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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: Feb 2, 2024 1:39 PM
URL: https://libguides.westsoundacademy.org/ee

Informal Essay

The informal essay is written mainly for enjoyment. This is not to say that it cannot be informative or persuasive; however, it is less a formal statement than a relaxed expression of opinion, observation, humor or pleasure. A good informal essay has a relaxed style but retains a strong structure, though that structure may be less rigid than in a formal paper.

The informal essay tends to be more personal than the formal, even though both may express subjective opinions. In a formal essay the writer is a silent presence behind the words, while in an informal essay the writer is speaking directly to the reader in a conversational style. If you are writing informally, try to maintain a sense of your own personality. Do not worry about sounding academic, but avoid sloppiness.

The essay, which follows is an opinion piece that was written for The Globe and Mail. The style is therefore journalistic but aimed at a fairly sophisticated readership. Paragraphs are short, as is normal in a newspaper with its narrow columns, and the tone is more conversational than would be appropriate for a formal essay. Notice the clear statement of the thesis, the concrete illustrations in the body of the essay, and the way the conclusion leads to a more general statement of what is perhaps to come in the future. It is included here both because it is a good example of the essay form and because it explores the kind of problem you will come up against as you try to punctuate your essays correctly.

The essay topics of the informal essay type are not limited to any specific subject, you can write your informal essay on any topic. For example, here are some popular essay topics to give you an idea:

The Best Journey of My Life
The Point in My Life Where I Would Start Over
The Perfect Woman, Marriage and Divorce
My Religion
The Celebrities Give Us Bad Examples
Reincarnation
The “Delights” of Our School Cafeteria

You should be well familiar with the informal essay topic you choose. Also, you have to consider the interests of your readers. You should show your personality and the attitude in your informal essay.

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Academic writing
Taboo words in academic writing

Words and Phrases to Avoid in Academic Writing

Published on February 6, 2016 by Sarah Vinz . Revised on September 11, 2023.

When you are writing a dissertation , thesis, or research paper, many words and phrases that are acceptable in conversations or informal writing are considered inappropriate in academic writing .

You should try to avoid expressions that are too informal, unsophisticated, vague, exaggerated, or subjective, as well as those that are generally unnecessary or incorrect.

Bear in mind, however, that these guidelines do not apply to text you are directly quoting from your sources (including interviews ).

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Too informal, too exaggerated, too subjective, generally incorrect, other interesting articles.

Academic writing is generally more formal than the writing we see in non-academic materials (including on websites). It is also more formal than the ways in which we normally speak. The following words and phrases are considered too informal for a dissertation or academic paper.

Informal sentence starts

Some words are acceptable in certain contexts, but become too informal when used at the beginning of a sentence. You can replace these with appropriate transition words or simply remove them from the sentence.

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Using vague terms makes your writing imprecise and may cause people to interpret it in different ways. Always try to be as specific as possible.

Academic writing is usually unadorned and direct. Some adverbs of frequency (such as always and never ) and intensifiers (words that create emphasis, such as really ) are often too dramatic. They may also not be accurate – you’re making a significant claim when you say something is perfect or never happens.

These terms do sometimes add value, but try to use them sparingly.

Some words and phrases reveal your own bias. For instance, if you state that something will obviously happen, you are indicating that you think the occurrence is obvious – not stating a fact.

Expressing your opinion is appropriate in certain sections of a dissertation and in particular types of academic texts (such as personal statements and reflective or argumentative essays ). In most cases, though, take care when using words and phrases such as those below – try to let the facts speak for themselves, or emphasize your point with less biased language.

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Certain words and phrases are often used incorrectly, even by native speakers of a language. If you’re exposed to such mistakes often enough, you may start to assume they are correct – but it’s important that you don’t let them creep into your writing.

You should also bear in mind that some of these mistakes relate to things we all frequently mishear (for instance, we often think the speaker is saying would of instead of would have ).

In general, you should also try to avoid using words and phrases that fall into the following categories:

Jargon (i.e., “insider” terminology that may be difficult for readers from other fields to understand)
Clichés (i.e., expressions that are heavily overused, such as think outside of the box and at the end of the day )
Everyday abbreviations (e.g., approx. , ASAP, corona, stats, info )
Slang (e.g., cops , cool )
Gender-biased language (e.g., firemen , mankind )
Generally unnecessary (e.g., redundant expressions that do not add meaning, such as compete with each other instead of simply compete)

Reflective reports and personal statements sometimes have a less formal tone. In these types of writing, you may not have to follow these guidelines as strictly. The preface or acknowledgements of a dissertation also often have a less formal and more personal voice than the rest of the document.

If you want to know more about AI for academic writing, AI tools, or fallacies make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples or go directly to our tools!

Ad hominem fallacy
Post hoc fallacy
Appeal to authority fallacy
False cause fallacy
Sunk cost fallacy
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Reinforcement learning
Supervised vs. unsupervised learning

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Formal & Informal English

Formal English: We use it when writing essays for school, cover letters to apply for jobs, or emails and letters at work.

Informal English: We use it with friends, children, and relatives.

The following list will help you to recognize the informal and formal ways of saying the same thing. The list is divided into sections of: verbs, transitions, emphasis words, abbreviations, and slang.

Verbs – Informal & Formal

Transitions – informal & formal, emphasis words – informal & formal, letter expressions – informal & formal, abbreviations – informal & formal, slang – informal & formal.

Test your understanding of this English lesson

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40 Useful Words and Phrases for Top-Notch Essays

To be truly brilliant, an essay needs to utilise the right language. You could make a great point, but if it’s not intelligently articulated, you almost needn’t have bothered.

Developing the language skills to build an argument and to write persuasively is crucial if you’re to write outstanding essays every time. In this article, we’re going to equip you with the words and phrases you need to write a top-notch essay, along with examples of how to utilise them.

It’s by no means an exhaustive list, and there will often be other ways of using the words and phrases we describe that we won’t have room to include, but there should be more than enough below to help you make an instant improvement to your essay-writing skills.

If you’re interested in developing your language and persuasive skills, Oxford Royale offers summer courses at its Oxford Summer School , Cambridge Summer School , London Summer School , San Francisco Summer School and Yale Summer School . You can study courses to learn english , prepare for careers in law , medicine , business , engineering and leadership.

General explaining

Let’s start by looking at language for general explanations of complex points.

1. In order to

Usage: “In order to” can be used to introduce an explanation for the purpose of an argument. Example: “In order to understand X, we need first to understand Y.”

2. In other words

Usage: Use “in other words” when you want to express something in a different way (more simply), to make it easier to understand, or to emphasise or expand on a point. Example: “Frogs are amphibians. In other words, they live on the land and in the water.”

3. To put it another way

Usage: This phrase is another way of saying “in other words”, and can be used in particularly complex points, when you feel that an alternative way of wording a problem may help the reader achieve a better understanding of its significance. Example: “Plants rely on photosynthesis. To put it another way, they will die without the sun.”

4. That is to say

Usage: “That is” and “that is to say” can be used to add further detail to your explanation, or to be more precise. Example: “Whales are mammals. That is to say, they must breathe air.”

5. To that end

Usage: Use “to that end” or “to this end” in a similar way to “in order to” or “so”. Example: “Zoologists have long sought to understand how animals communicate with each other. To that end, a new study has been launched that looks at elephant sounds and their possible meanings.”

Adding additional information to support a point

Students often make the mistake of using synonyms of “and” each time they want to add further information in support of a point they’re making, or to build an argument . Here are some cleverer ways of doing this.

6. Moreover

Usage: Employ “moreover” at the start of a sentence to add extra information in support of a point you’re making. Example: “Moreover, the results of a recent piece of research provide compelling evidence in support of…”

7. Furthermore

Usage:This is also generally used at the start of a sentence, to add extra information. Example: “Furthermore, there is evidence to suggest that…”

8. What’s more

Usage: This is used in the same way as “moreover” and “furthermore”. Example: “What’s more, this isn’t the only evidence that supports this hypothesis.”

9. Likewise

Usage: Use “likewise” when you want to talk about something that agrees with what you’ve just mentioned. Example: “Scholar A believes X. Likewise, Scholar B argues compellingly in favour of this point of view.”

10. Similarly

Usage: Use “similarly” in the same way as “likewise”. Example: “Audiences at the time reacted with shock to Beethoven’s new work, because it was very different to what they were used to. Similarly, we have a tendency to react with surprise to the unfamiliar.”

11. Another key thing to remember

Usage: Use the phrase “another key point to remember” or “another key fact to remember” to introduce additional facts without using the word “also”. Example: “As a Romantic, Blake was a proponent of a closer relationship between humans and nature. Another key point to remember is that Blake was writing during the Industrial Revolution, which had a major impact on the world around him.”

12. As well as

Usage: Use “as well as” instead of “also” or “and”. Example: “Scholar A argued that this was due to X, as well as Y.”

13. Not only… but also

Usage: This wording is used to add an extra piece of information, often something that’s in some way more surprising or unexpected than the first piece of information. Example: “Not only did Edmund Hillary have the honour of being the first to reach the summit of Everest, but he was also appointed Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire.”

14. Coupled with

Usage: Used when considering two or more arguments at a time. Example: “Coupled with the literary evidence, the statistics paint a compelling view of…”

15. Firstly, secondly, thirdly…

Usage: This can be used to structure an argument, presenting facts clearly one after the other. Example: “There are many points in support of this view. Firstly, X. Secondly, Y. And thirdly, Z.

16. Not to mention/to say nothing of

Usage: “Not to mention” and “to say nothing of” can be used to add extra information with a bit of emphasis. Example: “The war caused unprecedented suffering to millions of people, not to mention its impact on the country’s economy.”

Words and phrases for demonstrating contrast

When you’re developing an argument, you will often need to present contrasting or opposing opinions or evidence – “it could show this, but it could also show this”, or “X says this, but Y disagrees”. This section covers words you can use instead of the “but” in these examples, to make your writing sound more intelligent and interesting.

17. However

Usage: Use “however” to introduce a point that disagrees with what you’ve just said. Example: “Scholar A thinks this. However, Scholar B reached a different conclusion.”

18. On the other hand

Usage: Usage of this phrase includes introducing a contrasting interpretation of the same piece of evidence, a different piece of evidence that suggests something else, or an opposing opinion. Example: “The historical evidence appears to suggest a clear-cut situation. On the other hand, the archaeological evidence presents a somewhat less straightforward picture of what happened that day.”

19. Having said that

Usage: Used in a similar manner to “on the other hand” or “but”. Example: “The historians are unanimous in telling us X, an agreement that suggests that this version of events must be an accurate account. Having said that, the archaeology tells a different story.”

20. By contrast/in comparison

Usage: Use “by contrast” or “in comparison” when you’re comparing and contrasting pieces of evidence. Example: “Scholar A’s opinion, then, is based on insufficient evidence. By contrast, Scholar B’s opinion seems more plausible.”

21. Then again

Usage: Use this to cast doubt on an assertion. Example: “Writer A asserts that this was the reason for what happened. Then again, it’s possible that he was being paid to say this.”

22. That said

Usage: This is used in the same way as “then again”. Example: “The evidence ostensibly appears to point to this conclusion. That said, much of the evidence is unreliable at best.”

Usage: Use this when you want to introduce a contrasting idea. Example: “Much of scholarship has focused on this evidence. Yet not everyone agrees that this is the most important aspect of the situation.”

Adding a proviso or acknowledging reservations

Sometimes, you may need to acknowledge a shortfalling in a piece of evidence, or add a proviso. Here are some ways of doing so.

24. Despite this

Usage: Use “despite this” or “in spite of this” when you want to outline a point that stands regardless of a shortfalling in the evidence. Example: “The sample size was small, but the results were important despite this.”

25. With this in mind

Usage: Use this when you want your reader to consider a point in the knowledge of something else. Example: “We’ve seen that the methods used in the 19th century study did not always live up to the rigorous standards expected in scientific research today, which makes it difficult to draw definite conclusions. With this in mind, let’s look at a more recent study to see how the results compare.”

26. Provided that

Usage: This means “on condition that”. You can also say “providing that” or just “providing” to mean the same thing. Example: “We may use this as evidence to support our argument, provided that we bear in mind the limitations of the methods used to obtain it.”

27. In view of/in light of

Usage: These phrases are used when something has shed light on something else. Example: “In light of the evidence from the 2013 study, we have a better understanding of…”

28. Nonetheless

Usage: This is similar to “despite this”. Example: “The study had its limitations, but it was nonetheless groundbreaking for its day.”

29. Nevertheless

Usage: This is the same as “nonetheless”. Example: “The study was flawed, but it was important nevertheless.”

30. Notwithstanding

Usage: This is another way of saying “nonetheless”. Example: “Notwithstanding the limitations of the methodology used, it was an important study in the development of how we view the workings of the human mind.”

Giving examples

Good essays always back up points with examples, but it’s going to get boring if you use the expression “for example” every time. Here are a couple of other ways of saying the same thing.

31. For instance

Example: “Some birds migrate to avoid harsher winter climates. Swallows, for instance, leave the UK in early winter and fly south…”

32. To give an illustration

Example: “To give an illustration of what I mean, let’s look at the case of…”

Signifying importance

When you want to demonstrate that a point is particularly important, there are several ways of highlighting it as such.

33. Significantly

Usage: Used to introduce a point that is loaded with meaning that might not be immediately apparent. Example: “Significantly, Tacitus omits to tell us the kind of gossip prevalent in Suetonius’ accounts of the same period.”

34. Notably

Usage: This can be used to mean “significantly” (as above), and it can also be used interchangeably with “in particular” (the example below demonstrates the first of these ways of using it). Example: “Actual figures are notably absent from Scholar A’s analysis.”

35. Importantly

Usage: Use “importantly” interchangeably with “significantly”. Example: “Importantly, Scholar A was being employed by X when he wrote this work, and was presumably therefore under pressure to portray the situation more favourably than he perhaps might otherwise have done.”

Summarising

You’ve almost made it to the end of the essay, but your work isn’t over yet. You need to end by wrapping up everything you’ve talked about, showing that you’ve considered the arguments on both sides and reached the most likely conclusion. Here are some words and phrases to help you.

36. In conclusion

Usage: Typically used to introduce the concluding paragraph or sentence of an essay, summarising what you’ve discussed in a broad overview. Example: “In conclusion, the evidence points almost exclusively to Argument A.”

37. Above all

Usage: Used to signify what you believe to be the most significant point, and the main takeaway from the essay. Example: “Above all, it seems pertinent to remember that…”

38. Persuasive

Usage: This is a useful word to use when summarising which argument you find most convincing. Example: “Scholar A’s point – that Constanze Mozart was motivated by financial gain – seems to me to be the most persuasive argument for her actions following Mozart’s death.”

39. Compelling

Usage: Use in the same way as “persuasive” above. Example: “The most compelling argument is presented by Scholar A.”

40. All things considered

Usage: This means “taking everything into account”. Example: “All things considered, it seems reasonable to assume that…”

How many of these words and phrases will you get into your next essay? And are any of your favourite essay terms missing from our list? Let us know in the comments below, or get in touch here to find out more about courses that can help you with your essays.

At Oxford Royale Academy, we offer a number of summer school courses for young people who are keen to improve their essay writing skills. Click here to apply for one of our courses today, including law , business , medicine and engineering .

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Is an essay formal or informal: characteristics of each

Is an essay formal or informal

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

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

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

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

Features of a Formal Essay

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

1. Specific Language

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

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

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

2. Third person voice

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

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

3. Active Voice over Passive Voice

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

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

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

4. Present Tense over Past Tense

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

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

5. No clichés

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

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

Informal Essay characteristics

1. first and second person.

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

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

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

3. Simple Grammar

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

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

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

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

4. Use of Slang, Colloquialisms, and Humour

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

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

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

Differences between Formal and Informal Writing

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

1. Vocabulary

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

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

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

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

3. Structure

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

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

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

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

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

5. Subject/Content

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

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

6. Characteristics

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

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

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

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What is the key difference between Formal and Informal essays?

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

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

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

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

Formal Essays

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Also Read: Guide for writing an essay fast and quickly

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

FAQ: Difference between Formal and Informal essay

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

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Informal words and phrases to avoid in IELTS Task 2 essays

by Erica L. Meltzer | May 17, 2021 | Blog , IELTS | 0 comments

After reading a certain number of Band 6 #IELTS Task 2 essays, one (or rather I) can’t help but notice certain patterns. In particular, the persistent use of certain informal words, phrases, and abbreviations is quite striking.

I’m not the first person to point this out, or to post about it on the internet, but given sheer frequency with which they’re used, it’s clear that the message isn’t getting through.

So I decided to compile the greatest hits into one very short list.

Bottom line: if you stop using the informal terms, you’re taking a real step towards Band 7; if you keep on including them, expect your score to stay where it is. These are very high-frequency words and constructions, and they are relevant to pretty much any question you might be asked.

In fact, I would actually wager that it’s possible to accurately gauge, in only a few seconds, whether an essay has any chance of earning a 7 simply by scanning it for the terms in the left-hand column, plus standard punctuation, capitalization, and spacing.

Let’s look at a comparison:

Band 6-6.5

Small businesses play an important function in keeping economy of local communities safe. In fact, local communities are vital because companies rely on them to sell their products, services etc. Thus, without these small business, lots of factories will close which will cause workers to lose their jobs and be unable to pay for stuff e.g. rent and food.

Small businesses play an important function in keeping economy of local communities safe. In fact, local communities are vital because companies rely on them to sell their products and services . Thus, without these small business, many factories will close which will cause workers to lose their jobs and be unable to pay for necessary items such as rent and food .

I strongly recommend keeping this list next to you when you write practice essays for as long as you need to. Underline the “formal” words as you write them to reiterate their importance and remind yourself to keep on using them.

There aren’t many quick fixes when it comes to IELTS Writing, but this comes pretty close.

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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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Informal Essay Definition, Format & Examples
An informal essay is often written in a conversational tone. A conversational tone in writing is usually laid-back and often includes a variety of colloquialisms or words used in everyday ...
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: Steps, Tips, Outline, Example, Topics
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.
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.
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Use 1-word verbs instead of 2- or more word verbs (phrasal verbs). This articles talks about… The prices go up… This article discusses… The prices increase … Avoid unattended this/these; use this/these+ a summary word instead. Writing instructors know that students need to understand the differences between formal and informal language.
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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
Although an informal essay may have a casual style, it has a simple structure than the formal one. An informal essay tends to be more personal, but you can still use it to communicate objective opinions. In a formal essay, an essayist is quietly introducing their contemplations behind the words; however, in an informal paper, the writer is associated with the reader in a conversational style.
How to Write an Informal Essay: A to Z Guide to Succeed in Writing
However, many students might be misled when getting an assignment to write an informal essay. 78% of students perform this task anyhow because the word "informal" is a common pitfall. This assignment does not mean "no rules at all," and a student must keep in mind the following requirements.
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 ...
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We'll give some examples below. 1. Contractions. It is advised to avoid contractions (shortened versions of words) in formal language, but they're acceptable in informal language. Unfortunately, the team could not replicate the results. (Formal) Unfortunately, the team couldn't replicate the results. ( Informal) 2.
Informal essay writing help, ideas, topics, examples
The informal essay tends to be more personal than the formal, even though both may express subjective opinions. In a formal essay the writer is a silent presence behind the words, while in an informal essay the writer is speaking directly to the reader in a conversational style. If you are writing informally, try to maintain a sense of your own ...
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This is a formal situation. In addition to word choice, one feature of formal language vs. informal language is the use of contractions. We use considerably fewer contractions in formal writing; we also use standard English grammar structures. Let's look at some examples of formal writing. In a cover letter: I believe I will be an asset to ...
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Formal English: We use it when writing essays for school, cover letters to apply for jobs, or emails and letters at work. Informal English: We use it with friends, children, and relatives. The following list will help you to recognize the informal and formal ways of saying the same thing. The list is divided into sections of: verbs, transitions, emphasis words, abbreviations, and slang.
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4. That is to say. Usage: "That is" and "that is to say" can be used to add further detail to your explanation, or to be more precise. Example: "Whales are mammals. That is to say, they must breathe air.". 5. To that end. Usage: Use "to that end" or "to this end" in a similar way to "in order to" or "so".
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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. 2.
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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. 2. Writing Tone.
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Title. Write your name, the instructor's name, your class, and the date in the upper left corner of the 1st page. Make the title centered and place it after the heading information in the same font as the rest of your paper. Create a separate title page. Make your title centered and written in boldface.
Chapter 14: The Informal Essay Flashcards
to allot or assign. The main purpose of the informal essay is to persuade. T/F. False. The informal essay is: personal and open. The informal essay usually uses ________ to relay information in an entertaining way. humor.