Expository Writing

⦿Expository writing is defined as

presenting reasons, explanations, or steps in a process

⦿Informational writing

⦿An expository essay should follow a

logical sequence and have three different main points

⦿Logic and coherence is the main

focus of an expository essay

⦿Expository writing does not tell a

story

⦿Expository writing does not

persuade a reader but only gives facts and reasons

⦿Expository writing can also give

the steps of a process

Expository text differs greatly from narrative text in tone, style, structure, and features. First, expository
texts purvey a tone of authority, since the authors possess authentic and accurate information on the
subjects they write about.

Another aspect of expository texts is that they utilize specific structures to present and explain
information
Expository texts typically follow one of five formats:
cause and effect
compare and contrast
description
problem and solution
sequence.
Types of Text Structures
Sequence
In the sequence structure, students identify and describe items or events in sequences. In sequence text
structures, passages will typically follow a timeline of events as it takes the reader through a story.
Students can spot them by committing certain chronological signal words to memory, such as:

● Before and after

● Since

● Later

● First, second, third

● Last

● Moreover

● Thereafter

● Hereafter

● Periodically, from time to time

● Formerly, previously

● Subsequently

● Today, yesterday, next week

Sequences can be implicit or explicit. Step-by-step procedures, math, and science texts will typically state
a sequence explicitly. Recall the water cycle example from above: the text would begin its story at any
point in the water cycle, and walk students through what happens chronologically to the water as it gets
evaporated, stored in clouds, and rained back down.
Other texts, such as history or literature, may have an implicit sequence. For example, the school-to-prison
pipeline in low-income American neighborhoods requires the ability to understand and connect nuances
in order to fully paint the sequence picture.

Cause and Effect

In the cause and effect structure, students identify the cause of events, actions, or ideas presented in a
chapter or section. The goal of cause-and-effect text structures is to explain events that happen as a
direct result of other events. Some examples include the effect of water evaporating as a result of hot
sunlight, or being out of breath after running a mile.

Compare and Contrast

In the compare and contrast format, students spot the similarities and differences between two or more
events or concepts. In history class, for example, students are often expected to be able to identify the
differences between two time periods, the similarities and differences between two cultures, wars,
political leaders—even artwork!

Description
In description expository text structures, students describe a topic by identifying and explaining its
characteristics, features, and attributes, and by providing examples.
When a text spends time describing a particular person, event, time period, or object, students can lose
the facts in the words. Organizing the key details will provide students with a visual aid and quick
reference, and increase their ability to retain the information presented in the text.
For example, an expository text may go into extensive detail about how water moves through the water
cycle, taking several paragraphs to do so, even though the water cycle only has five steps that could just
as easily be listed in a sentence.

Problem and Solution

In the problem and solution structure, students pinpoint the problem and one or more solutions to the
problem as described in chapters or sections of expository texts.
Texts that are framed around a problem and its solutions come in all forms. History texts will often
identify a problem that occurred, and then outline or describe the various efforts that were made to solve
the problem. concrete example would be a passage describing the problem of climate change, and then
outlining several possible solutions, such as recycling, reducing fossil fuel usage, and turning off the
water while brushing teeth.

Persuasion
A sixth type of structure, persuasion, is recognized by some academic institutions. In persuasive
passages, there is typically an introduction of a thesis argument for why an idea about an idea is correct,
or action should or should not be taken. Then, the passage outlines supporting arguments for the
argument it is trying to “persuade” its readers of, followed by a counterargument, a rebuttal of the
counterargument, and a conclusion.
Examples of persuasive text are most commonly found in academic or scientific journals, where
researchers are trying to persuade readers that their thesis statement is correct, or that their experiment
uncovered certain results. This type of structure can also be found in more modern textbooks arguing
ideas, such as why a certain law might be overturned in the coming years, or why an old scientific concept
is looking for traction as discoveries are made in the field.

STRUCTURE OF THE EXPOSITORY ESSAY

WHAT IS AN EXPOSITORY ESSAY?
The expository essay is a genre of essay that requires the student to investigate an idea, evaluate
evidence, expound on the idea, and set forth an argument concerning that idea in a clear and concise
manner. This can be accomplished through comparison and contrast, definition, example, the analysis of
cause and effect, etc.

The purpose of the expository writing program is for students to master the techniques required.
to complete a well-organized informational piece of writing that includes:
• a clear introduction with an attention-grabbing lead and a clear, concise topic sentence
or thesis statement
• three well-defined paragraphs, each containing a distinct main idea and a variety of
supporting details, such as quotes, statistics, interesting facts, anecdotes, or descriptions
• a concluding paragraph that summarizes the main ideas in a new way.

Expository essays are written to provide information, define, and illustrate a certain topic.
How to Write an Expository Essay
To write an expository essay, you will need to gather information and present it in a clear and concise way.
Make sure to use evidence to support your points and be sure to structure your essay in a way that is easy
to follow.

Here are some steps that you should follow after creating the essay outline and start writing an essay.

1. Write the Introduction

An essay introduction is the first thing someone reads. It is your opportunity to make a good impression
on the reader and explain what the essay will be about.

Writing a good introductory paragraph cannot be difficult, but if you follow these guidelines.

● Start with an interesting hook statement.

● Provide background information.
● End the essay introduction with a thesis statement.

The Body Paragraph

In an expository essay, you present information rather than making an argument. This makes the body
paragraphs simpler to write. However, you should not just dump information randomly. Typically, you
should have three body paragraphs, each discussing a specific issue related to your topic.
Your body paragraphs will build out and support your essay’s thesis. The foundation of each body
paragraph is a topic sentence. Think of each topic sentence as its own small thesis sentence, while the
rest of the sentences in the body paragraph build on the topic sentence.
Under the topic sentence, list out your supporting information, evidence, or other ideas that expound on
the topic sentence.
Repeat that for each of the three body paragraphs.

Craft a Conclusion
The conclusion of an expository essay is meant to remind the reader of the main points in the essay and
state the hypothesis one more time. The information presented in the conclusion connects to the main
purpose. The thesis statement is restated and explained in greater detail.
The Comparance and Contrast Essay
The compare and contrast essay is used to compare all sorts of things on any number of points.
A common example is two items compared on three points, such as the movies Star Wars and Avatar
compared on their visuals, stories, and soundtracks. People often wonder how to organize the
comparison of their points.

Compare and Contrast Essay Introduction

A strong opening paragraph is an integral part of any kind of essay. Like the main topic, the compare and
contrast essay introduction also need to be an attention grabber. To make your essay introduction
compelling, take the following steps: Open your introductory paragraph with a hook statement. It can be a
fact, quote, or a simple yet interesting sentence to grab the reader’s attention. Provide background
information on your topic. You cannot randomly start comparing two objects. Therefore, set a stage or
briefly discuss the issues you are going to compare. Provide your thesis statement at the end of your
introductory paragraph. The compare and contrast thesis should depict two subjects that are required to
be compared.
Compare and Contrast Essay Body Paragraphs
The body paragraphs of your essay are where you lay everything out in front of the reader and explain
things with the help of facts. The structure of the body of your essay strongly depends on the method you
choose to compare (block method or point-by-point). To keep your essay informative, you will have to
source some factual information to impress the reader and teach them something new.

Write the Conclusion.

A great compare and contrast essay needs a great conclusion. By this point, you will hopefully have
proven your thesis about how your two subjects are both different and alike. Your concluding paragraph is
your chance to share any final insights and to reinforce the thesis of your overall paper. Do not introduce
brand-new information in your concluding paragraph; use it to summarize the entire paper.

Thesis Statement and Topic Sentence

What is a thesis statement?

The name of the essay pretty much tells you what you’ll be doing: comparing and contrasting things or
ideas. Sounds easy enough, right?
It can be fairly easy to construct a compare and contrast essay. The key to writing a successful essay is
to choose the right points to compare and contrast and to tie them all together with a strong thesis
statement. The thesis statement provides a roadmap to the rest of your essay, so it’s important that you
take the time to craft a thesis statement that tells readers the focus of your paper.
What are the differences between brands of soda?
Example thesis: Even though many people cannot tell the difference between Coke and Pepsi, there are
distinct differences in taste, nutritional content, and advertising.
2. Prepare the Body Paragraphs

Topic Sentences and Controlling Ideas

Topic sentences introduce a paragraph and connect to an essay's thesis statement, which is the topic
sentence of your entire essay. Every topic sentence has two parts: a topic (what the paragraph is about)
and a controlling idea (the direction the paragraph will take).

Topic Sentence: Dogs make wonderful pets because they help you to live longer.
The topic is "dogs make wonderful pets" and the controlling idea is "because they help you to live longer."
Topic Sentence: Crime in poverty-stricken areas occurs as a result of systemic discrimination.
The topic is "crime in poverty-stricken areas" and the controlling idea is "systemic discrimination."

Staying on Topic
Remember that topic sentences set the tone for the paragraph and should relate back to the thesis or the
main idea of the paper. A carefully thought-out topic sentence helps you, the author, to stay focused. It
also gives readers the tools they need to clearly understand what you have to say.

Expository Essays: Cause and Effect

An expository essay is an essay in which the writer shares information with the reader. The writer
supports the main points with factual information. The writer’s personal experience or point of view is not
usually included in an expository essay, except perhaps as a hook to get the reader interested in the
essay.

Expository Essay: Cause and Effect

A cause-and-effect essay is a type of expository essay that explains the causes or reasons for an event or
natural phenomenon. Writers must be careful to write only facts and make sure that there is a clear
relationship between causes and effects.

Because the purpose of an expository essay is to share information, it is important that the writer’s main
points are easy to understand and that the supporting details are well-researched, relevant, and clearly
explained.

Your first step is to choose a topic for your essay. For a cause-effect essay, you want to choose a topic
for which you can develop three causes of one effect or three effects from one cause. Your teacher may
assign a topic, you may think of one yourself, or you may choose one from the suggestions in the chart.
As you consider possible topics, ask yourself, “What do I know about this topic? What do my readers
know? What else do I need to know? Do I need to research this topic?”

 Step 2: Brainstorm
A. Use the chart to brainstorm a list of possible causes and effects for your topic.
Now carefully consider the causes and effects. Which focus do you think would be better for your
essay? If you have more causes, then you should write a focus-on-causes essay with one effect. If you
have more effects, then you should write a focus-on-effects essay with one cause

1 Introduction
A clear thesis statement that states the central idea of the essay

2 Body
A topic sentence for each body paragraph
Development of each topic with relevant factual support
Clear transitions from one body paragraph to the next

3 Conclusion
Restatement of the central idea
A satisfactory ending

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