Expository Essay

The purpose of the expository essay is to present ALL SIDES of a topic, completely and fairly, factoring in other people's views. The writing goal is to identify, examine, and explain the truth, reality, and/or meaning of the topic being discussed.

1.          INTRODUCTION PARAGRAPH: This paragraph introduces the reader to what the essay will be about. The intro must have a hook, details about the topic, and a thesis. 

HOOK. The hook captures the readers’ attention.

a.   Narrative lead: Telling a story that illustrates or encapsulates the issue at hand.

b.   Descriptive lead: Describing a situation that is key to understanding the text.

c.   Question lead: Posing a rhetorical question that generates thinking about the topic.

DETAILS. Details about the topic help to inform the person reading the essay as to what subject it is about.

THESIS. The thesis states the writers opinion/position about the topic (the writer continuously refers to their thesis throughout the essay).

2.           COMPREHENSION PARAGRAPH:  

TRANSITION + Topic Sentence + Supporting Details

           Explain what the text means. There is no right or wrong when it comes to your interpretation of the theme. What do you believe is being said? Message?

3.          CONNECTIONS PARAGRAPH:

TRANSITION+ Topic Sentence + Supporting Details

         Connect a quote to another text (book, film, song, poem, etc.) OR the world. What have you seen, read, or heard in mass media that echoes this same message/theme?

          Connect the text to the news or a person/event of historical significance. How does this text apply to what you know about the world?

4.          PERSONAL CONNECTION PARAGRAPH:

TRANSITION + Topic Sentence + Supporting Details

         Relate the message contained in the text to your own life. Explain what the message of the text means to you on a personal level.

5.          CONCLUSION PARAGRAPH:

Restates your thesis and further elaborates upon your opinion of the topic.

a.   Frame: Bringing the essay full circle by starting and ending with the same elements; restate your thesis and reasons for having that opinion.

b.  Quote kicker: Ending with a quote from another source or self-generated that sums up the essence of the essay.

c.   The Most Important Thing: Closing with a sentence that simply states the most important thing that someone should know or understand about the text and the message presented within it.

TIPS AND TRICKS!

Point of View

• The point of view expressed in an expository essay should not be your own -- you are not writing an opinion piece but are writing objectively. The general rule surrounding point of view in expository essays is that you write in the second person to make it clear you explaining someone else's viewpoint.

Planning and Organization

• Expository essays work best when they are carefully organized; the salient points must be emphasized, the thesis of the argument separated and the supporting arguments must be arranged logically. Assign a distinct subject to each supporting paragraph, and make sure each sentence in the paragraph relates to that topic factually. Ensure the transitions between paragraphs are smooth.

Analysis

• Sharp analysis is crucial in an expository essay. To ensure the analysis is presented well, it is vital that you carefully read your source material so you can convey the author's ideas properly. You should read widely so you can put the author's work into a wider context. It is also best practice to make your argument clearly so the reader understands how you reached your conclusions.

Endings and Revisions

• Pay special attention to your ending. Expository essays can be ended in several different ways. Customarily, they conclude by restating the main argument, making a statement of the writer's contribution or divulging the next step in the argument. Make sure to carefully revise your essay once you have finished to make sure all is in order. Check the grammar and syntax as well the seamless transitions from paragraph to paragraph.

Structure

• According to the Purdue OWL, many people choose the five-paragraph essay structure to write an expository essay. This structure requires an introduction, three body paragraphs of support (which correlate to your support points in the thesis) and a conclusion. In other words, this essay has a beginning where you introduce the question, a middle where you explain and prove your argument and an end in which you discuss the significance of your argument based on the information given. Because most expository essays are in response to a specific question from an instructor, you must be sure to structure your essay in a way that allows you to answer the question given. For instance, you might be asked to compare and contrast two historical events or analyze the causes of a war. In the first instance, you might have just two body paragraphs: one of comparison and one of contrast. In the second, you might have four if you have identified four major causes of the war. Do not be afraid to be creative and innovative.

Argument

• Because an expository essay is, essentially, an argument, it's important that you use good strategies of argument. For instance, make sure the evidence you've given to support your claim is, indeed, evidence and you are not committing any fallacies. There are a number of fallacies, so review them before you write. Also, refute the opposition's primary arguments in addition to proving your opinion in each of your three body paragraphs. Finally, the best arguments are composed of appeals to logic (logos), credibility (ethos) and emotion (pathos). For an expository essay, however, rely most heavily on your appeals to logos, while appealing to ethos through the credible sources.

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