Expository Writing Lesson

Expository Writing Introduction

Open Ended

What do you know about expository writing? List all that you know about this form of writing.

Open Ended

How do expository writing compare and contrast to argumentative writing? Explain how the two forms of writing are similar and different.

What is expository writing?

Expository Writing

Expository writing is writing that explains, describes, or informs.

Expository Writing

Multiple Select

What is the purpose of expository writing? Check all that apply.

• Explain

• Describe

• Inform

• Persuade

Expository Writing

The purpose of expository writing is to give information to the reader and to describe or explain something accurately.

Expository Writing

Fill in the Blank

Fill in the correct word to this sentence.

The _______ is to give information to the reader and to describe or explain something accurately.

Expository Writing

Expository writing allows the reader to consider ideas or to understand processes.

Expository Writing

Fill in the Blank

Fill in the correct word to this sentence.

Expository writing allows the reader to _______ ideas or to understand processes.

Expository Writing

• ​Guidebooks and instruction manuals

• Magazine and newspaper articles

• Letters and newsletters

• Reports​

• Recipes​

​

Where You Will Find It

• Focuses on a topic

• Provides supporting details

• Presents ideas in a logical sequence

• Is unified and coherent​

Characteristics

Expository Writing

Much of the writing you do in school is to inform or explain:

• How does the writer develop the theme?

• Compare and contrast Macbeth and Lady Macbeth.

• Explain the process of mitosis.​

Expository Writing

The most common expository essay types are:

• Process (How-to)

• Compare and contrast

• Definition

• Cause and effect

• Problem and solution

• Classification​

Poll

Which is not a characteristic of expository writing?

• Focuses on a topic

• Provides supporting details

• Presents ideas in a logical sequence

• Is unified and coherent

• Persuades the reader to change a thought or behavior

Multiple Choice

Which is not a common type of expository writing?

• Process (How-to)

• Compare and contrast

• Cause and effect

• Problem and solution

• Argument

You will need to organize your writing with a logical sequence that makes it easy for the reader to understand and follow your explanation.

Structure & Organization

Regardless of the type of expository writing you choose, you need to introduce your topic in a clear, focused, and engaging way.

Introducing The Topic

Elements of an Expository Essay

You will need to present these ideas in a coherent way. The transitions between sentences and ideas must be smooth and logical.

Coherence

You will need to provide enough facts, examples, and details to fully explain ideas to the reader.

Idea Development

Elements of an Expository Essay

Multiple Choice

Which statement below is true?

• Regardless of the type of expository writing you choose, you need to introduce your topic in a clear, focused, and engaging way.

• Regardless of the type of expository writing you choose, you need to introduce your topic in a vague, scattered, disengaging way.

• Regardless of the type of expository writing you choose, you need to introduce your topic, and have your audience work for the meaning of your writing.

Multiple Choice

Which statement below is true?

• You will need to provide enough opportunities for the reader to infer the message behind your writing.

• You will need to provide enough facts, examples, and details to fully explain the ideas to the reader.

• Facts, examples, and details are not important to expository writing.

Multiple Select

Which of the following is true about expository writing? Check all that apply.

• Regardless of the type of expository writing you choose, you need to introduce your topic clearly, focused, and engaging way.

• You will need to

  organize your writing with a logical sequence that makes it easy for the reader to understand and follow your explanation.

• You will need to provide enough facts, examples, and details to explain the ideas to the reader fully.

• You will need to present these ideas in a coherent way. The transitions between sentences and ideas should be smooth and logical.

Coherence

Transitions are important for creating a coherent piece of writing, but there are other methods you can use as well:

• ​Variety in sentence beginnings

• Variety in sentence lengths

• Variety in sentence structure

• Parallelism

• Repetition​

We have been working on crafting our writing all year!

Multiple Select

How do you build a coherent essay? Check all that apply.

• Vary sentence beginnings and sentence lengths.

• Vary sentence structure.

• Use parallelism

• Use repetition

Open Ended

List three things you remember from this presentation.

Open Ended

List one question you have about expository writing.