If you are writing an expository essay for an assignment, read the assignment guidelines. Ask your instructor if anything seems unclear.
If you are writing your essay for a class assignment, consider what your instructor will expect you to include in your essay.
Try listing. List all your ideas for your expository essay. Then look over the list you have made and group similar ideas together. Expand those lists by adding more ideas or by using another prewriting activity. [6] X Research source Try freewriting. Write nonstop for about 10 minutes. Write whatever comes to mind and don’t edit yourself. After you finish writing, review what you have written. Highlight or underline the most useful information for your expository essay. Repeat the freewriting exercise using the passages you underlined as a starting point. You can repeat this exercise many times to continue to refine and develop your ideas. [7] X Research source Try clustering. Write a brief explanation of the subject of your expository essay on the center of a piece of paper and circle it. Then draw three or more lines extending from the circle. Write a corresponding idea at the end of each of these lines. Continue developing your cluster until you have explored as many connections as you can. [8] X Research source Try questioning. On a piece of paper, write out “Who? What? When? Where? Why? How?” Space the questions about two or three lines apart on the paper so that you can write your answers on these lines. Respond to each question in as much detail as you can. [9] X Research source
Trustworthy internet sources usually include academic institutions like universities or research labs, government websites, and non-profit organizations.
Identify the author and his or her credentials. Think about what qualifies this person to write about their subject. If the source has no author or the author does not have adequate credentials, then this source may not be trustworthy. Check for citations to see if this author has researched the topic well enough. If the author has provided few or no sources, then this source may not be trustworthy. Look for bias. Think about whether or not this author has presented an objective, well-reasoned account of the topic. If the author seems to value a particular argument or slant that is not supported or only thinly supported by fact, then this source may not be trustworthy. Consider the publication date to see if this source presents the most up to date information on the subject. Cross-check some of the information in the source. If you are still concerned about a source, cross-check some of its information against a trustworthy source.
Show when you have quoted a source word for word by putting it into quotation marks. Include information about the source such as the author’s name, article title or book title, and page number. Write down the publishing information of each source. You will need this information for your “References,” “Bibliography,” or “Works Cited” pages. Format this page according to your instructor’s guidelines.
Make sure your thesis is arguable. Do not state facts or matters of taste. For example, “George Washington was the first president of the United States,” is not a good thesis because it states a fact. Likewise, “Die Hard is a great movie,” is not a good thesis because it expresses a matter of taste. [16] X Trustworthy Source University of North Carolina Writing Center UNC’s on-campus and online instructional service that provides assistance to students, faculty, and others during the writing process Go to source Make sure your thesis provides enough detail. In other words, avoid just saying that something is “good” or “effective. " Instead, say what makes something “good” or “effective. [17] X Trustworthy Source University of North Carolina Writing Center UNC’s on-campus and online instructional service that provides assistance to students, faculty, and others during the writing process Go to source
An engaging hook can take many forms. You could start with an anecdote, an informative and attention-grabbing quote, a bold opinion statement, or anything that will make your readers want to continue with your essay.
If you are writing about a book, provide the name of the work, the author, and a brief summary of the plot. If you are writing about a specific day in history, summarize the day’s events. Then, explain how it fits into a broader historical scope. If you are writing about a person, name the person and provide a brief biography. Keep in mind that your context should lead up to your thesis statement. Explain everything your reader needs to know to understand what your topic is about. Then narrow it down until you reach the topic itself.
A five-paragraph essay should include three body paragraphs. Each body paragraph should discuss a piece of supporting evidence that supports your thesis. Even if your essay is longer than five paragraphs, the same principles still apply. Each paragraph should discuss a piece of supporting evidence.
For example, if you are writing an expository essay about the use of dogs in the US Marine Corps during WWII, your main ideas and topic sentences could be something like: “Dogs played an active role in Marine Corps missions in the Pacific. " “The Doberman Pinscher was the official dog of the US Marine Corps during WWII, but all breeds were eligible to train as war dogs. " “War dogs were even eligible to receive military awards for their service. "
Most of your evidence should be in the form of cited quotes, paraphrases, and summaries from your research. Your evidence could also come from interviews, anecdotes, or personal experience. Try to provide at least two to three pieces of evidence to support each of your claims. For example, if a paragraph starts with, “War dogs were even eligible to receive military awards for their service,” the supporting evidence might be a list of dogs who got awards and the awards they were given.
For example, imagine that you want to connect two paragraphs that begin with these sentences: “The Doberman Pinscher was the official dog of the US Marine Corps during WWII, but all breeds could train as war dogs. " And, “War dogs were, in fact, eligible to receive military awards for their service. " Your concluding sentence would need to combine the idea of dog breeds with the idea of dogs receiving military awards. You could write, “Even though Dobermans were the most common breed used in WWII, they were not the only breed, and were not the only dogs recognized for their help. "
For example, if your original thesis was, “Dogs used by the United States Marine Corps during WWII played a significant role in the Pacific theater,” then your restated thesis might be something like, “Dogs of all breeds and sizes had an important and honored role to play in WWII, especially in the Pacific theater. ” Note that the second sentence repeats the information provided in your original thesis. It just says it in a new way while also hinting at the information you included in the body of the essay.
Explain how the topic affects the reader Explain how your narrow topic applies to a broader theme or observation Call the reader to action or further exploration on the topic Present new questions that your essay introduced
