- “How Can the Influence of Social Media on Body Image Be Reduced?”
- “How to Encourage Students to Be More Interested in Sports?”
Before you start writing your expository essay, you need to select a topic and brainstorm ideas and possible arguments. If it is your school or college assignment, most probably you already have particular guidelines. Read what your teacher or professor wants you to do and see what ideas you can come up with regarding the topic. Note them down. Make sure that you can fully cover the topic within the required word count limits. For this reason, do not choose the subject matter that is too broad or too narrow. In addition, the topic must be relevant not only to society in general but also to you personally.
- “Types of Holiday Destinations”
- “The Impact of Social Media on Different Age Groups”
There are several text structures you can use to write an expository essay and present your arguments. The block structure and the chain structure are the two most common types. The block method implies that you discuss one subject at first, and then you move on to another subject in a separate paragraph. For example, such a structure of a problem and solution essay may be illustrated in the following way:В
Cause and effect essays
Thus, the chain structure allows you to discuss each aspect of the problem point by point, which is especially useful for longer papers. However, both of these structures are a suitable expository essay format. You should choose the method you feel more comfortable with.
The chain structure for the same problem and solution essay would look like this:
Compare and contrast expository essays aim at discussing similar and divergent aspects of ideas, concepts, locations, or objects. To present your findings, you can use one of the following techniques: the alternating method, combination method, or block method. The examples of a compare and contrast essay can include the following topics:
To give you a few examples, such written pieces like news articles, press releases, business letters, scientific journals, and term papers are all embodiments of the expository essay.
- Start with a brief overview of key points, ideas, and arguments
- 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 a learning process: how to build a car, how to edit a paper, or even how to flirt with a girl.
- Comparison Essay: As the name suggests, 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 introduction to the problem, and filled with content about solutions.
Below you can find a list of 5 proven steps that will guide you through the process of expository writing and help you succeed:
Expository Essay Structure
- Explain how excessively playing video games can provoke teen violence
- Describe the likely consequences of procrastination
- Explain how overpopulation can influence our lives
- Investigate the change of education in the era of technology
- Explain the goal of space exploration
- Does the organization of a workplace influence its workflow? How and why?
- Explain the perspectives of Mars colonization
- What are the major stress triggers among college students? What are the ways to manage them?
- Explain the role of Astronomy in Ancient Greece
- Define the consequences of the invention of the Internet
The topic should be manageable, so make sure you pick something you can address in a 5-paragraph paper. Also, it should be relevant and significant. Finally, pick a topic that you are interested in and one you know you will be able to explain (after all, that’s the main purpose of this type of essay).
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5. Publishing
Sharing an essay with a teacher, parent, or other reader can be both exciting and intimidating. Remember, there isn’t a writer on earth who isn’t sensitive about his or her own work. The important thing is to learn from the experience and use the feedback to make the next essay better.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. However, that doesn’t mean that writing to explain is easy.
The purpose of the expository essay is to explain a topic in a logical and straightforward manner. Without bells and whistles, these essays present a fair and balanced analysis of a subject based on facts—with no references to the writer’s opinions or emotions.
Essay writing is a huge part of a education today. Most students must learn to write various kinds of essays during their academic careers, including different types of expository writing:
Expository Essay Variations
Expository Essay Structure
Usually, your essay is composed of five paragraphs. The introductory paragraph contains the thesis or main idea. The next three paragraphs, or body of the essay, provide details in support of the thesis. The concluding paragraph restates the main idea and ties together the major points of essay.2. Drafting
When creating the initial draft, consider the following suggestions:- Definition essays explain the meaning of a word, term, or concept. The topic can be a concrete subject such as an animal or tree, or it can be an abstract term, such as freedom or love. This type of essay should discuss the word’s denotation (literal or dictionary definition), as well as its connotation or the associations that a word usually brings to mind.
- Classification essays break down a broad subject or idea into categories and groups. The writer organizes the essay by starting with the most general category and then defines and gives examples of each specific classification.
- Compare and contrast essays describe the similarities and differences between two or more people, places, or things. Comparison tells how things are alike and contrast shows how they are different.
- Cause and effect essays explain how things affect each other and depend on each other. The writer identifies a clear relationship between two subjects, focusing on why things happen (causes) and/or what happens as a result (effects).
- “How to” essays, sometimes called process essays, explain a procedure, step-by-step process, or how to do something with the goal of instructing the reader.
- The most important sentence in the introductory paragraph is the topic sentence, which states the thesis or main idea of the essay. The thesis should be clearly stated without giving an opinion or taking a position. A good thesis is well defined, with a manageable scope that can be adequately addressed within a five-paragraph essay.
- Each of the three body paragraphs should cover a separate point that develops the essay’s thesis. The sentences of each paragraph should offer facts and examples in support of the paragraph’s topic.
- The concluding paragraph should reinforce the thesis and the main supporting ideas. Do not introduce new material in the conclusion.
- Since an expository composition discusses an event, situation, or the views of others, and not a personal experience, students should write in the third person (“he,” “she,” or “it”), and avoid “I” or “you” sentences.
An expository essay aims to inform the reader about the subject clearly, concisely, and objectively .
First, you need to look at the overall content of your essay and ask the questions below.
Take notes as you read, and cross-check sources. Your goal is to formulate the points you need to deal with the set task and find evidence to support them.
The five-paragraph essay is a classic literary composition and a perfect template for your expository essay format—even if your set task demands something longer.
🔖 Types of Expository Essays
If you do have a choice, then go for a subject that you already have some knowledge of as this will give you a head start at the planning stage. And choose something that interests you—you are probably going to be doing a lot of reading, so that process will be much easier if your curiosity is carrying you forward.
The principal purpose of an expository essay is to elucidate a topic logically and consistently. It is an objective analysis of facts without any reference to the writer’s emotions or opinions.
The first step of the writing process implies that you brainstorm, make a list of expository essay ideas, and then choose the topic you like most. Note that your topic shouldn’t be either too broad or too narrow.
The purpose of the expository essay is to explain a topic in a logical and straightforward manner. Without bells and whistles, these essays present a fair and balanced analysis of a subject based on facts—with no references to the writer’s opinions or emotions.
4. Editing
Next, proofread and correct errors in grammar and mechanics, and edit to improve style and clarity. While your essay should be clear and concise, it can also be lively and engaging. Having a friend read the essay helps writers edit with a fresh perspective.3. Revising
In the revision phase, students review, modify, and reorganize their work with the goal of making it the best it can be. Keep these considerations in mind:If the essay is still missing the mark, take another look at the topic sentence. A solid thesis statement leads to a solid essay. Once the thesis works, the rest of the essay falls into place more easily.
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1. Prewriting
In the prewriting phase, students should take time to brainstorm about the topic and main idea. Next, do research and take notes. Create an outline showing the information to be presented in each paragraph, organized in a logical sequence.Expository Essay Structure
Usually, your essay is composed of five paragraphs. The introductory paragraph contains the thesis or main idea. The next three paragraphs, or body of the essay, provide details in support of the thesis. The concluding paragraph restates the main idea and ties together the major points of essay.Here are tips for each part of the essay structure and writing process: