How to Write Informative Essay Outline
At some point in your school life, you will be asked to write an informative essay. On most occasions, teachers provide students with topics or ask them to choose their preferred topics. It is important to select a topic you are familiar with to avoid the challenges of research and also the challenge of finding a starting point.
An informative essay is written with the sole purpose of educating or informing your readership about a certain topic or idea. The writer mainly focuses on relaying the facts to the audience. Here, the writer’s opinion is not encouraged because the emphasis should be on providing factual information regarding a topic. The primary goal should be to ensure that the readership learns something new about an idea.
Tips Concerning Introduction Writing
The introduction of an informative essay mainly defines the topic under review. The writer also includes information that will help the readers to understand the other parts of the essay. Introductions are often short and direct. The information provided or included here should be enough to entice the audience to continue reading the essay. It is easy to get stuck while writing the introduction and some students often find it hard to begin their essay.
However, the following tips can help students to develop an easier way of approaching their introductions:
- Understand the essay’s topic or goal or focus.
- Begin with a hook. Capture the audience’s attention in the introduction.
- Narrow down the scope of the essay.
- Avoid ambiguity in your thesis statement.
Tips on Thesis Writing
A thesis statement is normally included in the introduction and seeks to reveal the writer’s stance on a particular topic. When writing an informative essay, research is an essential part, and it should form the basis of a student’s essay. Before the writer develops their thesis statement, it is important that they conduct extensive research. Since informative essays are factual, it is essential for the writer to avoid including information that contradicts the existing facts.
When writing a thesis statement for an informative essay, consider the following tips:
- Make the thesis statement interesting or argumentative. On most occasions, students often write standard statements, but it is always fascinating whenever someone decides to deviate from the norm.
- Avoid the use of cliché phrases when writing your thesis statement. For example, “This article will focus on…”
- Make the scope of the statement narrow. The entire essay will be based on this statement and, therefore, the scope is determined by this statement.
Tips on Body Paragraphs
The body of an essay contains arguments and statements that support or build on the thesis statement. In the body of an informative essay, the writer mainly provides the audience with factual information regarding the topic under study. The information included here should be based on extensive research using credible sources.
When asked to write an informative essay, consider the following tips on writing the body paragraphs:
- Use topic sentence. Each supporting argument should be the first sentence of the subsequent paragraphs after the introduction.
- Start with the widely accepted facts about the topic under review. It is always advisable to start an essay with your strongest points. These tend to capture the reader’s attention and make them want to read the remaining bit.
- Avoid including your opinion, but base your arguments on exhaustive research.
- Make use of transition words, for example, Firstly, Additionally, Subsequently, etc. These help readers identify the main facts and distinguish them from supporting insertions.
Tips on Conclusion
Essentially, a conclusion gifts the writer with the opportunity of leaving a lasting impression on the readers. It is, therefore, important for the writer to make their point stand out. An informative essay should educate, and by the end of such an essay, readers should remember the main points.
For the above to take place, consider the following tips from our writing service to help you write your conclusion:
- Restate the essay’s thesis.
- Highlight the main points or arguments that were included in the essay.
- Offer suggestions for further research on the topic while also pointing out the existing loopholes in the study of the subject.
Example of an Outline
An informative essay outline mainly includes the main points that the writer will include in their essay. An outline for an informative essay should be developed when the writer is conducting his research because it will help them to remember the most important points. Informative essay outline writing should not be a challenging task because while developing it, the rules of writing do not apply. Essay writing begins with the development of an informative essay outline.
Below is an example of an informative essay outline on the topic of Caffeine Addiction.
Caffeine Addiction
Good Example
Introduction
- Define the topic (what is caffeine addiction?).
- Brief background information about caffeine addiction (How can a person be a caffeine addict? How does the brain become addicted? What happens when someone decides to quit caffeine?).
- Thesis statement (Focus the essay on the relationship between Caffeine and the risk of heart diseases and Osteoporosis – in other words, define the scope of the essay).
Main Body
- Caffeine and Osteoporosis.
- Caffeine and Heart diseases.
- How to quit caffeine and ultimately end the addiction.
Conclusion
- Restate the thesis (mention how caffeine is connected or could make it possible for a person to get heart disease or osteoporosis).
- Reiterate the importance of the study concerning the effects of caffeine.
Bad Example
Introduction
- No definition of caffeine addiction.
- Provides detailed information about caffeine addiction (the introduction ends up being more than two paragraphs and mind you it could be a five-paragraph essay).
- Inclusion of a thesis statement that does not provide a narrow scope (this means the writer has not made it known to the audience what aspect of caffeine addiction they will be discussing).
Main Body
- Caffeine and heart diseases.
- The dehydrating effect of caffeine.
- Caffeine and pregnant women.
- Health benefits of caffeine.
Conclusion
- Caffeine and insomnia.
- Effects of caffeine on children (Introduces new information in the conclusion).
- Lacks a direct thesis statement and therefore fails to restate it.
