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The The Expository Essay Expository Essay

An OverviewAn Overview

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The function of the The function of the expository essay is to expository essay is to explain, or to acquaint explain, or to acquaint your reader with a body your reader with a body of knowledge. of knowledge.

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By explaining a topic to By explaining a topic to the reader, you are the reader, you are demonstrating your own demonstrating your own knowledge. knowledge.

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For example, if you are For example, if you are asked to write an essay asked to write an essay about how to drive a car, about how to drive a car, you decide what you plan you decide what you plan to concentrate on, create to concentrate on, create a paragraph structure, a paragraph structure, and describe the process and describe the process step by step. step by step.

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When describing, or When describing, or exposing the process by exposing the process by which one drives a car, which one drives a car, all you are doing is all you are doing is explaining the steps or explaining the steps or process. process.

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An essay becomes more An essay becomes more complicated when a complicated when a position has to be position has to be defended, as in the defended, as in the persuasive essay, which persuasive essay, which is one of the reasons is one of the reasons expository essays are expository essays are more popular.more popular.

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Expository essays Expository essays require that the writer require that the writer give information, give information, explain the topic or explain the topic or define something. define something.

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To accomplish that, To accomplish that, expository essays are expository essays are best developed by the best developed by the use of facts and use of facts and statistical information, statistical information, cause and effect cause and effect relationships, or relationships, or examples. examples.

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Since they are factual, Since they are factual, they are written without they are written without emotion and usually emotion and usually written in the third written in the third person. person.

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The third person means The third person means that the use of the that the use of the pronoun "I" is not pronoun "I" is not usually found within the usually found within the essay.essay. Instead the Instead the writer will refer to the writer will refer to the first person (I) in the first person (I) in the third person (one).third person (one).

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Expository essays also Expository essays also have a distinct format. have a distinct format. The thesis statement The thesis statement must be defined and must be defined and narrow enough to be narrow enough to be supported within the supported within the essay.essay.

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Each supporting Each supporting paragraph must have a paragraph must have a distinct controlling topic distinct controlling topic and all other sentences and all other sentences must factually relate must factually relate directly to it. directly to it.

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The transition words or The transition words or phrases are important phrases are important as they help the reader as they help the reader follow along and follow along and reinforce the logic.reinforce the logic.

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Finally, the conclusion Finally, the conclusion paragraph should paragraph should originally restate the originally restate the thesis and the main thesis and the main supporting ideas. supporting ideas.

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Finish with a statement Finish with a statement that reinforces your that reinforces your position in a meaningful position in a meaningful and memorable way.and memorable way.

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Never introduce new Never introduce new material in the material in the conclusion.conclusion.

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As they like to state at As they like to state at the essay info writing the essay info writing center…center…

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The purpose of an The purpose of an expository essay is to expository essay is to present, completely and present, completely and fairly, other people's views fairly, other people's views or to report about an or to report about an event or a situation. event or a situation.

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Expository writing, or Expository writing, or exposition, presents a exposition, presents a subject in detail, apart subject in detail, apart from criticism, argument, from criticism, argument, or development; i.e., the or development; i.e., the writer elucidates a subject writer elucidates a subject by analyzing it. by analyzing it.

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Such writing is discourse Such writing is discourse designed to convey designed to convey information or explain information or explain what is difficult to what is difficult to understand. understand.

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Exposition usually Exposition usually proceeds by the orderly proceeds by the orderly analysis of parts and the analysis of parts and the use of familiar illustrations use of familiar illustrations or analogies.or analogies.

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Such an analysis requires:Such an analysis requires:1) Reading with 1) Reading with understanding the ideas understanding the ideas developed in an article by developed in an article by clearly stating another's clearly stating another's thesis, outlining the facts used thesis, outlining the facts used by the author to support that by the author to support that thesis, and the "values" thesis, and the "values" underlying the ideas.underlying the ideas.

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2) Putting what is read 2) Putting what is read into a larger context by into a larger context by relating another's article relating another's article or book to other work in or book to other work in the field. the field.

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3) Clearly and effectively 3) Clearly and effectively communicating this communicating this information to a defined information to a defined audience. audience.

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4) In other words, you 4) In other words, you must write clearly and fully must write clearly and fully enough for your readers enough for your readers to know how you have to know how you have arrived at your analyses arrived at your analyses and conclusions. and conclusions.

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Your reader should never Your reader should never have to guess what you have to guess what you mean; give your readers mean; give your readers everything they need to everything they need to know to follow your know to follow your reasoning.reasoning.

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This practice is not "just This practice is not "just for students." Accurate for students." Accurate analysis is a fundamental analysis is a fundamental professional activity in professional activity in almost all careers. almost all careers.

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Like any other Like any other fundamental skill, it must fundamental skill, it must be constantly practiced in be constantly practiced in order to maintain and order to maintain and improve it. improve it.

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Other goals, such as Other goals, such as learning "time learning "time management" and note-management" and note-taking, are also developed taking, are also developed by this activity.by this activity.

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Do not be afraid to revise Do not be afraid to revise your essay! In fact, you your essay! In fact, you will probably want to will probably want to change it at least once; change it at least once; this is called "thinking this is called "thinking through a 'problem'" or through a 'problem'" or "learning.""learning."

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The revisions will The revisions will consist of the following:consist of the following:

1) Finding the precise 1) Finding the precise words to express your words to express your thoughts thoughts

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2) Correcting 2) Correcting typographical, spelling, typographical, spelling, and grammatical errors and grammatical errors

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3) Making sure that your 3) Making sure that your paragraphs are "tight" and paragraphs are "tight" and sequenced properly.sequenced properly.

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4) Making sure that the 4) Making sure that the transition ("segue") from transition ("segue") from one major topic to another one major topic to another makes sense.makes sense.

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Expository Essay Expository Essay Writing Prompt – Writing Prompt –

Topic:Topic:

Voting is an Important Voting is an Important Act of CitizenshipAct of Citizenship

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Many US citizens do not Many US citizens do not exercise their right to vote exercise their right to vote at any level of at any level of government. government.

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They give up their right to They give up their right to important input on issues important input on issues because they do not take because they do not take the time to investigate the the time to investigate the issues, or go to the polls issues, or go to the polls to cast a ballot for a to cast a ballot for a candidate that may have candidate that may have similar values. similar values.

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Some think that one vote Some think that one vote does not make a does not make a difference so why should difference so why should they bother.they bother.

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Often elections are Often elections are decided by a very small decided by a very small percentage of those percentage of those eligible and registered to eligible and registered to vote.vote.

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Your job is to explain Your job is to explain the value of having and the value of having and exercising the right to exercising the right to vote. vote.

Use the five-paragraph Use the five-paragraph form for the explanation.form for the explanation.  

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Be sure to think of Be sure to think of reasons why it is reasons why it is important to vote. Think important to vote. Think of the kinds of laws that of the kinds of laws that effect the average effect the average individual. individual.

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Think how the stated Think how the stated platforms of the various platforms of the various parties influence the parties influence the outcomes of actions of outcomes of actions of lawmaking bodies.lawmaking bodies.

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Use a planner.Use a planner.

Be sure to state that it is Be sure to state that it is important to vote in important to vote in your topic sentence. your topic sentence.

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That is the assignment. That is the assignment.

You do not have a You do not have a choice.choice.Think of three good Think of three good reasons why everyone reasons why everyone should vote.should vote.

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Once you have written Once you have written them down, think about them down, think about some supporting some supporting reasons or examples. reasons or examples.

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If you can think of some If you can think of some examples from history, examples from history, you might be able to you might be able to include some concrete include some concrete examples from the past of examples from the past of how a law came about or how a law came about or was changed by the was changed by the actions of the lawmakers.actions of the lawmakers.

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Or you can give Or you can give examples from the examples from the present or recent times present or recent times to explain how voting to explain how voting does make a difference. does make a difference.

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Feel free to reference Feel free to reference things that have things that have happened in your happened in your school that could school that could parallel events in the parallel events in the local, state or national local, state or national government. government.

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Think of some excuses Think of some excuses that you might have that you might have heard and explain why heard and explain why they are not valid.they are not valid.

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Once you have the three Once you have the three reasons and have three reasons and have three supporting facts or supporting facts or ideas for each one, it is ideas for each one, it is time to plan for the time to plan for the summary ending.summary ending.

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Be sure that you have a Be sure that you have a strong summary and strong summary and restate, in an original restate, in an original manner, the main points manner, the main points of your essay. of your essay.

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It is necessary to restate It is necessary to restate and remind people of and remind people of the main facts that you the main facts that you brought out throughout brought out throughout the essay. the essay.

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It is necessary to remind It is necessary to remind them of the focus and them of the focus and the main points that you the main points that you have brought out.have brought out.When you have finished When you have finished the planner, it is time to the planner, it is time to write. write.

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Try to think of a good Try to think of a good opening sentence that opening sentence that clearly focuses in on the clearly focuses in on the topic. topic.

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Be sure that it is Be sure that it is sufficiently broad to sufficiently broad to cover your points, but cover your points, but not so broad as to loose not so broad as to loose the interest of the reader the interest of the reader right off the bat. right off the bat.

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Using something like, Using something like, "voting is important." "voting is important." Does not create interest Does not create interest or clearly define the or clearly define the topic.topic.

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As you write, take time As you write, take time to phrase each sentence to phrase each sentence in your mind. in your mind.

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Pay attention to the Pay attention to the arrangement of the arrangement of the sentence that went sentence that went before so that you are before so that you are varying the sentence varying the sentence structure. structure.

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Be sure that the subject Be sure that the subject and the verb agree. Try and the verb agree. Try to write in active voice to write in active voice as it is so much more as it is so much more powerful. powerful.

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Thanks to UVIC and Geo Thanks to UVIC and Geo Cities for much of the Cities for much of the content here-in.content here-in.