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Expository Writing
Goal:
The goal for expository writing is to give information such as an
explanation or directions. It seeks to inform, explain, clarify, define
or instruct.
Examples:
Expository writing appears in and is not limited to letters,
newsletters, definitions, instructions, guidebooks, catalogues,
newspaper articles, magazine articles, how-to writing, pamphlets,
reports and research papers.
Characteristics:
The general characteristics of an expository writing include:
1. state the main idea
this must be narrow enough to be supported in the writing
2. supporting ideas using quotes, statistics, examples, and/or
facts
use any available resource to instruct the reader
including published books, television, Internet, etc.
3. information is logically organized
depending on the type of expository that is being written,
the information could be organized chronologically, from
least important to most important or from most important
to least
4. show commitment to the topic
supporting details do not deviate from the topic
5. conclusion
restate the topic and main supporting ideas
Exercises: Write a story about a trip you are going to take and what
friend you want to take with you. Explain why this friend
would be the best person to go with you.
Describe the cause and effects of pollution in the
environment. Narrow your topic to one form of pollution,
such as something that causes air, water or land
pollution.
Explain the process of baking a birthday cake.
Find an example of an expository, then explain why you
think this is a good example of an expository writing.
Additional
Internet sites:
The Expository Essay
http://library.thinkquest.org/10888/expos.html?tqskip1=1

Expository Writing Prompts
http://www.geocities.com/SoHo/Atrium/1437/expository4.html

Expository Writing Resources
http://www.webenglishteacher.com/expwriting.html




http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20081021171608AAUB10R
Expository writing
Goal: Expository writing seeks to inform, explain, clarify, define or instruct.
Expository Writing is just a fancy phrase for things like reports of information,
essays, book reports, biographies, and what not.

Characteristics:
The general characteristics of expository writing include:
-focus on main topic
-logical supporting facts
-details, explanations, and examples
-strong organization
-clarity
-unity and coherence
-logical order
-smooth transitions

Uses:
Expository writing appears in and is not limited to letters, newsletters, definitions,
instructions, guidebooks, catalogues, newspaper articles, magazine articles,
manuals, pamphlets, reports and research papers.

An expository essay shows how information is designed and how it displays data.
Some parts are explained in detail; every paper part is analyzed after the other
following a strict order of events. However, if some aspects of an event or specific
details are very important, you may review them in a more detailed way. Think
about your own experience that may be directly connected with your writing topic.

Expository writing is designed to display information and to explain any unclear
moments. Exposition means the orderly analysis of available data on the topic
with the use of illustrations, figures, tables or any information that can be
supported by quotations from valuable sources books, journal articles or
governmental websites.

Remember, thesis statement is a very significant part of your expository essay.
You should include strong argument into it to give a good starting point for your
paper. Facts will definitely add you additional points for this completed
assignment. Links between sentences and paragraphs should be created so that
a person who reads your expository essay feels that paper flows. Accurate
analysis of the topic with details is the way work should be written. If you have an
opportunity to choose the topic, this is great. You may select expository essay
topic that is easy to write on for you. Think about the most appropriate topic for
this paper. It should give you a possibility to express your thoughts and ideas with
the help of strong thesis statement that is analyzed in the work.

Introduction usually contains overview of the material presented in the expository
essay, while conclusion contains summary of this material. Conclusion of your
expository writing should not include any new information; it usually restates ideas
presented in a thesis statement at the beginning of your work

---General Outline of Steps for writing an Expository Paper:

STEP ONE: SELECTING A TOPIC

If your professor assigns you a specific topic to write about, then this step is
completed before you even begin. However, often the teacher will allow students
to choose their own essay topic, so it is important to be able to choose effectively.
This is also true is the professor proposed a broad topic, but demands that you
write about a particular facet of that larger subject.

Whenever choosing an expository essay topic, it is important to narrow down your
choice so that it is appropriate to the essay length requirements. For example, if
the professor has assigned a two-page essay, it is not a good idea to choose an
expansive topic such as "The History of the Civil War." There would simply not be
enough room within two pages to adequately cover the topic. Conversely, if the
professor wants an especially lengthy essay, do not choose too narrow of a topic
so that it becomes difficult to fill up the pages with information.

STEP TWO: CHOOSE A DEVELOPMENTAL PATTERN
There are a variety of ways to develop a custom expository essay, just as there is
a variety of ways to convey information. The following are just a few examples of
the developmental patterns you can adopt for your own essay:

Definition - This may be the most straightforward of the developmental patterns.
As its name suggests, you will simply use the expository essay to thoroughly
define a topic.

Example - In this developmental pattern, you will provide and describe an
example of a particular subject or group.

Cause and Effect - With this developmental pattern, you will illustrate the
relationship between to variables, one dependent on the other. Describe the many
ways in which this particular variable affects the other, and explain why it does so.

Classification - This developmental pattern is used to categorize multiple subjects
into separate or distinct groups by certain criteria.

Compare and Contrast - With this developmental pattern, the writer will examine
both the similarities and the differences between two or more distinct subjects.

STEP THREE: CHOOSE AN ORGANIZATIONAL PATTERN
The choice of organizational pattern really depends upon the length of the essay.
For shorter essays, teachers often espouse the "five paragraph" organizational
pattern, in which there is one introductory paragraph, three