Expository Essays: What Is An Expository Essay?

Expository Essays
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.

Please note: This genre is commonly assigned as a tool for classroom evaluation and is often found in various exam formats.

The structure of the expository essay is held together by the following.

A clear, concise, and defined thesis statement that occurs in the first paragraph of the essay.
o It is essential that this thesis statement be appropriately narrowed to follow the guidelines set forth in the assignment. If the student does not master this portion of
the essay, it will be quite difficult to compose an effective or persuasive essay.

Clear and logical transitions between the introduction, body, and conclusion.
o Transitions are the mortar that holds the foundation of the essay together. Without logical progression of thought, the reader is unable to follow the essays
argument, and the structure will collapse.

Body paragraphs that include evidential support.
o Each paragraph should be limited to the exposition of one general idea. This will allow for clarity and direction throughout the essay. What is more, such
conciseness creates an ease of readability for ones audience. It is important to note that each paragraph in the body of the essay must have some logical
connection to the thesis statement in the opening paragraph.

Evidential support (whether factual, logical, statistical, or anecdotal).
o Often times, students are required to write expository essays with little or no preparation; therefore, such essays do not typically allow for a great deal of statistical
or factual evidence.

A bit of creativity!
o Though creativity and artfulness are not always associated with essay writing, it is an art form nonetheless. Try not to get stuck on the formulaic nature of
expository writing at the expense of writing something interesting. Remember, though you may not be crafting the next great novel, you are attempting to leave a
lasting impression on the people evaluating your essay.

A conclusion that does not simply restate the thesis, but readdresses it in light of the evidence provided.
o It is at this point of the essay that students will inevitably begin to struggle. This is the portion of the essay that will leave the most immediate impression on the
mind of the reader. Therefore, it must be effective and logical. Do not introduce any new information into the conclusion; rather, synthesize and come to a
conclusion concerning the information presented in the body of the essay.

A complete argument

Perhaps it is helpful to think of an essay in terms of a conversation or debate with a classmate. If I were to discuss the cause of the Great Depression and its current effect on those
who lived through the tumultuous time, there would be a beginning, middle, and end to the conversation. In fact, if I were to end the exposition in the middle of my second point,
questions would arise concerning the current effects on those who lived through the Depression. Therefore, the expository essay must be complete, and logically so, leaving no doubt
as to its intent or argument.

The five-paragraph Essay

A common method for writing an expository essay is the five-paragraph approach. This is, however, by no means the only formula for writing such essays. If it sounds straightforward,
that is because it is; in fact, the method consists of:

1. an introductory paragraph
2. three evidentiary body paragraphs
3. a conclusion

Methods of Development in Expository Writing

Methods of Development

Expository writing - the purpose of the author is to inform, explain, describe, or define his or her subject to the reader. Expository text is meant to
expose information and is the most frequently used type of writing by students in colleges and universities. A well-written exposition remains
focused on its topic and provides facts in order to inform its reader. It is written from the third person point of view.
Examples of expository writing can be found in magazine and newspaper articles, non-fiction books, travel brochures, business reports,
memorandums, professional journal and encyclopedia articles and many other types of informative writing. One of the most familiar and basic
forms of expository writing is the five-paragraph essay, which features an introduction with a clear thesis statement, three main body paragraphs
and a conclusion.

Methods of Organization:

Definition - Defining topics and subjects is particularly important in expository writing. Defining an object is, simply, stating what the particular
object is.

Description - Writing which intends to describe a person, place or thing is known as descriptive writing and is a form of expository writing.
Description involves giving characteristics- such as how something appears, smells or the dimensions of an object.

Sequence - This structure is also known as process or collection and is a form of expository writing that is used if the author intends to inform his
or her readers by listing the order of steps in a process or listing events in chronological order. Examples of this type of writing are cooking
instructions, driving directions and instructions on performing a task. Key words such as first, after, next, then and last usually signal sequential
writing.

Classification - is an organizational strategy in which authors arrange groups of objects or ideas according to a common topic in detail. Placing
different objects or ideas in categories is a type of classification.

Comparison - Comparative text shows how two or more subjects are similar or contrasting. This type of structure is often used in determining
which is the better of two or more choices.

Cause and effect - Cause and effect writing identifies the reason for something occurring and lists what occurs because of that reason. This is
also known as analysis text.

Sources:
https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/685/02/
https://sites.google.com/a/cloud.ocdsb.ca/inawhiteroomeng3u/essay-writing-skills-and-support/methods-of-development-in-expository-writing

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