Expository writing

A four-year-old goes off to school for the first time, lunchbox in hand, ready to face the
challenges of kindergarten and beyond. There is a lot to learn: getting along
with others, sharing, speaking up for yourself, managing time and materials, gaining
basic math skills. But, without a doubt, during a child's early years in school the majority of time and
energy is spent on learning to read.
This is, of course, critical because once children move into the middle grades, the focus
shifts. They must be able to apply reading skills to obtain critical information. And expository texts
—texts written for the purpose of informing others—play a big role. Take textbooks, for example.
Ideally, middle-grade students learn to skim them for key words and phrases, scan what they have
already read, and begin to understand the organization of the text to locate information quickly.
Students need to learn not only how to read expository lexis, but also how to write them. In
fact, the expository reading strategies students learn (for example, picking out main-idea sentences
that identify what entire paragraphs are about) translate into prewriting skills. Understanding the
organization of a piece of expository writing is the students' first step towards understanding how
they themselves can organize one.
Being able to research, analyze, structure, and present information in writing is a life skill
necessary for success in secondary school, college, and the workplace. Without a doubt, strong
expository writing skills are essential in our information-based society.
In fact, most of the writing we do as adults is expository. Taking notes, jolting phone
messages, composing business letters—these are all ways we convey information in writing. These
are practical, real-world skills we use in a variety of situations.
Expository writing is the most common type of writing that students will be doing in high
school and college. It is essentially writing that explains or analyzes a topic. (expository comes from
the word expose, which means "to reveal.") Although explaining a topic can be done in a variety
of ways, the most common method in expository writing is to use examples and specific details.
Expository writing has often been compared to a lawyer arguing a case. This is a valid
comparison. A lawyer must state what he or she will prove. Then the lawyer must provide facts
which state the reasons a jury should agree. A writer states his or her position in the form of a thesis

1
statement in the first paragraph of an essay. Then the writer, like the lawyer, must provide proof in
the form of examples and specific details to allow the reader to see that there is validity in the thesis.
As it has already been pointed out, exposition is a type of oral or written discourse that is
used to explain, describe, give information or inform. Authors who write expository texts research
the topic to gain information. The information is organized in a logical and interesting manner using
various expository text structures. You will find that most of these organizational patterns are very
familiar to you. You may have never really considered them to be "kind" of organizational patterns.
As you read through the different types of organizational patterns that are presented below, try to
figure out how many of these organizational patterns do you already find yourself writing or
speaking on a daily basis.
The most common1 expository text structures include:

• description
• enumerative or listing
• sequence or time order
• comparison and contrast
• cause and effect
• problem and solution.

1. Descriptive: The author describes a topic by listing characteristics, features, and examples:

The Olympic symbol consists of five interlocking rings. The rings represent the five
continents - Africa, Asia, Europe, North America and South America - from which athletes come
to compete in the games. The rings are colored black blue, green, red, and yellow. At least one
of these colors is found in the flag of every country sending athletes to compete in the Olympic
Games.

1
There are 3 more expository text structures that are not so widely used: circumlocution (depicts a pattern in which the
speaker discusses a topic, then diverts to discuss a related but different topic), narrative interspersion (in which the
speaker or writer intersperses a narrative within the expository text for specific purposes) and recursion (when the
speaker discusses a topic, then restates it using different words or symbolism.).

2
 2. Enumerative/listing: This includes listing connected information, outlining a series of steps, or
placing ideas in a hierarchy, such as the following:

By early 1803 Lewis was in Philadelphia. He took crash courses in medicine, botany, zoology, and
celestial observation. He studied maps and journals of traders and trappers who had already
reached as far up the Missouri River as the Mandan villages in North Dakota. By the time he left
Washington he knew as much about the West, and what to do when he got there, as any man in
America. (Lewis and Clark: Preparations)

As they continued on the Missouri, the explorers came to a part of the river that was flanked by 300
foot (91 - m) high bluffs. The bluffs were sculpted by wind, rain, and snow into wonderful shapes.
Farther down the river .....
(Lewis and Clark, Andrew Santella pp.32 – 33)

Signal / Cue
Words
few
the following
likewise
then
besides

addition several
some
another
many

well
a
furthermore

3
 finally also

in

as

3. Sequence: This includes a series of events leading up to a conclusion, or the sequence of

occurrences related to a particular happening. Note that the events can be separated in years as in a
historical time line; or in a series of actions taking only a few seconds, hours, days.

January 18, 1803 - In secret communication to Congress, Jefferson seeks authorization for expedition –
first official exploration of unknown spaces undertaken by United States government. Appropriation
of $2,500 requested. (Final cost will be $38,000.)

Spring - Lewis, now picked as commander, is sent to Philadelphia for instruction in botany, zoology,
celestial navigation, medicine from nation’s leading scientists. Also begins buying supplies to outfit
the expedition. Lewis writes to former army comrade, William Clark, inviting him to share command
of expedition. Clark writes to accept.

July 4 - News of Louisiana Purchase announced. For $15 million, Jefferson more than doubles the size
of United States: 820,000 square miles for 3 cents an acre. The next day, Lewis leaves Washington.

The Olympic Games began as athletic festivals to honor the Greek gods. The most important
festival was held in the valley of Olympia to honor Zeus, the king of the gods. It was this festival that
became the Olympic Games in 776 B.C. These games were ended in A.D. 394 by the Roman Emperor
who ruled Greece. No Olympic games were held for more than 1,500 years. Then the modern
Olympics began in 1896. Almost 300 male athletes competed in the first modern Olympics In the

4
games held in 1900, female athletes were allowed to compete. The games have continued every four
years since 1896 except during World War II, and they will most likely continue for many years to
come.

Signal / Cue Words

first next

second until

third while

last soon

then after

at that time now

during
immediately

4. Comparison/Contrast: This involves describing how two or more events, places, characters, or
other ideas are similar and/or different in several ways. Comparing several habitats or eco-systems
is one example of this type.

The modern Olympics are very unlike the ancient Olympic Games. Individual events are
different. While there were no swimming races in the ancient games, for example, there were chariot
races. There were no female contestants and all athletes competed in the nude. Of course, the
ancient and modern Olympics are also alike in many ways. Some events, such as the javelin and
discus throws, are the same. Some people say that cheating, professionalism, and nationalism in the
modern games are a disgrace to the Olympic tradition. But according to the ancient Greek writers,
there were many cases of cheating, nationalism, and professionalism in their Olympics too.

Signal/Cue Words: however, even though, but, on the contrary, yet, otherwise, despite, in
comparison, still, on the other hand, in contrast.

5
5. Cause/Effect: This may involve several reasons why an event occurred or several effects from
on cause, and of course, as single cause/effects situation.

Captain Clarke and some of our men in a pirogue went ashore with them; but the Indians did
not seem disposed to permit their return. They said they were poor and wished to keep the pirogue
with them. Captain Clarke insisted on coming to the boat; but they refused to let him, and said they
had soldiers as well as he had. He told them his soldiers were good, and that he had more medicine
on board his boat than would kill twenty such nations in one day. After this they did not threaten any
more and said they only wanted us to stop at their lodge, that the women and children might see the
boat.
(The Journals: September 25, 1804, Patrick Gass)

Signal/Cue Words: for this reason, thus, in order to, as a result, because, consequently, so that, on
account of, therefore, accordingly.

6. Problem and Solution: Authors use this technique to identify the problem, give possible
solutions with possible results and finally, the solution that was chosen. A variation of this pattern is
the question- and-answer format in which the author poses a question and then answers it.

One problem with the modern Olympics is that it has become very big and expensive to
operate. The city or country that hosts the games often loses a lot of money. A stadium, pools, and
playing fields must be built for the athletic events and housing is needed for the athletes who come
from around the world. And all of these facilities are used for only 2 weeks! In 1984, Los Angeles
solved these problems by charging a fee for companies who wanted to be official sponsors of the
games. Companies like McDonald's paid a lot of money to be part of the Olympics. Many buildings

6
that were already built in the Los Angeles area were also used. The Coliseum where the 1932 games
were held was used again and many colleges and universities in the area became playing and living
sites.

Signal / Cue Words

problem
solution
because
cause
since
as a result
so that

7
Time for a Recap

• Expository writing is a mode of writing or speaking in which the purpose of the

author/speaker is to inform, explain, describe, or define his or her subject to the reader.
Examples of expository texts are textbooks, encyclopedias, scientific books/journals, atlases,
directions, guides, biographies, newspapers etc.
• There are six types of expository text structures: descriptive, enumerative, time order,
comparison and contrast, cause and effect, problem and solution.
• The descriptive expository pattern usually includes the main idea and some details.
• Listing/Enumerative expository patterns are used to explain the features of an object; for
example, anatomy textbooks list the features of humans, giving details about the human
body.
• Time order structures are used to present a sequence of events that lead up to a conclusion
such as the French and Indian War in a history class or cell division in a biology class.
• Compare and contrast involves discussing similarities and differences. For example, a Social
Studies Book might compare the Government of the United States and the Government of
Great Britain.
• A cause-effect pattern outlines reasons for events; thus, the author describes an event (such
as the American Revolutionary War) and explains what caused the event and the effects that
followed from it.
• A problem-solution pattern discussed a problem and then suggests possible solutions; thus, a
history author might discuss the events of F.D. Roosevelt’s life in terms of the problems he
faced and how he solved them.

8
REFERENCES

*** http://www.homepages.dsu.edu/
*** http://www.slideshare.net/
*** http://www.stanford.edu/

Hardison, O.B. Jr., Practical Rhetoric, New York: Meredith Publishing Company, 1966.

Levin, Michael, Expository Writing, New York, 2000.

Mariconda, Barbara, Teaching Expository Writing, New York, 2001.