The goal of an informative essay is not to present your opinion,
but "to inform or educate the audience on a given topic" (The
KU Handbook for Writers, 2008, p. 102).
Your informative essay might
• explain something most readers won’t know
• present the latest research on a topic
• define a complex term
• compare
and contrast opposing viewpoints
• analyze a cause-effect relationship
• teach readers how to solve a problem or apply knowledge
For this course, your informative essay should be 3–5
pages in length and use at least four sources. You
should also use a formal academic
writing style,
avoiding contractions like won't and presenting evidence
objectively instead of saying I
think or relying
on personal experience.
Sample Informative Essays
One of the best ways to understand how to write an informative
essay is to look at how someone else has already
done it.
The KU Handbook for Writers (2008) has a
sample informative essay on pp. 136–142. This essay is
also available in the Kaplan
Writing Lab under 1.2F.
You can also follow the links to these examples:
Requirements for CM107 Assignment
- Read the Final Project Information
(on KU-ACE, Unit 1)
- Follow
rubric (on KU-ACE,
Unit 1)
- Use at least four (preferably more)
outside sources
- Give an overview of what others have
said about your topic,
including different
points of view.
- Adapt the 5-paragraph
structure to
fit your topic.
Internet Resources
on Writing
Informative
Essays
Informative or Expository
Writing
Essay Structure
