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How to Write an Informal Essay: A Beginners' Guide

A typical academic essay is serious writing. It is serious because it is often well-researched and written formally. The typical informal essay is the exact opposite of this.

It is often not researched at all and is written in a casual tone. Furthermore, it is commonly written for enjoyment rather than serious discourse. And for that reason, it is a non-fiction essay that does not follow the writing conventions and is purely based on the author's reasons, reflections, and ideas.

In this guide, you will discover everything crucial you need to know to write a brilliant informal essay.

What is an informal essay?

An informal essay is an essay that is written for enjoyment rather than to argue or support a thesis with scholarly evidence. The essay is usually personal in nature and based on memory. A good example of an informal essay is – The happiest day of my life.

To write this essay, you simply need to recall the happiest day of your life and then write about it chronologically. As you can see, you don’t have to do much research to write an informal essay.

The fact that an informal essay is written for enjoyment does not mean that it does not have a set structure. The typical informal essay is a five-paragraph essay with three key parts – introduction, body, and conclusion. In terms of word count, the essay is often between 700 and 1,000 words long. The only thing informal about it is the fact that it does not need serious research. Moreover, unlike most essays, the informal can be written in a casual or conversational tone. This means that it can be written in the first and second person.

In most cases, informal essays are written for consumption by the author – to show their creativity, journal an experience, or release emotions through writing pieces.

Structure of an Informal Essay

Like most college students, you are probably used to following the five-paragraph essay structure that most professors recommend for formal essays . While using this structure to write your informal essay is okay, it is not necessary. The rationale for this is that the informal essay is informal and doesn’t follow any rigid structure.

Informal essays involve subjective opinions or ideas through prose. Some common examples of informal essays include impromptu speeches, diary entries, journals, social media posts, personal essays, and personal notes.

While the informal essay does not have a rigid structure or format, it must include four elements – topic, introduction, body, and conclusion.

The informal essay must have a title. It might be informal and without a structure, but it must have a title, and the title must be specific. By giving your informal essay a title, you are basically creating a compass that you can always refer to when writing your essay to ensure you are in the right direction. If, for example, you want to argue a point but are unsure whether it deserves to be in your essay, you can refer to your title to evaluate its importance. If the point helps to contribute to your title, you should include it in your essay. If it doesn’t, you should quickly ignore it.

2. Introduction

The informal essay must have an introduction . In other words, it must simply have a paragraph presenting what you will discuss in the body section. When writing the introduction of an informal essay, there is no specific formula to follow. The only thing that you must do is to make the introduction as interesting as possible. You can do this using a relevant quote, an interesting fact, or a related statistic.

In the body of your informal essay, you must go all out to tell the story you set out to tell in the introduction. You must do the title justice; you must make sure that anyone who reads your essay will agree that what you discuss or talk about in the body section is exactly what they expected. While there is no specific structure to follow when writing the body paragraphs of your informal essay, the best way to write them is chronological. This is because chronologically written paragraphs are easy to follow.

4. Conclusion

After writing your essay, you must write the conclusion part of your essay. The conclusion is usually the easiest part to write when writing an essay. This is because all you need to do is to summarize what you have written in the body section or body paragraphs. After doing this, you simply need to end your essay with a powerful closing sentence to complete it.

The Steps to Take to Write an Informal Essay

An informal essay is written in a conversational tone, which is laid-back, entails breaking academic writing rules, and sounds like everyday communication. You can use informal transition words, short sentences, contractions, common and cliché words, adages, expressions, and personal examples.

Here are the steps to take if assigned to write an informal essay.

1. Choose a topic

When you are asked to write an informal essay, you are normally allowed to choose your own topic. If this is the case, you should choose a topic that is very interesting to you. Because by doing so, the fact that the topic is interesting to you will result in you naturally writing an interesting essay. And interesting is what you want your informal essay to be to get a top grade.

Below the informal essay sample that follows this guide is a list of exciting informal essay topics. This list should inspire you to develop your own exciting informal essay topic; a topic that will make your essay interesting.

2. Create an outline for your informal essay

After choosing an interesting or exciting topic, you should create an outline for your informal essay . An essay outline is an essay writing plan. It highlights what you will include in the introduction section, the body section, and the conclusion section of your essay. To create an outline, provide a short summary of what you will include in your introduction paragraph, your three body paragraphs, and your conclusion paragraph.

But how do you know what you will include in your informal essay paragraphs? Well, it depends. If you are writing an informal essay based on a personal experience topic, you must recall as many details as possible about the experience to plan your essay. If you are writing an informal essay based on an academic topic, you will need thorough research to find as many details as possible about the topic to plan your essay.

3. Write the first draft of your essay

After creating a comprehensive outline for your informal essay, you should write the first draft of your essay. Do this by first writing your essay introduction. After writing your essay introduction, you should write its body paragraphs and the conclusion.

Writing the first draft of your informal essay after creating an outline for it should be a relatively straightforward job. You need to follow the outline like a map and use information from it to begin and structure your paragraphs.

The body paragraphs of an informal essay should each express your main message, perspective, or point of view. You can use persuasive writing skills to convince your readers. It would help to think of the topic as a forum thread where you defend your personal views against opposing opinions. Therefore, you must develop resilient supportive facts to defend your stance.

When developing the body paragraphs, you are allowed to use informal language. You should write short, clear, concise sentences, as long formulations are boring and misleading. You should center your discussions around some emotional vibe, express your personality, and write with vigor and respect.

Following your outline will make your informal essay well-organized and structured. However, it won’t guarantee flow in your essay. You will have to create a flow with your writing and transition words. Also, it won’t automatically give your essay a conversational and laid-back tone. You have to do this on your own using conversational words and writing.

Using I in an essay.
How to format paragraphs for better readership.
Steps to come up with a great thesis statement.

4. Edit your essay

After writing the first draft of your essay, you should edit it thoroughly. Do this by reading it to eliminate ambiguous and unclear words and statements. After reading it to eliminate unclear words, you should read it to remove all types of grammatical and punctuation errors.

The next thing you need to do with regard to editing your essay is to review it one more time using Grammarly.com or similar software. This will help you to catch the errors you may have missed and to correct them.

After proofreading your essay using Grammarly.com, it will be ready for submission.

Informal Essay Example

Title: Benefits of living in a remote location They say no man is an island. While living in a community surrounded by friends and neighbors is a good thing with many benefits, living alone in a remote location also has its benefits. I have been living alone in a remote Pacific island for the last eight months, and the experience has been bliss. The island has a single cabin research station with basic amenities and a satellite connection. The nearest settled island is over 500 kilometers away. I had doubts when I first stepped on the island. I thought I wouldn’t last long. However, this has obviously not been the case. My stay on this island has been quite amazing. I have enjoyed many benefits, including improved mental health, improved safety, and a low cost of living. When I was living in Sydney, Australia, I was in a bad place mentally because I felt a lot of pressure to succeed. I also felt depressed and was frequently on depression medication. Living in a remote location has changed all this. I no longer feel any pressure. I no longer feel depressed or miserable. Just about every day is a good day nowadays. I wake up, check equipment, spend hours on the beach, and eat fresh food I grow in the station’s garden. I feel amazing mentally. I feel like a new person because life is so slow-paced on this island and devoid of the pressures of city life. Regarding safety, I believe living alone on a remote island is much safer than living in a big town or city. I feel safer on this island because there is literally no one around to cause me harm. I do not have to look over my shoulder when walking, sleeping, or doing anything on this isolated island. I also have no reason to watch the news, so I am not exposed to the constant reports of insecurity that city dwellers are exposed to. Not being exposed to constant reports of insecurity makes me feel even safer. Furthermore, in case of any emergency, there is an emergency number I can call at any time of the day to request urgent help. Lastly, regarding the cost of living, living isolated on a remote island is much cheaper than city or town living. I literally do not pay any rent on this island. I also grow much of my own food, and supplies are brought to me biweekly. Furthermore, I do not pay taxes and am not exposed to constant adverts that force city dwellers to make impulse purchases. And even if I want to purchase something, I wouldn’t because it probably wouldn’t have much use on a remote, isolated island. In conclusion, living in a remote location is very beneficial. If you choose to do this, you will be happier, safer, and less stressed financially. I can only equate it to living in paradise.

Informal Essay Topics

Below are some informal essay topics you can use as inspiration to come up with your own informal essay topic if asked to choose your own topic by your professor.

The best meals in our college cafeteria
Celebrities who are excellent role models
My religion and why I love it
My thoughts on marriage and divorce
The best day in my college life
The most embarrassing incident in my life
How parents can understand their children better
Why my mother is the most important person to me
The most famous African American inventors
Entrepreneurs who changed the world
Alcoholism among teenagers
Why home education is bad
Elon Musk and life on Mars
The Illuminati and other conspiracy theories
Legal migration and its benefits
Mental health in the USA
Communism and its benefits
The United Nations and its failures
Gender violence in California
Freedom of speech around the world
The effects of sanctions on Cuba
Education during the peak of the pandemic
East African culture
Why the death penalty should be abolished everywhere
Abortion and the right to life
What would I do if I became a millionaire overnight?
Why soccer is the most popular sport in the world
The pros and cons of video gaming
The Second Amendment and its protections
Why I would like to become a doctor
Why I love intermittent fasting
How I won a half marathon when undergoing chemotherapy
Lessons from my close friend who betrayed me
How I plan to win the next marathon
The car I love most
My dream job
Places I would like to visit
Why I love my step-dad
The last day at my first job

Dos and don’ts when writing an informal essay

Do write your essay in the first person. This will make it clearly informal and casual. It will also make it read much better.
Do write short sentences. Long sentences will make your essay difficult to read. In contrast, short sentences will make your writing easier to read and more casual (which is something you want when writing an informal essay).
Do rewrite your essay. After writing your informal essay, you should read through it to make it flawless. Do this by editing or rewriting anything that appears out of place in your essay.
Do proofread your essay. After you are done improving the flow of your essay, you should read it one more time to ensure it has zero grammar, punctuation, and formatting errors.
Do ensure your essay is chronological. While it is unnecessary to make your informal essay chronological, making it chronological will make it easy to read and understand.
Do use humor. It is okay to use humor in an informal essay. But you should only do it sparingly to avoid making your essay sound like a comedy script.
Do use conversational language. Using conversational language will make your article to read like a blog, which is a good thing when writing an informal essay. But do not go overboard with conversational language. It could make your essay difficult to understand.
Do read any informal essay examples. Before you write your informal essay, you should try to find and read informal essay examples online. This will help to make it easy for you to write your essay because it shows you the pattern you need to follow.
Do let your personality show. If you have a way of expressing your ideas, arguments, and so on, you should let your personality show in your writing. Let your writing be as unique as it can be. Do not try to make your essay look or even feel academic. Just write it as you would write a blog to be read by a friend. This will help make your essay delightfully informal.
Don’t forget to ensure a good flow throughout. While an informal essay doesn’t have a set structure, it must have a good flow. Therefore, you should ensure your essay is understandable throughout.
Don’t forget to edit your essay. The best informal essays are flawless ones. So after writing your essay, you should read it severally to edit it and ensure it is flawless.
Don’t make it formal. When writing informal essays, many students usually use the conventional academic language they use in formal essays. This is not right. You should try hard to make your essay as flawless as possible.
Don’t forget to include a thesis . At the end of your introduction, you should have a thesis statement, and your entire essay should be centered on this statement. A thesis is what distinguishes an informal essay from a blog article.
Don’t include weak arguments. It is important to ensure that your essay only contains strong arguments. Doing this will ensure you get a top grade. If you include weak arguments, you risk getting an average grade.

Parting Words!

Writing a good informal essay is not an easy job. It will require you to know the structure and style you must follow when writing an informal essay. Fortunately, you now know these two things. You also know exactly how to go about writing an informal essay. So go ahead and write yours. If you get stuck at any point, hire us to help you.

The Ideal number of paragraphs in a comprehensive essay
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How to write an informal essay

April 6, 2022

An informal essay is quite different from other types of essays . In an informal essay, you’re writing as if you are talking to a friend. You do not need to engage in a strict academic writing process , but you should still avoid sloppiness.

In a formal essay, you expresses your ideas quietly behind the words.
In an informal essay, you talk to the reader in a conversational manner.

Formal and informal essays

In order to understand the difference between a formal and informal essay more clearly, let’s look at the table below.

Now that we know the general rules and definitions of an informal essay, let’s continue with the steps to write a great one.

Choose an informal essay topic

This is generally the first step of any essay writing process unless you are pre-assigned a topic already. An informal essay gives you a great opportunity in this step; you can write an informal essay on almost any topic . Here are some tips for you.

Informal essay topic tips

Choose a topic you have knowledge and are excited about.
Find inspiration from your own personal experiences.
Just think about what you like to talk about the most, and you have your topic.

When choosing a topic:

Put the list away for an hour after you’ve created it. Return to it later. Most probably, one topic will stand out to you more. Then, you can write about that topic. For this how-to guide, we are choosing the topic “ why I stopped eating meat ”.

Create an outline

An informal essay does not need to follow a strict structure . However, it should still be coherent. Therefore, your outline does not need to be strict either. Just create one to help organize your thoughts.

Example of an informal essay outline

Thesis statement
Referring to reader
Address to the reader
Concluding sentence

Informal essay outline best practices

Remember you still need to do research while writing an informal essay.
Put together your research results in your outline so that your writing process becomes way easier.
Make sure to detail each part of the essay before writing, so you can write much faster.

Write an introduction

Now, you start the actual writing process. In the introduction of an informal essay, you can basically follow the traditional introduction guide .

Informal essay introduction example

Informal essay introduction best practices.

Before writing an introduction, you must first create an idea, identify a purpose, and collect information for the project. The introduction also should contain a thesis statement .

Remember this type of essay is characterized by the inclusion of the writer’s viewpoint on the chosen topic , so be sure to declare your stance clearly.

Write the body paragraphs

Informal essay paragraphs example, tips for informal essay paragraphs.

You can write the main body of your essay using cliches, idioms, and even jargon. Don't forget every paragraph needs a topic sentence .
This is not a particularly academic type of paper; therefore, avoid sentences that are too long and complicated.
To create a connection with the reader, it’s important to use a relaxed tone, transition words , and transition sentences .
Simple, quick, readable sentences and the use of various intonations will provide the essay with the necessary emotional context.
This is a basic rule: write in a language that your professor can comprehend. That is to say, even if this is an informal assignment, it should still be readable.

Important tip

Write a conclusion.

In the conclusion paragraph , you will need to summarize your main points and make a clear final comment.

Informal essay conclusion example

Informal essay conclusion tips.

Don’t make your conclusion repetitive.
Just quickly list the key points of conversation to leave a lasting impact on the reader.
You want them to remember and think about what you’re saying.

5-Paragraph Informal Essay Example

Game of Thrones: A World of Fantasy and Intrigue

Introduction

Body paragraphs, key takeaways.

An informal essay is a type of essay that is written in a conversational style and often includes personal anecdotes and opinions.
To write an informal essay, you should choose a topic that you are passionate about and write in a voice that is natural and engaging.
Begin your essay with a clear introduction that hooks the reader and provides context for your topic.
Use personal anecdotes, humor, and other storytelling techniques to illustrate your points and engage the reader.
End your essay with a conclusion that summarizes your main points and provides a final reflection on your topic.

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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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Last Updated: Apr 12, 2024 2:56 PM
URL: https://libguides.westsoundacademy.org/ee

How to Write an Informal Essay With a Perfect Plan

Today, we are going to talk about the type of essay that differs greatly from other types of papers. It may be a surprise for you, but an informal essay is written usually for enjoyment. This doesn’t mean that this type of essay cannot be informative or persuasive, but it is less formal than a relaxed expression of the opinion, observation, or research. A good informal essay may have a relaxed style, but it has a strong structure, though this structure can be less strict than a formal essay has. An informal essay has a tendency to be more personal than a formal one, though both can express subjective opinions. In a formal essay, a writer is silently presenting his or her thoughts behind the words; at the same time, in an informal essay, the author is connected with the reader in a conversational style.

How to Write an Informal Essay to Interest Readers

Before we are talking about how to write this type of paper, we should understand what is informal writing. Don’t worry if you are not sure what is an informal essay, as many students try to find the answer to this question. Informal writing is writing where you should reveal your ability to write informally and express your own point of view on an issue. If you write informally, try to express your own personality in the essay. Don’t worry about writing in academic style, but avoid sloppiness. Find an example of informal essay below and look through it to get a more detailed understanding of the requirements this assignment has. Our experienced team of writers is ready to assist you with academic tasks – just say, “ write my college essays “, and we’ll deliver exceptional results.

Many students may ask, “what is the difference between formal and informal essay?” The difference is in the style of writing or in how we use words to say what we want to say. Different situations require different ways of using words. The way we write in the academic or scientific purposes differs a lot from the way we write to a friend or a close person. Proper writing of the informal essay is to understand the features of the genre. Observance of the basic principles and recommendations on writing will create an interesting essay.

Get to know how to start an informal essay and what are the main stages of writing.

Steps for Writing an Informal Essay

Select the topic. You have a great opportunity to select any topic for your paper. An informal way of writing provides a great chance to write about whatever you want. Choose a topic that will be really interesting to you. The presence of a certain narrow topic that contains the problem and prompts the reader to thinking is a great choice. If there is no list of informal writing topics among which you can choose one, and only a general direction is given, then you need to take into account which audience the essay is written for. Variants can be different: your classmates and a teacher, the commission, the literary community, the employer. If the essay is written for handing in to the teacher, then it is necessary to consider what qualities will be evaluated. Proceeding from this, the topic should be chosen in such a way that it would be possible to show those abilities that the examiner is waiting for from the author: originality, the ability to logically construct sentences, literacy, professional qualities, etc. When choosing the topic for writing an essay from the proposed list, you should choose one which you have particular knowledge in.
Write an informal outline for essay. This part of a paper is important, because with an informal essay outline, your writing will be much easier. An outline is like a plan with which you will not forget to include all main points in your paper. It often happens that a person who has enough eloquence and the ability to express his/her thoughts on paper, has difficulty in starting the essay. Thinking about the introduction can take quite a long time, which greatly darkens the process of creative work. If you don’t know how to start an informal essay, ensure that you know what idea you want to communicate. Before you start writing an introduction, you need to formulate an idea, define a goal, and find sources of information for the work. It is important not to focus on the introductory part too long. Write an introduction including a thesis statement. Remember that the essay is distinguished precisely by the presence of the author’s view of the existing problem, his or her relation to the world, speech , and thinking.
Write the main body of your essay using cliches, colloquialisms, and even jargon, as the format of this paper allows you to write in this way. It is necessary to avoid complicated formulations or too long sentences. It is important to follow a laid-back style to establish contact with the reader. It is important not to overdo it, however, turning the essay into a substandard text full of slang. The correct emotional color of the text will be given by short, simple, understandable sentences, and the use of different intonations in sentences. Include a detailed analysis of the problem. Your own point of view needs to be argued on the basis of factual material.
Write a conclusion. Summarize everything that you have said before in your paper.
Remember relative brevity of writing. There are no restrictions on the number of pages, but the informal essay is usually small in volume. An informal paper has a free construction. The informal essay has a way of presentation that does not fit into any definite framework. The construction obeys its own logic, which the author adheres to, trying to consider the problem from different angles.
Proofread and edit your paper. Ask your friend to do it in order to find and correct more mistakes.

Informal Essay Sample

The following example of informal essay writing was created by dissertation writing services to help you handle your own paper. As this type of paper is not formal, you can find personal observations, opinions, or points of view. Use this informal essay sample as a collection of guidelines. The main thing is that this example is written in a relaxed manner, but it adheres to a particular structure. Short informal essay examples usually include the personal contact, and not the academic writing flow. You can find a subjective opinion in this type of paper, so you should write in this way as well. Our example of informal essay will help you understand how to write your own informal paper in order to get a high grade.

Click the images to see their full size.

Useful Tips for Informal Essay Writing

Keep in mind that informal essays can be written in the first person, so using “I think that…” “In my opinion…” and “I believe…” are welcome.
Sentences of your essay should not be too long, especially in the case of run-on sentences. At the same time – they should not be too short. Varying your sentence lengths is a good practice.
Reread your essay at the end of your writing process. Ask yourself whether the tone is too formal or too informal. Make all necessary changes if needed.
Add personality to your essay! Don’t know what it means? Well, an informal essay gives you a chance to personalize your writing, using words and phrases which are used only by you. In this way, you will have a unique piece of writing on a particular topic. Be creative!
All statements that you include in your paper should be clear and realistic.
Despite the free composition, the informal essay must have internal unity, with consistency of the author’s statements expressing his or her opinion.
The author does not insist on his/her point of view, but uses a method as if inviting the reader to think about and discuss it.

Typical Mistakes for Writing an Informal Essay

The absence of links between the substantive parts of the essay: introduction and conclusion, and the main part of the essay with the conclusion.
Having proportionality of parts of the essay which should not be equal in length. The introduction and conclusion in the aggregate should be no more than one-third of the entire work. The main part is two-thirds.
Inability to strictly follow the theme of writing in the course of reasoning.
Inability to compositionally structure an essay in accordance with the theme and the main idea.
Vast amounts of unnecessary information in the introduction and conclusion. However, too short and too unreasonable a conclusion is also inappropriate. It must really summarize and sum up all the work. The absence of a conclusion is a serious logical mistake. The conclusion must be meaningful in accordance with the introduction, topic, and main body of the essay.
Absence of a problem in the introduction (this is the topic itself) and the formulation of a key thesis, which will be proved there.
Indistinct formulation of theses, making it difficult to integrate them into the logical structure of the work. If there are several theses, then there should not be a contradiction between the theses formulated in different parts of the paper.
Weak arguments. They are such if they do not prove or confirm, unconvincingly or superficially, the thesis.
Unreasonable repetitions of the same thoughts.
Errors in the division of the text into paragraphs and even the complete absence of paragraphs.
Inability to operate with abstract concepts.
The non-distinction between the concepts “example” and “argument,” and inability to formulate a micro-output, on the basis of an example, correlated with the thesis put forward.

Now you know what is an informative essay and how to write it correctly. You may also be interested in our guide about gender-sensitive language or informal report topics to complete your perfect paper.

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Guide: How to write an informal essay

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An informal essay, unlike most formal academic essays, puts the writer and maybe even the audience front and center. An informal essay can cover a variety of topics, and it may overlap with other essay types such as the persuasive. How the informal essay is approached will depend on the topic.

Informal Essay Topics

Informal essay topics may be assigned or may be up to the writer. A narrative about some important event in a writer’s life might be the topic for an informal essay. An essay about goals is another common topic for informal college level essay writing. The scope of topics for informal essays is enormous, however, and can range from examining controversial issues to more creative essays that ask the writer to imagine being president for a term or what historical time period would be interesting to visit.

In an informal essay, a writer is more likely to use something called an implied thesis. With an implied thesis, the writer may not include a single statement that tells the main idea of the essay. However, the essay’s main idea will be apparent to the reader either from the beginning or over the course of reading the essay. Even if the paper does not include a thesis statement, the writer should have a clear idea of the essay’s main idea. It’s possible, of course, that the thesis may only be clear to the writer after completing the first draft. When this happens, subsequent drafts can be made with the implied thesis in mind.

An informal essay shares many characteristics with more formal essays. Paragraphs still must be well-organized and focused. If the essay is an informal argument essay, the writer can rely more on opinion and emotion than fact, but those opinions still must be developed and supported. As with all writing, specific examples to illustrate the writer’s points and concrete rather than abstract language will make for a stronger essay.

In some ways, however, an informal essay may differ a great deal from a formal essay. For an informal narrative essay, for example, a writer may use many techniques we associate with fiction including dialogue. There is scope for greater creativity in an informal essay and the personality of the writer can shine through.

Point of View

In formal essay writing, “I” and “you” are rarely if ever used. However, both of these are permissible in informal essay writing. Writers may not only talk about themselves, but they may address readers directly as well. The trick here is to be consistent with point of view. Writers should avoid beginning a sentence with one point of view and changing halfway through. Here’s an example of a sentence that begins in third person (“a person”) and changes to second person (“you”):

A person should be careful about reading up on new flight rules before you board a plane.

Here’s how that sentence could be rewritten so the point of view is consistent:

You should be careful about reading up on new flight rules before you board a plane.

The conclusion for some types of informal essay may differ a bit from more formal essays. If the informal essay is a narrative essay, in which a story is told about the writer’s life, the conclusion should be less about summing up the main points of the essay and more about putting the story in perspective. The writer should discuss what was learned from the incident and place it in context.

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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

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Formal and Informal Style

Whether you use formal or informal style in writing will depend on the assignment itself, its subject, purpose, and audience.

Formal language is characterized by the use of standard English, more complex sentence structures, infrequent use of personal pronouns, and lack of colloquial or slang terms.

Informal language allows the use of nonstandard English forms, colloquial vocabulary and typically shorter sentence structures.

The choice of formal or informal style will affect the following areas:

standard or nonstandard English
choice of vocabulary
use of contractions
use of pronouns

Rule to Remember

Formal style affects the form of English, the choice of vocabulary, and the use of contractions and pronouns.

Standard or Nonstandard English

Standard English is the language used in professional and business communication. It is the form of English that follows the formal rules of the language.

Nonstandard English uses regional or social language variations. Nonstandard English should only be used when there is a purpose for it in writing. For example, it can be used in a narrative to describe a person with a specific regional dialect. Otherwise, the standard form of English should be used.

Choice of Vocabulary

Vocabulary needs to be adjusted depending on the level of formality of any written work.

Consider the following words: investigate, examine, check out . Each of them has a different level of formality. While check out can be used in informal writing and speech, using it in a formal research paper would not be appropriate.

Use more formal vocabulary and avoid the use of contractions in formal writing.

Sometimes the whole sentence needs to be rephrased:

Contractions are more casual, and if you are striving for more formal style, they should not be used. Contractions in negative sentences should be especially avoided since they are easy to miss.

The Use of Pronouns

Formal language tends to be impersonal and precise. The use of pronouns , therefore, is restricted. In formal writing, when addressing the audience, you may use the passive voice or an adverbial clause in place of the personal pronoun:

Restrict the use of personal pronouns in formal writing.

The writer's presence, signaled by the use of the personal pronoun I , or we (if there are several authors), can also make writing more informal and less credible.

The second sentence is more formal and can be perceived by the audience to be more credible.

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Informal Essay Writing Definition, Topics, Examples

1 What is an informal essay
2 What is the difference between formal and informal essay?
3 What is the example of informal writing?
4 Informal essay definition
5 Follow a distinct structure
6 A couple of valuable tips to keep in mind
7 Informal essay topics
8 Informal essay examples

What is an informal essay

Every student tasked with writing an informal essay should know that the major purpose of this kind of writing is to satisfy both the audience and the writer and bring them pleasure. However, it does not mean that your essay should contain anything unintelligible, as it is not permissible.

What is the difference between formal and informal essay?

What is the example of informal writing.

Personal blog writing
Creative writing
Writing to a friend
Conversation and dialog writing
Outline writing

Informal essay definition

Writing an informal essay is meant to check your ability to use informal language when writing something as well as discover how you would behave when given a chance to express your personal views informally.

Follow a distinct structure

Despite the fact that the structure of this kind of essay is quite pre-determined, there are a few characteristic features that you should keep in mind.

• Informal essays are generally more personal compared to other types of papers. They may be written on such topics as religious views and beliefs or your personal viewpoint on certain contradictory issue like gay marriage or euthanasia. It may also deal with your personal experience in some sphere of life.

• This kind of essay should be similar to a conversation, for instance, when people are arguing about some political issue and try to prove that they are right.

• You need to reveal your personality through this essay by making it as distinct as it can be. Try to be creative and express your personality to full extent.

A couple of valuable tips to keep in mind

You need to follow certain plan when writing an informal essay, so a few tips would definitely come handy. Here are some of them:

• Don’t exceed the permissible level of informality. If you use too many colloquialisms or probably slang words, it might divert your readers from your writing and make them think that you did not take the task seriously. Avoid writing in an excessively relaxed sort of way. This will ensure that you complete the task successfully.

• Try to be yourself and make your personal beliefs noticeable throughout your essay. This will guarantee you a success in writing this type of essay.

• Try to create a work of fiction in miniature by using special techniques that will capture the attention of your readers till the very end of your writing.

The final tip is quite simple. You should not follow any specific rules when writing this kind of paper. There is nothing worse than to ruin the informality in your essay by adhering to some strictly defined rules. All you have to do is to measure the level of informality. Try to make your writing interesting and captivating to create a right impression on your audience.

Informal essay topics

Informal essay examples.

Formal vs. Informal Writing

by Purdue Global Academic Success Center and Writing Center · Published December 11, 2020 · Updated December 11, 2020

Writing to many is about dos and don’ts, especially don’ts–don’t use first person, don’t use second person, don’t use slang, don’t use contractions, don’t use hyperbole. Don’t, don’t, don’t. And of course these “don’ts” are usually couched within the context of formal vs. informal writing in that the don’ts apply to formal writing and what you don’t want to do when writing formally. These don’ts (and others) highlight what many see as the differences between formal and informal writing. Well, I suppose so, but exceptions to rules exist, and not all writing can be so neatly categorized as either formal or informal. Certainly some writing might be what I will term semi-formal. And just because a piece of writing is less formal than formal writing doesn’t mean that’s inherently bad, which I think is sometimes the impression given. For me, how language is used in a piece of writing is less about the level of formality of the writing context and more about audience and purpose.

First, let’s consider formal vs. informal writing with respect to APA Style. APA Style does include some “don’ts” such as to avoid using contractions and slang, but APA Style also makes it clear that its guidelines are intended for scholarly writing, and the purpose of scholarly writing is to share research and discuss findings on a narrowly defined topic, so the audience would primarily be experts in a given field. When presenting research, one wants to be taken seriously, so using a more formal writing style seems a good approach as it would help to establish the proper tone for the work. After all, what would you take more seriously?

A. The upshot of the study will blow your minds.

B. The results of the study raise a number of questions worth pursuing.

The tone in the first example is too colloquial and casual. If the audience is made up of other experts in the field–researchers, scholars, academicians, educators–for the purpose of sharing and discussing serious research, then the writer would be wise to adopt a more formal usage of language in this writing context. To ignore what is surely a standard expectation of scholarly writing would risk alienating the audience. Not being aware of the writing context and dressing up your prose appropriately is akin to being invited to a big-deal gala, an invitation-only black-tie affair and showing up wearing shorts, t-shirt, and sneakers. You wouldn’t be taken seriously, would you? With this in mind, the audience and purpose in this example dictate that more formal writing be used. It just makes sense.

Conversely, if you wrote a text to a good friend to invite him to a weekend barbeque, you wouldn’t write, Dear Friend, I would be honored by your presence at a barbeque Saturday, July 20, at 2 PM sharp. Food and beverages will be provided by the hosts. Casual attire required. RSVP no later than–you get the idea. The audience and purpose in this scenario would be alienated by the unnecessarily formal prose, not to mention utterly flabbergasted and perhaps even a little concerned. Clearly, a text to a good friend is an occasion for informal writing that might even include abbreviated words. Make sense?

I am often in the minority when people rail against the evils of texting and how it’s the downfall of an orderly and civilized world. “Texting is ruining people’s ability to write complete and grammatically correct sentences,” they will say. “Before we know it, sentences will be nothing but abbreviations.” Well, I’m not so sure. I get the idea that when textspeak creeps into some writing contexts, a problem exists. But doesn’t the issue all come down to audience and purpose? Perhaps the issue isn’t so much texting itself, but, rather, people’s failure to consider audience and purpose appropriately?

Further, doesn’t language usage evolve over time to reflect a changing culture? After all, we have new words in the English language this year that we didn’t have last year. And how many of you have received an email from your boss with such abbreviations as FYI or SME? Think of the abbreviations that are already used regularly and in many different writing contexts–TBA, FAQ, AKA, NNTR, and everyone’s favorite, TGIF. Would I use an abbreviation like these in an academic paper? Unless the point of the paper were to discuss textspeak or a related topic, of course not! Have I received emails from higher ups that include such abbreviations as NNTR or COB? Yes, I have, and I see nothing wrong with it. Communication and the formality of the language used is all about audience and purpose, and for written communication to be effective, the writer must consider audience and purpose carefully. EOD.

You might be thinking, ok, I get the difference between formal and informal writing situations, but what about the middle-of-the-road, hard-to-tell, not-so-black-and-white writing occasions? What’s the best approach in these kinds of situations?

Just like there are back-yard barbeques and black-tie affairs, there are also semi-formal and business-casual events. Appropriate language use still comes down to audience and purpose.

Let’s say your’re writing a blog post for an educational audience made up of primarily educators, students, and administrators. Your purpose is to inform and engage and develop an ongoing readership and learning community. Perhaps even to stir up a little controversy from time to time. Does this sound like a black-tie affair or business casual? While the audience may be comprised of students and educators, a blog post that shares information is not at all the same as sharing and discussing research findings in a peer-reviewed academic journal that might be published quarterly and whose primary audience is other experts in a defined field of study. Readers of a blog usually are subscribers and thus a more informal writing style is indicative of a closer relationship between the blog and its audience, so a casual treatment of language seems appropriate even if the topic itself is a serious one. While an author of a scholarly article might not use first person, address readers directly, engage in word play, or use other rhetorical devices for effect, such an approach seems perfectly fine for a blog.

What about college assignments such as informative or persuasive essays that include research? Without a doubt, some student papers are intended to be formal academic works in which case avoiding contractions and first person makes sense. Indeed, for many college-level assignments, a more formal approach to writing is preferred, and if one has such an assignment and has questions about just how formal the writing should be, I suggest sending an email to the professor who would be the final authority on such a matter. (And if you do email your professor, please keep your audience and purpose in mind.)

That said, without another doubt, lots of student writing is not intended to be of a scholarly nature even if it uses content from research. Some assignments ask students to conduct interviews of family members or write about an issue in the community in which they live or discuss their personal educational journey, so, for example, it seems that using first person would be essential as referring to oneself in the third person is tremendously awkward and, frankly, just plain wrong.

Now, despite all that I’ve written, I would be remiss if I didn’t at least put on the table that regardless of writing expectations and style guide pronouncements, I have to wonder if formal academic writing wouldn’t benefit by loosening up the writing a bit so that it sounded more natural, perhaps even personable. After all, those of us who teach writing or are educators surely have told our students not to use highfalutin, polysyllabic words and unnecessarily complex sentence structures when writing just to sound more sophisticated and knowledgeable, yet (dare I say it!), isn’t that what much formal academic writing does?

Until next week–

Kurtis Clements

How To Write An Informal Essay?

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Writing an Informal Essay can be an intimidating task for many students. After all, it is a less structured form of writing that requires creativity and careful consideration of your audience. Though Informal Essays may have fewer rules and regulations than other types of writing, there are still certain guidelines to follow when crafting an effective piece. This article will explore the basics of how to write an Informal Essay, highlighting key elements such as structure, content, and style.

Related: Best Place To Buy Essay Online?

Article structure

What Is An Informal Essay?

An Informal Essay is a piece of writing that typically contains personal thoughts and ideas on a specific topic. It is written in an informal style and can be used for various purposes, such as entertaining readers or conveying information in a casual way. Unlike formal essays, which are usually written to meet academic requirements, Informal Essays do not have strict guidelines regarding length, structure, or formatting; instead, they rely heavily on the writer’s creativity and opinion.

Informal essays often take the form of opinions, observations, or reflections about people, places, or events. They are generally more conversational than other essays and use less technical language. Additionally, informal essays can include humor and exaggeration to make their points. Informal essays may also include personal anecdotes from the writer’s life experiences that illustrate a point made in the essay.

Definition: Characteristics Of Informal Essays.

An Informal Essay is a form of non-fiction writing that utilizes personal experiences or observations to present new perspectives, ideas, or arguments. It is often written in a conversational tone and can contain elements of humor and wit. Unlike formal essays that are typically tightly structured, an informal essay may contain narrative elements and be more loosely organized.

Informal essays generally focus on the writer’s opinion rather than traditional academic research. Using anecdotes and personal stories allows for greater flexibility in style, allowing the writer to express themselves more freely than in a formal essay setting.

Additionally, informal essays often utilize more creative techniques, such as metaphor or allusion, to create a sense of engagement with the reader. Informal Essays can also explore controversial topics to challenge accepted norms or spark debate among readers.

Common Features: Structure & Tone.

Informal essays are a type of writing that is more relaxed and conversational than other types of essays. They are typically used in blogs, emails, and informal letters, as well as for creative writing pieces. They are often humorous and entertaining, making them enjoyable for readers to engage with. The structure and tone of informal essays vary depending on the purpose and audience, but there are also some common features to be aware of.

Informal essays usually consist of an introduction followed by several paragraphs that address a particular point or idea, each ending with a conclusion. It’s important to remember that these points should be connected in some way so that readers can easily follow the flow of your argument.

The structure of an informal essay is generally more flexible than a formal one. An informal essay can range from a single paragraph to several pages, depending on the subject matter and purpose. It’s up to the individual writer to determine what works best for their given piece.

The core components of the organization still apply; it should have clear transitions between ideas and contain supporting evidence where applicable. However, within this general framework, writers can take creative license to craft their unique approach as long as it remains organized and logical.

Related: Where Can I Buy Written Essays?

Purpose: Why Write An Informal Essay?

Writing an informal essay is an opportunity to explore a more relaxed and personal topic than other forms of writing, such as academic essays. This essay allows the writer to express creativity while developing important skills such as critical thinking and analysis. An informal essay can be used for entertainment purposes or to make serious points on various topics.

When writing an informal essay, it is important to consider the audience you are trying to reach; this will help guide your choice of words and style. Depending upon the purpose of the essay, you may use humor or satire. Informal essays can also be used as tools for self-expression and exploration; by reflecting on our own experiences, we can better understand ourselves and our place in the world.

Informal essays allow you to explore topics that may be sensitive, thought-provoking, or humorous. By writing in an informal style, you can amplify the impact of your stories and ideas. As a bonus, the process of writing helps you work through challenging issues and develop better problem-solving skills.

Informal essays often take the form of personal narratives, which allow you to communicate your experiences in a meaningful way. Writing about yourself can help you build self-awareness and gain insight into who you are. This type of reflective writing also allows readers to connect with your story on a deeper level since they may find their own lives reflected in yours.

Examples: Different Types Of Topics.

Informal essays can be written about numerous topics, from relationships to hobbies, travel stories to adventures, and much more. There are several types of informal essay topics for writers to choose from.

One popular type of topic for an informal essay focuses on a person’s relationship with another individual or group. This could include writing about a friendship between two people, the connection between siblings, how a parent affects their child’s development, or how someone interacts with the community around them. These topics can be explored through an informal essay while exploring significant ideas and related emotions.

One common type of informal essay focuses on self-reflection. This kind of essay gives the writer an opportunity to express their thoughts, observations, and opinions about themselves or their own experiences. For example, a person might write about how they overcame obstacles in life or how they overcame a difficult situation stronger than before.

Another popular topic for informal essays is humorous topics. These types of essays can use satire or irony to discuss topical issues entertainingly, engaging readers with clever wordplay rather than didactic argumentation.

How To Get Started With Writing An Informal Essay?

Are you looking for a way to express yourself through writing? An informal essay is a great way to kickstart your creative juices. Informal essays are written mainly for enjoyment, but they can also be used as a tool to help you think more critically about a particular topic or idea. Here are five steps that will help you get started with writing an informal essay:

1. Topic Selection.

Choosing the right topic for your informal essay is key to ensuring that your paper stands out from the rest and accurately conveys your ideas and opinions. Take some time to think about topics that interest you or would be relevant in today’s society. This will help ensure that you have plenty of material for research and writing when crafting your paper.

Take some time to brainstorm any ideas that come to mind and narrow them down until you find one that interests you or fits within the parameters of whatever assignment or project you’re working on. Make sure it will hold your interest throughout the writing process, so it doesn’t become too tedious.

2. Outline & Structure.

Creating an outline and structure for your informal essay is a key step in the writing process. With an outline, you can ensure that each point your essay makes is relevant and cohesive. Here are some tips for outlining and structuring your informal essay.

1. Establish the main points of your essay by breaking it down into sections using headings or subheadings. This will help you organize the different ideas related to each main point into separate subsections, which will become part of your outline.

2. Create a rough draft of how the section should be structured by deciding what topics should come first and then going from there.

3. Make sure that each point flows logically from one section to another so that readers can easily understand the overall message of your paper.

3. Drafting The Essay.

Drafting the essay is an important step in the writing process of an informal essay. During this stage, the writer can best express their ideas and bring together all of the components they have outlined and organized. Here are five tips to keep in mind when drafting your informal essay:

1. Be sure to plan out a logical structure for your essay. A clear outline is necessary to avoid disorganization and confusion. You must begin with a strong foundation before moving on to further steps.

2. Make sure your sentences are direct and concise – avoid complex language whenever possible.

3. Consider revising your essay to correct all grammar, spelling, and punctuation errors.

4. Make sure you have a clear understanding of the purpose of your essay. Understanding why this piece needs to be written will help keep it on track and ensure that the main point comes through in each paragraph, whether it’s for a class assignment or pleasure.

5. Use concrete language when describing ideas or people to create vivid images so readers can easily imagine what is described in the text.

4. Proofreading & Editing.

Proofreading and editing are essential steps in the process of writing an informal essay. It allows writers to refine their work, ensuring it meets all expectations and looks professional. Here are some tips for proofreading and editing your informal essay:

Read through your entire essay out loud or have someone else listen to you reading it. This helps you to find any awkward phrasing or typos that may have been overlooked during the first couple of passes. Reading out loud also allows you to ensure that all sentences flow naturally from one point to the next.

The next step of proofreading and editing involves checking for spelling, grammar, punctuation, and syntax errors. A spellchecker can help to identify misspelled words but should not be relied upon as it cannot spot all mistakes; for example, if you have written ‘form’ instead of ‘from’ or ‘their’ instead of ‘there,’ the spellchecker will not identify this mistake.

Next, go back through your essay again with a fine-tooth comb, looking for areas where content can be improved, such as better word choices or stronger arguments.

Also, break up long sentences into shorter ones when possible and condense ideas into fewer words when necessary.

Related: Where Is The Best To Buy Cheap Essays Online?

5. Add Final Touches.

The final step in writing an informal essay is adding the final touches. No matter how complex or straightforward the essay may be, it is essential to finish with a strong conclusion. To do this, begin by restating your thesis statement or main argument in different words to show that you have come full circle and proved your point.

Next, summarize your key points and how they support your argument. Then, end the essay on a powerful note, such as discussing the implications of the topic or providing advice for readers that can be derived from what was discussed in the essay.

Finally, proofread your work for grammar and spelling mistakes to ensure that it reads well and presents professional quality work. This step should be noticed, as small errors can take away from an otherwise perfect paper if left unchecked.

3 Writing Tips For Crafting An Informal Essay.

For people who are new to writing informal essays, it can be a daunting task. But with the right approach, anyone can craft a compelling essay. Here are three tips that any writer can use to make the process easier:

Tip 1: Use Humor & Tone.

When writing an informal essay, it is important to use humor and light-hearted language throughout your piece. This will lend a more conversational tone ideal for this type of essay. Also, humor can add interest and engage readers more effectively than dry language.

Tip 2: Incorporate Personal Experience.

This adds depth and emotion to the story, making it more engaging for readers. In addition, adding personal anecdotes gives credibility to any claims made in the essay and makes it more relatable to readers. Try to draw on experiences from family, friends, or even yourself when possible.

Tip 3: Keep Your Sentences Short & Simple.

Long sentences with complex syntax can quickly become overwhelming when reading an informal essay. To keep things flowing, break up long sentences into two or three shorter ones.

FAQ Section.

How to start informal writing.

First of all, consider what the purpose of your writing will be. Are you trying to share something funny or profound? Will it be more personal or opinionated? Deciding what kind of content you want can help guide the structure and tone you use throughout your piece.

Next, think about who will be reading it. If you’re writing for online readers outside of your inner circle, keep in mind that they may not know much about you; so make sure to provide enough context up front so they can understand where you’re coming from.

How Many Paragraphs Is An Informal Essay?

When it comes to the length of an informal essay, there is no one-size-fits-all answer, as the number of paragraphs in an essay depends on its purpose and content. Generally speaking, it’s fair to say that most informal essays will consist of three to five main body paragraphs.

Each paragraph should begin with a topic sentence that introduces the central idea discussed in that section. The supporting points following this should provide further detail or evidence for why this point is true or relevant. Within each paragraph, these ideas must be connected using smooth transitions so that sentences flow logically from one point to the next.

What Should Come First In The Introduction Of Informal Essays?

The introduction of an informal essay is often the most difficult part for students to write. A successful introduction sets up the essay for success, but it can take time to know what should come first when composing your thoughts. Knowing key points can help you craft an effective and engaging introduction that will draw readers in and make them want to keep reading.

First, decide on a topic or main point you would like to discuss. This will give you direction as you plan out the rest of your essay and allow readers to understand the focus immediately.

Then, start with a hook or attention-grabber that captures the reader’s interest and encourages them to read further. It could be an interesting anecdote, statistic, or quote related to your topic – anything that draws in your reader’s curiosity and makes them want to learn more.

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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.

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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.

<< Previous: Types of College Writing
Next: Essay vs. Article >>
Last Updated: Dec 8, 2015 1:59 AM
URL: https://library.guilford.edu/writingmanual

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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!”

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 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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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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The picture enumerates the characteristics of a formal essay.

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!

❓ 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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Rhetorical Analysis Essay Outline: Examples & Strategies

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How to write an informal essay
How to Write an Informal Essay
Formal and Informal Writing Styles: Definition, Examples
How to Write an Informal Essay
How to Write an Informal Essay
How to Write an Informal Essay: Explanatory Guide with Tips

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How to Write an Informal Essay: Guide, Tips, and Sample
Determine the purpose of the future essay. 2. List as many subjects in the focus of your interest as possible. 3. Evaluate each of the topics in the list. 4. Develop a topic of choice using any paper structure you like. 5. Double-check and proofread the completed paper.
Informal Essay Definition, Format & Examples
To say that an informal essay has any real, definite 'format' would be a bit of a stretch; however, there are some features and characteristics that are fairly standard among most examples of the ...
Informal Essay: Steps, Tips, Outline, Example, Topics
Some common examples of informal essays include impromptu speeches, diary entries, journals, social media posts, personal essays, and personal notes. While the informal essay does not have a rigid structure or format, it must include four elements - topic, introduction, body, and conclusion. 1. Title.
Writing an Informal Essay
The informal essay can be much less restricted by structural conformities and much more personal in both approach and expression. Allow your personal opinions and mode of expression to show through in an informal essay, rather than trying to sound 'academic'. Your own 'voice' should be clearly audible in the informal essay and you ...
Writing a Great Informal Essay (Steps & Examples)
An informal essay is quite different from other types of essays.. In an informal essay, you're writing as if you are talking to a friend. You do not need to engage in a strict academic writing process, but you should still avoid sloppiness. In a formal essay, you expresses your ideas quietly behind the words. In an informal essay, you talk to the reader in a conversational manner.
How to Write an Informal Essay
The informal essay tends to be more personal than the formal essay, even though both may express subjective opinions. Read this guide to learn more ... If the paper is composed for giving to the educator, then it is important to consider what characteristics will be assessed. Compose an informal outline for a paper: This piece of paper is ...
Extended Essay: Formal vs. Informal Writing
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.
How to Write an Informal Essay
A good informal essay may have a relaxed style, but it has a strong structure, though this structure can be less strict than a formal essay has. An informal essay has a tendency to be more personal than a formal one, though both can express subjective opinions. In a formal essay, a writer is silently presenting his or her thoughts behind the ...
How to write an Informal Essay: All you Need to know
An informal essay is a short piece of writing written as a response or reflection on something or as a personal statement. Informal essays are usually used to reflect on ideas, feelings, experiences, and thoughts. ... Characteristics of Informal Writing 1. Colloquial Terms. Informal writing has provisions for using slang, broken syntax, asides ...
Guide: How to write an informal essay
An informal essay shares many characteristics with more formal essays. Paragraphs still must be well-organized and focused. If the essay is an informal argument essay, the writer can rely more on opinion and emotion than fact, but those opinions still must be developed and supported. As with all writing, specific examples to illustrate the ...
How to Write an Informal Essay: A to Z Guide to Succeed in Writing
To create a striking conclusion, one should inform about a research topic once again, restate a thesis statement, and sum up the key points of an essay. One should not include or introduce new information in this section because an introduction fits this purpose or the body. The conclusion is a full stop, not a comma.
Formal and Informal Writing Styles
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 ...
Formal and Informal Style
Whether you use formal or informal style in writing will depend on the assignment itself, its subject, purpose, and audience. Formal language is characterized by the use of standard English, more complex sentence structures, infrequent use of personal pronouns, and lack of colloquial or slang terms.. Informal language allows the use of nonstandard English forms, colloquial vocabulary and ...
Formal and Informal Writing—Explanation and Examples
Quick Summary of Formal and Informal Language. The main difference between formal and informal language in writing is that formal language is more rigid and less personal, whereas informal language is more easygoing and adaptive.; Deciding on using formal or informal language depends on what you're writing and who you're writing it for: ; Formal language is usually reserved for ...
Informal Essay Writing Definition, Topics, Examples
Informal essay definition. Writing an informal essay is meant to check your ability to use informal language when writing something as well as discover how you would behave when given a chance to express your personal views informally. Follow a distinct structure. Despite the fact that the structure of this kind of essay is quite pre-determined ...
Formal vs. Informal Writing
For me, how language is used in a piece of writing is less about the level of formality of the writing context and more about audience and purpose. First, let's consider formal vs. informal writing with respect to APA Style. APA Style does include some "don'ts" such as to avoid using contractions and slang, but APA Style also makes it ...
How To Write An Informal Essay? Help
Informal essays may also include personal anecdotes from the writer's life experiences that illustrate a point made in the essay. Definition: Characteristics Of Informal Essays. An Informal Essay is a form of non-fiction writing that utilizes personal experiences or observations to present new perspectives, ideas, or arguments. It is often ...
Is an essay formal or informal: characteristics of each
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. 2. Stories. When writing an informal essay, telling a story is important.
Informal vs. Formal Writing
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 ...
Characteristics of Formal and Informal Writing
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?
What is the key difference between Formal and Informal essays?
While an informal essay may include informal language and words and personal thoughts and expressions. 4. Writing Characteristics. 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.
How to Write a Formal Essay: Format, Rules, & Example
Characteristics Informal essay Formal essay ; Purpose: Usually, the purpose of an informal essay is to share opinions or to entertain the reader. A formal essay aims to critically analyze facts, details, and ideas to prove a point. Pronouns use: Addresses the reader directly and uses 1st-person pronouns.

How to Write an Informal Essay: A Beginners' Guide

What is an informal essay?

Structure of an Informal Essay

2. Introduction

4. Conclusion

The Steps to Take to Write an Informal Essay

1. Choose a topic

2. Create an outline for your informal essay

3. Write the first draft of your essay

4. Edit your essay

Informal Essay Example

Informal Essay Topics

Dos and don’ts when writing an informal essay

Parting Words!

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How to write an informal essay

Formal and informal essays

Choose an informal essay topic

Informal essay topic tips

When choosing a topic:

Create an outline

Example of an informal essay outline

Informal essay outline best practices

Write an introduction

Informal essay introduction example

Write the body paragraphs

Important tip

Informal essay conclusion example

5-Paragraph Informal Essay Example

Introduction

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Guide: How to write an informal essay

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Formal and Informal Writing Styles

Understanding Formal and Informal Styles

Characteristics of Formal and Informal Writing

When to Use Formal and Informal Writing

Northern Illinois University Effective Writing Practices Tutorial

Rule to Remember

Standard or Nonstandard English

Choice of Vocabulary

The Use of Pronouns

Informal Essay Writing Definition, Topics, Examples

What is an informal essay

What is the difference between formal and informal essay?

Informal essay definition

Follow a distinct structure

A couple of valuable tips to keep in mind

Informal essay topics

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Formal vs. Informal Writing

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How To Write An Informal Essay?

What Is An Informal Essay?

Definition: Characteristics Of Informal Essays.

Common Features: Structure & Tone.

Purpose: Why Write An Informal Essay?

Examples: Different Types Of Topics.