The Exposition

The purpose of the expository essay is to explain a topic in a logical and straightforward
manner. The structure of the essay differs depending on the form.
Expository essays present a fair and balanced analysis of a subject based on facts—with no
references to the writer’s opinions or emotions.

A typical expository writing prompt will use the words “explain” or “define,” such as in,
“Write an essay explaining how the computer has changed the lives of students.” Notice there
is no instruction to form an opinion or argument on whether or not computers have changed
students’ lives. The prompt asks the writer to “explain,” plain and simple.

STRUCTURING AN EXPOSITORY ESSAY

An expository essay has three basic parts: the introduction, the body, and the conclusion.

1. The introduction:

The first paragraph is where the foundation is laid for the expository essay. The introduction
includes the hook, background information and thesis statement.

 The hook- Grab the reader’s attention by beginning with an attention-grabbing

statement.

 Background information- Describe your issue. Give whatever background

information you think your audience will need. You may define terms if

necessary.

 Thesis statement- A thesis statement tells the reader how you will interpret the
topic. It includes stating main points that will be later discussed, with evidence, in
your body paragraphs. It is usually found at the end of the introductory paragraph.

An example of a thesis statement:

“Land pollution is detrimental to our landscape because it increases the chance of

people contracting viruses, it wastes precious resources and it leads to air pollution;
however, this problem can be corrected with governmental policies and individual
efforts.”—problem-solution thesis statement.

Sample Introduction:
“We are usually one decision away from making our lives better” is a quote that is popularly
used to encourage healthy lifestyles among individuals. The need to live healthily has been
increasing worldwide especially among young adults. With an increase in diseases, death
rates and eating disorders, there is a wave of consciousness that has been shadowing the
Jamaican population. One such practice is exercising. Exercising includes activities requiring
physical effort carried out to sustain or improve health and fitness. Therefore, exercising has
become a popular practice because there is a greater cognizance of its importance and it
is endorsed by physicians; in addition, this has resulted in a decrease in diseases among
individuals.—thesis statement

2. The body:

At a minimum, three paragraphs should be in the body of the essay.

Each paragraph begins with a topic sentence. The topic sentence provides the main idea of
the paragraph. The topic sentence is followed by several sentences that offer evidence and
analysis to support your argument. The paragraph ends with a concluding sentence which
gives a summary of the paragraph as it restates the main point in the paragraph.

Transitional words used in the body of expository essays:

first, next, second, to begin with,
first of all (but not second of all)
at first, throughout, in the end
firstly, secondly lastly, in addition, also, however
initially, previously, subsequently, eventually, then, consequently, hence, thus, therefore

Use the PEEL method when constructing your body paragraphs.

Point- Your first sentence must state your point. It introduces the topic you are about to
discuss and tells the reader what the paragraph is going to be about. This is sometimes called
a topic sentence.
Evidence- Support your point with evidence and examples. In the next one or two sentences,
give evidence to expand upon and support the point you made. Evidence can include facts,
statistics, research findings, quote from a credible authority or a primary text.
Explanation- This is where you show your understanding by explaining in more details how
and why your evidence supports your point. Your explanation should interpret the evidence
for the reader.
Link- The last sentence should reinforce your original point or link your writing to the next
paragraph. The link sentence can provide a transition to the next topic or paragraph

Sample PEEL paragraph: Education and technology

In today's society, more than ever, technology has greatly impacted the ways in which we
learn and teach a multitude of topics. Among those making the most of e-learning platforms
are topics which address employee performance. (POINT) According to a list of the top ten
most popular e-learning courses, project management, time management, and customer
service skills were among the top three listed.*(EVIDENCE) This can tell us many things
about what e-learning has to offer. One is that the convenience it provides is ideal for
continuous learning, short term courses as well as self-paced classes. Similarly, this platform
works very well when the education needs of many people must be met in a time efficient
and orderly manner (as is required by many large corporations and businesses).
(EXPLANATION) With these and many other benefits, such as cost efficiency and time
flexibility, we can expect to see many more courses presented in this manner as the advent of
e-learning alters the way we learn; not only in the workforce, but also in academic and
recreational pursuits. (LINK)
*The evidence you present should come from reputable sources and be cited accordingly.
Therefore a foot or endnote may be entered here as well as parenthetical citations.

A breakdown of the above sample

In this sample paragraph we can see the implementation of each aspect of the PEEL writing
format.
a. The point of the paragraph here is explained in two sentences and goes from the broad
to the specific; by first starting off with the impact of technology overall and then
mentioning its specific influence on employee training and performance.

b. The evidence of the main topic is presented in the form of a statistical report that
supports the point of employee performance courses being in the greatest demand as
well as provide an example of how education has been greatly impacted by
technology.

c. Afterwards an explanation is given that indicates exactly what can be deduced from
the evidence provided. It incorporates interpretation by attempting to explain why e-
learning is so popular with businesses. In the meantime it also evaluates it to be a
positive means of educating others by highlighting its benefits.

d. Lastly, the link sentence takes you back to the main point by reiterating that 'e-
learning alters the way we learn' and it also summarizes and provides closure to the
entirety of the paragraph. And though a second paragraph is not visible, this last link
sentence also opens the door for a new paragraph that deals with e-learning's
connection to 'academic and recreational pursuits.'

3. The conclusion:
Finally, the expository essay should contain a concluding paragraph. This section should give
the reader a concise overview/ summary of your main points. It also restates the thesis
statement.
Transitional words used to begin a conclusion: In conclusion, in closing, finally, thus, to
conclude