If you are afraid of words expository and essay writing, you just should calm down a little bit. Maybe, this task is already familiar to you, and you just don’t even realize it yet. It is like writing a research paper without realizing it. So let’s find out what expository essay really is.
Expository essay definition
The first thing you should know about expository as the word and term itself is about its main meaning. It evolved from the word expose, and it means to show something. The main purpose of the expository essay is to identify the topic and explain it to the audience. Besides that, a writer also needs to prove a thesis statement that it tightly connected to the main topic of his expository essay.
These points are clear and may seem simple to write, but since you start you understand that everything is more complicated. You should take the entire expository essay paper as the debate on paper. And what you suppose to do to win a debate? Right, defend your point of view. And in this type of essay thesis statement is your point of view. While preparing for the essay writing this point will help you a lot.
Main forms of expository essay
- Descriptive Essay: this type is as simple as it sounds to you. In this expository essay, you need to describe some sort of an action, figure, person, historical fact, etc. Descriptive essays have one great advantage for the writer. You get a lot of freedom to write what you consider right and important.
- Process Essay: Well, while this sounds not as easy as descriptive, but the main idea about process essay is also very simple. It is all about “How to” principle. You need to tell a reader about some certain process. It could be anything from baking potatoes to creating an atomic bomb.
- Comparison Essay: Another easy to guess paper. Here you have two points, and your task is to compare them. Just find what those two objects have similar and different.
- Cause and Effect Essay: Lots of people just don’t have this important cause and effect thing in their mind. It is “don’t touch fire because it is hurt.” In this type of essay, you need to tell about a fact and its consequences.
- Problem and Solution Essay: This format is pretty simple too. You are assigned to a topic which contains a problem. It may be a global issue or something more local. Your task is to find a solution and describe it in your essay.
Few helpful examples
- Descriptive Essay
Description of your tricky personal situation and your reaction to it.
- Process Essay
Create step by step guide on how to write a character analysis.
- Comparison Essay
Compare two mega-popular mobile operating systems – iOS and Android. Which one is better and why?
- Cause and Effect Essay
What were the causes and effects of Spanish Inquisition? Is it possible to happen again?
- Problem and Solution Essay
It is hard for a student to deal with exams. How is it possible to help young people to prepare for exams more effectively?
Expository format and structure
For those writers who is trying to deal with an expository essay for the first time and is expecting something extraordinary from its format, we must say that there is nothing too special. As any other academic paper expository essay has its own format and requirements. But its structure is pretty the same as any other essay you are familiar with. It is all about the topic and your interaction with it. The entire creating process can be divided into several main stages. All you need to do is just to follow the course you created for yourself. Here are few main stages for your expository essay writing.
Preparation
- Consider your audience: Before you started researching the topic and took a pan in your hand, you should decide where exactly you want to move. It is helpful to think about your audience. Who are your readers? What do they expect from your writing? Think about those questions and don’t forget to follow any instructions that your tutor gave you. If there are any certain requirements, you need to follow them strictly.
- Choose a topic: Of course, everything starts with a topic. This task may be not as easy as you think. Your success and the entire process depend on your topic directly. So it is recommended choosing something familiar to you. The topic you take for your expository essay should not be too broad because you will just drown in it with no chance to cover the entire issue properly.
- Start a research: While most students hate researching, we must say, that this process can be more interesting than it seems. Of course, it is more exciting to do research for your college or high school essay, but expository essays can surprise you. As we said before, you should choose a topic you are interested in. When it comes to research, it will be really interesting for you to learn something more about the issue you are writing about. That is how your research will become effective and exciting at the same time. Don’t forget to use reputable and reliable sources only.
Writing
- Start with an outline: Like any other essay task, this one also requires an outline. As you did your research, there will be lots of things you want to tell about. The outline for your expository essay will help you to the group and organize all those facts, phrases, and evidence. Do not make it too long and detailed. Come up with something that will be useful and comfortable just for you.
- Writing process: Like any other academic paper, an expository essay has three main parts – Introduction, Body, and Conclusion. All these parts have their features, but the main difference between expository and any other essay type lies in its Body. In the Introduction, you need to present your thesis to the audience. In Body paragraphs, you need to deal with the task your expository essay gives you. If you need to describe something then writing a description. If you need to compare something, then write a comparison. Then sum everything up in Conclusion. Tell about your feelings or thoughts about the issue. If you were looking for a solution, tell your reader why it would be effective.
Editing
- Edit and proofread: Any essay can’t be considered a completed one till you edit it and proofread. Once you’ve done with the writing stage, you can take a break and get back to your expository essay to edit all the mistakes. You need to read the paper over and over again to get the right mood and intonation. If there is a need to add or delete something, just go ahead. Do not forget to double check all facts and dates you used in your essay.
How to avoid fails
As any other essay writing expository paper have its own slippery areas. First of all, you should be very careful at the very beginning. When you choose your topic, you might make a wrong decision, and that would be the failing situation affecting your entire work. Do not rush and think twice before taking your final decision. Try to come up with a theme not too broad to deal with. But at the same time, something that has lots of sources and material to work with would be the best choice for you.
There are lots of trending topics. You may choose one as the starting point and go a little bit deeper. Maybe there is some aspect that should be discovered more. That will be a chance for you to get something new and really exciting. For example, WWI is a broad topic to deal with, but you may take just one person, country, region, army, etc. to talk about.
Another important thing for you to remember while choosing a topic is about your own personal interest. Try to get a topic for your essay which appeals to you or at least is familiar to you. But the ideal situation would be if you find something interesting. Your essay will be successful if you will be passionate about its topic.
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