HOW TO WRITE AN INFORMATIVE ESSAY OUTLINE

Whatever level you’re in your academic journey, whether high school or college, there is the likelihood that you will be required to write an informative essay. Your professor will either assign you a topic or allow you to pick one for yourself. It is pertinent that you choose a subject you are familiar with so that you have a starting point. The sole purpose of an informative essay is to educate or inform your readers about a particular topic or idea. The essayist focuses mainly on providing factual information on the subject and not his/her opinions. The primary objective is to ensure that readers learn and understand something new about the topic under review. Order Now

WRITING AN INFORMATIVE ESSAY OUTLINE

Looking for tips on how to write an informative essay outline? Well, an informative essay is crafted in the standard essay structure. It should consist of an introduction, three well-written body paragraphs, and a brief conclusion. The introduction presents the critical argument in an exciting and captivating way. The body paragraphs provide supporting evidence for the arguments presented in the opening. Finally, the conclusion summarizes the information and gives its impact to the real world.

Tips on Writing the Introduction

When writing the intro, you can use this format: lead-in, thesis statement and proof points to convey your ideas in this section.

Lead-in

The lead-in states the purpose of the paper. It should always precede the thesis and connect directly with your subject matter. Your lead-in should be a catchy hook statement that grabs the reader’s attention. The statement could be an educative rhetorical question or a quote that’s relevant to the topic. You can also define the subject that you’re writing on. The approach you choose should pave the way for an excellent thesis statement.

Thesis Statement

The thesis gives a brief synopsis of the critical argument in the essay. The informative article will be based on the thesis statement. Therefore, ensure that you construct it coherently. Avoid being ambiguous in your thesis statement since this is the sentence that’s going to be developed and explained in the article.

Proof Points

Mention your points of proof in the order in which you will build them up in your essay. These statements should be stated in different sentences. Make sure to use transitioning words to create powerful links between the points and also help your readers differentiate your ideas from the thesis statement. Most students prefer not to state their proof points in the intro. If this is the case with you, you can incorporate the aspects in the draft. Then, once they have served their purpose of guiding you to arrange and cement supporting ideas, you can delete them from the final draft. Remember, the introduction should, in essence, inform the readers of the points that you will make in the paper. Therefore, avoid backing your points and thesis statement in the opening. In addition to this, stay away from composing a concluding statement in the presentation since it obscures the essay plan that you’ve meticulously laid out.

Informative Essay Outline: Writing the Body Paragraphs

The body paragraphs serve to build on or support the thesis statement. The information that the writer provides should be based on extensive research from credible sources. The following tips will direct you in writing the three body paragraphs: Start each section with a topic sentence. The topic sentence is ideally written at the beginning of the essay and summarizes the main idea of the section. It also gives an insightful view of the writer’s principal opinion for the paragraph. Use transitioning phrases to create smooth transitions from the rest body paragraphs. Write your strongest points first to capture the reader’s attention and make them want to read the rest of your essay. The superiority of your composition depends on how well you support your thesis statement. Provide supporting evidence to validate each point you make. You can derive the proof from journals, books or credible online sources as long as you cite the sources correctly. Otherwise, your text will be flagged for plagiarism. Supporting your points informs the readers that you understand what you’re writing about and are willing to help them comprehend too. Conclude the paragraph with a sentence that gives a general outline of the arguments you present. The purpose of the concluding sentence is to exhibit assertiveness, that is, show that your opinion is the correct one. Doing this will give your article more strength and make it look sharp.

The Conclusion

The conclusion for an outline for informative essay ought to reiterate the thesis statement without repeating it. It should also offer final insights and thoughts on the topic. Remember, by the end an informative essay; the readers should remember the key points highlighted in the article. Therefore, explain your points using different words, leaving room for smooth transition. If done accurately, the restatement and the short argument relay should blend well with each other. To efficiently complete the essay, one must think of a concluding statement that serves to explain the significance of your argument and show how this insight can be applied. Concluding your exposition in such a way gives it value in the real world.

INFORMATIVE ESSAY OUTLINE EXAMPLE 1

Below is an informative essay outline example on the subject of nicotine addiction.

Nicotine Addiction

Introduction

Define what is nicotine addiction; Give concise background information concerning nicotine addiction (How can a person become an addict? What happens when one decides to quit smoking?); Write the thesis statement to define the scope of the composition. (Focus the article on the relationship between Cigarette smoking and the risk of lung cancer and emphysema.)

Body Paragraphs

Paragraph 1: Cigarette smoking and lung cancer; Paragraph 2: Cigarette smoking and emphysema; Paragraph 3: How to quit smoking.

Conclusion

Restate the thesis (mention how smoking is related or leads to lung cancer or emphysema); Mention the importance of the study.

INFORMATIVE ESSAY OUTLINE EXAMPLE 2

How to Build a Foundation for a Successful Career through Education

Introduction

Creative opening: Do you want to have a successful career? Or do you want to make more money? Background information: Explain how a college education can help shape your career. You can also state the advantages of a college degree. Thesis statement: Setting goals, motivation and learning are three essential elements for succeeding in the academic and career world.

Body

Paragraph 1: Explain how and why one should set goals and how they help in building a successful career. Paragraph 2: Explain how the right motivation can inspire you to strive for excellence in your studies. Paragraph 3: Make clear how learning new skills and gaining knowledge will help build a successful career.

Conclusion

Restate the thesis and explain how the insight that you’ve demonstrated can be applied.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Informative essays tend to be challenging assignments for most students since sometimes explaining specific ideas requires more research and critical thinking than anticipated. For this reason, students submit low-quality articles and get terrible scores for their hard work. To alleviate this issue, follow the outlines presented in this article. Keep in mind that an informative essay is different from a persuasive essay. Therefore, avoid writing your own opinions about the subject. It should seek to inform about the issue without impacting the writer’s view.