What Is an Expository Essay?

The term ‘expository’ comes from the word ‘exposition.’ According to the exposition
essay definition this is ‘a type of writing meant to explain, inform, or describe.’ An
expository essay is a structured academic paper investigating an idea. It consists of
looking at evidence, expanding on an idea, and presenting the concept in simple
language.
An expository essay is one of those essays that you find at the end of an exam or a
semester. Professors love assigning it as it’s a perfect way to test a student’s
knowledge. Knowing how to write an expository essay is a valuable skill, and you’ll
write lots of them in college. It’s easy, but if you need some essay writing help - you
can always rely on our service.

An expository essay usually builds on the simple 5-paragraph-essay structure. An

attention-grabbing intro with a thesis, three body paragraphs, and a conclusion.
Body paragraphs must have supporting evidence for every argument. As mentioned
before, it is a standard genre used in exams and in-class writing. Students often write
such essays fast with little to no preparation.
The 6 types of expository writing assignments
To write an excellent essay is not easy at all, especially when you've been told to write a specific
type. As it was said before, there are six major types of expository writing assignments, and you
should learn how to write these essays and how to differ them if you want to get the best grade
and spend minimum time and efforts.
Number one: The cause and effect essay
The cause and effect essay is built around the reasons that caused something and the results.
Here, you need to ask yourself the two key questions: "Why did it happen?" and "What is/might
be/will be the outcome of this?" Looking more closely at its structure, you can see that writers
usually use either the block or the chain ordering. Choosing the block structure, firstly, you write
all of the causes and then all of the effects. In the chain structure, each of your causes is followed
by the impact straight away. To write a meaningful essay, you should consider making a detailed
cause-and-effect outline first. That will definitely help you structurize the data well.
Number two: The problem and solution essay
In a problem and solution essay, the writer raises an issue of a particular situation and proposes
the best solution. It is necessary to examine the subject matter from various angles and
perspectives prior to starting anything. Also, it is worth mentioning that this type is in some way
similar to the cause and effect essay, especially regarding structure. To get it right, you need to
clearly define the audience first because you'd need to get them to read your essay to the end. Try
to persuade them and prove that your solution is far better than any existing ones. In this regard,
it might be something that is not hard to realize or significantly lowers the expenditures.
Number three: The classification essay
In a classification essay, a broad topic is divided into various groups and meticulously sorted.
Firstly, the writer explains a certain subject generally and then dives into each part in detail. As
your regular essay, this type of task should contain at least five paragraphs: an introduction, three
or more body paragraphs, and a conclusion. One of the most important things to remember is that
you must use only one method when you categorize everything. Another aspect of this type that
 influences the quality is providing solid examples for each group. Also, make sure to clearly
define the categories and encompass everything within each of those.
The main idea should be disclosed in the introduction paragraph. Thus, the first paragraph
explains the thesis. The body paragraphs determine various categories along with examples in
separate sections. In the conclusion paragraph, the writer should summarize the groups and
mention the significance of classification.
Number four: The comparison and contrast essay
In brief, the comparison and contrast essay focuses on similarities and differences between two
notions, objects or events. Like in the cause/effect paper, this one uses the same structures: a
block or a point-by-point structure. Using the block structure means that you give all the
information about one object being compared or contrasted and then about the other. When using
the point-by-point structure, each similarity or difference for one thing is followed by the
resemblance or contrast for the other. Make sure you research the subject well enough to
elaborate on every aspect. Work extra on your thesis statement because you'd need to emphasize
it in your conclusion section.
Number five: The definition essay
The definition essay provides an explanation of a complicated term or concepts that might imply
very different things to different people depending on their background and standpoint. In the
introduction of the essay, firstly, you must give a standard definition of the word (i.e., from a
trustworthy dictionary). After that, provide the definition which combines your own experience
and thoughts. In the body paragraphs, you should break the definition down into organized
sections. For example, the very first body-section paragraph may include the origin of the term,
the second — a clarification of possible misinterpretations, the third — your personal definition,
based on your experience with examples. In the conclusion part, you should summarize the main
points of your argument. When choosing the topic, be sure to pick something more or less
familiar to you. This way you will spend less time researching.
Number six: The process essay
This type also goes under a "how-to essay" name. It explains the procedures (or necessary steps)
involved in doing something. For example, how to sew a dress or how to repair a car engine. In
the introduction, you may tell about the problem. And, in the last sentence of the paragraph, you
can write more about how to solve it. The body paragraphs contain the main steps you should
take to complete the process. In the conclusion paragraph, you should remind the reader of the
importance of this process or how the result should actually look like. To not dig into
complicated things, try to think of your daily life and the processes you often repeat. Some of
those might need an extra explanation and become an excellent basis for your essay.

Main Types of Expository Writing

There are 5 main types of expository essays:
 Descriptive Essay: This is an essay in which the writer is asked to describe
something. This could be a person, place, experience, situation, etc. Descriptive
Essays are unique in the sense that you have a lot of freedom when it comes to the
content. You should present something exciting or beautiful, all the while keeping the
reader interested.
 Process Essay: The classic “How To” assignment. The purpose of this essay is to
teach the reader about learning a process: How to build a car, how to edit a paper
or even how to flirt with a girl!
 Comparison Essay: Simple sounding enough, a comparison essay makes you
critically analyze any two subjects, finding and explaining their similarities and/or
differences.
 Cause and Effect Essay: The “Knee-Jerk” reaction assignment. Cause and effect
essays are concerned with why and or how things happen and what happens as a
result.

 Problem / Solution Essay: The universal standard prompt assignment. In this

situation, we have a problem and are looking for solutions. The essay is broken down
into a brief intro to the problem and filled with content about the solutions.

When you read a textbook, the news, magazine articles, or any other types of publications, you
are reading expository writing. When you write answers for an essay test, you use the expository
form.

In an expository paragraph, you give information. You explain a subject, give directions, or
show how something happens. In expository writing, linking words like first, second, then, and
finally are usually used to help readers follow the ideas.

This paragraph, like any other, organizes itself around three parts. A topic sentence allows the
reader to understand what you are writing about. The middle part of the paragraph contains
supporting sentences that follow one another in a logical sequence of steps. The concluding
sentence closes your subject with an emphasis on the final product or process desired by the
topic.

Remember that all paragraphs should contain a topic sentence. It may be even more important in
the expository paragraph because this is where the main idea of the paragraph is expressed. This
topic sentence lets the reader know what the rest of the paragraph will discuss.

Example:

Going to college can be expensive. First, college tuition and room and board can cost anywhere
from $2,000 to more than $10,000 per semester. Other expenses make going to college even
more expensive. For example, books typically cost between $100 and $500 each term. Second,
materials are also very expensive. Paper, notebooks, writing utensils, and other supplies required
often cost more at the college bookstore than at any local discount department store. For
instance, a package of notepaper costing $2 at a discount store might cost $5 at a college
bookstore. Finally, there are all kinds of special fees added onto the bill at registration time. A
college student might have to pay a $50 insurance fee, a $20 activity fee, a $15 fee to the student
government association and anywhere from $500 to $100 for parking. There is another fee if a
student decides to add or drop classes after registration. The fees required to attend college never
seem to end.
The topic sentence in the example lets the reader know that the paragraph will talk about the
expenses of going to college. Immediately following the topic sentence is the first supporting
sentence (underlined) and two detail/example sentences. Each support sentence and its two
detail/example sentences are shown in different colors so you can see where one ends and the
next begins. Finally, the closing sentence neatly ties back to the topic sentence by rephrasing it.

Notice the use of transitional words to help the reader follow the ideas. Also, notice the use of
third person point of view in this paragraph. The third person point of view (he, she, one) is
most commonly used for expository writing, technical writing, and any other sort of writing that
has a business-minded or persuasive intention or purpose. For our purposes in this class, you will
always use third person point of view when writing expository paragraphs, unless otherwise
directed. This means there should be no “I” or “you” words anywhere in the paragraph.

Any paragraph that is designed to provide information in a detailed format is an example of an

expository paragraph. An expository paragraph has a topic sentence, with supporting sentences
that provide further information and a concluding sentence. This paragraph is an example of an
expository paragraph because it provides information and has a topic sentence, supporting details
and a conclusion.

A topic sentences guides the flow of an expository paragraph. It sets the stage for the rest of the
sentences, providing a structure for them. The supporting sentences should be logical and contain
details and examples. Transitional words help organize the supporting sentences, with the third-
person point of view most commonly used. The concluding sentence sums up the paragraph,
rephrasing the main idea of the paragraph.

All well-designed paragraphs have four essential elements. These are unity, order, coherence and
completeness. Unity is generally created by the topic sentence. Well-organized supporting
sentences provide the order needed. The use of transition words can help create coherence, which
means the reader is able to understand the writing. If a paragraph is complete, it contains all the
sentences needed to adequately support the main idea. Developing skill in writing paragraphs
requires practice putting these elements together.