A Comprehensive Guide to Writing an Informative Essay Outline

Mar 6, 2023

Mar 6, 2023 | Blog

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How To Write An Informative Essay Outline-Full Guide

Informative essays are among the most common types of essays students must write. An informative essay aims to inform your readers about a topic and make them want to learn more about it. Informative writing uses various strategies, such as statistics and research, to convey information to engage your audience while giving them the information they can use in their lives.

What is the Purpose of an Informative Essay Outline?

Your essay outline is a guide for composing the body of your paper. It helps you to organize your thoughts and write in a logical order. While writing an informative essay outline, you might come up with great ideas that are difficult to arrange coherently. This can happen if you start writing before your outline is complete or if it’s too general and needs more structure.

The outline also serves as an invaluable reference tool when it comes time to write your final draft; it will help ensure that all of the ideas in each paragraph are logically connected and supported by evidence from credible sources (more on this later).

In short, writing an informative essay outline will help you write better essays faster!

How to Create an Outline for an Informative Essay?

Step 1: Create a list of the most important points to be included in your essay.

Step 2: Choose a good informative essay topic for your paper and write it at the top of your outline.

Step 3: Now, divide the list into three parts, which are Introduction, Body and Conclusion. Then make sure that each part contains enough relevant subtopics to your topic.

Step 4: Write an introduction paragraph followed by body paragraphs containing detailed points related to the thematic introduction paragraph to support or prove its thesis statement/topic statement/general idea of what you wish to discuss in this essay (or any other task).

The sections of an informative essay outline are detailed below:

Introduction

The introduction is the first paragraph of your essay; it’s a short paragraph that should introduce your audience to the topic and lead them into the rest of your paper.

In the introduction, you should make sure that you state the following:

The purpose of your essay. This is the most important thing to do in your introduction. It can be like “to argue that…” or “to explain how…” In other words, your essay will discuss a topic and prove its point. You should also include any outside sources or quotes you plan on using, so people can understand what they’re getting into before reading further into your paper.
The thesis statement of the essay (if there is one). A thesis statement is when you summarize what you will say in an argumentative or expository/descriptive paper (explaining something). As for what it looks like, here are some examples: “There are many reasons why I think…”; “The best way to show someone how…”; “Some experts believe that…” etc.;
Hooks. Hooks are great ways of grabbing the reader’s attention because they get them interested right away even though they usually don’t provide much information about what will happen later on in the text itself—they introduce something new while also providing context through which we can understand its significance later on downstream as well.”

Thesis Statement

A thesis statement is the backbone of any informative essay, narrative essay, research paper or argumentative essay. The main focus should be set by this sentence, which comes at the end of an introduction paragraph and summarizes what will follow in detail. To make your paper a success, keep these points in mind when you write it:

This sentence should be appealing so the readers want to learn more about the topic.
Elaborate on the purpose of your essay without expressing your opinion on the topic.
The argument should be precise and easily readable to your audience.

Body Paragraphs

The body of informative papers is the most time-consuming section of an essay. Its purpose in writing a well-written informative essay outline is to defend your thesis statement with relevant information from credible sources, whether historical facts or scientific data.

It would be best if you structured each body paragraph with a topic sentence presenting the main point of discussion. Additionally, each body paragraph needs smooth transitions to link the thesis statement and main points together to avoid confusing your reader.

Finally, by providing seamless links between all three body paragraphs, you can help tie everything up. This will allow for continuity in your essay and make it more interesting, creative, and engaging.

Each paragraph of your informative essay outline should focus on a specific point and include supporting evidence from credible sources. You’ll want to ensure that the information in each body paragraph is relevant to the main claim for that particular paragraph; this means no tangents.

Conclusion

After toiling over the three main arguments for hours, one should take a break and wrap their informative essay in an interesting last paragraph. One way of doing this is by restating the thesis statement at least once before providing final thoughts on your topic.

You have to conclude your essay with an overall concluding statement. This aims to show the significance of your argument and where you can apply it. Explain why you wrote what you did in easy terms for people who read this.

Informative Essay Outline Structure

You will not create a good informative essay outline if you do not know the structure.

Like most other essays, the structure of an informative essay includes the following:

Introduction
Body
Conclusion

So, your informative essay outline, which is a rough draft of the informative essay you will write, should have these three sections.

Sample Informative Essay Outline Template

5 Paragraph Informative Essay Outline Template

1) Introduction (1st paragraph)

Hook
Background information
Thesis statement

2) Body paragraph (2nd paragraph)

Topic sentence
Supporting detail
Concluding sentence

3) Body paragraph (3rd paragraph)

Topic sentence
Supporting detail
Concluding sentence

4) Body paragraph (4th paragraph)

Topic sentence
Supporting detail
Concluding sentence

5) Conclusion (5th paragraph)

Reiteration of the thesis statement
Summary of the main points

Informative essay outline Examples

The following is an informative essay outlining examples of alcohol abuse.

Alcohol abuse

Introduction

Start by giving starts on the prevalence of alcohol abuse or the effects of alcohol.
Write your thesis statement – focus on the effects of alcohol on one’s health.

Body paragraphs

Paragraph 1 (Point #1): Alcohol and liver damage
Paragraph 2 (Point #2): Alcohol causes heart disease
Paragraph 3 (Point #3): Alcohol affects the central nervous system and brain.

Conclusion

Rephrase the thesis, and relate it to the main points. Then explain the significance of your research.

Things to Avoid in Writing An Informative Essay Outline

Starting an essay without a defined topic. It leaves readers in doubt concerning the content of the matter you will discuss. Make sure your position and point of view are crystal clear.
Giving overly detailed information in the Introduction section exceeds the length of a single paragraph allocated to this section of an informative essay. Keep it short and simple.
I was formulating the thesis statement too broadly, failing to narrow down the scope of the essay.
I list many reasons to back the thesis instead of choosing only the most pertinent ones and discussing them in more detail.
We are introducing new evidence in the conclusion of the informative essay. The conclusion serves the purpose of restating the thesis statement and reformulating some essential information to provide closure.

Final thoughts on Informative Essay Writing

An informative essay outline helps you be better prepared before you start the writing process.

An informative essay outline lets you know which point comes first, the reference for each point, and the supporting ideas.

Therefore, you will not get stuck or must start rereading your sources for more insight.

An outline in an informative essay is especially important because you are not supposed to write your opinions. Every assertion you make should be objective and backed up with facts.

If you need help with your essays, contact our essay writers for quick help.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you write an informative essay outline?

In an informative essay outline, start your introduction with a lead-in, then write your thesis, followed by a summary of the main points in your paper. The body paragraphs, usually the three paragraphs following the introduction, should support the thesis statement. The conclusion restates the thesis.

What is an informative essay outline?

In an informative essay, you are required to inform and educate your reader on a given topic. These essays provide factual information on a topic instead of your opinion.

How do you write an informative essay?

In an informative essay, start your introduction with a lead-in, then write your thesis, followed by a summary of the main points in your paper. The body paragraphs, usually the three paragraphs following the introduction, should support the thesis statement. The conclusion restates the thesis statement.

What are the three main elements of an informative essay?

Like most other essays, the structure of an informative essay includes an Introduction, Body, and Conclusion.

What are the parts of an informative essay?

Like most other essays, the structure of an informative essay includes an Introduction, Body, and Conclusion.

How do you start an informative essay introduction?

In an informative essay, start your introduction with a lead-in, then write your thesis, followed by a summary of the main points in your paper.

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Jamie Boone

Experienced writer and dedicated professor with a passion for crafting compelling narratives and nurturing the next generation of critical thinkers