should still avoid sloppiness.

• In a formal essay, you expresses your ideas quietly behind the words.
• In an informal essay, you talk to the reader in a conversational manner.

Formal and informal essays

In order to understand the difference between a formal and informal essay more clearly, let’s look at the table below.

Now that we know the general rules and definitions of an informal essay, let’s continue with the steps to write a great one.

Choose an informal essay topic

This is generally the first step of any essay writing process unless you are pre-assigned a topic already. An informal essay gives you a great opportunity in this step; you can write an informal essay on almost any topic . Here are some tips for you.

Informal essay topic tips

• Choose a topic you have knowledge and are excited about.
• Find inspiration from your own personal experiences.​
• Just think about what you like to talk about the most, and you have your topic. ​

When choosing a topic:

Put the list away for an hour after you’ve created it. Return to it later. Most probably, one topic will stand out to you more. Then, you can write about that topic. For this how-to guide, we are choosing the topic “ why I stopped eating meat ”.

Create an outline

An informal essay does not need to follow a strict structure . However, it should still be coherent. Therefore, your outline does not need to be strict either. Just create one to help organize your thoughts.

Example of an informal essay outline

• Thesis statement
• Referring to reader
• Address to the reader
• Concluding sentence

Informal essay outline best practices

• Remember you still need to do research while writing an informal essay.
• Put together your research results in your outline so that your writing process becomes way easier. ​
• Make sure to detail each part of the essay before writing, so you can write much faster.​

Write an introduction

Now, you start the actual writing process. In the introduction of an informal essay, you can basically follow the traditional introduction guide . 

Informal essay introduction example

Informal essay introduction best practices.

Before writing an introduction, you must first create an idea, identify a purpose, and collect information for the project.  The introduction also should contain a thesis statement .

Remember this type of essay is characterized by the inclusion of the writer’s viewpoint on the chosen topic , so be sure to declare your stance clearly.

Write the body paragraphs

Informal essay paragraphs example, tips for informal essay paragraphs.

• You can write the main body of your essay using cliches, idioms, and even jargon. Don't forget every paragraph needs a topic sentence .
• This is not a particularly academic type of paper; therefore, avoid sentences that are too long and complicated.​
• To create a connection with the reader, it’s important to use a relaxed tone, transition words , and transition sentences . ​
• Simple, quick, readable sentences and the use of various intonations will provide the essay with the necessary emotional context.​
• This is a basic rule: write in a language that your professor can comprehend. That is to say, even if this is an informal assignment, it should still be readable.​

Important tip

Write a conclusion.

In the conclusion paragraph , you will need to summarize your main points and make a clear final comment.

Informal essay conclusion example

Informal essay conclusion tips.

• Don’t make your conclusion repetitive.
• Just quickly list the key points of conversation to leave a lasting impact on the reader. ​
• You want them to remember and think about what you’re saying. ​

5-Paragraph Informal Essay Example

Game of Thrones: A World of Fantasy and Intrigue

Introduction

Body paragraphs, key takeaways.

• An informal essay is a type of essay that is written in a conversational style and often includes personal anecdotes and opinions.
• To write an informal essay, you should choose a topic that you are passionate about and write in a voice that is natural and engaging.
• Begin your essay with a clear introduction that hooks the reader and provides context for your topic.
• Use personal anecdotes, humor, and other storytelling techniques to illustrate your points and engage the reader.
• End your essay with a conclusion that summarizes your main points and provides a final reflection on your topic.

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How to Write an Informal Essay With a Perfect Plan

Today, we are going to talk about the type of essay that differs greatly from other types of papers. It may be a surprise for you, but an informal essay is written usually for enjoyment. This doesn’t mean that this type of essay cannot be informative or persuasive, but it is less formal than a relaxed expression of the opinion, observation, or research. A good informal essay may have a relaxed style, but it has a strong structure, though this structure can be less strict than a formal essay has. An informal essay has a tendency to be more personal than a formal one, though both can express subjective opinions. In a formal essay, a writer is silently presenting his or her thoughts behind the words; at the same time, in an informal essay, the author is connected with the reader in a conversational style.

How to Write an Informal Essay to Interest Readers

Before we are talking about how to write this type of paper, we should understand what is informal writing. Don’t worry if you are not sure what is an informal essay, as many students try to find the answer to this question. Informal writing is writing where you should reveal your ability to write informally and express your own point of view on an issue. If you write informally, try to express your own personality in the essay. Don’t worry about writing in academic style, but avoid sloppiness. Find an example of informal essay below and look through it to get a more detailed understanding of the requirements this assignment has. Our experienced team of writers is ready to assist you with academic tasks – just say, “ write my college essays “, and we’ll deliver exceptional results.

Many students may ask, “what is the difference between formal and informal essay?” The difference is in the style of writing or in how we use words to say what we want to say. Different situations require different ways of using words. The way we write in the academic or scientific purposes differs a lot from the way we write to a friend or a close person. Proper writing of the informal essay is to understand the features of the genre. Observance of the basic principles and recommendations on writing will create an interesting essay.

Get to know how to start an informal essay and what are the main stages of writing.

Steps for Writing an Informal Essay

• Select the topic. You have a great opportunity to select any topic for your paper. An informal way of writing provides a great chance to write about whatever you want. Choose a topic that will be really interesting to you. The presence of a certain narrow topic that contains the problem and prompts the reader to thinking is a great choice. If there is no list of informal writing topics among which you can choose one, and only a general direction is given, then you need to take into account which audience the essay is written for. Variants can be different: your classmates and a teacher, the commission, the literary community, the employer. If the essay is written for handing in to the teacher, then it is necessary to consider what qualities will be evaluated. Proceeding from this, the topic should be chosen in such a way that it would be possible to show those abilities that the examiner is waiting for from the author: originality, the ability to logically construct sentences, literacy, professional qualities, etc. When choosing the topic for writing an essay from the proposed list, you should choose one which you have particular knowledge in.
• Write an informal outline for essay. This part of a paper is important, because with an informal essay outline, your writing will be much easier. An outline is like a plan with which you will not forget to include all main points in your paper. It often happens that a person who has enough eloquence and the ability to express his/her thoughts on paper, has difficulty in starting the essay. Thinking about the introduction can take quite a long time, which greatly darkens the process of creative work. If you don’t know how to start an informal essay, ensure that you know what idea you want to communicate. Before you start writing an introduction, you need to formulate an idea, define a goal, and find sources of information for the work. It is important not to focus on the introductory part too long. Write an introduction including a thesis statement. Remember that the essay is distinguished precisely by the presence of the author’s view of the existing problem, his or her relation to the world, speech , and thinking.
• Write the main body of your essay using cliches, colloquialisms, and even jargon, as the format of this paper allows you to write in this way. It is necessary to avoid complicated formulations or too long sentences. It is important to follow a laid-back style to establish contact with the reader. It is important not to overdo it, however, turning the essay into a substandard text full of slang. The correct emotional color of the text will be given by short, simple, understandable sentences, and the use of different intonations in sentences. Include a detailed analysis of the problem. Your own point of view needs to be argued on the basis of factual material.
• Write a conclusion. Summarize everything that you have said before in your paper.
• Remember relative brevity of writing. There are no restrictions on the number of pages, but the informal essay is usually small in volume. An informal paper has a free construction. The informal essay has a way of presentation that does not fit into any definite framework. The construction obeys its own logic, which the author adheres to, trying to consider the problem from different angles.
• Proofread and edit your paper. Ask your friend to do it in order to find and correct more mistakes.

Informal Essay Sample

The following example of informal essay writing was created by dissertation writing services to help you handle your own paper. As this type of paper is not formal, you can find personal observations, opinions, or points of view. Use this informal essay sample as a collection of guidelines. The main thing is that this example is written in a relaxed manner, but it adheres to a particular structure. Short informal essay examples usually include the personal contact, and not the academic writing flow. You can find a subjective opinion in this type of paper, so you should write in this way as well. Our example of informal essay will help you understand how to write your own informal paper in order to get a high grade.

Click the images to see their full size.

Useful Tips for Informal Essay Writing

• Keep in mind that informal essays can be written in the first person, so using “I think that…” “In my opinion…” and “I believe…” are welcome.
• Sentences of your essay should not be too long, especially in the case of run-on sentences. At the same time – they should not be too short. Varying your sentence lengths is a good practice.
• Reread your essay at the end of your writing process. Ask yourself whether the tone is too formal or too informal. Make all necessary changes if needed.
• Add personality to your essay! Don’t know what it means? Well, an informal essay gives you a chance to personalize your writing, using words and phrases which are used only by you. In this way, you will have a unique piece of writing on a particular topic. Be creative!
• All statements that you include in your paper should be clear and realistic.
• Despite the free composition, the informal essay must have internal unity, with consistency of the author’s statements expressing his or her opinion.
• The author does not insist on his/her point of view, but uses a method as if inviting the reader to think about and discuss it.

Typical Mistakes for Writing an Informal Essay

• The absence of links between the substantive parts of the essay: introduction and conclusion, and the main part of the essay with the conclusion.
• Having proportionality of parts of the essay which should not be equal in length. The introduction and conclusion in the aggregate should be no more than one-third of the entire work. The main part is two-thirds.
• Inability to strictly follow the theme of writing in the course of reasoning.
• Inability to compositionally structure an essay in accordance with the theme and the main idea.
• Vast amounts of unnecessary information in the introduction and conclusion. However, too short and too unreasonable a conclusion is also inappropriate. It must really summarize and sum up all the work. The absence of a conclusion is a serious logical mistake. The conclusion must be meaningful in accordance with the introduction, topic, and main body of the essay.
• Absence of a problem in the introduction (this is the topic itself) and the formulation of a key thesis, which will be proved there.
• Indistinct formulation of theses, making it difficult to integrate them into the logical structure of the work. If there are several theses, then there should not be a contradiction between the theses formulated in different parts of the paper.
• Weak arguments. They are such if they do not prove or confirm, unconvincingly or superficially, the thesis.
• Unreasonable repetitions of the same thoughts.
• Errors in the division of the text into paragraphs and even the complete absence of paragraphs.
• Inability to operate with abstract concepts.
• The non-distinction between the concepts “example” and “argument,” and inability to formulate a micro-output, on the basis of an example, correlated with the thesis put forward.

Now you know what is an informative essay and how to write it correctly. You may also be interested in our guide about gender-sensitive language or informal report topics to complete your perfect paper.

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What Is an Informal Essay?

The informal essay is an essay written for pleasure. Its purpose is to help you organize your thoughts on a specific topic, to reflect on readings, and to express different points of view. It can still be informative and convincing, but you’re allowed to write it with less formal expressions.

How to Write an Informative Essay

The informal essay definition is pretty straightforward. It tells you when these assignments are needed in college. But does it tell you how to write informal essays? No. That’s what we’re here for today. We’ll give you effective tips and tricks on how to handle these assignments. Otherwise you can always order the informal essay from the best essay writing service . Although they are called informal, they are still being graded. Thus, you cannot take them lightly.

When you’re writing for pleasure, you tend to express yourself in the same language you use when talking with your friends. When students speak informally, their language is full of humor and sarcasm. You may still use such expression in informal essay, but you must not go overboard. Saying “The partisans were so freakin’ rad, man” might seem normal in spoken communication between friends. When you’re writing something that your professor is going to read, however, you can’t use a language that https://www.usu.edu/markdamen/WritingGuide/01inform.htminformal.

To start with, here are few general tips to have in mind when you’re dealing with this type of task:

• Informal assignments give you some space for jokes, but you mustn’t turn them into a scenario for stand-up comedy. When you’re dealing with a serious topic, in particular, the humor will fall flat. That’s the first thing you must remember when writing informal essays.
• This is a rule: write in a language your professor can understand . That means that although this is an informal assignment, it should still be readable . What does readable mean in this situation? Just avoid slang! Your friends may understand it, but your professor doesn’t.
• Sarcasm is acceptable only if you know how to handle it way. In its definition, sarcasm is saying something opposite of what you mean, thinking that intelligent people should understand the mock. In writing, however, it’s sometimes difficult to distinguish the sarcastic tone. If you’re a master of sarcasm, you can make it work. But only in small doses!
• In informal writing, you should create a direct contact between you and the reader. That’s the main contrast between this assignment and any type of formal paper. You’re allowed to use I and you . In fact, that’s even recommended.
• You don’t know what a good informal essay should look like? Read few good personal blogs. Great bloggers know how to create that connection between them and the readers. This writing style will give you hints on how to handle an informal writing assignment.
• Informal essays are much more personal when compared to argumentative, expository, or any other type of formal essay. If, for example, the topic is abortion, you’re allowed to express your personal opinion. You may still include some facts, but you’ll be mostly talking about the way you perceive the topic. The paper should feel like a conversation between you and the professor.
• You have to show some personality in the ideas, style, and form of expression!

How to Start an Informal Essay

Now that we covered the main general tips to have in mind when dealing with informal writing, it’s time to start with the practical guidelines. How do you start this type of essay?

1. Choose a Topic

Your professor probably assigned a general theme. For example, they told you to write an informal paper on family values. You can’t take “An Informal Paper on Family Values” as your topic, though. You have to make it more specific and personal.

Some ideas for informal essay topics will help you start the essay planning and writing process. Here are few topics to get you inspired:

• How Family Values Shaped Me as a Person
• Motherhood: the Balance between Happiness and Burden
• Is Early Parenthood a Good or a Bad Thing?
• The Influence of Family Values on a Person’s Career Choice
• How Family Values Changed in the Modern World
• Could an Arranged Marriage Work Today?

You see? We came up with various options for a title you could use for a general theme like family values . To pick your perfect topic, you must choose an angle that triggers your opinions.

2. Plan the Outline

Once you have the topic, it’s time to start the essay. First, you’ll plan! The informal outline should briefly list the points you’re going to make. You don’t have to stick to the formal 5-paragraph essay structure, but your paper will still need an introduction, body, and conclusion. Plan what you’ll write in each section.

Formulate your main idea and think of the main goal you want to achieve with this essay. Are you trying to convince the reader of something, or you just want to share a personal experience? It’s important to have a focus, so the paper will maintain its logical flow.

3. Write the Intro

The introduction of an informal paper may give you a headache. You’d usually start an argumentative essay by giving some background on the topic and citing some sources. Well, that might be an overly formal start for an informal assignment. You have to make the introduction really captivating.

This is a good place to include a healthy dose of humor and a large dose of personality. To formulate your idea, you may share your personal experience or an anecdote. You may also include a quote that captures your point of view. Then, you’ll expand on it.

This essay should showcase your opinion on a specific topic, so get straight to that point. A thesis statement is still necessary at the end of the introduction. This sentence will tell the reader what to expect from the rest of the paper. However, it shouldn’t be overly formal. Just tell the reader what your main point is going to be.

How to Write a Body Paragraph for an Informal Essay

In the body of the informal essay, you should express your point of view. Although it’s informal, the paper still has to be convincing. Think of the topic as a forum thread. You’re a member of the forum and you have to defend your point of view against opposing opinions. You’ll probably rely on convincing facts, right? That’s exactly what you should do when writing an informal paper: find facts and reference them, so you’ll add structure to your argument.

Keep these tips to mind when you’re developing the body of the essay:

• You should use informal language, but not slang that your professor can’t understand.
• Separate the body of your paper in shorter paragraphs, so it will be easier to read. Structure the paragraphs in accordance with the ideas you express. There must be a cohesive flow between them.
• Write short, clear sentences. Overly long formulations are not acceptable for an informal assignment.
• Give your essay a proper emotional vibe. Express your own personality, just like you would do that if you were writing this for an online forum.
• Be respectful! Although this type of assignment does not put limits on the ideas you can express, the last thing you want is to write an essay that would be offensive to someone.

How to End an Informal Essay

Finally, you came down to the conclusion. Since you’ve done so much work by now, this should be relatively easy. In the conclusion, you’ll summarize everything you’ve written in the paper. However, you don’t want to make it repetitive. Just briefly refer to your main points of discussion, so you’ll leave the reader with definite impressions. You want them to remember and consider your message.

You’re not done with the paper when you’re done with the conclusion! You have two post-writing stages to go through:

Professional writers get some space away from their work before they return to it with the intention to edit. Do you know why they do that? They are so attached to their own work that it’s impossible to spot all mistakes in it. When they allow at least few days to go by, they can return to the content while maintaining a reader’s point of view. This approach allows them to spot the inconsistencies, redundancy, and gaps in logic.

If you have enough time before the deadline, allow at least a day to go by before you start editing . Read the entire essay. Think: is your message clear? Is the content readable? Is the logical flow flawless? Those are the aspects you’ll have to improve during the editing stage.

• Proofreading

Finally, you can do a final reading to make sure the grammar and spelling are perfect.

The concept of academic essay is too broad. Students mostly perceive it as a formal assignment, but that’s not always the case. Informal writing is another skill you’ll have to master throughout college and university. Fortunately, these essays are usually fun to write. Are you ready to start working on your informal essay?

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How to Write an Informal Essay

An informal essay can be about a wide range of topics, from the deeply personal to the outwardly political. “Informal” doesn’t mean that it can’t also be informative or persuasive. It merely refers to the style in which the essay is written: in first-person and without necessarily having to adhere to the traditional five-paragraph structure.

Your writing style in your informal essay should also be “informal”. Using slang and colloquialisms is generally permitted in this type of essay (though make sure you use good judgement and refrain from offensive or explicit language). A conversational tone, as though you were explaining something to a friend, is about the right tone for an informal essay. In fact, in this type of essay, it’s generally best to steer clear of overly academic writing. You want to make the subject as accessible to the average person as possible.

If your teacher has assigned you to write an informal essay, they may not give you very many guidelines besides a word count. In case you’re lost on how to write this type of essay, here are some tips on how to choose a topic, how to structure your essay and other ways to write your informal essay successfully.

Buy Informal essay

Think about subjects that are important to you or that you generally have a lot to say about. Are you always getting into arguments about politics? Do you constantly chastise your younger sister for putting the toilet roll on “the wrong way”? Think about anything you have a relatively strong opinion about and make a list:

• Why There Is a RIGHT Way to Hang the Toilet Roll
• Why I’m a Vegan
• What Happened When I Started Going to Church
• How I Learned to Respect My Step-Mother
• Why I Love Soccer (or any other sport or activity)
• What I Learned From Traveling Abroad
• Why I Voted for X Candidate
• Lessons From My Grandmother
• Why I Abstain From Drinking
• Why I Believe in Reincarnation
• What I Learned From My First Job
• How I Plan to Save the Planet

You should also make a list of reasons why you are vegan and think about certain things that you face as a vegan such as difficulty finding vegan options in restaurants or supermarkets, stigma from your family and/or friends, etc.

• Introduction – Share some of the difficulties of being a vegan but that you still choose to be one.
• First Supporting Paragraph – Strongest reason why you’re a vegan (health reasons) and some statistics or research on it.
• Second Supporting Paragraph – Second strongest reasons why you’re a vegan (against animal cruelty)- and how that extends to things beyond just not eating animal products but also not using cosmetics tested on animals and not wearing clothing made from animal products
• Third Supporting Paragraph – How being a vegan affects your lifestyle, your relationships with friends, family and significant others. What are the challenges you face?
• Conclusion – Why you still choose to be vegan and how you see more and more people opting for a vegan lifestyle (quote some statistics) making it easier for vegans to choose veganism.

This above is merely a suggested outline. Your informal essay might have more or less paragraphs, depending on how you choose to structure it.

Writing an informal essay still requires the reader to follow the logic of your thoughts, so help them along by using transition words. Transition words are like sign posts that tell the reader what to expect next. Word like “similarly”, “additionally” and “furthermore” signal that you’re about to present more evidence to support an idea. Words like “on the other hand”, “unlike…” and “conversely” signal that you’re about to present evidence to the contrary. Words like “first”, “second” or “next” give order to your thoughts.

Too formal The digestive peptides required to process meat can cause free radicals to reproduce in the human body, a phenomena that fails to occur when digesting vegetables.

• Peer edit – It would be great if you could show your essay to a friend and ask them how easy your essay was to understand, if it sounds conversational or if it’s too academic.
• Be flexible – Think about if you need to add something or take something away. Remember that informal essays don’t need to follow the five-paragraph essay structure so if your essay would be made better by adding another paragraph or taking one away, then by all means, do it.

Anyone can write a successful informal essay. Things like reading other informal essays, making lists for possible topics, choosing the best topic for you, making an outline, writing using informal language and the occasional transition word and editing for tone and structure can help earn you a top score on your informal essay. Good luck and Happy Writing!

•    
• Informal Essay

The informal essay is written mainly for enjoyment. This is not to say that it cannot be informative or persuasive; however, it is less a formal statement than a relaxed expression of opinion, observation, humor or pleasure. A good informal essay has a relaxed style but retains a strong structure, though that structure may be less rigid than in a formal paper.

The informal essay tends to be more personal than the formal, even though both may express subjective opinions. In a formal essay the writer is a silent presence behind the words, while in an informal essay the writer is speaking directly to the reader in a conversational style. If you are writing informally, try to maintain a sense of your own personality. Do not worry about sounding academic, but avoid sloppiness.

The essay, which follows is an opinion piece that was written for The Globe and Mail. The style is therefore journalistic but aimed at a fairly sophisticated readership. Paragraphs are short, as is normal in a newspaper with its narrow columns, and the tone is more conversational than would be appropriate for a formal essay. Notice the clear statement of the thesis, the concrete illustrations in the body of the essay, and the way the conclusion leads to a more general statement of what is perhaps to come in the future. It is included here both because it is a good example of the essay form and because it explores the kind of problem you will come up against as you try to punctuate your essays correctly.

The essay topics of the informal essay type are not limited to any specific subject, you can write your informal essay on any topic. For example, here are some popular essay topics to give you an idea:

• The Best Journey of My Life
• The Point in My Life Where I Would Start Over
• The Perfect Woman, Marriage and Divorce
• My Religion
• The Celebrities Give Us Bad Examples
• Reincarnation
• The “Delights” of Our School Cafeteria

You should be well familiar with the informal essay topic you choose. Also, you have to consider the interests of your readers. You should show your personality and the attitude in your informal essay.

Useful links

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• Admission Essay
• Argumentative Essay
• Cause and Effect Essay
• Classification Essay
• Comparison Essay
• Critical Essay
• Deductive Essay
• Definition Essay
• Exploratory Essay
• Expository Essay
• Literature Essay
• Narrative Essay
• Personal Essay
• Persuasive Essay
• Research Essay
• Response Essay
• Scholarship Essay

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• The four main types of essay | Quick guide with examples

The Four Main Types of Essay | Quick Guide with Examples

Published on September 4, 2020 by Jack Caulfield . Revised on July 23, 2023.

An essay is a focused piece of writing designed to inform or persuade. There are many different types of essay, but they are often defined in four categories: argumentative, expository, narrative, and descriptive essays.

Argumentative and expository essays are focused on conveying information and making clear points, while narrative and descriptive essays are about exercising creativity and writing in an interesting way. At university level, argumentative essays are the most common type. 

In high school and college, you will also often have to write textual analysis essays, which test your skills in close reading and interpretation.

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Table of contents

Argumentative essays, expository essays, narrative essays, descriptive essays, textual analysis essays, other interesting articles, frequently asked questions about types of essays.

An argumentative essay presents an extended, evidence-based argument. It requires a strong thesis statement —a clearly defined stance on your topic. Your aim is to convince the reader of your thesis using evidence (such as quotations ) and analysis.

Argumentative essays test your ability to research and present your own position on a topic. This is the most common type of essay at college level—most papers you write will involve some kind of argumentation.

The essay is divided into an introduction, body, and conclusion:

• The introduction provides your topic and thesis statement
• The body presents your evidence and arguments
• The conclusion summarizes your argument and emphasizes its importance

The example below is a paragraph from the body of an argumentative essay about the effects of the internet on education. Mouse over it to learn more.

A common frustration for teachers is students’ use of Wikipedia as a source in their writing. Its prevalence among students is not exaggerated; a survey found that the vast majority of the students surveyed used Wikipedia (Head & Eisenberg, 2010). An article in The Guardian stresses a common objection to its use: “a reliance on Wikipedia can discourage students from engaging with genuine academic writing” (Coomer, 2013). Teachers are clearly not mistaken in viewing Wikipedia usage as ubiquitous among their students; but the claim that it discourages engagement with academic sources requires further investigation. This point is treated as self-evident by many teachers, but Wikipedia itself explicitly encourages students to look into other sources. Its articles often provide references to academic publications and include warning notes where citations are missing; the site’s own guidelines for research make clear that it should be used as a starting point, emphasizing that users should always “read the references and check whether they really do support what the article says” (“Wikipedia:Researching with Wikipedia,” 2020). Indeed, for many students, Wikipedia is their first encounter with the concepts of citation and referencing. The use of Wikipedia therefore has a positive side that merits deeper consideration than it often receives.

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An expository essay provides a clear, focused explanation of a topic. It doesn’t require an original argument, just a balanced and well-organized view of the topic.

Expository essays test your familiarity with a topic and your ability to organize and convey information. They are commonly assigned at high school or in exam questions at college level.

The introduction of an expository essay states your topic and provides some general background, the body presents the details, and the conclusion summarizes the information presented.

A typical body paragraph from an expository essay about the invention of the printing press is shown below. Mouse over it to learn more.

The invention of the printing press in 1440 changed this situation dramatically. Johannes Gutenberg, who had worked as a goldsmith, used his knowledge of metals in the design of the press. He made his type from an alloy of lead, tin, and antimony, whose durability allowed for the reliable production of high-quality books. This new technology allowed texts to be reproduced and disseminated on a much larger scale than was previously possible. The Gutenberg Bible appeared in the 1450s, and a large number of printing presses sprang up across the continent in the following decades. Gutenberg’s invention rapidly transformed cultural production in Europe; among other things, it would lead to the Protestant Reformation.

A narrative essay is one that tells a story. This is usually a story about a personal experience you had, but it may also be an imaginative exploration of something you have not experienced.

Narrative essays test your ability to build up a narrative in an engaging, well-structured way. They are much more personal and creative than other kinds of academic writing . Writing a personal statement for an application requires the same skills as a narrative essay.

A narrative essay isn’t strictly divided into introduction, body, and conclusion, but it should still begin by setting up the narrative and finish by expressing the point of the story—what you learned from your experience, or why it made an impression on you.

Mouse over the example below, a short narrative essay responding to the prompt “Write about an experience where you learned something about yourself,” to explore its structure.

Since elementary school, I have always favored subjects like science and math over the humanities. My instinct was always to think of these subjects as more solid and serious than classes like English. If there was no right answer, I thought, why bother? But recently I had an experience that taught me my academic interests are more flexible than I had thought: I took my first philosophy class.

Before I entered the classroom, I was skeptical. I waited outside with the other students and wondered what exactly philosophy would involve—I really had no idea. I imagined something pretty abstract: long, stilted conversations pondering the meaning of life. But what I got was something quite different.

A young man in jeans, Mr. Jones—“but you can call me Rob”—was far from the white-haired, buttoned-up old man I had half-expected. And rather than pulling us into pedantic arguments about obscure philosophical points, Rob engaged us on our level. To talk free will, we looked at our own choices. To talk ethics, we looked at dilemmas we had faced ourselves. By the end of class, I’d discovered that questions with no right answer can turn out to be the most interesting ones.

The experience has taught me to look at things a little more “philosophically”—and not just because it was a philosophy class! I learned that if I let go of my preconceptions, I can actually get a lot out of subjects I was previously dismissive of. The class taught me—in more ways than one—to look at things with an open mind.

A descriptive essay provides a detailed sensory description of something. Like narrative essays, they allow you to be more creative than most academic writing, but they are more tightly focused than narrative essays. You might describe a specific place or object, rather than telling a whole story.

Descriptive essays test your ability to use language creatively, making striking word choices to convey a memorable picture of what you’re describing.

A descriptive essay can be quite loosely structured, though it should usually begin by introducing the object of your description and end by drawing an overall picture of it. The important thing is to use careful word choices and figurative language to create an original description of your object.

Mouse over the example below, a response to the prompt “Describe a place you love to spend time in,” to learn more about descriptive essays.

On Sunday afternoons I like to spend my time in the garden behind my house. The garden is narrow but long, a corridor of green extending from the back of the house, and I sit on a lawn chair at the far end to read and relax. I am in my small peaceful paradise: the shade of the tree, the feel of the grass on my feet, the gentle activity of the fish in the pond beside me.

My cat crosses the garden nimbly and leaps onto the fence to survey it from above. From his perch he can watch over his little kingdom and keep an eye on the neighbours. He does this until the barking of next door’s dog scares him from his post and he bolts for the cat flap to govern from the safety of the kitchen.

With that, I am left alone with the fish, whose whole world is the pond by my feet. The fish explore the pond every day as if for the first time, prodding and inspecting every stone. I sometimes feel the same about sitting here in the garden; I know the place better than anyone, but whenever I return I still feel compelled to pay attention to all its details and novelties—a new bird perched in the tree, the growth of the grass, and the movement of the insects it shelters…

Sitting out in the garden, I feel serene. I feel at home. And yet I always feel there is more to discover. The bounds of my garden may be small, but there is a whole world contained within it, and it is one I will never get tired of inhabiting.

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Though every essay type tests your writing skills, some essays also test your ability to read carefully and critically. In a textual analysis essay, you don’t just present information on a topic, but closely analyze a text to explain how it achieves certain effects.

Rhetorical analysis

A rhetorical analysis looks at a persuasive text (e.g. a speech, an essay, a political cartoon) in terms of the rhetorical devices it uses, and evaluates their effectiveness.

The goal is not to state whether you agree with the author’s argument but to look at how they have constructed it.

The introduction of a rhetorical analysis presents the text, some background information, and your thesis statement; the body comprises the analysis itself; and the conclusion wraps up your analysis of the text, emphasizing its relevance to broader concerns.

The example below is from a rhetorical analysis of Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech . Mouse over it to learn more.

King’s speech is infused with prophetic language throughout. Even before the famous “dream” part of the speech, King’s language consistently strikes a prophetic tone. He refers to the Lincoln Memorial as a “hallowed spot” and speaks of rising “from the dark and desolate valley of segregation” to “make justice a reality for all of God’s children.” The assumption of this prophetic voice constitutes the text’s strongest ethical appeal; after linking himself with political figures like Lincoln and the Founding Fathers, King’s ethos adopts a distinctly religious tone, recalling Biblical prophets and preachers of change from across history. This adds significant force to his words; standing before an audience of hundreds of thousands, he states not just what the future should be, but what it will be: “The whirlwinds of revolt will continue to shake the foundations of our nation until the bright day of justice emerges.” This warning is almost apocalyptic in tone, though it concludes with the positive image of the “bright day of justice.” The power of King’s rhetoric thus stems not only from the pathos of his vision of a brighter future, but from the ethos of the prophetic voice he adopts in expressing this vision.

Literary analysis

A literary analysis essay presents a close reading of a work of literature—e.g. a poem or novel—to explore the choices made by the author and how they help to convey the text’s theme. It is not simply a book report or a review, but an in-depth interpretation of the text.

Literary analysis looks at things like setting, characters, themes, and figurative language. The goal is to closely analyze what the author conveys and how.

The introduction of a literary analysis essay presents the text and background, and provides your thesis statement; the body consists of close readings of the text with quotations and analysis in support of your argument; and the conclusion emphasizes what your approach tells us about the text.

Mouse over the example below, the introduction to a literary analysis essay on Frankenstein , to learn more.

Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein is often read as a crude cautionary tale about the dangers of scientific advancement unrestrained by ethical considerations. In this reading, protagonist Victor Frankenstein is a stable representation of the callous ambition of modern science throughout the novel. This essay, however, argues that far from providing a stable image of the character, Shelley uses shifting narrative perspectives to portray Frankenstein in an increasingly negative light as the novel goes on. While he initially appears to be a naive but sympathetic idealist, after the creature’s narrative Frankenstein begins to resemble—even in his own telling—the thoughtlessly cruel figure the creature represents him as. This essay begins by exploring the positive portrayal of Frankenstein in the first volume, then moves on to the creature’s perception of him, and finally discusses the third volume’s narrative shift toward viewing Frankenstein as the creature views him.

If you want to know more about AI tools , college essays , or fallacies make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples or go directly to our tools!

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At high school and in composition classes at university, you’ll often be told to write a specific type of essay , but you might also just be given prompts.

Look for keywords in these prompts that suggest a certain approach: The word “explain” suggests you should write an expository essay , while the word “describe” implies a descriptive essay . An argumentative essay might be prompted with the word “assess” or “argue.”

The vast majority of essays written at university are some sort of argumentative essay . Almost all academic writing involves building up an argument, though other types of essay might be assigned in composition classes.

Essays can present arguments about all kinds of different topics. For example:

• In a literary analysis essay, you might make an argument for a specific interpretation of a text
• In a history essay, you might present an argument for the importance of a particular event
• In a politics essay, you might argue for the validity of a certain political theory

An argumentative essay tends to be a longer essay involving independent research, and aims to make an original argument about a topic. Its thesis statement makes a contentious claim that must be supported in an objective, evidence-based way.

An expository essay also aims to be objective, but it doesn’t have to make an original argument. Rather, it aims to explain something (e.g., a process or idea) in a clear, concise way. Expository essays are often shorter assignments and rely less on research.

The key difference is that a narrative essay is designed to tell a complete story, while a descriptive essay is meant to convey an intense description of a particular place, object, or concept.

Narrative and descriptive essays both allow you to write more personally and creatively than other kinds of essays , and similar writing skills can apply to both.

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How to write an Informal Essay: All you Need to know

Formal and Informal Essay Writing

The two main writing styles are formal and informal. Professional writing needs a formal tone, whereas if the writing is casual you need to use an informal tone. There are also instances you can use both styles. Before using any of the tones you need to read the instructions.

The instructions might state whether to use a formal or informal tone. 

As a student, you have to take the instructions seriously, to avoid using the wrong writing style. It is crucial for your essay writing especially when aiming for a good grade.

You cannot afford to use the wrong tone. If your essay writing assignment needs you to sound professional, then use a formal tone. However, if it is suitable to personalize your essay, ensure you are conversational in your writing.

Formal vs Informal Essays in writing

Choosing the right language for your essay writing can be a challenge. That can be the case if you are unsure of the right tone to use. It is a problem that several students tend to struggle with. Choosing between formal and informal tone when it matters.

The two writing tones are different and are ideal for specific types of essays.

Every essay comes with a list of instructions. The instructions will depict whether to use an informal or formal writing style. You are free to choose the tone that suits you perfectly, where the instructions do not state which tone to use.

But you must note that formal writing is ideal if you want to sound professional. You can use it in writing a professional essay that requires you to cite sources and provide references.

Informal writing is perfect for conversational or personal essays. For instance, you are writing a college application essay where you intend to express yourself, then be casual. You have to let the admissions board know more about you. So, you have to tell your story. And that is why you need to adopt an informal tone.

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What is an informal essay?

An informal essay is a short piece of writing written as a response or reflection on something or as a personal statement. Informal essays are usually used to reflect on ideas, feelings, experiences, and thoughts.

If you are writing an informal essay to apply for a position, the same rules apply: it needs to be well-researched and include specific examples.

How to Write an Informal Essay

1. brainstorm.

Brainstorming is a way of getting ideas. Basically, it’s a technique for generating ideas when you have no idea what to write about. It’s also a way of breaking the ice when you meet someone for the first time. Here are some tips for brainstorming:

• Write down as many ideas as you can think of in one sitting. Don’t stop writing until your brain is exhausted or you run out of space on your paper, and it looks like this:
• Write down whatever comes into your head, even if it seems crazy or stupid. Writing things down helps them become clearer in your mind and gives them more structure to make sense when they are written down later.
• Write everything down! Refrain from judging yourself harshly if some ideas don’t seem good enough. Keep going until you run out of space or until all the ideas feel too silly or weird to add to the list without making everyone feel uncomfortable at work tomorrow morning, which might happen.

2. Create an Outline

An outline is a kind of roadmap for your paper. It helps you see where you are going and how long it will take. An outline also enables you to focus on what you want to say and ensure that it is all there in one place.

Think about your topic and the different points you want to make. Then, create a simple outline of those points.

It can be a bulleted or numbered list, but it’s better if it’s both. The idea is that you’ll use this outline as a basis for writing your essay.

3. Construct a Thesis Statement

You can defend it in your conclusion, and it should be clear, concise, and specific. You may write a paragraph describing the thesis statement or develop it further; then, you will use this as the foundation for your argument development and final body paragraphs.

4. Write an Introduction

Your introduction also sets up any themes or arguments that might be used throughout the essay. If you want to talk about writing rules that apply to everyone, then this is the place to do it!

5. Write Body Paragraphs

Now that you have your outline, you can start writing! Write one paragraph at a time — don’t try to do too much at once, or you’ll run out of steam before you’re finished. Use your outline to help guide you through each step of the process.

6. Write Conclusion

You can now summarize your points in this section. You should not introduce any new ideas at this point. Just emphasize what you have been discussing in the main body.

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Instances to Use Formal Language in an Essay

Essay writing is not a task you need to approach without reading instructions. You need to know which tone you must use. If you ignore the instructions, you might use the wrong writing style. And that will cost you that grade you are yearning for.

Formal language is ideal for professional writing. A professional essay requires the use of researched knowledge. You have to embrace the use of references or citations. For such an essay you need to sound professional. That is why you must use formal language.

Characteristics of Formal Writing

1. use third person          .

In formal writing, you ought to use the third person. Know the different personal pronouns for an essay . In this connection, you will use words such as her, his, theirs, and they.

You must avoid writing in a first person tone. Formal language brings some sense of seriousness to your essay. It shows that you did sufficient research before writing your essay. And for that reason, sounding professional will be a great idea.

2. Structured Essay 

With formal writing, you have no otherwise but to structure your essay. You need to have the introduction, body, and conclusion. Such a structure allows you to put your ideas together so that they flow seamlessly.

Besides, you can write longer sentences and paragraphs to give your points more clarity.

3. Objective in Approach

As a writer who intends to use formal language, you must take up an objective approach. You need to state your points and support them using arguments. But there is a catch. You should not use an emotional tone.

Do not use exclamations marks or ellipsis, unless you are citing a source.

4. Use Full Words

Lastly, with formal writing, you must use full words. You should not use contractions. Your essay needs to sound professional. Therefore, do not try to simplify it with abbreviations and contractions.

Do not give the tutor a hard time figuring out the meaning of the abbreviations or contractions present in your essay.

Instances to Use Informal Language In An Essay 

If you aim to personalize an essay, then using informal language is the right approach. It allows you to write in first person. You can tell your story to the admissions board; hence they will get to know more about it.

Such a language will be ideal when writing your college application essay.

If you want to write something casual, you can use informal language. Usually, there is no structure that you have to follow. So, you are free to write down your thoughts on a particular topic. It does save on time since you will be giving your opinion.

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Characteristics of Informal Writing

1. colloquial terms.

Informal writing has provisions for using slang, broken syntax, asides, and figures of speech. It gives you too much freedom in your essay writing.

You can take a simple approach to your essay writing. That means you can use shorter paragraphs and sentences.

2. Abbreviations and Contractions

Informal language allows you to use contractions and abbreviations. It is a chance that formal writing might not offer you. But with informal writing, you can use the short form of words.

But just ensure you do not overuse the abbreviations and contractions. Some of the short words can complicate your essay to a point that the reader or tutor may not understand your message.

3. Show Emotion and Empathy

It is easier to show emotion and empathy using informal language than being formal. So, if you want to write an essay where emotions are high, then use informal language.

You can easily describe an empathetic scene that the reader of the essay will easily feel.

How to Combine Formal and Informal tones in Essay Writing

Essay writing is an undertaking that requires you to be attentive and careful. Be sure of which writing style suits the essay writing task at hand. You can either learn that from the instructions or guidance from your tutor.

You can opt for a formal or informal writing style. But also, there are times whereby you can use both formal and informal tones.

If you are writing a professional essay then you must use formal writing. Where the essay needs to be conversational or casual, you can use an informal writing style.

You can also use both tones if the instructions on the essay do not specify which tone to use. At that juncture, you are free to combine both styles of writing.

An essay that needs to sound casual and professional will require you to use both tones.

For since if you have to incorporate direct speech or quotes in your professional essay, you have to use both formal and informal tone. However, ensure you use them with care so that you do not distort your message.

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Conclusion  

A professional essay requires the use of a formal tone. You need to write in the third person. Besides, you must ensure you stay away from using contractions and abbreviations.

Since it is an essay that needs citation and references, you must ensure you write words in full and use longer sentences. The aim is to provide your points and support them to ensure clarity.

On the other hand, informal writing is more casual. You must sound conversational. And that is why you need to write in a personal tone to express your emotions.

You do not have to write long sentences, since casual writing requires a simple structure. Also, you can use both formal and informal tones without interfering with the flow of your ideas in the essay.

When not handling complex essays and academic writing tasks, Josh is busy advising students on how to pass assignments. In spare time, he loves playing football or walking with his dog around the park.

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How To Write An Informal Essay | Steps and Format of Informal Essay Writing

April 10, 2023 by Prasanna

How To Write An Informal Essay: What Is An Informal Essay? A piece of writing, written for pleasure, is known as an informal essay or article. An informal piece can range from a blog to a diary entry. It is the simplest kind of essay since you can write whatever you want.

An informal essay is written for the love of writing. You should follow certain rules during formal writing which include specific structures and a particular pattern. An informal essay consists of none of these things. You can use whatever structure pleases you. You can change the paragraph if you want to, or not.

There is no compulsion when it comes to an informal essay. An informal essay is written to organise your thoughts. You can write an informal essay since you want people to hear it, like in a blog, or you can write it for your future self. This piece of writing is very freeing.

You can also find more  Essay Writing  articles on events, persons, sports, technology and many more

There are no boundaries and limits within which you much abide. There is a lot of freedom to be explored. There are no terms that are required in this piece. You can use colloquial language which you otherwise could not in any other form of article. An informal essay though has no limits; it is advised not to write any terms that might hurt others. Though everyone has written more informal essays in their life than formal essays, we are familiar with the structure of a formal essay more than an informal one.

A formal essay has a definite five-paragraph structure, with one introductory paragraph, two body paragraphs and one concluding portion. We have written many informal essays without knowing the term.

Both types of papers are written for various purposes. An informal essay also has a few classifications, but just as the name suggests, informal and formal articles are the complete opposite of each other. Although the name of this type of article is informal, you will still be graded on it, you should not take it lightly. Think about what your purpose is through the writing of this article.

You could want to convince the readers about something, like in a persuasive essay without the formality. You can also convey some information like in an informative essay but without a strict structure. You should be focused on your goal while writing an informal article.

Steps Of Writing An Informal Essay

• Select a Topic

Select a Topic: The first thing you should focus on is finding an appropriate topic. If it is a school or college project, you will get the subject from your teacher or your professor in most cases.

In case, they don’t provide you with a topic, select a generalised topic or a recent event which is still fresh in the mind of people.

Choose something which has impacted you in some ways. Since it is an informal essay, you are required to speak your mind. Be honest with your opinion, and your readers will surely catch the vibe of your article.

Research: If you venture to speak about a recent incident that has impacted you, you will need some research to fill up the essay.

An informal essay does not only mean you can write whatever you want. People will be more intrigued by your story if they know some background facts about the subject. Adding some basic information is an excellent way of making a template on which you can add your individualism.

You can be humorous or sarcastic, or jolly in your tone. The best thing to do is to provide the readers with the immediate context. They can then connect with your creative writing easily.

Outline: Though it is an informal article, you should consider writing a rough outline of the subject. An outline not only helps you to organise your thoughts, but it also helps to arrange your train of thoughts in the right path.

It also helps you to arrange your essay in such a way that your essay has a smooth flow or rhythm to it. You will be able to visualise what the best order or arranging the information should be.

Thoughts come in form random directions, but you can discipline them with an outline. You are recommended not to skip this step.

The easiest way of outlining is by jotting down whatever comes into your mind; this is also called brainstorming. The next step is to number the points and arrange them in a particular order. This gives you the basic outline.

You can further polish your outline, but it might be unnecessary for most people.

These points will guide you to frame your article in a simplified manner.

Informal Essay Writing Format

A formal essay follows the well known five-paragraph structure. Though there is no compulsion of following this format, it is best to stick with the basic structure.

Introduction: The beginning of any essay should be with an introduction. Give a brief context for your readers about the subject of your article here. You can make it highly creative with the use of humour or sarcasm. But it would help if you kept them in limit since after all it will be read by your teachers and professors.

You can share the information, but it is best not to be overly formal about it. Tell your readers what your intention is for writing the essay. Even though it is informal, don’t use any slangs. Near the end of the introduction, you should add a thesis statement.

A thesis statement is used to give the readers an overview of the entire essay in one or two lines. Since you don’t need to be formal, there is no need for beating around the bush. You can head straight to the main topic in your body paragraphs.

Body Paragraphs: In the body paragraphs, you need to describe your concerns about your subject. The outline you have drawn will guide you with your content of the article. The paragraphs should be well organised and focused. You can rely on more opinions and emotions in an informal essay.

They should still contain facts that can back up your claims. Use abstract and straightforward language in an informal essay. There is a lot of area for individualistic adventures here. You can paint a vivid picture of your subject by appealing to the readers’ emotions and senses. Your personality should shine through in these essays. Be yourself and write about what you feel and why you feel them.

The facts which have moved you will also move the readers. Use prominent transition terms like even though, similarly, on the other hand, etc. You should finish a paragraph by introducing the next. The use of this technique makes your article smooth. Please provide details about how your matter looks or how it appeals to you. Your point of view is the most crucial context for an informal essay.

Conclusion on How To Write An Informal Essay

At the end of the discussion, you have to write a conclusion. You can reinstate the thesis statement here. You can add humor, in conclusion, to make it light-hearted. Re-highlight the crucial points again to refresh the memory of your readers.

You can add a clinching statement here so that the context of the article remains with your readers for a long duration after reading it. In the end, add some personal, funny stories to lighten the readers’ moods.

FAQ’s On How To Write An Informal Essay

Question 1. What is the difference between formal and informal essays?

Answer: The differences between formal and informal writings are numerous—the word informal means the exact opposite of formal.

Question 2. What to do at the end of an informal essay?

Answer: After writing the conclusion, you have finally completed the informal essay. The next best thing that should be done is to proofread the entire writing. See if it can be improved at any point.

Add the correct punctuations wherever required. Cross out repetitive statements from your essay to not make it tedious. If possible, try to get someone to read your essay and ask for their honest opinion. They will be able to spot some mistakes and inconsistencies.

You should take their review and correct the mistakes that you have made. When it comes to academic essays, people think about formal writings. But that is not always the case. You may have to write informal articles too. Informal essays are usually fun to write, and you will surely enjoy the process.

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What Is an Informal Essay?

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An informal essay can refer to a number of different things, depending on the level of education a student has reached, and the type of course he or she is in, as well as the overall purpose of the assignment. In general, this type of essay is written as a reflection or a response to something, or is written as a type of informational piece about a personal experience. This type of essay may also be written as fiction . These are just a few of the many options for informal writing; an instructor will provide specific directions as to the focus and length of the essay.

A common misconception when students are assigned an informal essay is that important rules of spelling and grammar go out the window. It is still important to use proper, formal language when writing informally in an educational setting, unless the piece is fiction and the language is deliberate. The length of this type of essay can vary, but generally it is fairly short as compared to more in-depth pieces, such as research papers. It is still important to have a clear focus in any essay, and a cohesive idea of what the essay is about.

A reflective essay is one of the most common types of informal essays. These are often written in response to a certain experience, such as watching a film, reading a book, or taking a class. Students who participate in community events or volunteer days are often asked to write an informal essay about the experience as well. In addition, if a student attends an event for extra credit -- such as a lecture or a play, for example -- the instructor might require an informal essay in order to get the extra credit to ensure the student actually went to the event.

Many students will also assign compositions to students simply to test writing skills and to determine how much the students have learned. This is especially common in the younger grades when students are still learning basic writing skills. A teacher will often provide a simple prompt and encourage students to write an informal essay about it. Students might be prompted to write a fictional story, or they might be asked to tell a story about an experience they have had. Asking students to summarize what they have learned that day in school is another common essay writing prompt.

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Informal Essay Writing FAQ

Q: What is the first stage in writing a short informal essay?

A: First of all, you need to read the assignment carefully, as teachers frequently ask you to do something in the essay or consider several important points. Only then can you start brainstorming about the topic and start writing the text.

Q: How to end an informal essay?

A: An informal essay is an exceptional academic paper, since it allows you to end it as you wish. Think about how books usually end or how authors conclude a long blog post. You can use a question to finish the essay, restate the idea you have covered in the text, call for action, or create a vivid image.

Q: How to identify an informal essay?

A: The main things that distinguish an informal essay are a highly personal tone and the absence of specific structure. Blogs, personal reflections, and magazine articles are great examples of informal texts.

Q: Is an expository essay formal or informal?

A: Usually, this kind of essay explains or describes something. It is typically written with formal language in the third person perspective, but it may be informal depending on your assignment requirements.

Q: Is an argumentative essay formal or informal?

A: It’s mostly an academic type of writing that should follow a formal writing style. In certain cases, the teacher may ask you to write an informal essay on an arguable topic. We also recommend checking teachers’ recommendations.

* this material was originally written for the EssayShark blog

What is the first stage in writing a short informal essay?

The first step in any essay is to write an introductory paragraph.

PettyBetty Norman ∙

Planning first step

Add your answer:

What comes after a conclusion in an essay?

A smiley face. In informal writing, an emoticon :-) is used, or a little face is drawn on the paper. In formal writing, it's best to write it out, like this: *smile*

What is the first thing you should do before writing your answer to an essay question?

Create a short outline for your response.

What is the definition essay?

A short piece of writing on a particular subject.

What does essay mean?

Essay: the noun: a short writing exercise the verb: to try or attempt

What is the definition of definition essay?

It is a short piece of writing on a particular subject like cats.

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Extended Essay: Formal vs. Informal Writing

• Extended Essay- The Basics
• Step 1. Choose a Subject
• Step 2. Educate yourself!
• Using Brainstorming and Mind Maps
• Identify Keywords
• Do Background Reading
• Define Your Topic
• Conduct Research in a Specific Discipline
• Step 5. Draft a Research Question
• Step 6. Create a Timeline
• Find Articles
• Find Primary Sources
• Get Help from Experts
• Search Engines, Repositories, & Directories
• Databases and Websites by Subject Area
• Create an Annotated Bibliography
• Advice (and Warnings) from the IB
• Chicago Citation Syle
• MLA Works Cited & In-Text Citations
• Step 9. Set Deadlines for Yourself
• Step 10. Plan a structure for your essay
• Evaluate & Select: the CRAAP Test
• Conducting Secondary Research
• Conducting Primary Research
• Formal vs. Informal Writing
• Presentation Requirements
• Evaluating Your Work

Differences Between Informal and Formal Essays

When writing your extended essay you should use language that is formal and academic in tone.  The chart below gives you some idea of the differences between informal and formal essays. See the box below for examples of the differences in tone in informal and formal essays written on identical topics. A PDF of this chart, and the examples below, is in the box to the right , along with a list of tips for avoiding colloquial writing.

Examples of Informal and Formal Tone in Essay Writing

The following examples highlight the differences between formal and informal tone.

Language B - English

• Formal vs. Informal Writing A chart giving the differences between informal and formal essays in seven areas (author's viewpoint; subject/content (sources of evidence); tone; structure; location of the research question; vocabulary; and purpose. Also included are examples comparing informal and formal writing for essays in English, biology, and psychology.
• How to Avoid Colloquial (Informal) Writing While it may be acceptable in friendly e-mails and chat rooms, excessive colloquialism is a major pitfall that lowers the quality of formal written text. Here are some steps/tips that you can follow to help improve your overall writing.
• << Previous: Plagiarism
• Next: Presentation Requirements >>
• Last Updated: Jun 26, 2024 12:25 PM
• URL: https://libguides.westsoundacademy.org/ee

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Chess Players Wonder if Being a Grandmaster Still Has Meaning

The ballooning number of players who have achieved the top title has some of the game’s best players asking whether the designation even matters.

By Dylan Loeb McClain

When the International Chess Federation created the inaugural list of grandmasters, the game’s highest title, in 1950, there were 27. Today, there are more than 1,850.

“There are too many grandmasters,” said Nigel Short, the director for chess development at the federation, the game’s governing body, who himself is a grandmaster. Mr. Short, who is English, said that when he is in Germany, which has almost 100 grandmasters, “To call me grandmaster adds nothing. They are two a penny.”

Mr. Short, 59, pointed out that the high number of grandmasters is a relatively recent phenomenon. When he was a rising junior player in the late 1970s, there were only about 100 of them in the world.

To become one is technically not easy. A player must at least once achieve an Elo rating, the system used to rank players, of more than 2,500 — less than one percent of players ever do that. A player must also achieve a “norm,” a performance equivalent to playing at the level of a player rated 2,600, in at least three tournaments.

But not all grandmasters are created equal. Magnus Carlsen, the former world champion, who has been ranked No. 1 in the world almost continuously since 2009, is one. So is Jacob Aagaard, a coach and trainer. The difference between them is their ratings: Mr. Carlsen’s is 2,830, while Mr. Aagaard’s is 2,426.

Mr. Aagaard, 50, explained that he stopped playing professionally 15 years ago, shortly after he became a grandmaster. Though he still competes occasionally, he plays more for enjoyment and does not worry as much as he once did about whether he wins or loses, he said.

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