INFORMATIVE TEXT
The purpose of an informative text, sometimes called an expository essay, is to educate on a certain
topic. It is not for giving an opinion or convincing someone to do something or
change his beliefs. In addition to being informative, it needs to be
interesting.
Structure
The basic structure of an informative text is very
simple. It needs to have a beginning, middle, and end.
·
The beginning
needs to present the topic and grab the attention of the audience. It needs to
include the focus sentence for the entire essay.
·
The middle
will be the main bulk of the essay and it will contain all the important facts
that you are covering. This is where the audience will get their questions
answered. Remember to answer these questions: who, what, where, when, why, and
how.
·
The end is a
conclusion where you will summarize the essay. It should spur the reader or
listener to learn more about the topic.
The Beginning
Here is an example of the beginning of an
informative text:
As you are listening to me, you might not think that today is the day
that you will save a life. It is quite easy to save a life any day and it only
takes a little bit of your time. I’m not talking about being a paramedic or
fireman; I am talking about donating blood.
The Closing
Here is an
example of a closing:
So that now you know how easy it is to donate
blood, it’s time to take action. After all, you have plenty of blood, so why
not share? When you do, you will feel good about yourself and you will save a
life.
Subjects of
Informative text
Informative text, sometimes called expository
essays, can be used for many purposes. They can compare viewpoints on a
controversial subject as long as they don’t include the author’s opinions. They
may analyze data, like in a cause and effect situation, or educate the audience
on ways to do something, like solving a certain kind of problem.
For
example:
·
An informative text might
explain the pros and cons of the death penalty, using statistics on crime rate
reduction as a pro and statistics on innocent men being found guilty as a
con.
·
An informative text might
analyze whether lack of education is a cause of homelessness by using
statistics and information about the educational attainment of homeless men and
women.
·
An informative text might
educate the audience on how to open a bank account.
Informative text Titles
To help you get a better idea of the different
types of informative text, here are some possible titles for this type of text:
·
Understanding the Link
Between Cholesterol and Heart Disease
·
How to
Buy a House
·
Understanding
Your Credit Score
·
Defining Poverty in the
City of Chicago
·
The Health Benefits of a Vegetarian
Diet
·
The Importance of Regular
Daily Exercise
·
The
Causes of Global Warming
·
Reducing Carbon Emissions
with Alternative Fuels
·
Cost
Savings of Hybrid Vehicles
·
Understanding
Geothermal Heating and Cooling
·
Why Cleaning Your Ducts is
Important
·
Qualifications
of Contractors
·
How to Get your Commercial
Driver's License
Steps in Creating an Informative text
Most of the work on an informative text is done
before you actually sit down to type. Here are the general steps to take:
1.
After you have chosen the
topic, you will need to research and gather all the pertinent details on that
subject. You need to ascertain what you already know about the subject and then
decide what you would like to know.
2.
You will need to make a
list of the important facts and then list the main steps in your paper. Make
sure all your facts are accurate. You will need to write a topic sentence for
each fact and write a focus sentence (thesis statement) for the entire essay.
3.
Create an outline that will
organize your facts in a logical way. Then you will be ready to make your first
draft.
4.
Editing is an important
step for any writing project. Reading your essay out loud will help you notice
places where the writing is awkward or unclear. If possible, have someone else
read it and give you their ideas for improvement. Of course, you will need to
pay attention for grammar, punctuation, spelling, capitalization, and other
errors.
An informative text is the best way to explain
something that is complicated...in an uncomplicated way.