formal essay characteristics

How to Write a Formal Essay: Format, Rules, & Example

If you’re a student, you’ve heard about a formal essay: a factual, research-based paper written in 3rd person. Most students have to produce dozens of them during their educational career. 

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Writing a formal essay may not be the easiest task. But fear not: our custom-writing team is here to guide you through the process. This article will:

• explain what a formal essay is;
• show how to write it step by step;
• provide you with an essay sample. 

👔 Formal Essay Definition

• ✅ How to Write
• ✍️ Writing Rules
• 🖥️ Essay Format
• 📑 Sample Paper

🔍 References

A formal essay is a well-structured piece of writing with a clear introduction, body, and conclusion. This type of essay often includes cited research, uses an academic tone, and is written in 3rd person. While writing a formal essay, it’s necessary to back up your arguments with factual evidence.

What Is an Informal Essay vs. Formal Essay?

Essays come in two formats: formal and informal (also known as personal .) They differ in terms of style and context. You can choose one of the formats depending on the situation and the type of paper you need to write.

Don’t know how to tell the difference between them? Well, here are some key characteristics of these essay types:

As you can see, these types of writing are almost total opposites. Informal essays are only reserved for creative assignments, which means that most of the papers you write need to be formal.

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Our article on creative essays can help you write an informal paper. But how do you craft a perfect formal essay? Keep reading to find out.

✅ How to Write a Formal Essay

Traditionally, a formal essay it’s composed of 3 sections: an introduction, 3 or more body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Let’s examine each part in detail.

Formal Essay Introduction

The introduction is what your essay starts with. Its primary goal is to catch the reader’s attention with a hook, briefly introduce the topic, and lead toward the thesis statement located at the end of the first paragraph.

Here is what you might want to keep in mind while writing the introduction:

If you want some more inspiration for your introduction, check out our article on hooks in writing .

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Now on to the thesis statement : the key idea of your essay. When working on it, keep in mind that it should answer the central question in your topic and reflect your essay’s overall structure. your essay’s overall structure.

Suppose your topic is related to the teaching methods involving poetry. In that case, the thesis statement can be like this:

Teaching methods that involve reading and writing poetry in elementary school are beneficial for children as they enhance their capacity for empathy, develop creativity, and help with self-realization.

Formal Essay Body

The next part of an essay is the main body paragraphs. They support the thesis statement with well-developed arguments and explore the topic in-depth. Each body paragraph starts with a topic sentence stating its main point. The length of a paragraph can vary, but the best option is to have between 4 and 7 sentences.

To make the text flow easily, you may use transitional words. Here are some examples:

• after all, 
• for instance, 
• on the one/other hand, 
• initially, 
• as a result.

How to Write a Formal Essay Conclusion

Lastly, every essay needs closure. A good conclusion summarizes the essay’s main ideas, includes a paraphrased thesis, and encourages the readers to think more about the topic.

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The structure of a conclusion may change slightly depending on the subject. For instance, it can suggest some solutions to a problem, express an opinion, or give a recommendation. It’s important to remember that the conclusion is a part that emphasizes your essay’s most important points and doesn’t introduce new information.

If you’re curious about writing each essay part, check out our article on 5-paragraph essays .

✍️ Formal Writing Rules

Just like choosing the proper attire to wear to a formal event, we need to use the right words while writing a formal essay. Here are some suggestions that can help you maintain a formal tone in your paper:  

Dos of formal writing

• Pay attention to your vocabulary. The words you will use in a formal essay will likely have a nuanced meaning. Make sure you know exactly what the terms mean, and do your best to sound precise.
• Use punctuation correctly. Here are some of the things to watch out for: Avoid exclamation marks; Use dashes for insertions; Use colons with enumerations; If you’re unsure of whether to use a punctuation mark or not, rewrite the sentence in a way that doesn’t require it.
• Use varied sentence structure. In formal writing, there is always a danger of sounding monotonous. Avoid repeating sentence structures to make your essay more readable.
• Provide references. It’s essential to cite every idea that you borrow. Try to paraphrase quotations from your sources: it will help you avoid plagiarism.

Don’ts of formal writing

• Avoid using pronouns.  With words such as “I,” “me,” “we,” or “us,” an essay becomes wordy. It also makes the author seem less sure of their ideas. If you want to use personal pronouns, try substituting them with words like “the reader,” “viewers,” or “one.”
• Avoid using slang expressions and nonstandard diction. Slang words in a formal essay will make it less appealing to the readers. If you want to be taken seriously, it’s best to avoid those expressions and use proper Standard English.
• Avoid informal tone.  When you write a formal essay, incorporate the language and the expressions you would use while delivering a speech, not the words you use when you casually talk to friends. A formal tone suggests that the author is serious about the topic and respects the audience.
• Avoid passive voice. Passive verbs are hard to read, and they are wordy. Use active voice to sound more straightforward and concise.

Contractions in Formal Writing

A contraction is usually a combination of two words into one, such as “don’t,” “isn’t,” “can’t,” and “wouldn’t.” When you work on a formal essay, it’s essential to be careful about contractions. It’s inappropriate to use them in academic writing, so it’s best to stick to the full variant.

However, there are exceptions to this rule. For instance, when working with direct quotations, it’s essential to reproduce words exactly as they are used in the original. To learn more about it, be sure to check out the University of North Florida’s article on in-text citations .

What to Use Instead of “You” in an Essay

Another common mistake students make is using the “you” and “yours” pronouns to address the readers. This mistake can make the essay overly informal and lead to misinterpretations of the text.

How do you fix it? Our advice is to replace 2nd-person pronouns with the following words:

• individuals,

You can find more formal writing tips in this informative video from Smrt English:

🖥️ Formal Essay Format

Now that we’ve discussed formal essay writing in detail, it’s time to look at the formatting. A formal essay is usually written in MLA or APA formats. If you’re asked to write a paper in one of these formats, you may find the guidelines below helpful:

📑 Formal Essay Example

Here is an excellent sample of a formal essay that uses all the guidelines mentioned in this article. It will help you to produce a perfect paper of your own:

For more information, check out Purdue OWL’s resources on various formatting styles .

Formal Essay Topics

• Stress management techniques
• The effects of coffee
• Negative effects of technology on children
• Causes and outcomes of organizational conflicts in sports 
• Different types of friends
• Same-sex marriages in the United States 
• Are early marriages harmful or beneficial?
• How do nutrition and hydration improve athletes’ performance?
• Is polygamy morally acceptable?
• Different features of sports business
• What characterizes friendship in the age of media ?
• Positive and negative effects of tourism on environment in the Caribbean
• How does society treat single parents ?
• How does the uninvolved parenting style affect child’s future well-being?
• The role of family relationships in Odyssey
• Financial concepts in sport finance
• Main features of a strong marriage
• The importance of media coverage for sport teams 
• Reasons why students choose to get internship
• The role of stadiums in the sports industry
• The multiracial family: the Carters case analysis
• Characteristics of children’s sports 
• Crucial factors affecting health fitness
• How is technology used in hotel management? 
• Structure and operational context of Four Seasons
• What are the main qualities of a true friend? 
• Different websites that promote rental properties
• The imperative aspects of tourism
• Importance of hotel training
• What factors determine adolescents’ adjustment after they experience parental divorce ?
• How does tobacco use affect the human body?
• The importance of language and world view for communication 
• What makes a combination of reinforcement and punishment in parenting efficient? 
• The scientific approach of sports economics 
• How does divorce affect children?
• Living on-campus vs. living off-campus when attending university: a comparison
• How does the New Moves program promote a healthy lifestyle?
• How to be an effective counselor
• Various types of restaurants in Ireland 
• Carolina Dog’s characteristics 
• Comparison of Monzameon’s The Love Suicides at Amijima and Tartuffe by Moliere
• Comparing homosexual and heterosexual families
• How is family presented in Everyday Use by Alice Walker ?
• In what ways can Anaerobic Threshold be assessed?
• Is bad parenting a healthcare problem?
• Why student-athletes should benefit from sports
• Mind-body awareness and its health benefits 
• Can punishment boost academic performance?
• Techniques to teach students swimming
• Issues faced by the sports licensing field

Thanks for reading through this guide! We hope that you found it helpful and now have a better idea of how to write an excellent formal essay. Don’t hesitate to share our article with a friend who may need it. Good luck!

Further reading:

• How to Write a Critical Thinking Essay: Examples & Outline
• What Is a Discourse Analysis Essay: Example & Guide
• How to Write a Narrative Essay Outline: Template & Examples
• How to Write a Précis: Definition, Guide, & Examples 

❓ Formal Essay FAQs

It’s best not to use pronouns such as “I,” “my,” “we,” “our,” etc., in a formal essay since it give the paper an informal tone and the text becomes wordy. It also makes the writer seem less sure about their ideas.

It’s better to avoid using parentheses and dashes in formal academic writing. If the information you want to include in the essay is important enough, it should be a part of the sentence. Otherwise, you can simply omit it.

The formal and informal essays differ in style and context. While a formal essay is a piece of well-structured writing that tries to convince the reader by providing arguments, an informal essay has no set structure. It reflects the author’s personal thoughts or opinions.

Starting your sentence with “because” in formal writing is not the best idea. The word “because” is a subordinate conjunction, which means it’s used to join the main clause to a subordinate clause, not to start a sentence.

It’s best to avoid using 1st- and 2nd-person pronouns, slang expressions, nonstandard diction, and contractions in a formal essay. They are primarily used in daily speech and are considered inappropriate in academic writing. 

• Point of View in Academic Writing: St. Louis Community College
• Components of a Good Essay: University of Evansville
• Introductions & Conclusions: University of Arizona Global Campus
• How to Improve Your Academic Writing: University of York
• Nine Basic Ways to Improve Your Style in Academic Writing: University of California, Berkeley
• Academic Writing Style: Organizing Your Social Sciences Research Paper: University of Southern California
• Formal and Informal Style: Northern Illinois University
• Formal Writing: Davenport University: LibGuides
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Formal and Informal Writing Styles

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Writing style is how a writer expresses themselves. It includes spelling, grammar and punctuation, as well as aspects like sentence length and word choice. Style may vary with the type or purpose of writing. For example, you may come across academic writing , journalistic writing and business writing , all of which have different purposes and characteristics. Style may also vary with period (age) and nationality.

However, all styles of writing can be described as either formal or informal.

This page covers the key aspects of formal and informal writing styles, to enable you to distinguish between the two, and use them appropriately.

Understanding Formal and Informal Styles

What do we mean by ‘formal’ and ‘informal’?

Some definitions

formal , adj . stiffly polite rather than relaxed and friendly; said of language: strictly correct with regard to grammar, style and choice of words, as distinct from conversational

informal , adj. without ceremony or formality; relaxed and friendly; said of language, clothes, etc: suitable for and used in relaxed, everyday situations.

Source: Chambers 21st Century Dictionary, online edition.

Informal language and writing, then, is suitable for use every day .

It is, effectively, how we speak and write to our friends and families. It will include slang and colloquialisms (defined as phrases that are used in informal but not formal language). The recipient may tolerate some spelling and grammar mistakes.

We are therefore likely to use an informal writing style when composing emails and letters to friends and family. Blogs and other online copy are also often written in a more informal, conversational style.

Formal writing needs much more care.

It is the style of writing used for business and other official purposes. It needs to be correct in terms of grammar, spelling, punctuation and usage.

A more formal style may also be appropriate for some letters, for example, if you are making a complaint to an organisation.

You may find our page on Writing Styles helpful. This is part of our study skills section, and summarises the main styles of writing that a student may encounter during their studies.

Characteristics of Formal and Informal Writing

When you look at a piece of writing, it is possible to distinguish whether it is written in a formal or informal style from several different aspects.

The main characteristics of an informal writing style are:

Colloquial language and terms. Informal writing is similar to a spoken conversation. It may therefore include slang, figures of speech, broken syntax, or asides.

A personal tone as if you were speaking directly to your audience (readers). Informal writing is often very conversational in style. The writer often uses the first person (I and we), and will also address the reader directly using the second person (you and your).

A simple structure and approach. As in conversation, both sentences and paragraphs tend to be shorter in informal writing. This is especially true in writing for the internet. Writers may also use incomplete sentences or ellipses (…) to make points.

Contractions and abbreviations within the text. Just as in speech, words may be shortened or abbreviated in informal writing. You will therefore see contractions (for example, I’m, doesn’t, couldn’t, it’s) and abbreviations (e.g. TV, photos) used much more in this form of writing.

Empathy and emotion. In informal writing, a writer will often show more empathy towards the reader. They may, for example, explain a more complex thought more clearly. This is linked to the more personal style in informal writing, which is more suited to conveying emotions.

The main characteristics of a formal writing style are:

A more complex structure. Formal writing often uses longer sentences. However, this is changing slightly with a growing understanding that clarity is important. In formal writing, you will also see a more structured approach generally, with points clearly introduced, explained and concluded. Formal pieces of writing are often carefully planned, revised and reviewed several times to ensure that they are as clear as possible, and make all the necessary points.

Complex should not mean incomprehensible

Some people equate formal writing with the use of longer words and complex sentence structures.

It is true that formal writing can be like that. However, this is neither essential nor desirable .

Any writing needs to convey your point to the reader as clearly as possible.

Using simpler language and sentence structures is usually a better way to do this. Long words do not make you sound cleverer, especially if you use them incorrectly.

See our page on Using Plain English for more about this.

An objective approach. In formal writing, the writer uses a more objective approach. Main points are usually stated and then supported with arguments. Formal writing is less likely to be emotional in style. It therefore avoids emotive punctuation such as exclamation points or ellipsis, unless they are being cited from another source.

Use of full words rather than contractions. As a general rule, no contractions should be used to simplify words in formal writing. Abbreviations should generally be spelt out in full when first used. There are a few exceptions to this rule, for example, when the acronym is better known than the full name (BBC, ITV or NATO for example) or where it has become part of the language (for example, AIDS).

Writing in the third person. Formal writing is not a personal writing style. The writer often aims to sound dispassionate about the topic. It is usually not appropriate to use the first person (I or we) or second person (you). However, there are some exceptions to this (see box).

First or third person in academic writing?

In academic writing, it was traditional to use the third person and the passive voice. For example:

“The authors are not aware of any other studies that have used this approach.”

“The reagents were added together carefully to avoid any cross-contamination.”

However, this type of language is quite hard to read. Many academic journals therefore now encourage the use of the active voice, and the first person, but within a style that is considered formal.

Examples of this use of language are:

“As far as we are aware, no other studies have used this method.”

“In total, we enrolled 65 people onto the study over a period of six months. They completed the initial questionnaire during April 2021.”

When to Use Formal and Informal Writing

A formal writing style is not necessarily “better” or “worse” than an informal approach.

There is a time and a place for both. They have very different purposes. You should therefore take care to choose the most appropriate style to use. There are several factors that may affect your choice.

Two of the key factors dictating the choice of a formal or informal writing style are your audience and your medium.

You may therefore find it helpful to read our pages Know your Audience and Know Your Medium .

In general, writing for professional or work purposes is likely to require a formal style. However, you may be able to use a more informal style if you are writing to someone you know in person.

Emails also tend to use a less formal style than paper-based communications. However, this is changing slightly as more organisations use emails for all communications. You should therefore avoid the use of “text talk” or too much informality.

There is more about this in our page on Good Email Etiquette .

If in doubt as to how formal your writing should be, it is usually better to err on the side of caution.

Almost nobody is offended by too much formality. However, it is certainly possible to offend by being too informal in your approach.

Continue to: Know Your Audience Common Mistakes in Writing

See also: Active and Passive Voice Creative Writing How to Write a Report

Extended Essay: Formal vs. Informal Writing

• Extended Essay- The Basics
• Step 1. Choose a Subject
• Step 2. Educate yourself!
• Using Brainstorming and Mind Maps
• Identify Keywords
• Do Background Reading
• Define Your Topic
• Conduct Research in a Specific Discipline
• Step 5. Draft a Research Question
• Step 6. Create a Timeline
• Find Articles
• Find Primary Sources
• Get Help from Experts
• Search Engines, Repositories, & Directories
• Databases and Websites by Subject Area
• Create an Annotated Bibliography
• Advice (and Warnings) from the IB
• Chicago Citation Syle
• MLA Works Cited & In-Text Citations
• Step 9. Set Deadlines for Yourself
• Step 10. Plan a structure for your essay
• Evaluate & Select: the CRAAP Test
• Conducting Secondary Research
• Conducting Primary Research
• Formal vs. Informal Writing
• Presentation Requirements
• Evaluating Your Work

Differences Between Informal and Formal Essays

When writing your extended essay you should use language that is formal and academic in tone.  The chart below gives you some idea of the differences between informal and formal essays. See the box below for examples of the differences in tone in informal and formal essays written on identical topics. A PDF of this chart, and the examples below, is in the box to the right , along with a list of tips for avoiding colloquial writing.

Examples of Informal and Formal Tone in Essay Writing

The following examples highlight the differences between formal and informal tone.

Language B - English

• Formal vs. Informal Writing A chart giving the differences between informal and formal essays in seven areas (author's viewpoint; subject/content (sources of evidence); tone; structure; location of the research question; vocabulary; and purpose. Also included are examples comparing informal and formal writing for essays in English, biology, and psychology.
• How to Avoid Colloquial (Informal) Writing While it may be acceptable in friendly e-mails and chat rooms, excessive colloquialism is a major pitfall that lowers the quality of formal written text. Here are some steps/tips that you can follow to help improve your overall writing.
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• Next: Presentation Requirements >>
• Last Updated: Apr 12, 2024 2:56 PM
• URL: https://libguides.westsoundacademy.org/ee

Formal Essays: What You Need to Know Essay (Article)

A formal essay is a piece of non fiction writing where one attempts to support a certain idea through the use of stories, quotes and facts. These types of essays are common in the corporate arena and also in the academic field.

What you need to know about formal essays

• Be careful with your tone – writers must avoid slang, short forms, use of the first person and any informal language that may compromise on the objectivity of the piece. Beliefs and emotions need to be kept out of formal essays as much as possible.
• Analyze the content of the essay – a formal essay is an advancement of an argument and should therefore have a main idea through a strong thesis statement. This should also be supported throughout the paragraphs and be summarized at the end of the essay
• Do not compromise on structure – a good formal essay is one in which the ideas are well connected and thoroughly organized. Depending on the writing style chosen, most formal essays have a centered headline and titles need to be capitalized. Also, the use of an active voice is critical in this kind of writing as is maintains the attention of readers.

Students need to realize that although formal essay writing entails the use of facts to advance one’s argument, this is no excuse for writers to be boring. One must think of creative ways of advancing one’s main idea. However, neutrality ought to be maintained at all costs.

• Chicago (A-D)
• Chicago (N-B)

IvyPanda. (2021, November 26). Formal Essays: What You Need to Know. https://ivypanda.com/essays/formal-essays-what-you-need-to-know/

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IvyPanda . (2021) 'Formal Essays: What You Need to Know'. 26 November.

IvyPanda . 2021. "Formal Essays: What You Need to Know." November 26, 2021. https://ivypanda.com/essays/formal-essays-what-you-need-to-know/.

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IvyPanda . "Formal Essays: What You Need to Know." November 26, 2021. https://ivypanda.com/essays/formal-essays-what-you-need-to-know/.

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Formal Essays

Within the activities that you have to deal with in your entire life, there are certain instances where you will be required to write an essay . This is the reason why you have to be knowledgeable on how to construct different kinds of essays so you can easily create a particular one when necessary. One type of essay that is usually asked by entities to be written is a formal essay. A formal essay is commonly associated with academic essay examples  and other educational writing activities. However, the usage of a formal essay is not limited to that as it can be used in professional researchers, business transactions, and other corporate undertakings.

It is essential for a formal essay to inform its audience about a particular matter. More so, it should be composed of details that can persuade the readers to believe what the writer is saying. Refer to the downloadable samples of formal essays that are available in this post so you can have references and guides if you have been tasked to create this specific essay and is unaware of what to do.

Formal Student Profile Essay Sample

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Formal Essay Sample Guide

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Components of a Formal Essay Introduction

Compared to how a  descriptive essay  can be deemed appealing, one of the things that you always have to give focus on when creating a formal essay is the introduction that you will use. First impressions play a vital role in how your target readers will create their perception of your writing. Just as how the physical appearance of people tend to be the factor that can affect your first impression about them, the introduction of your essay can also be the means on how your formal essay can be perceived and initially judged.

You need to create a formal essay introduction that is outstanding. It needs to get the attention of your readers in a way that is not overwhelming. You need to consider different factors when doing your introduction so you can ensure that your formal essay can have a good start. Here are some of the components of a formal essay introduction that you need to be aware of:

• Statistics or research results either coming from the government or reliable non-profit organizations
• Hard hitting questions that are relevant to your topic discussion
• Famous quotations from people whose life works are related to what you will be talking about
• Use another sentence to provide information about your topic.  Your readers need to have a basic background information about what they can expect with regards the content of your formal essay. This should contain details that can be helpful in providing your readers an idea of why it is relevant for them to continue reading your written output. One sentence is enough as your presentation only requires a few words to be done. Again, focus on the main information that you would like to talk about so that your readers will not be misled regarding the content of your formal essay.
• Lastly, incorporate your thesis statement in your introduction. It will be best if you will end your introduction with a thesis statement. This is for the reason that it can represent the main idea of your essay. If you will be able to present the major purpose of your essay and the actual point of discussion, then it will be easier for you to connect with your readers. The initial impact that your introduction can provide can say a lot about how you can direct the attention of your prospective audience. With a strong thesis statement, your formal essay is sure to be off to a good start.

Simple Formal Essay Sample

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Formal Presentation Essay Sample

Size: 106 KB

How to Create a Formal Essay

Since a formal essay should always be based on factual information, it tends to be more objective, precise and direct to the point compared to other essays. With this, formatting a formal essay requires in-depth knowledge about the topic as well as about the proper format or content flow that should be used to cohesively put together important information. Here is how you can easily format the information that you would like to present in a formal essay may it be a  college essay  or a professional/corporate requirement:

• Create an introduction which can provide the topic of your discussion. We have already given you an idea on how you can formulate an effective introduction. It all boils down to how you will incorporate these ideas to your actual writing. Your introduction may not give a lot of details when compared to the body of you essay but it certainly can convince your readers to continue reading which can make your work more usable and relevant.
• Each paragraph should contain a subtopic that is related to your discussion. This can make your discussion more organized.
• Ensure that your body will have factual details that can support your topic or subject. You have to make sure that the information that you will give to your readers are real so your essay will be deemed credible.
• Always create a body that conveys ideas related to the thesis statement that you have created. With each topic statement, the connection of both your resources and relevant opinions should be evident.
• Make a conclusion that can summarize the entire essay.  If you want to create an efficient essay conclusion, it is suggested for you to restate your thesis statement. This can remind your readers of the discussion that you just had in your essay’s body. Also, it will allow them to connect the purpose of the essay to what you have actually come up with. Your conclusion should also summarize all your main points so you can fully present your stand with regards the subject that you talked about.

Creating the format of your formal essay is easy. However, you have to make sure that your objective for writing the essay is realized. Think of the things that you need to discuss so you can put them in their proper places. Organization within the writing procedures can help you to be more focused on what to discuss first and what to give importance and focus on.

Sample Formal Essay Structure

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Formal Essay Example

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How to Make Your Formal Essay Outstanding Through Proper Language Selection

Writing an essay is not just about its thought, content, and format. Aside from these major factors of essay writing, you also have to be keen when selecting the language to use. May it be in the educational and professional field, using the appropriate language when writing your formal essay can affect the entirety of the document.

You need to make sure that the language that you will use is formal and business-like. This is not only used for writing a formal essay as it can also apply to comparative essay  creation and other writing activities. The language that you will incorporate into your essay can make your formal essay stand out if you will be aware of these items:

• Choose to use words that are formal in nature. Formal vocabulary can help your sentences, phrases, and paragraphs to be structured in a way that it will look more fitting as an academic document.
• As much as possible, veer away from using a first person standpoint. Always be reminded that your main task is to highlight and support your thesis statement. Both nouns and pronouns that are in the first person can actually make your essay less credible as it will sound like what you are stating are baseless or just your own opinion.
• Use words that can formally support your statements. It is essential for your language to have a precise interpretation of your essay and its tone. Being able to do this can help your formal essay to be more put together
• Use a language that is relevant to the needs of your target readers. Avoid slang, jargon, and colloquial terms which may not possibly be understood by your readers. You need to create a proper connection with your readers which is the reason why your language is very important to be considered.

Readers, though interested in the topic that you are writing about, can be offended or feel disinterested if they will find that your language is not appropriate for a particular discussion or written transaction. Hence, you need to be responsible enough as a writer when it comes to choosing your language.

Sample Formal Essay Format

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Extended Formal Essay Guide

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Guidelines in Writing a Formal Essay

Just like any other kinds of essays, there are no strict rules that are irreplaceable. The way that you create a formal essay will always vary from situation to situation. Within the entirety of your formal essay writing, it is for sure that you might commit  common essay mistakes . Listed below are some of the guidelines that you may incorporate into your writing so that your formal essay can look as professional as possible:

• Do not use redundant phrases. Repeating topics or content theme can make your formal essay boring. Repetitive statements can also irritate or bore your readers.
• Use samples of formal essays as your writing guides. If you have no idea on how to create a formal essay, it will be easier for you to create one if you are guided by downloadable samples. Having a reference when doing your own formal essay can help you become more efficient in the entire writing process.
• If samples are not enough to guide you, have the freedom to use templates. There are some templates that already contain a formal essay content. Make sure that you will remove these as all you need from the template is the guideline on how to format the document. More so, refer to the instructions that are given to you so you can incorporate it in the format that you will use.

Formal Essay Rubric Sample

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Formal Literary Essay Sample

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A standardized and comprehensive formal essay is very appealing to readers. Hence, always be consistent with your discussion and the presentation flow that you will follow. Your formal essay can represent your style as a writer which is the main reason why you always have to incorporate credible language, forms, and materials in your writing. Being able to immerse yourself in writing a formal essay in the most effective manner can help you grow as a writer. This will enable you to acquire new skills and develop new opportunities for academic or professional growth.

If you are already prepared to write a formal essay, make use of our samples as well as the tips that we have provided in this post. Review your formal essay before submitting it so you can correct grammatical errors and other mistakes. Writing a formal essay should not be a burden to you. Enjoy the process and learn from everything that you will go through. Once you already get the gist of writing this type of essay, it will be very easy for you to repeat the process for your next writing activities.

Formal Essay Generator

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Write a Formal Essay on the significance of Shakespeare's works in modern literature.

Discuss the ethical implications of genetic engineering in a Formal Essay.

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Guilford College Writing Manual

Informal vs. formal writing.

• Practical Considerations
• Write to Learn
• Defining and Freeing the Self
• Joining a Community of Seekers
• Final Thoughts
• A Proposed Categorization of the Academic Writer's Responsibilities
• Required Writing Courses
• Placement in First-Year Writing Courses
• Writing Courses Beyond First-Year English
• Essay vs. Article
• Two Models of Papers
• What is the Real Difference?
• Specific Expectations of Papers
• Grade Descriptions
• The A Paper
• The B Paper
• The C Paper
• The D Paper
• The F Paper
• What makes college reading different?
• Levels of Reading
• An Overview
• Sample Schedule
• Suggestions for Prewriting
• Modes of Invention
• Four Categories of Invention
• Intuition Heuristics
• The Five Perspectives
• Loosening Heuristics
• Closing Observations
• Introduction
• Preliminary Tasks
• The Search Strategy
• Finding Materials
• Finding Appropriate Websites
• Selected Websites
• Documenting Your Sources
• Open Form vs. Fixed Form
• Geography of a Thesis and Proof Essay
• Introductions
• Body Paragraphs
• Conclusions
• Maintaining Control
• Geography of an Issues and Exploration Paper
• Reader Expectations
• What is Style?
• Festival of Verbs
• Two Zones of the Word Stock
• Levels of Generality
• Writing with Nouns and Verbs
• Avoiding Cliches
• The Two Faces of Jargon
• Using "I" in Academic Writing
• What Kinds of Sentences to Use
• Hemingway vs. Faulkner
• Three Syntactic Devices Worth Using
• Subject-Verb-Object
• Touches of Elegance
• Gunning's Fog Index
• Why It's Important
• Two General Principles
• Some College-Level Problems
• A Word on Typos
• An Important General Rap
• Revising Checklist
• Revising for Concreteness
• Revising to Eliminate Wordiness
• Revising to Sharpen
• Revising to Improve Coherence
• Revising to Make More Effective Use of Quotations
• Revising to Make Language More Inclusive
• Revising to Brighten
• What It Is and Why We Do It
• Sample Edit Guide

At Guilford you will do both informa l and formal writing. Let's look at informal writing first. The phrase is actually a misnomer. "Informal writing" suggests writing that is casual, unimportant. The true situation is just the opposite. Informal writing may be the most important writing you do.

Informal writing encourages independent thought, enlarges your capacity to make connections, makes you aware of yourself as a learner, increases your confidence by giving you a chance to get your ideas right with yourself before communicating them to others, affirms the value of your writing voice, and can serve as a springboard for formal assignments.

Informal writing tends to be:

exploratory digressive searching speculative talky writer-based uncorrected

Types of informal writing: impromptu writing in class, field notes, journal entries, initial drafts of papers, imaginative writing projects your professors will assign.

Now let's look at formal writing.

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• Next: Essay vs. Article >>
• Last Updated: Dec 8, 2015 1:59 AM
• URL: https://library.guilford.edu/writingmanual

Essay Writing: Types, Components/Format , Characteristics and Samples

Table of Contents

How to Write an Essay?

High school and college students have to write essays as part of their curriculum. Writing an essay is a bit different from other forms of writing, and depending on the complexity of the subject, one can easily get confused and overwhelmed. Therefore, we have prepared a must-read guide for you which will help you to become a professional essay writer.

What is an essay?

An essay is a properly and logically constructed literary composition usually dealing with a subject /topic usually from the point of view of the author. It is often non-fiction where the presentation is often based on facts. It can also be based on assumptions (researched or educated opinions that include a number of facts) or subjective (based on opinions) in terms of language, perception and experience, as well as world interpretations. It has a beginning, a middle and an end. Like a paragraph, it is also classified into several types such as narrative, descriptive, imaginative, reflective, expository and argumentative.

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An essay typically has an introduction, a body, and a conclusion. The introduction section introduces the thesis, and then the body section goes into the finer details of the subject matter. The conclusion summarizes the paper and gives recommendations where applicable. A good essay writer knows the importance of this structure and will ensure it is adhered to in the paper.

Properly Organized Essays

When writing an essay, it is best to take a stepwise approach. You should start by gathering all the required information on the topic. You will need to read widely to analyze the available data critically. This will enable you to know how best to organize the essay. Besides, you need to write the essay in proper English and without any grammatical or typographical mistakes. Only use sentences that are structured properly and that have a clear meaning. You should also desist from ambiguity and wordiness.

Good essay writers are also proficient in all available referencing styles including APA , MLA , AMA, Harvard, Turabian, etc. Professors are usually very stringent regarding these referencing styles, and you have no choice but to get it right or you might miss the grade you desire to get. The best essay writers are very knowledgeable about referencing requirements.

Components and format of An Essay

An essay is written to persuade others or simply to educate the reader about a specific subject. For the reader to be convinced or fully educated, the essay must contain a variety of essential components to make it flow in a logical manner. The key parts (or sections) of the essay as mentioned above are the title, introduction, body, and conclusion. Let’s discuss them again with more details:

Title/ Topic : It is the name of the topic/subject of the essay. It summarises the main idea of your essay.

➡Use short cliches or familiar phrases that are one to eight words long.

Choosing Good Essay Topics

For one to write a great article, they must at least identify some good essay topics. The concept and the guiding idea of what you will write about will be determined with the topics for essays you select. The topic of your piece should leave a good impression to your readers to want to read the content of your article. The professional writers are good at picking great college essay topics and writing quality content. You should choose English essay topics that you can write on excellently to help learners in getting better results. The topics should he precise that have value for its intended readers.

Persuasive essay topics writing tips

In persuasive essay topics, the writer takes a position on a given issue and defends their position to convince the reader. These articles require proper research, keenness of the biases of the reader and a good understanding of all the sides of the problem. You shall come up with interesting essay topics that persuade the readers that the opinion you take is correct and the opposing views are wrong. Many students confuse these kinds of essays with controversial essay topics. In persuasive essays, the writer must always keep in mind that the purpose is to convince or persuade the readers to act or think in a given way and not just to inform them.

Here are some of the common essay topics:

• Analysis essay topics: these articles give informative observations about a particular idea or topic.
• Descriptive essay topics: these are used to test the ability of a student in describing a place, person, object, etc.
• Narrative essay topics: these are pieces telling about someone’s experience in a literary way.
• Compare and contrast essay topics: here you write on the similarities and differences of certain things. The paper must be well-organized to make it clear and effective.
• Informative essay topics: writings that are intended to provide the reader with information on something.
• Literature essay topics: these are articles that provide information on a given book.
• Admission essay topics: through these essays, admission officers can learn more about a student apart from their performance at exams.
• Application essay topics: the main purpose of application essays is to help the reader to follow the directions of using something.
• Classification essay topics: in these writings things are organized according to categories that they fit in.
• Extended essay topics: it is a type of research paper that gives learners the chance to perform an investigation or independent research on a topic that they like.
• History essay topics: these are essays that tell about past events.
• Research essay topics: these are essays written about the research conducted and its findings.

Introduction : It introduces the subject/topic through a compelling opening brief paragraph, especially by using a saying or quotation of some author.

Pro Tips : ➡ Should contain a surprise or attention grabber for the reader or at least make the essay sound interesting. One good way to do this is, to begin with, a quote about the topic. ➡ Ensure that the presentation shifts from the general to the particular in regards to the topic. ➡Presents a “road map” of the essay to the reader in a clear order. ➡ The most important part of the intro will be what is considered a thesis statement at the end ➡ The thesis statement sets out the intent of the paper and can provide insight into the examples and facts of the author

Main body: The structure of the main body depends on what the title is asking you to do. In case of a discussion type essay, the main body is often divided into two parts, one looking at the advantages of the topic and the other looking at the disadvantages.

➡Contains the evidence and support of the paper in addition to the author’s ideas

➡ Paragraphs must contain a topic sentence which relates the discussion back to the thesis statement.

➡ Logical ordering of ideas: three types of order are:

1. Chronological order: order of time, good for narratives

2. Spatial order: good for descriptions of locations; top to bottom,

3. Emphatic order: most common for college writing; proceed from least important to most important.

➡ Ensure that transitions are present to create a good flow to the essay

➡ Include enough information, examples and evidence to support your argument and do not forget to cite, cite, cite!

➡ Make it sure that each example is relevant to your specific topic

Conclusion : A brief summary of the main body.

➡This section should conclude all of your arguments and points

➡Should restate the main arguments in a brief and simplified manner.

➡ Ensure that the reader is given something to think about, especially if it is an argumentative essay.

Do not ever forget to allow time to rewrite the first draft of your essay and, then, to proofread it before turning it in.

In a typical short essay, five paragraphs will provide the reader with enough details in a limited period of time. However, it is important for a research paper or dissertation to have more than five paragraphs in order so as not to confuse the reader with too much detail in one paragraph.

KINDS OF ESSAYS

Essays like paragraphs may be classified as narrative, descriptive, imaginative, reflective, expository and argumentative. However, some essays may partake the peculiarities of more than one class or type. For instance, a narrative essay may contain a good deal of description or an argumentative essay may contain a good deal of reflection. Let us now describe them one by one.

1. Narrative Essay : It is an essay which narrates an event or a series of events. It tells the readers what happened. The happenings must be given in the order in which they occurred. Narrative essays deal with –

➡ biographies (e.g. the life of Prophet Mohammad(SAW), or of Mahatma Gandhi);

➡ historical events or legends (e.g. the reign of Yousuf Shah Chek, or the story of Pandavas from the Mahabharata);

➡ incidents (e.g. a quarrel in a neighbourhood, a marriage ceremony, or a festival);

➡ an accident or natural disaster (e.g. an earthquake, a fire, a flood, a road accident, a plane crash, or a tsunami);

➡ a journey or voyage ( e.g. a journey in an overloaded bus from your home to college, or travel through the ship to the holy city of Mecca for performing Hajj);

➡ a story ( real or imaginary).

2. Descriptive Essay : – It is an essay which describes or gives a description of something – a person or a place or a thing. Here, the writer keeps himself apart and does not allow his own feelings to appear.

Descriptive Essays are about – ➡ plants, animals, minerals etc. (e.g. the chinar, the tiger, coal etc.); ➡ cities, towns, countries, buildings etc. (e.g. Lal Chowk, Sopore, Saudi Arabia, the Taj Mahal, etc.); ➡. aspects and phenomena of nature (e.g. sunlight, the monsoon, volcanoes, a cloudy evening, etc.); and ➡ manufactured articles (e.g. aeroplanes, silk, motor-cars, trains, vacuum-cleaner, fridge, washing machine, etc.).

3. Imaginative Essay: It is an essay in which the writer is called to place himself imaginatively in a position and narrate his experience/s.

Essays on such subjects as “If I were the President of the USA” or “The Autobiography of a Cow” may be called imaginative essays.

4. Reflective Essay: It is an essay which consists of the writer’s thoughts or reflections on some topic. This essay is generally of an abstract nature. Reflective essays deal with – ➡ qualities, etc. (e.g., honesty, truth- fullness, heroism, temperance, patriotism, cowardice etc,) ;

➡ social, political and domestic topics (e.g., caste, poverty, wealth, liberty, education, democracy, business, government, marriage, family life etc.);

➡ philosophical topics (e.g., reality, the meaning of the universe, right and wrong, consciousness, morality, etc.); and

➡ religious and theological topics.

5. Expository Essay: – It is an essay which explains something. It gives facts arranged in a logical order. It answers the question – how and why. Expository essays –deal with

➡ scientific topics (e.g., the evolution of man, cosmology, solar system, gravitation etc.);

➡ institutions, occupations, industries (e.g., Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha, farming, leather- tanning etc.) ;

➡ literary topics (e.g., the novels of Dickens, the tragedies of Shakespeare, the style of poetry, etc.).

6. Argumentative Essay: It is an essay which intends to prove or to disprove something. It aims to persuade the reader that the writer’s point of view is correct. Paragraphs on such subjects or topics as “Is Science a Blessing or a Curse?” or “Is Life for us Better than it was for our Forefathers?” may be called argumentative essays.

CHARACTERISTICS OF A GOOD ESSAY

A good essay should have the following characteristics:

1. Unity : It means all the parts of the essay should be clearly related to the subject.

2. Coherence: It means that there should be a logical sequence of thought, i.e., each sentence and paragraph in the essay should link with each other in order to appear as a single whole.

3. Relevance: It means that the ideas/information given in the essay should be relevant to the subject of the essay.

4. Proportion : It means important ideas/information should be given more space and time in the essay.

Read Also: How to write a Paragraph?

When writing an essay, you should always consider:

• Your purpose (your reason for writing)
• Your audience (to whom you are writing),
• who will read it, think about it and respond to it.

The person for whom you are writing will influence the way you write as well as the vocabulary you choose. Your purpose should be scholarly, for entertainment or educational. Each of those purposes will change the way you write.

A described above good essay has three parts:

The introduction is the first paragraph of the essay. It should capture the attention of the reader and create a desire to read the essay and develop the basic ideas of what you’re going to cover. It should begin with a general discussion of your subject to provide background information. They’re called general statements. General statements should lead to a specific statement of your basic idea or thesis.

This is known as a thesis statement. It should be the last sentence of the introduction, and it is usually only one sentence. It includes the topic, the focus and the main points of the essay.

Each body paragraph should begin with a transition – for example, either a word or a phrase such as “first” or “further” or “another important point.” Then, the first sentence should continue with your topic sentence. The topic sentence tells your reader what the paragraph is about, like a thesis statement on a smaller level. The remainder of the article should consist of sentences supporting it. At least four of those sentences will explain your topic sentence to your reader.

The conclusion is the final paragraph of the essay. This paragraph concludes the essay, reminds the reader of the essay’s basic ideas and reiterates the thesis statement. It may also include words of suggestion or advice. The conclusion does not contain new ideas, because it is the end of the content of the essay.

Let’s Sum Up! Writing an essay is not more difficult than writing a paragraph, except that the essay is longer. In other words, paragraph is the fundamental unit of an essay. So, the principles and techniques of organization are the same for both of them. If you can write a good paragraph, you can also write a good essay. We have already discussed in detail about how to write a paragraph. The link is given here .

Some Essay Samples

1. Cigarette Smoking and Its Effects

2. A Cricket Match

3. The Uses and Abuses of The Cinema

4. Essay on AIDS In English

5. Independence Day

6. Uses of Electricity

7. Globalization and Poverty

9. Winter in Kashmir

10. Beauties of Kashmir

11. My Ambition in Life

12. Time is Money

13. Spring in Kashmir

14. Wonders of Science

15. Uses of Forests

16. A Visit to a Health Resort

17. Holiday

18. Morning Walk

19. Environmental Pollution

20. Friendship

22. Value of Discipline

23. Importance of Newspaper

24. Environmental Conservation

25. Effects of Junk Food on Health

26. My Hobby

27. My School Laboratory

28. My School Library

29. Student Unrest

30. Mahatma Gandhi

31. An Ideal Student

32. Importance of Games and Sports

33. An Ideal Teacher

34. Uses and Abuses of Television

35. Air Pollution

36. Essay on Computer

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Is an essay formal or informal: characteristics of each

Is an essay formal or informal

Essays are common in the world today. They have easily become part of our life.

The need to differentiate all types of essays that can be written has led to a popular question of whether essays are formal or informal. Essays can be both formal and informal.

To start with, formal essays are written for academic and professional purposes. They must be factual, research-based, and written in the third person.

On the other hand, informal essays are written for personal or casual services. They are also known as personal essays. Also, they are subjective and involve the writer giving his or her problem. They must be written in first person voice

Features of a Formal Essay

The following are the features that a formal essay should have:

1. Specific Language

Specific terms are preferred in formal essays to general ones. These terms help in providing more information and impact to the reader.

Also, physically concrete language is better than abstract terms because it helps give the reader a clear understanding. For example, instead of saying that “the scene was lovely and beautiful,” you can say that “the bright green grass and the clear blue sky were perfect for a day out.”

When descriptions are needed it is advisable to be as specific as possible.

2. Third person voice

Formal essays and any academic writing should always be written in the third person voice unless stated otherwise by the instructors. He, she, they, and one should be used instead of me or us.

Essays should not be referencing you unless in instances you ask for your own opinion which mostly occurs in coursework questions and not essays.

3. Active Voice over Passive Voice

To make the essay clearer and livelier to the audience active voice should be used because it uses fewer words and lays an emphasis on the doer of an action.

On the contrary, passive voice puts the receiver of the action first and puts the doer of the action after the verb or completely excludes the doer something that should only happen if the doer is not important.

In essays, the subjects need to act which is guaranteed by the active voice, unlike the passive voice where the subject is acted upon.

4. Present Tense over Past Tense

The present tense is preferred in essays because it makes it them to read, draws the reader’s attention more than the past tense, and makes information more immediate.

However, some sciences require that essays be written in the past tense. Therefore, you must consult with professors about what tense to use.

5. No clichés

Clichés should not be used in essays because they are not original. Also, they are overused hence making your essay lose originality and creativity.

They are too common and often used and should be avoided. For example, saying “as blind as a bat” is a cliché. Instead, the writer should just say “severe vision problems.”

Informal Essay characteristics

1. first and second person.

When writing informal essays, the writer is free to use the first and second person . Therefore, pronouns such as I, us, we, you, and me can be used. They help show the ownership of thoughts and experiences.

When writing an informal essay, telling a story is important. The story has to be personal for it to connect with the audience.

If your informal essay does not connect to the target audience, then it means that it will not serve its purpose.

3. Simple Grammar

Informal essays should not be too complex. The writer should always use simple words that are easy to understand.

One does not need to be an expert to understand the content of your essay.

To add to that, the sentences need to be short. There is no concept in an informal essay that calls for a detailed explanation requiring you to use long sentences to deliver the point home.

Short sentences make your informal essay easy for readers to understand and follow through.

4. Use of Slang, Colloquialisms, and Humour

Slang should be used in informal writing to connect with the audience. However, it is important to ensure that the slang words are well known to avoid giving trouble to readers who may not know the slang.

Colloquialisms or the words and language used in the street should be used to make your informal essay connect with common people.

Also, humour should be used to make the reader of your informal essay laugh. Exaggeration, shock, and misdirection are techniques that you can use to deliver humor in the essay.

Differences between Formal and Informal Writing

Informal and formal essays can be differentiated using the following factors:

1. Vocabulary

In informal essays, the vocabulary is short, simple, and direct. There is no use of phrasal verbs.

On the other hand, long and hard vocabulary can be used in formal essays. Slangs and contractions are not used .

The tone used in formal essays should be objective. All emotions should be held back and if expressed they should be through the essay arguments.

However, the tone in informal essays is subjective and personal. What this means is that the tone can either be casual, conversational, amusing, or thoughtful.

3. Structure

There are no structure or format rules when it comes to writing informal essays. What you have to do mostly is just write. There is no logical standard or sequence put in place that dictates how the essay should be written.

Contrarily, formal essays have logical sequences and structures. Several formatting methods are required to be followed when writing these essays.

Also, arguments should be made in single paragraphs and points should never mix up. Remember the conclusion should also be a summary of the points discussed earlier.

Formal essays are mainly used for educational purposes to evaluate and detail analysis.

On the other hand, informal essays’ main purposes are interactions, entertainment, and reflections.

5. Subject/Content

The subject or content of formal essays mainly involves historical events, literature, and knowledge.

On the other hand, the content of informal essays mainly involves personal events and everyday events.

6. Characteristics

Formal essays are usually written using the third person pronouns while informal essays are written using first and second person pronouns.

Also, everyday language and slang can be used in informal essays while official and simple language is used in formal essays.

With over 10 years in academia and academic assistance, Alicia Smart is the epitome of excellence in the writing industry. She is our chief editor and in charge of the writing department at Grade Bees.

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What is the key difference between Formal and Informal essays?

• Post author: Rajveer
• Post last modified: March 12, 2023
• Reading time: 7 mins read

If you are on this page then I think you must have heard about these terms formal essay and informal essay. Basically, these are the two categories to differentiate in the essay. Whenever you are writing an essay, it will probably fall into one of these categories.

Essay writing is not a difficult task but when we talk about the difference between formal and informal essays then some beginners get confused with these two different types of essays. This article is specially written for those people who want to understand the difference between formal and informal essays.

If you are also wondering about the difference between formal and informal essays then you must read this article.

Formal Essays

Informal essays, 1. purpose of writing, 2. writing tone, 3. writing language, 4. writing characteristics, 5. structure of writing, 6. evidence for facts and data, final words on the difference between formal and informal essay, what is the difference between formal and informal essays.

A formal essay is one of the writing styles and categories in essay writing. A formal essay is written using a well-organized structure, vocabulary and punctuation. A formal essay is conducted with a formal tone and writing style and is more focused on giving readers a valuable perspective or solution.

A formal essay follows an academic and professional writing style. A formal essay does not contain informational words and the personal experience of the writer.

Informal essays tend to be more personal messages and conversations. Informal essays do not follow an academic and professional writing style and may include humorous words and personal opinions.

Writing an informal essay doesn’t require much topic research and grammar knowledge because it is more about just writing personal opinions.

Formal vs Informal Essays: The Key Differences You Need to Know

Both formal and informal essays are different categories of essay writing and they have some major differences. Below I have tried to write down some of the key points for the difference between formal and informal essays.

The purpose of formal essay writing is to present solutions and information for a specific topic. A formal essay includes a well-organized structure to represent logical arguments and thoughts.

Whereas an informal essay is a matter of expressing personal views and opinions on a specific topic.

The writing style and tone of both formal and informal essays are different. A formal essay is written in a professional manner. It excludes informal words and personal thoughts and focuses more on academic and professional writing.

Whereas an informal essay is more like a conversational message and may include some humorous words, and personal opinions.

A formal essay is written in formal language. It does not include personal expression or personal tone. While an informal essay may include informal language and words and personal thoughts and expressions.

Formal essay writing always includes only third-person pronouns. Some of the third-person pronouns are he, him, himself, she, her, herself, etc. While an informal essay mostly uses first personal pronouns. Some of the first-person pronouns are I, Me, My, We, Our, etc.

A formal essay follows an organized structure and focuses on easy navigation for readers to understand and connect with each paragraph. It includes typical academic content writing sections such as the introduction, main body and conclusion.

Informal essays, on the other hand, do not follow any structure. It can be flexible and the structure can vary from writer to writer. It is only focused on representing the idea and experience.

Formal essays usually require evidence for the statements, research, or data shown in the essay. Evidence and proof are not required in informal essays but sometimes you may need some proof to support your statement or idea.

Also Read: Guide for writing an essay fast and quickly

I hope the above key points helped you understand the difference between formal and informal essays. These are some key checks that you can use to identify whether an essay is formal or informal. Let me know if you still have any confusion

FAQ: Difference between Formal and Informal essay

Formal essays are written in a professional manner using good grammar, research, and evidence while informal essays are more like a conversational message.

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Characteristics of Formal and Informal Writing

I’m currently supporting a new corporate client that is serious, so to speak, about maintaining an informal in-house writing style. How serious? Their in-house style manual runs longer than 200 pages. They want to make certain anyone writing for them gets it right. What does it mean for an organization to have an informal writing style, and how does that differ from formal? I thought I’d take a few minutes today to share my interpretation of these terms. Hopefully you find it useful.

Formal vs. informal

You can think of formal writing the same way you think of formal attire: you use it to look important, serious, and worthy enough to be doing whatever it is you are doing. Informal or casual writing is, again, like casual attire: more comfortable, relaxed, and even something approaching fun.

When do you wear formal clothing? While styles are constantly changing, there are some situations that maintain a certain seriousness, even in the dressed-down United States. These include: weddings, funerals, corporate board meetings, meetings with a banker (to ask for a loan), being sworn into public office, a special occasion with your family or significant other, formal dinners or dances, and attending places of worship. Formal writing, like formal clothing, invokes a certain sense of ceremony, of importance. All of those aspects of formality entail a certain attention to appearance and proper behavior. If your attire (or writing) does not “look the part” for a particular situation, you might not be taken seriously.

Casual writing, like casual clothing could be used practically anywhere else: attending a sports event, going to a party, or just attending a gathering of friends or family. Everyone knows each other, the atmosphere is lighthearted, and there isn’t an expectation for high diction or precisely ordained forms of speech.

How these behaviors are reflected in writing

The literary equivalents of formal-dress occasions include legal documents (contracts, wills, non-disclosure agreements, etc.); documents that could be used in a legally binding manner (employment offer letters, sales offers, service recovery offers); scientific or technical papers or reports; or any piece of paper that’s going to request money from or impose a financial charge on a person or an organization money.

Casual-dress (informal writing) occasions would be items like sales or marketing materials; personal correspondence; and blogs, tweets, and other forms of social media.

I should explain that there are varying levels of formal and informal. A government proposal is formal for the most part, but it could incorporate marketing or emotion-based writing to get the attention of the reader. A company like Disney can have a warm, casual style in its correspondence with its guests, but if the guest is to receive something of tangible value, say, like a free hotel night or theme park tickets, the letter will incorporate a very specific set of language that will explain how the guest can claim this item and what limitations accompany it.

Tactical examples of formal and informal writing

I decided a table was the best way to contrast the two styles.

Doubtless there are others, but this is a rather informal blog. The point here is to encourage you to pay attention to your audience, situation, and intended outcome, all three of which will determine whether you use formal or informal writing.

There are still formal situations out there, so be certain you and your writing “look the part!”

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About Bart Leahy

2 responses to characteristics of formal and informal writing.

Informal writing style, over 200 pages. I have to confess that I reread that sentence. 🙂

Okay, it was a paragraph, not a sentence. I’m getting way too informal today.

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What is a Familiar Essay in Composition?

Definition and Examples

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• Ph.D., Rhetoric and English, University of Georgia
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A familiar essay is a short prose composition (a type of creative nonfiction ) characterized by the personal quality of the writing and the distinctive voice or persona of the essayist. Also known as an informal essay .

"The subject matter," says  G. Douglas Atkins, "largely makes the familiar essay what it is: it is recognizable by human being qua human being, shared by her and him, and common to us all, requiring no arcane, specialized, or professional knowledge—an amateur's haven" ( On the Familiar Essay: Challenging Academic Orthodoxies , 2009).

Highly regarded familiar essayists in English include Charles Lamb , Virginia Woolf, George Orwell , James Baldwin, E.B. White , Joan Didion, Annie Dillard, Alice Walker , and  Richard Rodriguez .

Examples of Classic Familiar Essays

• Blakesmoor in H-----shire, by Charles Lamb
• Crooked Streets, by Hilaire Belloc
• Going Out for a Walk, by Max Beerbohm
• Getting Up on Cold Mornings, by Leigh Hunt
• On Going a Journey, by William Hazlitt
• The Town Week by E.V. Lucas

Observation

• "Post-Montaigne, the essay split into two distinct modalities: one remained informal, personal, intimate, relaxed, conversational, and often humorous; the other, dogmatic, impersonal, systematic, and expository ." (Michele Richman in The Barthes Effect by R. Bensmaia. Univ. of Minnesota Press, 1987)

Familiar Essays and Familiar Essayists

• - " Familiar essays . . . have traditionally been highly informal in tone , often humorous, valuing lightness of touch above all else. They have been filled with intimate personal observations and reflections, and have emphasized the concrete and tangible, the sensual enjoyment of everyday pleasures. . . .
• "Nowadays the familiar essay is often seen as a form particularly well suited to modern rhetorical purposes, able to reach an otherwise suspicious or uninterested audience through personal discourse , which reunites the appeals of ethos (the force and charm of the writer's character) and pathos (the emotional engagement of the reader) with the intellectual appeal of logos ." (Dan Roche, "Familiar Essay." Encyclopedia of the Essay , ed. by Tracy Chevalier. Fitzroy Dearborn, 1997)
• - "[T]he familiar essayist lives, and takes his professional sustenance, in the everyday flow of things. Familiar is his style and familiar, too, is the territory he writes about. . . .
• "In the end the true job of the familiar essayist is to write what is on his mind and in his heart in the hope that, in doing so, he will say what others have sensed only inchoately." (Joseph Epstein, preface to Familiar Territory: Observations on American Life . Oxford University Press, 1979)

Familiar Essays and Personal Essays

• " [Francis] Bacon 's influence continues today, often in familiar essays , whereas [Michel de] Montaigne's enjoys greater popularity as personal essays . The difference is neither precious nor sophistical, although it is subtle. Although the personal and the familiar are the two main sorts of essays, essays are, truth to tell, often both familiar and personal, the difference at least nowadays residing mainly in the degree to which a particular instance emphasizes the tiny prepositions that we find in Montaigne and Bacon alike: 'on' and 'of.' If the essay tips toward being about a topic--books, say, or solitude--it may be termed 'familiar,' whereas if it focuses a bit less on the general or universal and more on the character of 'the speaking voice,' it is likely a 'personal' essay." (G. Douglas Atkins, Reading Essays: An Invitation . University of Georgia Press, 2007)

Revival of the Familiar Essay

• "Equally problematic are conventional divisions of the essay into formal and informal, impersonal and familiar , expository and conversational . Though imprecise and potentially contradictory, such labels not only serve as a form of critical shorthand but also point to what is often the most powerful organizing force in the essay: the rhetorical voice or projected character [ ethos ] of the essayist. . . .
• "The modernist era, that period of fragmentation and innovation at the beginning of the 20th century, is best known to students of literature for the radical transformations that occurred in poetry and fiction. But the essay, too, experienced dramatic changes during this time. Divested of its self-conscious literariness and reinvested with the colloquial vigor of popular journalism, the essay was reborn in such cosmopolitan magazines as The Smart Set , The American Mercury , and The New Yorker .
• "This 'new' brand of essay—exuberant, witty, and often contentious—was in fact more faithful to the journalistic traditions of Addison and Steele, Lamb and Hazlitt than the often preciously lambent writings of those who had deliberately mimicked the English essayists. Recognizing the power of a combative narrative voice to attract readers' attention and impose on a journal a distinctive style , magazine editors recruited writers with forceful rhetorical presences." (Richard Nordquist, "Essay," in Encylopedia of American Literature , ed. S. R. Serafin. Continuum, 1999)

Organs of Personality

• - "The  familiar essay in prose and the lyric in poetry are alike essentially literary organs of personality. In discussing the nature and the character of these two forms of literature, it is well-nigh impossible to consider separately the subject, the author and the style ." (W. M. Tanner, Essays and Essay-Writing . Atlantic Monthly Company, 1917)
• - "The true essay, then, is a tentative and personal treatment of a subject; it is a kind of improvisation on a delicate theme; a species of soliloquy." (A.C. Benson, "On Essays at Large." The Living Age , Feb. 12, 1910)

The Familiar Essay as Chat

• "A familiar essay is not an authoritative discourse, emphasizing the inferiority of the reader; and neither the learned, the superior, the clever nor overwitty, is the man who can "pull it off." An exhibition of pyrotechnics is all very fine; but a chat by a wood fire with a friend who can listen, as well as talk, who can even sit with you by the hour in congenial silence—this is better. When, therefore, we find a writer who chats with us familiarly about the little things that in the aggregate go to make up our experience in life, when he talks with you, not to show off, not to set you right, not to argue, above all not to preach, but to share his thoughts and sentiments, to laugh with you, moralize a bit with you, though not too much, take out of his pocket, so to speak, a curious little anecdote, or run across an odd little experience and share it pleasantly, enjoying it unaffectedly and anxious to have you enjoy it, too —when we have all this, we have the daintiest, the purest and the most delightful of all the forms of literature—the familiar essay." (Felix Emmanuel Schelling, "The Familiar Essay." Appraisements and Asperities as to Some Contemporary Writers . J.B. Lippincott, 1922)
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What are the characteristics of a formal essay?

Related questions.

In the passage, what does reign mean? A. the rule of a leader B. the protection of a leader C. the vision of a leader D. the property of a leader

A - the rule of a leader.

Explanation:

many quotes involving leaders such as kings and queen regularly incorporate the word reign to their vocabulary

The Latin prefix de- can mean "away" or "from." Based on what you know about this prefix, what can you conclude is most likely the meaning of the word deactivate? a exhaust b shut off c fall asleep d charge

the answer is b

Which of the following sentences uses pronouns correctly? Have us educators been invited to the inauguration? Have we educators been invited to the inauguration? Have them educators been invited to the inauguration? Have I educators been invited to the inauguration?

The Correct answer is B.

"Have we educators been invited to the inauguration"

What does this reaction tell the reader about Madam Valmonde’s character?

Answer:i need help with a math problem 60 times 64

Who do you think has more to lose in this situation? Randy: a Soc, he has money, his Dad is mad. Ponyboy: a Greaser, poor, has only his brothers. Explain why you chose Randy or Ponyboy.

Hello. You have not shown the situation to which this question refers, which makes it impossible for it to be answered. However, I will try to help you in the best possible way.

Randy and Ponnyboy are characters from the book "The Outsiders" that tells the story of how boys from a city get involved in situations of high rivalry and violence between street gangs.

Among these two boys, we can mention Randy and Ponnyboy who are members of different gangs and have high rivalry. Although you did not present the situation to which the question refers, we can consider that in a capitalist and intolerant society, as it is in America where the book takes place, Randy has more to lose, because even though his father is a madman, he still has some financial support, which Ponnyboy does not. This financial support, allows Randy to have access to money, which can supply all his needs. Ponnyboy has nothing to lose but his brothers, but Randy has a lot of valuable things that, if lost, will greatly damage his life.

Vallyk Pena rate him

Read the passage. excerpt from Frankenstein by Mary Shelley from Chapter 5 (narration by Victor Frankenstein): …my candle was nearly burnt out, when, by the glimmer of the half-extinguished light, I saw the dull yellow eye of the creature open; it breathed hard, and a convulsive motion agitated its limbs. How can I describe my emotions at this catastrophe, or how delineate the wretch whom with such infinite pains and care I had endeavoured to form? I had worked hard for nearly two years, for the sole purpose of infusing life into an inanimate body. For this I had deprived myself of rest and health. I had desired it with an ardour that far exceeded moderation; but now that I had finished, the beauty of the dream vanished, and breathless horror and disgust filled my heart. from Chapter 11 (narration by the creature): It is with considerable difficulty that I remember the original era of my being; all the events of that period appear confused and indistinct. A strange multiplicity of sensations seized me, and I saw, felt, heard, and smelt at the same time; and it was, indeed, a long time before I learned to distinguish between the operations of my various senses…. I was a poor, helpless, miserable wretch; I knew, and could distinguish, nothing; but feeling pain invade me on all sides, I sat down and wept. In her novel Frankenstein, Mary Shelley shifts from narration by Victor Frankenstein in the first chapters to narration by the creature he created. What effect does this structure have? A. It speeds up the pacing by encouraging the reader to rush from one perspective to the other. B. It adds foreshadowing by showing that the creature is confused and in pain. C. It brings the creature to life for the reader and contrasts his feelings with those of Victor. D. It creates surprise by showing that the creature feels the same way as Victor.

It might also be B.

The phrase "The beauty of the dream," in the first paragraph. It means that the charater is dreaming, and it is not real.

In the second paragraph, you will see what the author says, " A strange multiplicity of sensations seized me, and I saw, felt, heard, and smelt at the same time; and it was, indeed, a long time before I learned to distinguish between the operations of my various senses." It means that the charater in the story dreams is turning into real life.

Choice (C) is the best answer.

hey! i’ll give brainliest please help

it is considered to be a work of fiction

Debate on the topic "teacher's are better than farmers in a society"​

Because they spread the knowledge of all over the world

In the sentence below, the underlined portion is a phrase. Identify the type of phrase, The weeping of a baby, woke him up. O Adverbial phrase O Infinitive phrase O Interjectional phrase None of the choices

its an adverbial phrase

Hurryyy please help In Romeo and Juliet, how is the nurse talkative?

She's extremely talkative, and one of her commonest verbal tics is that she constantly makes interjections and interrupts herself. She also frequently makes bawdy remarks. Often these two aspects come together, as when the Nurse tells Lady Capulet: “Now, by my maidenhead at twelve year old, / I bade [Juliet] come” (I.

Which of the following would be a synonym for style? A. shade B. manner C. picture D. brush

pls help i'm horrible with essays Write an opening paragraph with your claim and counterclaim of whether Brutus was a betrayer or a patriot.

Answer: Brutus was in fact a betrayer to his friend because he was trusted but he back stabbed the people that trusted him.  Brutus was a patriot of a betrayer because he killed Caesar when Caesar trusted him as his  trustworthy friend. Brutus was a disloyal patriot but he wasn't a betray to Rome but to his companion Julies Caesar. This essay will explain the treachery of Brutus.

Hope that helped :)

All changes saved hat inference should readers make when Johnny says about the beautiful morning: "Too bad it couldn't stay like that all the time" and then Ponyboy quotes the Robert Frost poem "Nothing Gold en Stay"? that only deep thinkers know what is real that everything in life changes that beauty can only be observed by a few that nobody really appreciates sunrises ​

im not sure, but i believe the answer that would make the most sense is That Everything In Life Changes.

try it out im rly sorry if its wrong pls tell me if its wrong

That everything in life changes saved hat inference should readers make when Johnny says about the beautiful morning: "Too bad it couldn't stay like that all the time" and then Ponyboy quotes the Robert Frost poem "Nothing Gold en Stay."

A concise form of the basis of truths and evidences.

The types of inferences are:

Hence, the correct answer Option B.

Learn more about inference on https://brainly.com/question/24442913

Select the correct text in the passage. Which detail in the excerpt best supports the idea that the setting is in a very busy place from Rogue heart by Axie oh

the kids barreling down the crowed streets

3. If Tony is supposed to be so faithful to his religion, why does he seem to believe so strongly in the Golden Carp? On chapter 14 Bless me última

Antonio tends to feel shocked that the carp is actually real and visible, he gets a sense of enlightenment and religious fulfillment that he's never felt from Christianity which is why he tends to believe strongly in the Golden Carp although he is expected to be faithful towards his religion.

I hope this helps

"Maybe people are younger when they are asleep" (p.92). What do you think about this comment?

To me, when I see this quote, I think that it refers to the lack of stress put on you when you rest. While you are awake you are faced with real world problems. But when you fall asleep you are able to dream and feel like a kid again.

PLEASE HELP WILL GIVE BRAINLIEST!! answer this question: "A staple of both undergraduate and graduate coursework, The Tempest has a prominent position in American education. Pesta's goal in writing this piece is to challenge the accepted view of colonialism, and cause the reader to think, "is The Tempest about colonialism or not?"(274). Which statement BEST describes the in- text MLA citation in this essay excerpt? A. This citation is incorrect, you don't need to cite if you use quotation marks. B. This citation is correct, an author's name is introduced, and the page number is given after the direct quotation. C. This citation is incorrect, the database used to find the source needs to be cited in-text. D. This citation is correct, but you don't need quotations for a direct quote if you cite the page number.​

B. This citation is correct, an author's name is introduced, and the page number is given after the direct quotation.

In the Modern Language Association style of referencing, parenthetical citation is usually required when a writer refers to a literary work that is not his. The authors last name and the page number where the idea is gotten are included in the in-text citation.

If the author's name has been introduced before and now used in a sentence, just the page number could suffice in the in-text citation. This is same as what was obtainable in the excerpt above. The author's last name was used in the same sentence because it had already been introduced. Therefore, the page number where the direct quotation was obtained could suffice in the in-text citation.

Select all of the statements that are true of parenthetical citation. A parenthetical citation is very short and is contained within the text. A parenthetical citation includes the author and the title of the work cited. A parenthetical citation gives the author's last name and a page reference for the source material. A parenthetical citation is always in parentheses. Every source used for an assignment must be documented with a parenthetical citation. Only direct quotations need to be documented with a parenthetical citation. A comma is not needed between the author's last name and the page reference. The abbreviation for page is used in a parenthetical citation.

A parenthetical citation is very short and is contained within the text.

A parenthetical citation gives the author's last name and a page reference for the source material.

A parenthetical citation is always in parentheses.

Every source used for an assignment must be documented with a parenthetical citation.

The abbreviation for page is used in a parenthetical citation.

A parenthetical citation is an in-text reference to a work done by another author. It is very important because every piece of writing that is not the original content of an author will be termed as plagiarism if not properly cited. There are different formats or styles that parenthetical citations could take but basically; they are expected to be in parentheses, be short and included within the text before the period, specify the author's last name and page reference.

All references must be included in a parenthetical citation and also noted in the Bibliography or Works cited page in order to avoid plagiarism. The title of the work is included in-text only when the author's name is absent.

Use accessible in a sentence

I need a full explanation! Why is Asian hate increasing?

If i was to guess its because the coronavirus started in Asia. Stop Asian hate

Since the start of the pandemic last spring, Asian Americans have faced racist violence at a much higher rate than previous years. The NYPD reported that hate crimes motivated by anti-Asian sentiment jumped 1,900% in New York City in 2020. Stop AAPI Hate, a reporting database created at the beginning of the pandemic as a response to the increase in racial violence, received 2,808 reports of anti-Asian discrimination between March 19 and December 31, 2020. The violence has continued into 2021, and President Joe Biden signed an executive order denouncing anti-Asian discrimination shortly after taking office in January. While anti-Asian violence has taken place nationwide and particularly in major cities, the uptick in attacks in 2021 has been particularly focused in the Bay Area, especially in San Francisco and Oakland’s Chinatowns.

Many have pointed out that racial violence against Asian Americans often goes overlooked because of persistent stereotypes about the community. “There is a stereotype and an assumption that Asian Americans have class privilege, that they have high socioeconomic status and education, and that any discrimination doesn’t really happen or feel legitimate,” says Bianca Mabute-Louie, a racial justice educator. “There are these assumptions about ways that Asian Americans have ‘succeeded’ in this country.”

Mabute-Louie cites the pervasiveness of the model minority myth as a large contributing factor to the current climate. That false idea, constructed during the Civil Rights era to stymie racial justice movements, suggests that Asian Americans are more successful than other ethnic minorities because of hard work, education and inherently law-abiding natures. “This contributes to erasing the very real interpersonal violence that we see happening in these videos, and that Asian Americans experience from the day-to-day, things that don’t get reported and the things that don’t get filmed.”

Based on the context clue in the passage, what does abhor mean? I abhor folding laundry. When my dad asks me to fold towels, I want to run and hide. I would rather do any other chore than folding laundry. I really dislike it. Do you want me to mow the lawn? I'll do it, happily. Do you want me to wash the dishes? Absolutely, I'll do it. But please don't ask me to fold laundry. o to not do something very well o to wish to do something better O to feel strongly against something O to regard with powerful affection

Do you want to go to the library with us? Choose the correct part of speech for the underlined word

Hello. You didn't underline any words, so I'll show you the grammatical class of all of them.

Verbs are words that indicate an action, an activity that is happening, or an individual's state. The verb "do" can act as an auxiliary verb indicating that the phrase represents a question, or that the aided verb is in its negative form.

Pronouns are words that accompany the noun, giving extension to its meaning. They can even replace the noun, or reference it.

Prepositions are words that make connections between the clauses of a sentence, leaving the reading fluid and complete.

Articles are words presented before nouns and aim to determine whether the noun is plural or singular, defined or undefined.

Noun is the word that gives name to any individual or object.

What is Jacoby referring to when she identifies society's, "general desire to shift responsibility from individuals to institutions?"

He is referring to people who reject a responsibility that is theirs.

Through the context of your question, we can see that you are referring to the article "Hers" written by Jacoby, where he reflects on censorship, feminism, obscenity and p0r.n0g*4p** within a society. For Jacoby, the censorship of works with content considered obscene and p0r.n0g*4p*c is an insult to the first constitutional amendment, since for him these works represent the freedom of expression that is allowed within the country. Within this context, he states that it is not the State's duty to carry out this type of censorship, but that each citizen must decide whether or not he wants to consume this type of content, when he is of the right age to make that decision.

Although in the article, he agrees that children should not have access to such works, he says that it is the duty of parents to prevent children from having access to works with obscene content and not the duty of the government. In this case, children cannot be used as an argument to defend p0r.n0g*4p** censorship, except by people who reject their responsibility because of the general desire to transfer that responsibility to institutions.

what type of figurative language is used in the poem April Aubade

The types of figurative language used in the following poem are metaphors, similes, alliteration, and irony.

Hope this helps!

Metaphors and similes

the theme of the poem is fulument of lovem it's a short story about lovers who seems invinsable

hi pls help me with this question. -what would u say to god if he was infront of u? or how would u interduce urselt to god? giving brainlist for best answer

I would say hi, im Maddy pls forgive for all of my sins and I would probably start asking him alot of questions about life.

have a good day :)

18. The effect of the diction of jimmy Carter’s speech is to make the audience feel that they should _____. A. Feel reassured B. Take action C. Ignore the crisis D. Not worry E. Mourn

WHAT IS IONIC COMPOUNT??​

the compound formed by the exchange of electrons either by loosing or gaining is called ionic compound.

A chemical compound made from positively and negatively charged ions held together by electrostatic forces. (positively charged ions are called cations, negatively charged are called anions and the ionic compound is neutral altogether)

amanda wants to use video in her presentation about the history of buckingham palace in london. of the options below, which would be the best place for amanda to use video? A. As she shares a list of fires that have occurred at Buckingham Palace B. As she recalls her own trip to Buckingham Palace C. As she identifies the dates when Buckingham Palace was constipated D. As she describes the traditional changing of the cause at Buckingham palace

Explaination:

A. wouldn't work because that's not exactly history of the building itself.

B. doesn't work because it's her own account and not historical.

C. doesn't work because the construction of the palace doesn't really matter for the presentation.

I hope this helps!

The best place for Amanda to use the video is at Buckingham Palace where she describes its traditional cause of change.

Option D is the correct answer.

Buckingham Palace is located in London and is a royal residence of the kings in ancient times.

Amanda uses the video in relation to the history of Buckingham Palace . The list of fires has not explained the complete history of the palace and her trip to that place is not historical research. The dates of construction of the palace have no relation to the history of the palace.

Therefore, the explanation mentioned in part D would serve as the best place for Amanda to use the video.

Learn more about Buckingham Palace in the related link:

https://brainly.com/question/12079938

In a soliloquy, a character speaks Directly to a director Directly to himself Directly to another character both a and c all of the above

Directly to himself

A literary device can be defined as any technique used by speakers and authors (writers) to significantly emphasize on their writeups or compositions and express their ideas, opinions or thoughts to the audience.

The main purpose of a literary device is to convey more information and enable the readers or listeners have a deeper understanding of the piece. Some of the literary device used in English literature are; exposition, resolution, plot, paradox, setting, tragedy, comedy, epiphany, theme, falling action, rising action, simile, metaphor, parody, utopia, anecdote, pseudonym, essay, analogy, hyperbole, oxymoron, personification, pun, sarcasm, contrast, connotations, genre, fiction, epic, inference, foreshadowing, soliloquy, etc.

A soliloquy can be defined as a literary device used mostly in a drama and it typically involves the character speaks directly to him or herself and relates his or her emotions, feelings and innermost thoughts as if thinking aloud.

This ultimately implies that, a character speaks directly to him or herself in a soliloquy.

Generally, no other character is present when a character is soliloquizing on the stage or in a drama.

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