Introduction to Expository Writing

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

Expository Writing

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

Expository Writing

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.​

You will need to organize your writing with a logical sequence that makes it easy for the reader to understand and follow your explanation. Would you explain the water cycle out of order? Probably not!

Structure & Organization

Regardless of the type of expository writing you choose, you need to introduce your topic in a clear, focused, and engaging way. This is done in the introduction paragraph and topic sentences.

Introducing The Topic

Elements of an Expository Essay

You will need to present these ideas in an understandable way. The transitions between sentences and ideas must be smooth and logical. Can use First, Second, Third if you get stuck.

Coherence

You will need to provide enough facts, examples, and details to fully explain ideas to the reader. This is done in the body paragraphs with evidence and elaboration.

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.

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

Multiple Choice

What are the three components of an essay?

• Introduction, Thesis and conclusion

• Introduction, Body and Conclusion

• Introduction, Thesis and Body paragraph

• Thesis, Body and Conclusion

Introduction

Begin your essay with a lead sentence or hook! This will grab their attention and make them interested.
After, you can have a little background on the
subject or just put the thesis statement.
The thesis is where you say the main point of
your essay with the three topics that will be the
body paragraphs.

We have been working on crafting our writing all year!

Multiple Choice

What is a lead/hook?

• The main idea

• The topic sentence

• Grabs the readers attention

• The most important part of your essay

Multiple Choice

What is a thesis statement?

• the main idea

• the moral of your essay

• the topic sentence

• what will grab your readers attention

Multiple Choice

Where does your thesis statement go?

• conclusion

• body paragraph #1

• body paragraph #2

• introduction

• after the hook

Multiple Choice

What must your thesis statement have?

• topic and reason/proof

• topic and hook

• topic and opinion

• topic and question

Multiple Choice

What is the first sentence of your body paragraph called?

• Hook

• Thesis

• Topic Sentence

• Fact

Body Paragraphs

Begin your body paragraphs with a topic sentence. This tells the reader what this specific paragraph will be about.

Use evidence from the text that supports this
topic. Make sure to cite the source (source #,
paragraph #). Explain the evidence in your own
way that tells the reader how this relates to the
overall topic!

We have been working on crafting our writing all year!

Multiple Choice

When citing evidence you must _______________

• Credit or name the source
• Summarize ideas
• Copy exact words
• Retell in your own words

Multiple Choice

(Source 1, Par. 2)

What is this an example of?

• direct quote

• TAP

• citation

• paraphrase

Multiple Choice

What is the first paragraph in a formal essay called?

• Beginning
• Grabber
• Hook
• Introduction

Multiple Choice

Which is the paragraph where key ideas or claims are developed and explained?

• Introduction
• Body paragraph
• Key paragraph
• Conclusion

Multiple Choice

After citing evidence you must _________

• review, revise
• quote, paraphrase
• explain, elaborate
• introduce, summarize

Multiple Choice

To tell the reader more; to expand on the evidence; to give more details; to explain the reasoning behind the evidence.

• evidence

• point

• thesis

• elaboration

Conclusion

This is the last paragraph of your essay. Think of it as a summary for what you just wrote.

Restate your thesis and main points. Write a
one sentence summary for each body
paragraph.

We have been working on crafting our writing all year!

Multiple Choice

What is the last paragraph of a formal essay called?

• Resolution
• Conclusion
• Ending
• Finale

Multiple Choice

What should you include in a conclusion? Select all the apply.

• Restate thesis

• One sentence summary of topics

• Evidence

• Elaboration