sample topic: "me and my dragon."

　　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, humour 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.

　　an informal essay--on punctuation

　　the essay which follows is an opinion piece that was written forthe 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.

　　minding your p`s and q`s

　　by john allemang