Expository Writing

Expository Writing Definition

Definition: Writing with a purpose to explain a topic or idea

Expository writing seeks to inform, explain, clarify, define, or instruct.

1 - Where can you find expository writing?

Expository writing is straightforward.

• simply describe or explain a specific topic to the reader

• use factual information or evidence

• Do NOT develop an argument or prove anything

• Just understand your topic and present it to the reader in a logical, cohesive manner without a

bias

2 - Expository essays have three parts:

Introduction

The introduction is the broad beginning of the paper that answers three important questions.

You want your reader to know:

1. What is this?

2. Why am I reading it?

3. What do you want me to know or to learn?

Your introductory paragraph is like an inverted pyramid. It begins very

general and ends more specific.

Hooks

The purpose of a hook is to pique your reader's interest. You want to

reel them in so they continue reading your essay.

Questions to ask:

Does it grab the reader's attention?

Is it general enough not to give away the thesis just yet?

Historical Information: Some topics are better understood if a brief historical review of the topic is presented.

If I wanted to write an informative essay on cool skateboarding tricks:

In the spring of 1975, skateboarding took an evolutionary boost toward the sport that we see today. In

Del Mar, California a slalom and freestyle contest was held at the Ocean Festival. That day, the Zephyr

team showed the world what skateboarding could be. They rode their boards like no one had in the

public eye, low and smooth, and skateboarding was taken from being a hobby to a serious, exciting

sport.

Anecdote: an interesting but brief story that can include sensory details like sound, sight, smell, touch, and taste.

If I wanted to write an informative article on auctions:

Mike Cantlonremembers coming across his first auction ten years ago while cruising the back roads

of Wisconsin. He parked his car and wandered into the crowd, toward the auctioneer's singsong chant

and wafting smell of barbecued sandwiches. Hours later, Cantlonemerged lugging a $22 beam drill-for

constructing post-and-beam barns—and a passion for auctions that has clung like a cocklebur on an old

saddle blanket. "It's an addiction," says Cantlon, a financial planner and one of the growing number of auction fanatics for whom Saturdays will never be the same.

Surprising Statement: There are many ways a statement can surprise a reader. Sometimes the

statement is surprising because it is gross. Sometimes it is shocking. Make sure it is relevant and you

explain how the statement relates to your topic.

If I wanted to inform parents of ways to protect their children and prevent accidents:

Accidents kill nearly 8,000 children under age 15 each year. And for every fatality, 42 more children are

admitted to hospitals for treatment. Yet such deaths and injuries can be avoided through these easy steps parents can take right now. You don't have a minute to lose.

Quote: When a writer uses the words of another to help illustrate a point. Your quote should be interesting enough to engage the reader. Make sure you include who said the quote.

If I wanted to write an informative essay on how to recover from making a mistake:

"You must never feel badly about making mistakes," explained Reason quietly, "as long as you take the

trouble to learn from them.”

-Norton Juster, The Phantom Tollbooth

Interesting Fact or Statistic: The writer uses a fact or statistic about the topic they are writing about to engage the reader and make them want to read more.

If I wanted to write an essay on the food cycle, I might use the following hook:

"Every living thing on Earth needs energy to survive. This energy can come from only one place -- the

Sun" (Thornhill 6).

Conclusion Paragraph

1. Transition: in other words

2. Rephrase the thesis (do not just restate - change the wording)

3. Rephrase main ideas - what did you write about in your body paragraphs?

4. Clincher

Coming full circle: Finishing an essay where it begins is an excellent method to bring your essay to a

smooth finish. Revisiting the hook used to introduce the essay gives the reader the satisfying feeling of having come full circle. HINT: This works better with some hook types than others.

Looking to the future: State what might happen in the future about your issue or topic. Be objective.

You want your essay to end with 1 - 2 sentences that are impactful. Your clincher should be meaningful, thought provoking, or have an emotional impact on your reader, an "aha" moment.