Teachers usually ask students to write an informal essay for pleasure and entertainment. In many cases, there are no specific instructions that students have to follow. It means that informal writing does not necessarily have to be informative or persuasive. It can be a mix of both essay types. Be sure you properly understand what writing informal pieces of writing means. It does not imply “free writing” or “a free flow of ideas.” Yes, you can write in a pretty informal manner, but you should always choose a clear essay structure to get the message across.
Informal essay writing is usually adored by students because they can write in a “relaxed way.” They are free to express all their opinions and emotions, which is forbidden in academic writing. It is the primary reason why informal writing remains the only home assignment, which students do with joy.
Characteristics of Informal Writing
Without a doubt, both formal and informal essays can describe a notion. The difference between them is in tone and style of writing. Do not be reluctant to find some good examples of a common informal paper and you will see that the tone of writing is rather friendly than conservative. The writer shares his or her opinions with possible readers. In addition, you can come across some informal phrases like idioms, phrasal verbs, colloquialisms, jargon, etc. in the informal essay.
In comparison with formal academic papers, you will not have to spend so much time composing an informal letter essay. Since you will mostly speak about yourself, your experiences, and your emotions, it will be simple to generate ideas, no matter what topic you choose. Therefore, do not worry that you cannot write in a proper academic manner because informal papers are just what you need.
At the same time, please mind your audience. Sometimes teachers ask to write informal papers and give students to evaluate the content of his/her classmate’s work. In this way, you can be rather informal and include some humoristic ideas. However, if a primary reader will be your teacher only, mind your language and the choice of topic. You are not writing a letter to your friend; you are composing an essay to be checked and evaluated by your teacher. It does matter a lot because your teacher might have no sense of humor at all.
Be it an informal essay or research paper, you should always adhere to all punctuation and grammar rules. Your teacher will never comprehend the content appropriately if there are obstacles in his/her way – mistakes in every single sentence. Pay proper attention to the organization of ideas and always present a clear body structure. The beginning of your essay should be striking and compelling to make the reader interested in your topic.
The key to success in informal writing is presenting a logical and concise thesis statement. It will show what issue you address in your writing and your attitude to it. There should be no more than 2-3 main body paragraphs, which should include vivid examples from your life experience.
You can easily find hundreds of topics for informal writing on the web. By choosing a topic, think about the one that will not be selected by your classmates. It will make you stand out from the rest because teachers are tired of reading a lot of papers that discuss the same topics.
Here are a couple of the most Popular Topics in Informal Essay Writing:
- A celebrity I adore.
- A perfect spouse.
- My religious beliefs.
- Things I hate.
- Activities or hobbies that make me happy.
- My vision of divorce and marriage.
- College life: Is it funny?
- High school graduation: What can be worse?