How to write an informal essay

Do you know how to write an informal essay? If not, worry not because we are here to guide you. It is as easy as one plus one, as will be illustrated in this guide. It’s all about how you play around with the informal language to create something flawless.

What does informal mean? This is an easy question. Informal means relaxed or unofficial in nature. It may also mean using grammatical words concerning everyday events in conversations. We will give you a very efficient insight into how you can go about it.

What is an informal essay?

An informal essay is a piece of writing where you write for leisure, and you are allowed to express your ideas the best way you understand them. Unlike a formal essay, an informal essay gives you the liberty to express yourself wholly without restricting you to a specific format. There are no rules attached to this type of essay, and the language used is casual.

Rules of Formal writing

Formal writing is writing that follows a specific rule or structure. Types of formal writing are formal letters, new reports, and formal e-mails. Some of the laws of this writing are;

⦁ Are written to achieve a specific objective
⦁ Wider use of vocabulary
⦁ There’s no use of slang
⦁ The sentences used are compound
⦁ Use of contractions is avoided

These rules are supposed to guide you and restrict you to a specific format. You realize that all these writings have different structures. It is mandatory to use the correct outline for each script.

Differences between formal and informal essay

There is a constant argument on what are the major differences between a formal and informal essay. Do you have an idea of some of the differences? Don’t panic. Illustrated below are some of the few differences between the formal and informal essay;

⦁ Informal essays have a more or less loose structure, while formal essays follow a specific writing structure to justify one argument or are restricted to a particular format
⦁ Informal essays are written for entertainment purposes, while formal essays are written to provide and support facts in an argument that involves a critical and thorough evaluation
⦁ Informal essay topics are primarily drawn from everyday life experiences, while formal essay topics are derived from past happenings or literature
⦁ The vocabulary used in informal essays is common in everyday life. In contrast, formal essays involve the use of technical terminologies depending on the topic under scrutiny
⦁ The research topic or question can appear anywhere within the context in informal essays and, at times, might not be stated clearly while in formal essays, the research question must be stated clearly and situated in the first paragraphs of the paper
⦁ In an informal essay, the tone of writing is primarily personal; you can be happy, sad, or angry depending on your opinion on the topic, while in a formal essay, the tone seems to be lacking because its writing is mainly focused on the objective of the study
The above differences bring us to the light of the formal vs informal essay fight. They are well-articulated, and the differences can be drawn with much ease.

Informal essay examples

Most examples of this type of essay are social media posts, diary entries, and writing blogs. Short informal essay examples mainly include personal contact because there is the use of opinions and are entirely subjective as opposed to formal essays. The topic under study is what maybe you have experienced or seen within your setting. These types of informal essay are based on their perspectives.

The informal essay structure is straightforward because the writer is not restricted to using a specific format in its writing. You are given that freedom to express yourself fully, provided you remain respectful and articulate your points properly. This type of freedom only applies to informal essay writing. The structure should comprise a distinct introduction, an elaborative body and an excellent summative conclusion.

Informal language definition

You are given the leeway to use informal language. This type of language is mostly used when communicating with your family or friends. It is frequently used in text conservations and is always classified as personal because you all have different choices of words when it comes to communication. This type of language is also casual in nature.

Informal essay topics

By now, you should understand some of the informal essay topics. They differ depending on education, be it middle school, high school or college. To aid you in getting some of the issues from the everyday life, here are a few examples;
Essay topics for college students

⦁ Causes of increased suicide cases
⦁ How to handle depression
⦁ Effects of technology on the society
⦁ The impact of Covid-19

Essay topics for high school students

⦁ Importance of physical exercise
⦁ Role of religion in impacting ethics
⦁ Is science natural or fiction?

Essay topics for middle school

⦁ Describe your worst experience in life
⦁ What is your favorite sport?
⦁ Benefits of field trips

The outline of an informal essay

Now, how do you start an informal essay? Here is an informal essay outline on how effectively you can execute it effectively:

⦁ Select a topic

Informal essay topics may be provided by your professor, or you can also come up with a case of your own based on the instructions in your assignment. Your topic should be so narrow to avoid writing unnecessary content. You can have an essay topic like “Marriage”; how about breaking it into more explicit topics? For instance

⦁ Integrity and honesty in marriage
⦁ The role of the man and the woman in marriage
⦁ Can arranged marriages still work?
⦁ Effects of technology on marriage
⦁ Challenges faced in marriages

As illustrated above, you can break down your main topic into various topics. To write a good informal essay on any of those sub-topics, you must be guided by your opinion or perspective on which best suits you.
⦁ Come up with the outline

You’ll now plan how to put down your points logically because you have already decided on the topic you want to write on. Remember, the flow of ideas is crucial, so you’ll need to have an introduction, body, and conclusion. Each section must communicate a specific message to achieve your main aim at the end of your writing

⦁ Write the introduction

This is the trickiest part of an informal essay because it will attract or scare your readers. You have to be so creative by making it so captivating. You can start by also giving citations relating to your topic so that the readers can understand what you are talking about. Employ some humor at this stage

⦁ Write the body

The facts should be clearly stated and well-explained. Your reader should be able to pick a point in every paragraph under this section. Avoid repetition in an informal essay

The language you will employ here should be convincing so that people see things from your point of view. Remember to use concise and precise sentences. Express yourself fully without limit, but don’t forget as much as you are using informal language; remain respectful

⦁ Conclusion

This is the last part of your informal essay, which is the easiest. At this point, you summarize your work by highlighting some of your key points just for emphasis. You can also proofread your work and edit where necessary. You will leave your reader with a certain feeling of suspense so that they can also form an opinion about your topic.

Characteristics of an informal essay

By now, you are wondering what some of the informal essay characteristics are, right? Well, here they are;
⦁ They are mainly written for leisure or entertainment
⦁ Have a loose structure meaning they are not restricted to be written in a specific way
⦁ The research question can appear anywhere within the essay’s context. At times it’s not stated clearly
⦁ The content to be written about is derived from everyday life events
⦁ The tone of writing this type of essay is subjective in that it depends on opinions and points of view on the topic under scrutiny
⦁ Mostly employs the use of the first-person pronoun. It communicates to the reader directly
⦁ The choice of words are everyday words like ‘you’ and ‘I”

Tips for writing a top-notch informal essay

After reading this article keenly, you can write an informal essay confidently, right? If you aren’t sure, don’t worry; here are some things you can do to develop a fascinating article for your readers. Consider this guide;

⦁ Come up with several questions

After identifying your main topic, generate a list of questions that will aid you in dissecting your topic effectively. Those questions will help you be within the topic and avoid writing non-relevant content.

⦁ Brainstorm and plan

Start answering your questions by thinking them over. Arrange them in a logical manner that will help you to have a flow of ideas. You should have an introduction, body, and conclusion. You’re allowed to do references on articles to boost your content.

⦁ Bring forth your weaknesses and strengths to encourage honest writing

This will make your content more enjoyable when you can explicitly work on both ends of your topic with honesty. Don’t be fixed-minded; put yourself out there.

⦁ Employ personal experiences

Remember the essay is about you, so be more specific when answering the questions. Give examples from your experiences to make the informal essay captivating.

⦁ Use first-person language

Since it’s your story, use ‘I’ or ‘me’ throughout. Make sure you narrate your account to your level best because you know the feeling better. You’re given the liberty to use informal language. There is nothing more creative and imaginative than a free mind. Ensure to stand out in your narration.

⦁ Express yourself

Don’t limit yourself to the extent you become so timid. Flex your muscles so that your readers can learn something from you, but remember not to exaggerate things so much and remain within the topic. Don’t forget yourself to an extent you miss your main objective.

⦁ Show your reader your personality;

Show your reader your traits, be dramatic, and bring humor to your story. Because the narration is about you, don’t subject your reader to a boring article. Give the readers the real you, express your opinion, emotions, perspective, and feelings. Pour them out proudly in your informal essay.

⦁ Understand your audience

Are you wondering what it is you have to be well versed with about your audience? How about their age, race, likes, and beliefs? By doing this, you’ll be guided accordingly to choose respectful and careful words. As much as you use informal language, try to avoid offensive comments that might upset your readers.

⦁ Proofread your essay

The secret to getting that perfect score is to ensure that you always go through your work to do away with any grammatical errors that you may have made.

Bottom line

Do you want a formal or informal response from your readers? Well, everyone always wants to stand out in their writing, and so should you. To ensure you obtain that perfect score, adhering to this guide is the secret. The use of informal language is a good start to reaching out and touching the hearts of your readers.

Writing an informal essay is very easy, especially after following this guideline and carefully studying all the steps involved in writing a breath-taking informal piece. If you still have difficulty writing one, don’t be stressed. Reach out to an experienced writer who can effectively guide you on how it is done. Don’t let the fear of pricing thwart your efforts; informative essay writing services are ridiculously cheap.