FORMAL & INFORMAL ESSAYS
|CHARACTERISTIC |INFORMAL ESSAY |FORMAL ESSAY |
|Author’s viewpoint |Usually first person |Usually uses third-person and does not address the reader|
| |Directly addresses reader | |
|Subject/Content (sources of evidence) |Frequently drawn from life of the writer and everyday |More commonly drawn from shared historical events or |
| |events |literature or other forms of knowledge |
|Tone |Frequently more personal and subjective |Tends to be removed from the subject and appears to be |
| |May be ironic, amusing, thoughtful, angry or serious |objective |
| | |May be ironic, amusing, thoughtful, angry, or serious, |
| | |but tends to hold emotions in check and express concerns |
| | |through strong arguments and powerful rhetorical devices |
|Structure |Appears more loosely structured |Follows a fairly rigid structure that focuses on the |
| | |development of one clear argument at a time to support a |
| |...