An informative essay is the opposite of a description essay. In this essay, the object is, as it says, to inform. This is probably one of the most challenging forms of essay to write. In a normal essay, you can assume your audience has some background information. So, if you are writing an essay about Hamlet, you can assume that your professor has read the play. With an informative essay, you can make no such assumption. You have to teach your readers, but also make the essay compelling enough to keep them reading. This can make for a rather daunting task.

First, you need to choose your topic. If your professor does not assign topics, select something you find interesting. It will be much easier to write an essay when you actually enjoy researching and writing about the topic. An informative essay is that you can write about anything, from your favorite Playstation game, to a television show, to style of music. As long as you create an interesting, informative, and grammatically sound essay, the list of possible topics is limitless. For our purposes, we will look at Guillain-Barre Syndrome.

Initially you need to develop your thesis statement. This can be broad, but your paper needs to have an angle. Try to avoid generic statements like "Uncharted 2 is the best Playstation 3 game of 2009," and instead look for specifics. For our example essay, a good thesis statement might be: "Not disclosing possible side effects of vaccines can lead to legal issues as well as medical ones, like those students who contracted Guillain-Barre Syndrome from the meningitis vaccine." Once you have a thesis statement, you need to perform your research. Find credible sources, at least two per page. Check on-line journals and scholarly articles for the best information.