Steps to Writing a Great Informative Essay Step

Steps to Writing a Great Informative Essay

Step 1: Plan Review the prompt-what is it asking? Highlight important terms to better understand the prompt. Read the texts. What main ideas can I use? What can I use as evidence? How many paragraphs do I need? Develop my thesis by addressing the prompt and including my controlling ideas in 1 sentence.

General Tips about Thesis Statements A statement that contains the essay’s topic and point(s). Tells the reader what the essay will be about. Always comes at the end of the introduction. Most thesis statements are only one sentence. Must be a complete sentence. Everything after the introduction must support thesis.

Step 2: Evidence You must use evidence from the texts, and you must tell where you got that evidence. The first time you use information from a source, introduce the source by using T. A. G. - Title, Author, Genre. Example-In the Tribune Business News Article titled “New Restrictions on Teen Driving Led to Fewer Crashes”, Mike Leonard discusses the different options available to states that are seriously considering a change in the driving age. After you have referred to a source by TAG, you can refer to the source by using just the title or the author’s last name. Do NOT use an author’s first name. Example- Leonard offers that “…it’s difficult to make

at your essay Example from PBPA #91: Write an informational essay on the topic of raising the minimum driving age in order to lower crash rates. Consider advantages and disadvantages of increasing the minimum age. Your essay must be based on ideas and information that can be found in New Restrictions on Teen Driving and Driving First Step. Example Intro: Many states are currently debating the issue of whether or not the minimum driving age should be increased in order to lower crash rates. In Mike Leonard’s Tribune Business News article, “New Restrictions on Teen Driving Led to Fewer Crashes”, he examines the advantages some states have seen with restrictions while the Tri-City Herald article, “Driving First r Step to Independence” argues that the disadvantages

Step 3: Elaboration Whenever you include evidence, you must EXPLAIN its purpose in your essay. EXAMPLE: “Four score and seven years ago” (Lincoln). In other words, 87 years ago… Limit the size of your quote. Keep it under 3 lines in length. Length of explanation = length of quote. The essay is not a summary of the articles, it is meant to inform the reader using the articles combined with your own thoughts.

Step 4: Conventions This is a formal essay. Do not use contractions (can’t, won’t, I’m, etc. ). Remove yourself from the essay-this is informative, not persuasive. Do not use “I” or “you” to address yourself or the reader, personal pronouns such as “she” or “he” can be used to refer to the author. Do not misspell words that are in the articles. Go back and look at them for clarification.

Use Transitions o o o o o Above all Again Also As a result As an illustration As one can see In contrast Certainly Consequently Equally important Finally For example For instance For this reason Furthermore Generally However In addition o o o o o In fact In other words In particular In spite of this Most importantly Nevertheless Of course On one hand On the other hand Additionally Otherwise Similarly Specifically Still Surely Then Therefore To explain o o o o o To illustrate While this may be True With this in mind Yet Although Thus In review Moreover Meanwhile Instead On the contrary Since So that After At last Once Before