Answer:
the purpose of an informative essay is to educate others on a certain topic. Typically, these essays will answer one of the five Ws: who, what, where, when, and why. Of course, they can also answer "how," indicating how to do something.
Informative essays must never express your opinion or try to convince others to take a certain action or stance. That role is expressly reserved for persuasive essays. Of course, if your informative essay is interesting enough, it may move readers to learn more about the subject, but they'll have to come to that on their own, thanks to the wealth of interesting information you present.
Read our examples of informative essays and learn more about choosing a topic and how to write an informative essay to help you get started.
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Structure of an Informative Essay
The basic structure of an informative essay is very simple. It needs to have a beginning, middle, and end. These are known more formally as the introduction, body, and conclusion, respectively.
The Introduction
The beginning, otherwise known as the introduction, is your opportunity to present your thesis statement and grab the attention of the reader. Your thesis statement must be one sentence, making it very clear what the reader will be informed about.
The introduction can be anywhere from a paragraph to a page, depending on the requirements and circumstances. Use this opportunity to introduce the main idea, provide any pertinent definitions, and briefly describe what will be covered. Above all else, the introduction must clearly state what readers are about to explore. Be sure to steer clear of any evidence of your opinion on the topic.
Below, you'll find two informative essay introduction examples to help you brainstorm your own ideas.
Sample Introduction #1: This essay discusses the topic of donating blood.
When you woke up this morning, did you think today would be the day you save a life? In fact, it's quite easy to save a life and it only takes a little bit of your time. You don't even need to be a paramedic or firefighter. All you have to do is set aside approximately one hour to donate blood. This essay will explore how to donate blood, whom it benefits, and how often you can contribute to these life-saving measures.
Sample Introduction #2: This essay explores the history of Ireland from the perspective of its iconic castles.
Ireland is a country steeped in history. In fact, its history dates beyond 3,000 B.C, when the megalithic tombs were constructed in Newgrange. Throughout the country's expansive evolution, the Irish fought time and again to maintain their independence as a sovereign nation. Evidence of the rich history is clearly visible through its many castles, including Leighlinbridge Castle and Carlow Castle, two of Ireland's oldest establishments.
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The Body
The middle, otherwise known as the body, is your opportunity to expound upon the thesis statement and grab the attention of the audience with solid facts, statistics, statements, and other supporting details.
The body will be several paragraphs long, comprising the bulk of the essay. This is where you'll provide further details about the main idea. Be sure you delve deeply into every area previously outlined in the introduction.
The Conclusion
The end, otherwise known as the conclusion, is your opportunity to summarize the essay in a paragraph or two. It should spur the reader to want to learn more about the topic. Be sure to reiterate the thesis statement clearly. In your introduction, you may have laid out what would be covered in the essay. Offer a sentence or two reiterating what was learned about those topic areas.
After that, offer up a few closing remarks that gloss over the most important elements. End on a high note, encouraging your readers to learn more or contemplate the most important elements of your essay. You may even pose a rhetorical question.
