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14 Do's and Don'ts When Writing an Informative Essay

##14 Do’s and Don’ts for When Writing an Informative Essay

Writing a high-quality informative essay can be straightforward when you know what to do and what to avoid in your process.

Wondering what to do and what to avoid in your informative essay-writing process? When writing one, we’ve compiled a comprehensive list of do’s and don’ts.

Keep reading to learn more!

Here is our list of do’s for when writing an informative essay:

Research the Topic Thoroughly

Search for related topics on Google Scholar . This can help you find additional sources and articles to gain more information from. Also, you can use the search engine to give you the keywords you need for your paper.

It is easy to get overwhelmed with the whole research process. However, it is important to remember that you are not expected to read everything you find. Instead, use the keywords that you find in Google Scholar to help you narrow down your search for information.

You should only spend a little bit of time reading articles on subjects that are relevant to your topic. This will help you save time and improve your writing since you are providing relevant information to your readers.

Brainstorm Ideas for Your Informative Essay

Brainstorming is an essential part of the writing process. It can help you generate ideas and discover a topic that interests you. It can also help you plan your ideas and organize your essay. Many students need help with knowing where to start when writing an essay. Brainstorming can help you get started.

Brainstorming can help you:

Discover a topic that interests you Plan your ideas and organize your essay Organize your ideas and research Get started writing your essay

Brainstorming can help you plan and organize your essay, but it's just one part of the writing process. It should not replace other important writing steps such as pre-writing, drafting, and editing

Organize Your Thoughts and Ideas

The best way to organize ideas is to write them down. You can write them in a journal or use a word processing program. Using a word processing program, you can use the outlining feature to organize your thoughts. Outlines are a great way to organize your ideas. Outlines can be used in a variety of ways. For example, some people use them to write essays and reports.

Others use them to plan speeches or presentations. No matter how you use an outline, it will help you organize your thoughts and ideas. Outlining is a great way to start writing. It helps you think about your topic and write your thoughts down. Once you have an outline, you can start writing.

You can start by writing the introduction and filling in each point from your outline. This will help you write a strong paper that is organized and coherent. Outlining is a great way if you want to write an organized paper.

Select a Focus and Make a Thesis Statement

Allowing yourself a thesis statement can help when it comes to writing. Whether it's a 1,000-word essay or a 100-word paragraph, it makes the writing process easier. However, writing 1,000 words without a thesis statement can be daunting, so it's best to start by making one.

Having a thesis statement lets you narrow down the topic and write about it more easily. You'll be able to connect your ideas and tell your reader what you want to say. Start with a thesis statement to make writing a seamless process.

Include Relevant Facts and Data

What is the context of the writing? What is the author trying to convey and why? What is the purpose of the text, and what is the author's intention? Before evaluating the content, dig a little to understand the background.

Ask yourself: Is the text written for a specific publication? Is it a college writing assignment? Is it an online tutorial? How is the author trying to engage the reader? What is the author's purpose? What kind of audience is the author trying to reach? The more you know about the text itself, the easier it will be to understand what is being said and how the author is saying it.

Support Your Arguments with Evidence

It’s easy to get caught up in what you’re trying to say and forget to back it up with evidence. Writing is an act of communication, and to be truly effective, you need to make sure your audience understands where you are coming from and why you are making the points you are.

Citing evidence is important for a few reasons. First of all, it demonstrates that you understand the context of your argument and are capable of keeping your perspective in mind as you dive into the details. Secondly, citing evidence shows your audience how you came to that conclusion and gives them a path to follow if they want to come to the same conclusion themselves.

Finally, citing evidence shows your audience that you are not afraid to admit your sources and creates a sense of trust that you are presenting what you know to be true rather than making unfounded assumptions.

Use a Logical Structure

A logical structure starts with fundamental concepts and builds toward more complex ideas. This is the most important thing to consider when creating a logical structure for your essay. The first sentence of an essay should always provide the reader with the most essential information to help them understand the rest of the essay.

This sentence should provide the reader with the main idea and help them understand the structure of the essay. It should lead into the next paragraph, further elaborating on the main idea. Stay consistent with your main idea, and don’t go off on tangents.

An effective essay has a logical structure, meaning it starts with the most important information and builds upon it with each subsequent paragraph. A logical structure can be achieved in many ways, but the most important thing is to stay consistent with your main idea.

Don’t go off on tangents or try to include too much information. A logical structure will help you convey your main idea clearly and concisely to your audience.

Use Simple and Clear Language

The best writing is clear and concise. Readers don’t want to be confused, and they certainly don’t want to re-read paragraphs or sentences to understand your message. So, use simple and clear language. The best way to do this is to avoid using big words when small ones will do, and to keep your sentences short and to the point.

Writing that’s complex or difficult to read can often be simplified, so never fear doing that. Instead, you’ll end up with writing that is clear and easy to understand, which is exactly what your readers want.

Use a Variety of Sentence Structures

This means using the correct punctuation. For example, if you are making a statement, use a period to finish it. Do not use a question mark. This is incorrect punctuation. When asking a question, use a question mark at the end of your sentence. It is important to use the correct punctuation as it is an important part of writing.

Cite Your Sources Properly

If we are not certain of the credibility of a source, we should not use it. It is a common mistake for students to cite dubious sources when they are unsure if the source is credible. This can result in a plagiarized paper with references that do not support the author’s observations or opinions. Checking the source’s credibility prevents such situations from happening.

In addition, the student should always ensure that the source they use is relevant to the topic. This can prevent unnecessary repetition of information, which can be a telltale sign of plagiarism. Furthermore, it helps us to stay focused on the essence of the topic and present our ideas more creatively and innovatively.

Check Your Work for Accuracy

Many teachers primarily focus on the content of a student’s writing, particularly when it comes to essay writing. An essay’s content is the most important, and it’s the hardest thing to master. It’s easier to work on your grammar skills and ensure your writing is error-free.

That way, you’ll be well prepared to write an essay that will get you the desired results with the least amount of stress. It’s a good idea to focus on what’s important and ensure your content is interesting, engaging, and informative before worrying about grammar and spelling.

Proofread and Edit Your Informative Essay

The combination of writing an essay and balancing a hectic schedule can be quite overwhelming. Mistakes like grammatical, spelling, and punctuation errors are bound to happen. Proofreading and editing your essay is a great way to go about it.

You can use Rephrasely’s Grammar Corrector, a free online tool that helps in identifying grammatical errors and helps in fixing them. Once you're done with your draft, you can use the tool to proofread your essay.

Ask Someone Else to Review Your Informative Essay

It means that your writing is so off-base that you can’t even convince a stranger that your writing is good. That’s a problem. It could be that your writing is just plain bad, or it could be that you’ve been so consumed by your ideas that you can’t even see them objectively.

This is a clear sign that you need to get someone else to review your writing. Either that, or you need to take a break, walk away from your writing for a bit, and come back to it with a fresh mind.

Revise and Refine Your Informative Essay

Student writing can be hard to come to terms with because it’s not always clear exactly what the teacher is looking for. “Revise and refine” can be tricky because it’s hard to know where to start. Is it a case of just putting some ‘revise and refine’ at the top and hoping for the best? Well, sort of.

It’s hard to know exactly what your teachers are looking for, so it’s always best to start with a rough draft of your essay and then revise and refine it from there. Revising and refining your writing can be just as important as the initial draft, so make sure your essay is well-structured, well-researched, and well-written.

Here is our list of don’ts for writing an informative essay:

Don't Copy and Paste from Other Sources

While students may not have the essay writing skills to create a compelling argument, they can at least give themselves a fighting chance by avoiding plagiarism . By not copying and pasting content from other sources, students can at least be confident that the content they are presenting is original and accurate.

Some students may have the misconception that using other content is fine as long as they cite it, but they must remember that they are risking their academic standing by doing so.

Don't Use Biased Language

If you are writing a research paper, ensure that the material you are using is cited properly. This includes the titles, the authors, and the publishers. If you do not do this, you are guilty of plagiarism. Therefore, make sure that you are properly citing your sources so that you can avoid being accused of plagiarism.

When you are not properly citing your sources, you steal someone else’s work. When you are accused of plagiarism, you are accused of stealing someone else’s work.

Don't Make Baseless Claims

One of my biggest pet peeves is when students make claims that aren’t backed up by facts. For example, if a student were to write, “The Beatles were the most influential band of all time,” but didn’t offer any evidence to support this claim, it would leave the reader wondering if this statement is true or just an opinion.

As a writer, it’s important to back up your claims with examples, statistics, or any other evidence proving your point. By doing this, you’re ensuring that your argument is sound and well-supported, which will help your readers understand your point of view and make them more likely to agree with you.

Don't Use Jargon or Complex Terminology

Using jargon or complex terminology may make you seem authoritative, but can also make you seem inaccessible to the reader. If your writing is filled with unfamiliar terms that the average reader will not understand, they will be unable to follow your argument. Instead, consider the average reader and write in a style that is easy to understand and engaging.

Don't Use First-Person Pronouns

Many students have a habit of using first-person pronouns in their written assignments. For example, they will use ‘I,’ ‘me,’ ‘my,’ ‘mine,’ ‘myself’ or ‘our’, etc., in their written assignments so that it becomes distracting to the reader. It doesn’t look professional, and it is better to avoid it.

While you may want to use them, you should ask yourself, “is it important to know who is saying this?” If it isn’t, then don’t mention it. Just write your thoughts. It is much more professional and easier to follow if you do. It may take a while to get used to, but it is worth it!

Don't Exaggerate or Make Assumptions

Students should use evidence to support their arguments rather than exaggerating or making assumptions to get their point across. In the context of student writing, this means that students should provide concrete evidence for their arguments rather than just stating opinions.

For example, if a student is writing an essay about why the death penalty should be abolished, they shouldn't just state that it's immoral and unjust; they should provide specific examples and evidence to support their argument.

Don't Provide False Information

Writers should never include false information. Instead, they should write about their experiences in a way that is honest and engaging without exaggerating or including things that never happened. Never underestimate your reader and their ability to detect misinformation!

Don't Use Too Many Quotes

Quoting is a great way to show that expert opinions support your research and can also be a great way to add some personality to your writing. However, you want to make sure that you don't go overboard and quote too much. Otherwise, your writing can end up sounding dry and uninteresting, which is the opposite of what you're trying to achieve. So as with all things, moderation is key.

Don't Be Afraid to Be Opinionated

Students are often too afraid to be opinionated. They’re worried about coming across as too confident or even arrogant. When students are afraid to express their own opinions, their writing suffers. This is because they aren’t trying to engage with the text.

Instead, they’re simply regurgitating what the author has already said. When students are more willing to share their opinions, they have more to say about the text. This leads to more engaging writing, which is exactly what you want your writing to be. So, don’t be afraid to be opinionated! Be confident in your ideas and share them with the world.

Don't Forget to Include a Conclusion

The conclusion is the final part of a student's essay. It summarizes what the writer said in the essay’s body, and gives the reader a sense of completeness and closure. Conclusions add to the essay's structure and organization. It also helps the reader remember what the writer said in the essay.

The conclusion should not be a summary of the body. Instead, it should be a new and original thought that ties together the main ideas of the body. A conclusion should also leave the reader with an understanding of how the writer's point of view affects their life.

The conclusion should be concise and to the point. It should be between one and three sentences long. It should avoid being overly long or overly complicated. The conclusion should also have a transition sentence leading to the essay's body.

Don't Ignore the Purpose of Your Informative Essay

The best essay writing services could help you improve your writing without changing your original voice. They want your essay to sound like you wrote it. They just want to help you become a better writer. It's a very rewarding experience that can help you build confidence in your writing abilities.

You'll see how your writing has grown and how much progress you've made due to the essay writing service's help. It's a win-win.

Don't Be Afraid to Ask for Help

If you're writing a paper with someone and you're stuck, don't be afraid to ask for help. Your partner might have a different perspective than you, and they can provide some insight that you haven't considered. Even if they can't help, they'll probably be glad to know they're not the only ones struggling!

Don't Forget to Check the Formatting Requirements

All academic papers are required to be formatted and structured in a particular way. It is essential to follow these guidelines to ensure your professor can easily read and assess your work. Furthermore, by taking the time and effort to format your papers properly, you will not only impress your professor but also improve your chances of receiving a good grade.

Not sure how to format your paper? Don't worry - plenty of resources online can help you get it right. A quick Google search will reveal many websites and apps showing you exactly how to format your paper in MLA, APA, or Chicago Style.

By taking the time to format and structure your paper properly, you will ensure that it is easy to read and understand, which will ultimately lead to better results.

Don't Wait Until the Last Minute to Write Your Informative Essay

Many students believe they can write a good essay only in the last minutes before the deadline. And they are right. If they don't take care to arrange their ideas and get the first draft done before the deadline, they will be writing from scratch at the last minute. It is better to dedicate time to writing the first draft of your essay and then go over it and edit it on time.

If you are stuck for ideas, try brainstorming or using some of the effective writing prompts available online. It helps to have a first draft ready before the deadline and then go over it for editing. This way, you save time on writing from scratch and can focus on perfecting your informative essay.

Final Thoughts

Following our list of do’s and don’ts for writing an informative essay will help you score top marks.

Here is our list of do’s for writing an informative essay:

Research the topic thoroughly Brainstorm ideas for your informative essay Organize your thoughts and ideas Select a focus and make a thesis statement Include relevant facts and data Support your arguments with evidence Use a logical structure Use simple and clear language Use a variety of sentence structures Cite your sources properly Check your work for accuracy Proofread and edit your informative essay Ask someone else to review your informative essay Revise and refine your informative essay

Don't copy and paste from other sources Don't use biased language Don't make baseless claims Don't use jargon or complex terminology Don't use first-person pronouns Don't exaggerate or make assumptions Don't provide false information Don't use too many quotes Don't be afraid to be opinionated Don't forget to include a conclusion Don't ignore the purpose of your informative essay Don't be afraid to ask for help Don't forget to check the formatting requirements Don't wait until the last minute to write your informative essay

We hope you’ve found our article helpful. Don’t forget to share it with a fellow student!

Works Cited: How to improve your writing. Rephrasely. (n.d.). Retrieved January 17, 2023, from https://rephrasely.com/blog/how-to-improve-your-writing Google scholar. (n.d.). Retrieved January 17, 2023, from https://scholar.google.com/ 20 important questions to consider when writing an essay. Rephrasely. (n.d.). Retrieved January 17, 2023, from https://rephrasely.com/blog/20-important-questions-to-consider-when-writing-an-essay Google. (n.d.). My word! Google Books. Retrieved January 17, 2023, from https://books.google.co.za/books?hl=en&lr=&id=J3uv5MQsdIkC&oi=fnd&pg=PA1&dq=plagiarism&ots=ef7kSH9Gv7&sig=TN6K7esNMRglDoWhQwQ_XP_O0IE&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=plagiarism&f=false

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Getting your wording just right.

Paraphrasing is a natural part of the writing process as it helps you clarify your thinking and suit your words to your audience. Using a Rephrasely helps structure and streamline this work, and our paraphrase tool offers 20 modes, many of them free, for accomplishing just this. The 20 modes we offer are diverse, including a summarize tool, a free grammar checker, a mode to simplify text, and a sentence shortener. There are sentence rephrasers and paraphrase rephrase tools, and we pride ourselves on having both, since our reword generator accounts for context at both the sentence and paragraph levels.

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From keywords to paragraphs

Generating paragraphs with unique ideas can be challenging, and too often writers get stuck at this stage of the writing process. With our paragraph tool, you can enter keywords and let our AI generate paragraphs for you, so that you can have something to work with, refine the output, and become more engaged in your writing.

A paragraph generator creates links between your ideas, such that the output is sensible, unique, and stimulating, very close to what you would expect a thoughtful human paragraph writer to produce.

Paragraph makers are nice, but what about a short story generator? Because our AI is generalized, it serves a story generator, an essay generator, a poem generator, and much more. To generate compelling stories, you should provide the story generator with useful keywords from which it can develop plot elements, including characters, setting details, and any situational information. To generate reasonably good essays, you should likewise provide the essay maker with details around argumentative positions and any other pertinent ideas. If you more specifically want an introduction paragraph generator or conclusion paragraph generator, you can provide starter text and keywords that will best enable our essay creator to produce them.

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Like everything else on our site, you can check plagiarism free within a trial, which is a great opportunity for those who want to check a paper for plagiarism without committing to paying before they see results. This free plagiarism checker is great for students and clearly indicates how to check for plagiarism by highlighting areas of similarity between the two texts. Just to be sure you are not accidentally plagiarizing, be sure to check all of your paraphrases as well.

Writing an Informative Essay

Informative essays engage readers with new, interesting, and often surprising facts and details about a subject. Informative essays are educational; readers expect to learn something new from them. In fact, much of the reading and writing done in college and the workplace is informative. From textbooks to reports to tutorials like this one, informative writing imparts important and useful information about a topic.

This tutorial refers to the sample informative outline and final essay written by fictional student Paige Turner.

Reasons to Write Informatively

Your purpose for writing and the audience for whom you are writing will impact the depth and breadth of information you provide, but all informative writing aims to present a subject without opinions or bias. Some common reasons to write informatively are to

• report findings that an audience would find interesting,
• present facts that an audience would find useful, and
• communicate information about a person, place, event, issue, or change that would improve an audience’s understanding.

Characteristics of Informative Essays

Informative essays present factual information and do not attempt to sway readers’ opinions about it. Other types of academic and workplace writing do try to influence readers’ opinions:

• Expository essays aim to expose a truth about an issue in order to influence how readers view the issue.
• Persuasive essays aim to influence readers’ opinions, so they will adopt a particular position or take a certain course of action.

Expository and persuasive essays make “arguments.” The only argument an informative essay makes is that something exists, did exist, is happening, or has happened, and the point of the essay is not to convince readers of this but to tell them about it.

• Informative essays seek to enlighten and educate readers, so they can make their own educated opinions and decisions about what to think and how to act.

Strategies for Writing Informatively

Informative essays provide useful information such as facts, examples, and evidence from research in order to help readers understand a topic or see it more clearly. While informative writing does not aim to appeal emotionally to readers in order to change their opinions or behaviors, informative writing should still be engaging to read. Factual information is not necessarily dry or boring. Sometimes facts can be more alarming than fiction!

Writers use various strategies to engage and educate readers. Some strategies include

• introducing the topic with an alarming fact or arresting image;
• asserting what is true or so about the subject in a clear thesis statement;
• organizing the paragraphs logically by grouping related information;
• unifying each paragraph with a topic sentence and controlling idea;
• developing cohesive paragraphs with transition sentences;
• using precise language and terminology appropriate for the topic, purpose, and audience; and
• concluding with a final idea or example that captures the essay’s purpose and leaves a lasting impression.

Five Steps for Getting Started

1. Brainstorm and choose a topic.

• Sample topic : The opioid epidemic in the United States.
• The opiod epidemic or even opiod addiction would would be considered too broad for a single essay, so the next steps aim to narrow this topic down.

2. Next, write a question about the topic that you would like to answer through research.

• Sample question : What major events caused the opioid crisis in the United States?
• This question aims to narrow the topic down to causes of the epidemic in the US.

3. Now go to the Purdue Global Library to find the answers to your research question.

As you begin reading and collecting sources, write down the themes that emerge as common answers. Later, in step four, use the most common answers (or the ones you are most interested in writing and discussing) to construct a thesis statement.

• Sample answers: aggressive marketing, loopholes in prescription drug provider programs, and economic downturn.

4. Next, provide purpose to your paper by creating a thesis statement.

The thesis attempts to frame your research question. The sample thesis below incorporates three of the more common answers for the research question from step two: What caused the opioid crisis in the United States?

• Thesis Statement : Aggressive marketing, loopholes in prescription drug provider programs, and economic downturn contributed to the current opioid crisis in the United States.
• Writing Tip : For additional help with thesis statements, please visit our Writing a Thesis Statement article. For help with writing in 3rd person, see our article on Formal Vs. Informal Writing .

5. Now follow each numbered step in the “Suggested Outline Format and Sample” below.

Sample answers have been provided for “I. Introduction” and “II. First Cause.” A complete sample outline can be seen here. A complete sample informative essay can be seen here.

Suggested Outline Format and Sample

I. INTRODUCTION

A. First provide a topic sentence that introduces the main topic: Sample topic sentence : There is a current prescription pain medication addiction and abuse epidemic possibly caused by an excessive over prescription of these medications.

B. Now provide a couple sentences with evidence to support the main topic: Sample sentence one with evidence to support the main topic : According to Dr. Nora Volkow, Director of National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), in testimony before the 115th Congress, “In 2016, over 11 million Americans misused prescription opioids … and 2.1 million had an opioid use disorder due to prescription opioids” (Federal Efforts to Combat the Opioid Crisis, 2017, p. 2).

C. Sample sentence two with evidence to support the main topic : Volkow indicated “more than 300,000 Americans have died of an opioid overdose” since 2013 (Federal Efforts to Combat the Opioid Crisis, 2017, p.2).

D. Sample sentence three with evidence to support the main topic : According to Perez-Pena (2017), the Center for Disease Control and Prevention reported more than 25,000 people in the United States died in 2015 from overdosing on opioids Fentanyl, Oxycodone, and Hydrocodone.

E. Toward the end of the introduction, include your thesis statement written in the 3rd-person point-of-view: Sample thesis statement : Potential solutions to the growing opioid epidemic may be illuminated by examining how opioid addiction is triggered through aggressive pharmaceutical marketing, how opioid addiction manifests among prescribed patients, and how economic downturns play a role in the increase of opioid addiction.

F. Write down the library sources you can use in this introductory paragraph to help support the main topic.

• Federal Efforts to Combat the Opioid Crisis, 2017
• Perez-Pena, 2017
• Writing Tip : For more help writing an introduction, please refer to this article on introductions and conclusions .

II. FIRST CAUSE

A. First provide a topic sentence that introduces the first cause of the opioid epidemic: Sample topic sentence that introduces the first cause : One issue that helped contribute to the opioid epidemic is aggressive marketing by pharmaceutical manufacturers.

B. Now provide sentences with evidence to support the first cause: Sample sentence one with evidence that supports the first cause : Perez-Pena (2017) concluded that while the healthcare industry was attempting to effectively and efficiently treat patients with chronic pain, pharmaceutical companies were providing funding to prominent doctors, medical societies, and patient advocacy groups in order to win support for a particular drug’s adoption and usage.

C. Sample sentence two with evidence to support the first cause : In fact, pharmaceutical companies continue to spend millions on promotional activities and materials that deny or trivialize any risks of opioid use while at the same time overstating each drug’s benefit (Perez-Pina, 2017).

D. Next, add more information or provide concluding or transitional sentences that foreshadows the upcoming second cause: Sample concluding and transitional sentence that foreshadow the second cause : Although aggressive marketing by pharmaceutical companies played a large role in opioid addiction, patients are to blame too, as many take advantage of holes in the healthcare provider system in order to remedy their addiction.

E. Write down the library sources you can use in this body paragraph to help support the first cause:

• Writing Tip : For more assistance working with sources, please visit the Using Sources page here.

III. SECOND CAUSE

A. First provide a topic sentence that introduces the second cause.

B. Now provide sentences with evidence to support the second cause.

C. Next, add more information or provide concluding or transitional sentences that foreshadows the upcoming third cause.

D. Write down the library sources you can use in this body paragraph to help support the second cause:

• Writing Tip : Listen to Writing Powerful Sentences for information and features of effective writing.

IV. THIRD CAUSE

A. First provide a topic sentence that introduces the third cause.

B. Now provide sentences with evidence to support the third cause.

C. Next, add more information or provide a concluding sentence or two.

D. Write down the library sources you can use in this body paragraph to help support the third cause:

V. CONCLUSION: Summary of key points and evidence discussed.

• Writing Tip : For more help writing a conclusion, refer to this podcast on endings .
• Writing Tip : Have a question? Leave a comment below or Purdue Global students, click here to access the Purdue Global Writing Center tutoring platform and available staff.
• Writing Tip : Ready to have someone look at your paper? Purdue Global students, click here to submit your assignment for feedback through our video paper review service.

See a Sample Informative Essay Outline here .

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dang bro i got an A

Having faith with all this mentioned, that i will pass my english class at a college. Thank you for posting.

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Essay writing is an obligatory academic assignment, regardless of course of study and institution.

However, few students find the essay writing process easy. Of course, practice makes perfect and by the time students hit their senior year in college, most of them can write an essay in their sleep.

However, no one wants to learn from their own mistakes so knowing the most important dos and don'ts of essay writing will help make this experience less stressful and more productive.

There is no universal template that can solve every college essay trouble.

However, the following rules of writing are standard and applicable to all types of academic essay, no matter what the course and topic:

The Do's of Essay Writing

Do make your essay easy to read.

Because of the large number of essays that have to be graded, many instructors admit that they skim read essays to get an idea if a student is competent in the topic and how well they have adhered to the style guidelines. Therefore, it is a good idea to structure your essay so the key points are visible when skim reading and are clear enough to get the message across.

Get rid of extra words and phrases, use clear constructions and stick to the point.

Do Include a Thesis Statement in the Introduction

A thesis statement is an important part of introduction and the essay in general, so it should never be neglected. The thesis statement should reveal the main idea of the essay in a concise format.

Although it is an obligatory part of the introduction, never make your thesis statement the opening sentence of your essay. It is a good idea to place it at the end of the introductory paragraph so it serves as a transition to the main body of the essay.

Do Use Transitions Between Paragraphs

Sometimes paragraphs sound like separate pieces of text put together. This is the wrong approach to writing.

Your essay should be smooth and coherent, leading the reader from one point to another. This is why you should use transitions – the phrases that help to connect each idea with the previous one, serving like bridges between paragraphs.

Examples of phrases you can use for transitions include:

• Despite the previous arguments…
• Speaking about this…
• Regarding this…
• With regards to this…
• As has been noted…
• To put it briefly…

Do Cite Examples

Any example you use – from literature, scientific work, etc. - should be cited.

Only examples from your own experience do not have to be cited. If you want to include mention of something that you have read, even if you are not using a direct quotation,  it is best to reference the source of the information. This way, your examples will be more convincing and form more reliable evidence of the points you wish to prove.

The key to easily finding relevant examples is to build a collection of valuable texts in your field. With the help of your collection, you will save a lot of time searching for suitable examples on the Internet or other sources. Organize your files into folders and subfolders to easily find the text you're looking for. If your library becomes large, use these tips to easily search for text in your files.

Your text library can also help you diversify your writing style. Take a cue from the best writers in your field, and explore the variety in style and sentence structure they use.

Do Discuss Literature in the Present Tense

When writing literary reviews or essays based on literary works it is advisable to use present tense – historical present or narrative present, as it is called. It makes the storytelling more engaging and real, increasing the feeling of presence.

For example:

‘Romeo and Juliet experience true love the moment they see each other. Love makes them forget everything else. From the very beginning they are somehow aware that they are doomed to die – they have given up their lives to love. Not only love, but every emotion in the play is heightened and leads to terrible consequences.’

Book Reviewed by Amrita Dutta.

Do Use Advanced Vocabulary

The aim of an essay is to not only to reveal your knowledge of the topic, but to show your ability to choose appropriate vocabulary and show your language expertise.

You should show that your vocabulary has progressed since high school. That means using advanced vocabulary and replacing ‘good’ and ‘nice’ with more appropriate synonyms to reflect the shades of meaning.

Do Respond to the Prompt of the Essay

The prompt of the essay is intentional.

No matter how much you want to ‘go with the flow’ and write whatever your inspiration dictates, you should remember you are writing an academic assignment and, as long as it has a prompt, you should stick to it.

If the prompt is complicated and consists of several parts, analyze your final draft and check if you covered every point of the essay prompt.

Do Use Simple Sentences

Complicated sentences may be confusing, not only for the person reading and grading your essay but for the students themselves.

Writing complicated sentences doesn’t indicate elaborate writing style. Rather it may show your inability to convey information in a simple and readable format, or to break the sentences in a logical way. What’s more, complicated sentences increase the risk of grammar errors and stylistic mistakes. Famous writers, like Hemingway or Fitzgerald, wrote simply and that didn’t make their writing any worse.

Do Choose Proper Type, Style and Format

A good essay is not about style and formatting, of course, but style influences the first impression your paper makes.

First and foremost, professors want to see the correct essay style and structure depending on the topic and essay type students have to tackle. In many cases, the style meant to be used in the essay is laid out in the directions or has been established beforehand. You may easily figure out the style based on the type of essay.

Do Choose the Right Language

The language you use in the paper indicates your ability to research and analyze the topic, prove your opinion, and explain your points clearly and vividly.

It also shows the level of your language proficiency, knowledge of grammar and syntax, and ability to develop rich vocabulary. It is important to remember the academic style of writing and use the appropriate language. The following phrases work well to introduce and support your points:

• There seems to be no compelling reason to argue that …
• The argument can be made …
• Current research on [your topic] shows …
• The most common argument in favor of (or against) is …
• There is a growing body of evidence to support …

Do Revise your Writing Thoroughly

Before you hit ‘Save’ and print the final version, check your essay thoroughly to avoid spelling mistakes, typos and incorrect sentence constructions. Apart from language mistakes, check if you followed all the requirements: number of words/pages, text formatting, essay structure, etc.

See our page: Assignment Finishing Touches for more information.

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The Don'ts of Essay Writing

Now that you’ve learnt the major Dos, let’s move to some Don’ts – the things you’d better avoid in essay writing.

Don't Overwhelm your Essay with Information and Facts

Though essays should be meaningful and detailed, learn to filter the information and choose only important points.

There is a temptation to include every single detail of your research to make the essay holistic and complete. However, your aim is to narrow the topic, show that you are able to analyze and structure information, and choose only the most relevant facts to prove your points.

Don't Neglect Formatting Details

No matter what your style and formatting requirements are, you should not forget to pay attention to the following points: paper size, spaces, font size, margins, and page numbers.

Also do not forget about narration types. For example, narrative essays tell stories from first person while persuasive or argumentative essays require that you leave emotions out and base your views on the solid facts, so no first person narration is appropriate.

Don't Use Too Many Clichés

While using set phrases, avoid overwhelming your essay with clichés.

Remember that not all clichés are good for every type of essay. What's more, professors expect your work to be original and truly value students with fresh ideas and views. Also, beware of using informal language. This doesn't mean that your writing should be reminiscent of a scientific thesaurus rather than real speech, but academic writing requires a certain level of formality.

See our page: Avoiding Clichés for more.

Don't Let Typos Ruin your Essay

Although typos do not indicate your language proficiency or grammar knowledge, they may show your professor that you are not attentive enough or do not care enough to proof read your essay.

Submitting a paper that looks like a draft can be interpreted by a professor as disrespectful.

Don’t Rely Only on Spell Checkers

Though spell checkers are good way to automatically proof read your writing, don’t rely on software alone.

These programs may miss a lot of spelling errors that that human eye will definitely notice. So, take time to proof read your essay. It is better to print out the final version on paper as spelling mistakes can be missed when reading from the screen. It is a good idea to ask someone else to have a fresh look at your essay and to proofread it for spelling mistakes.

Do Not Plagiarize

This rule should be clear for every student.

Plagiarism is a form of cheating, and when detected it is always punished.

Do not risk your reputation and your place in higher education. Plagiarism is easily detected today with the help of software and Google, so be honest with yourself and your educators and write on your own.

Reference every source to make sure you are not committing plagiarism, even unintentionally. It is a good idea to ‘know your enemy’ and read about the kinds of plagiarism possible and best ways to avoid it.

See our page: Academic Referencing for more information.

Do Not Address the Reader

No matter what type of essay you are writing, academic writing rarely reveals the author nor engages in the conversation with the reader. Addressing the reader is more a mark of fiction than an academic essay. While writing a college essay you should be detached, objective and analytical rather than appeal to the reader’s emotions and personality.

Don’t Start an Essay with “ in this/my essay ” Phrase

The introduction has to present the main idea of the essay and reveal what you are going to talk about.

Writing an effective introduction and including a thesis statement is enough to lead the reader into the context of your essay topic without using this meaningless high school phrase ‘In my essay I’m going to focus on…’

Don’t Use Negative Language

Negative language doesn’t mean vulgarisms. It means words with negative suffixes, phrases with negation, etc.

For example, painless is not a negative word in its meaning. However, using it makes the reader focus on pain instead of its absence. So it is better to replace so called negative language with more positive, synonymous expressions, like using economical instead of inexpensive, or comfortable/pleasant instead of painless.

When writing an essay you should walk a fine line between presenting a clear idea of the established knowledge and proving that you understand it well enough to make an independent assessment.

Show your professor your ability to format an essay correctly, choose the right style, express your point of view and prove it with facts. Learn to balance the form and meaning and essays will no longer be challenging for you.

About the Author

Tracy Collins is a writing instructor, education enthusiast and author.

Continue to: Writing a Dissertation or Thesis Academic Referencing

See also: Common Mistakes in Writing The Writer’s Toolkit: Essential Elements of Outstanding Essays Study Skills

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The Basic Do’s And Don’ts Of Writing An Informative Essay

Students are required to write different types of essays. For some students, writing is a piece of cake, but others consider it a daunting experience. They block and are unable to think clearly in that manner. However, we are here to help.

Almost all essays have similar format, and you should only make sure to follow it. Failing to follow the format, you might create a messy writing.

As the name implies, an informative essay inform or educate readers about the topic. Here is what you should do when you have such writing:

• Choose topic that you think readers are not so familiar with. Otherwise, the topic will be boring to the readers.
• Explore the topic in order to be able to write about it. Have a good knowledge of it prior start writing the paper.
• Come up with a rough outline, so that you can easily organize the information you have into the topic.
• Keep strictly to the format of the writing.
• Be careful with the requirements about the format from your teacher. Usually citing sources, font size and type, length, are different in different institutions.
• Accept the challenge and write on your own.
• Think what your audience wants to read.
• Present the information you have in a straightforward way.
• Keep chronological order of events.
• Organize the writing with topics and headlines.
• Use as much information as you need to enable the reader to have better understanding of what you are talking about, including illustrations, graphs, maps, photographs, diagrams, etc.
• Include checked facts and data that are referring other sources.

Here is what you shouldn’t do when writing an informative paper:

• Don’t write about something you know very little. Readers will immediately recognize.
• Don’t miss the due date for your writing. Bear in mind that no matter how good is your writing, if you are late with the due date, you will lose points.
• Don’t write too much information. Pick all relevant data and make an outline where to mention.
• Don’t use someone else’s words. If you want to use someone else’s thoughts, paraphrase them. Don’t copy- paste.
• Be careful with the length. Make sure you keep track of the words in your writing.
• Don’t leave spellcheck to be the only one that checks your writing. Give it to someone else to review it.
• Don’t write it without a break. Breaks give you freedom and your creativity awakens.

Best of luck!

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Essay writing 101: Dos and Don'ts

Writing essays is one of the most important aspects of every student's education since it fosters their ability to reason and express themselves creatively.

You can use this information to explore academic subjects; after you have put it in writing, you will understand it more fully. Additionally, writing essays strengthens your logical reasoning and study techniques because it forces you to look up information on the issue.

Furthermore, it teaches students how to structure their ideas by dividing them into introductions, subtopics, and conclusions as well as how to conduct research and  try out explanatory writing .

Let us share with you the tips to follow while writing an essay :

·      Read the instructions and make sure that you understand them well before starting the essay. The instructions will state how many words you need to write, which content topics and supporting facts you should include in them, and all other details about the topic that you need to know thoroughly.

·      Ensure that your writing is easy to read and does not require any additional background knowledge for you or your readers to understand what you are trying to communicate.

·      To make sure the content is free of plagiarism, you can take references from other websites. However, ensure that the sources are properly cited and referenced so your audience will have no problem in understanding where you got your information.

·      It is quite common to notice sentences and punctuation errors in essays. The essay should be free of any grammatical errors, as they give readers a negative impression. The writer should pay special attention to this.

·      In order to effectively develop your essay, you need to consider what will be the major purpose of this argumentative essay. Make sure that all your arguments and points are in support of the central idea. If you can explain why something should be implemented or why something should not, then it is a good idea to do so.

Don’ts

·      The secret to writing an excellent essay is to address the essay themes that is being assigned to you. If you don't personally know any of the facts or figures, don't bother about stating them. This is one of the main errors that students make when trying to create essays.

·     A conclusion that doesn't make sense or doesn't engage with the main points of your essay can be a turn-off for readers. Remember that everyone wants to feel cared about and understood during their reading experience.

Therefore, it is the writer’s responsibility to create quality content for the readers.

·      There is no limit on the number of sentences and words you can use if it is coherent. Long sentences can be confusing, and it will be difficult for your reader to follow them.

They also look bad when printed out. The title of your essay should be short, informative, and clear. Avoid using too many words for your title as it will take longer for a reader to recognize what topic you have written about.

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12 Tips on Writing an Essay: The Most Common Do’s and Don’ts

EssayEdge > Blog > 12 Tips on Writing an Essay: The Most Common Do’s and Don’ts

This December has been a big month for the number 12. To continue in the spirit of 12/12/12 and even that beloved (or possibly, vehemently hated) holiday tune, “The Twelve Days of Christmas,” today EssayEdge presents to you, ” The Twelve Dos and Don’ts of Writing and Essay.” Enjoy!

• DO give yourself time. Two weeks is ideal, but twelve days would work too. Even if you’re only a day or two away from your deadline, starting now is always better than starting later.
• DON’T plagiarize. Using someone else’s work will kill your chance of admission.
• DO be honest. Trying to make a four-week internship that you spent mainly answering phones sound like you were the CEO of a Fortune 500 firm for a year won’t improve your standing in the eyes of the admissions committee.
• DON’T exceed the length limit. Admissions officers have heard every excuse in the book for why a particular applicant desperately needs 700 words when the maximum specified was 500. The simple fact is that there is never a good reason to go over, and doing so will reflect poorly on you.
• DO be descriptive. One of the essay writing tips to do this is to use active verbs and dynamic nouns. “The red car stopped directly in front of my friend,” is nothing compared to, “The Ferrari squealed to a halt inches from Steve’s face,” and both use the exact same number of words.
• DON’T write a resume in essay form. If your essay or statement reads like a narrative listing of your various courses, clubs, jobs, and accomplishments over the past several years, it isn’t serving its intended purpose.

Need help? Check out EssayEdge editing services:

• DO respond to the prompt. It’s amazing how many applicants write essays that, while generally solid, aren’t actually relevant to the prompt at hand. If the prompt asks a specific question (or several), make sure your essay provides an answer.
• DON’T use cliches or overuse idioms. If you do not know how to make an essay better, expert writers recommend deleting unnecessary idioms and phrasal verbs. This one should be a piece of cake, like taking candy from a baby.
• DO take breaks. Writing comes in fits and starts. If you feel like you’re making good progress, then by all means continue. If you’re stuck with a nasty case of writer’s block, though, the best cure is often a nap, some exercise, a movie, or anything else that takes your mind off the essay for a while.
• DON’T rely on spell check. Automatic functions in programs like Microsoft Word are helpful tools, but they’re not infallible. Mistakes can make it though unchecked. See?
• DO have someone else review your work. Whether a close friend, parent, teacher, counselor, or professional, having someone else read through your essay will give you valuable feedback. Sometimes it takes a new perspective to spot problem areas that you would otherwise miss.
• DON’T completely stress out. Yes, this is important, and yes, it takes a lot of work, but it’s not the end of the world. Make sure you still find time for relaxation and the things that are important in your life.

These do’s, and don’ts of essay writing are basic rules of writing one must memorize. Apply them regardless of the type of paper you’re working on. The last ‘Do’ is a must. If you can’t find the right person to proofread dissertation or essay, press ‘Order Now.’ You’ll find it here.

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Essay Do's and Don'ts : A Practical Guide to Essay Writing

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All about informative essay, essay writing dos and don’ts.

If you are planning to write an essay about a particular subject, or write an essay for any other reason, it is advisable to keep the following do’s and don’ts in mind. Not only can these tips help to make your essay much more appealing, they will also help ensure that your article is unique, well-structured, and enjoyable to read.

When you are first learning how to write an article, it is always advisable to start writing on a single topic for the majority of the article. This will ensure that you know what you want to say and how you want your article to be presented. It can be very difficult to write an essay if you are unsure about the overall tone you want to set. If you want to be informative, then stick to giving information on a single topic, this will make your essay more concise and interesting to read.

Give only as much information as you need in order to support your points. This means you should never overstate or understate your knowledge, and you should also be careful not to over-fill the space in your paragraphs. Giving too much information will make it difficult for readers to understand the point you are trying to make. Be careful not to overwhelm your reader with too much information.

Don’t use filler words such as “very”, “rather”, “often”, or “semi-often” in your main body. These filler words can be confusing to your readers and tend to make people lose interest quickly. Instead use longer words and longer paragraphs. Avoid using lengthy paragraphs that use too many filler words.

Keep your important information in one paragraph. When your readers skim over your article, they will become impatient if your main body is too long and if you have not given them enough information to understand. By having just one paragraph, you will be able to make sure that your information is presented in just the right amount of time so they will not become bored. Use bullets or bullet points to give extra information, especially if your main body is too long.

Do not use excessive grammatical mistakes in your main body. If you are writing on your own, then you may not realize how many errors there are in standard textbooks, which makes it even more important to proofread before you publish.

Punctuation can be tricky to master, so try to avoid using it too much. Punctuation can also make an article look very unprofessional, so avoid using it if possible.

Writing an informative essay is not hard, but it does require some effort. Following the above tips can make it a lot easier to write an interesting and well-written article.

Always provide your readers with the most important information first. Never take away their interest by using too much irrelevant or unnecessary information. Your readers will not be able to follow the points you want to make if you start off with irrelevant information. Start with the main points and then move on to the supporting details.

Be sure to include references to other sources. Reference to other reliable sources in your article is another way to help your readers understand the topic. For example, you may use Wikipedia to help point out certain facts. You can include a link to your resource box, which will help readers see where they can find further information on your subject.

Be sure to spell correctly. One mistake in the English language can ruin your entire article and make your readers think you are less knowledgeable than you actually are.

Follow these tips to ensure that your informational essay is well-written and well-referenced. Once you have mastered these do’s and don’ts of essay writing, you will be able to write an interesting and well-referenced article. Your readers will enjoy reading your article and you will find it easier to make your research papers, essays, and essays that you are writing more interesting.

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Argumentative Essay Dos and Don’ts To Help You Write Better

by  Antony W

September 13, 2022

Looking for a guide on argumentative essay dos and don'ts? You've come to the right page.

It’s one thing to know which arguments to present to persuade readers to support your stance, even if they don’t agree with you.

But even a strong point of view won’t be convincing if you don’t structure your arguments in a way that demonstrates solid reasoning backed with convincing evidence.

That’s why, in addition to understanding and strictly adhering to the format of an argumentative essay , you also have to know the dos and don’ts of the assignment to get it right.

Your goal is to persuade your audience to agree with you, so you don’t want to leave them an open opportunity to oppose the ideas you present about the topic and write you off completely.

Key Takeaways

The following is a summary of argumentative essay dos and don’ts that you should keep in mind when working on your essay:

• Read the assignment’s brief before you start writing.
• Do use proper citation when writing the essay.
• Avoid phrases such as “I think” or “I believe” because they only serve to weaken your argument.
• Don’t use signpost in your essay to give directional sign as doing so is irrelevant and only serves to waste space and time in your argument.
• Do not repeat the thesis statement in the conclusion of the argument.
• Do use our  argumentative essay writing service   if you don’t have the time to write the essay yourself and you need help to get it done.

What's the Goal of This Guide? 

Our goal in this guide is to share with you all the argumentative essay dos and don’ts to help you write an A-grade essay.

Whether your instructor has asked you to argue on a topic related to health care, science, politics, or technology, these dos and don’ts are worth reading and implementing.

By learning and putting these guidelines into consideration as you write your argumentative essay , you’ll easily avoid the common academic writing pitfalls that make it difficult for students to score top marks for their essays.

Argumentative Essay Dos and Don’ts

The following are some of the dos and don’ts that can help you write a more comprehensive argumentative essay on any topic:

1. Do Pay Close Attention to Citation

One of the most important things to observe as you write your argumentative essay is citation.

Your instructor will ask you to use either the MLA or APA format to work on your essay. So it’s important to know how to cite your essay in these formats.

If this is your first time working on an argumentative essay, we highly recommend that you check out our guide in citing sources .

It includes everything you need to learn about work cited, in-text citation, and reference pages.

Citation rules are important, and it’s mandatory that you know all of them.

At the end of the day, your instructor expects to see that you’ve taken citation seriously, or they can deny you important marks for failing to follow the rules.

Some ideas in your argumentative essay will not be your own. Should that be the case, you’ll need to make sure you attribute all their sources before you submit the paper.

It’s fine to paraphrase the work of another author in your essay. However, don’t forget to give that author the credit for his work so you can at least avoid plagiarism .

2. Do Read the Assignment’s Guidelines before You Start

Many students fail their argumentative essays because they didn’t take the time to read the assignment guidelines before writing.

So even if the essay reads well and it’s convincing because it includes all the objective and substantial evidence to support your position, failing to write according to the brief can cost you important marks.

Remember, every school assignment comes with a set of instructions that you need to read and follow to a tee, and an argumentative essay isn’t an exception.

For example, if your teacher asks you to include eight sources in the paper and you only write three or four, you’ll earn fewer marks for failing to meet the minimum requirements.

Spend a few minutes of your time to read the assignment brief. Write down a summary of the brief for clarity, and don’t hesitate to consult your instructor if you’re in doubt. 

3. Don’t Use Phrases Such as “I believe” or “I think”

When someone reads your argumentative essay, they should clearly see from the beginning that you’ve take your time to research the topic before choosing your position and developing your argument.

That way, you won’t have to use phrases that clearly indicate that your statements are weak and difficult to agree with.

To be very precise, we stress that you refrain from using phrases such as “I think” or “I believe” because they can easily weaken your argument.

The last thing you want to do is make your argument sound like an apology for your point of view, which shouldn’t be the case in the first place.

Instead of writing a statement like “ I think college should allow all students to access internet”, simply state that “college should allow all students to access the internet. Such a statement is precise and less empathetic.

4. Don’t Signpost in Your Argumentative Essay

Signposting may be a great writing technique, but it doesn’t have a place in argumentative essay writing.

If you think about it, academic readers are not interested in directional signs in a piece of writing, so don’t waste their time by repeating what you said or telling them what you wish to say next.

You need to go straight to the point and present the most important details. So instead of signposting, just say what you have to say. 

5. Don’t Repeat the Thesis Statement in the Conclusion

Writing a conclusion for your argument can be twice as challenging as writing the introduction.

At the very least, many students make the mistake of repeating the thesis statement exactly as it is just to end the essay abruptly. However, that’s the wrong approach.

You need to take the conclusion of the essay seriously and make sure to write it well.

The last paragraph of the essay is your opportunity to tie everything together in a way that shows you’ve demonstrated your research, supported your claims, and done your best to support your position.

Also, never introduce a new idea when concluding your argument . If you have an idea to add to the essay, and you strongly believe that it can support your argument, go right ahead and include it in the body section instead.

Writing an argumentative essay doesn’t have to seem like a rocket science engage.

Really all there is to it is to know what you should do and what you shouldn’t. The writing process should come easy after that.

About the author 

Antony W is a professional writer and coach at Help for Assessment. He spends countless hours every day researching and writing great content filled with expert advice on how to write engaging essays, research papers, and assignments.