An expository essay might sound like something you write as a result of your secret investigation into clandestine dealings of unscrupulous businesses and corrupt politicians, but in reality, it is not in any way connected to an exposé. Instead, an expository essay is an academic paper that aims to explain a topic or describe a problem in a detailed and objective way, being an example of an expository type of writing (the other types are narrative, persuasive, and descriptive).
Expository essays are often assigned to test your composition skills or the scope of your knowledge on the topic. In this free essays writer guide, we are going to look into the process of creating an expository essay in an academic setting.
What Is an Expository Essay?
Unlike an argumentative essay, you don’t have to present your opinion in an expository essay or persuade your audience of anything. The primary purpose of an expository essay is to give facts and inform your readers. If you are assigned to write an expository essay, here is what you should aim for:
- Informative and objective
Your essay should focus on facts about the topic and present the information in an unbiased way. Avoid expressing personal opinions, value judgments, emotional language, and personal pronouns (I, me, my).
- Clear and concise
Write in a clear, straightforward style, as if you were explaining the topic to someone who knows nothing about it. Find a way to talk about complex ideas in an approachable way, making it easy to understand for your readers.
- Logically organized
Think your essay’s structure through before you start. You can organize your explanation chronologically (showing the history of the problem or phenomenon) or hierarchically (moving from general aspects to specifics in your topic exploration). Make sure you devote each paragraph to one key idea, with smooth transitions between them to create a cohesive text flow.
What Types of Expository Essays Are There?
Expository essays can take various forms, each with its own specific purpose. Examples of expository essays may include pieces that explain scientific concepts, describe historical events, provide instructions on performing a task, analyze a work of art, or explore social issues by presenting data and evidence. Here are some common types you might receive as an assignment:
- Process essay
This type of essay explains how to do something or how something works. Process essays often take a form of a step-by-step guide.
- Compare and contrast essay
Compare and contrast essay analyses two or more subjects exploring the similarities and differences between them.
- Cause and effect essay
This essay examines the relationship between the events, explaining the impact of one on the other. For example, it can delve into the reasons (causes) that lead to an event or explore specific outcomes (effects) of it.
- Problem and solution essay
This essay identifies and analyses a particular issue (problem) and presents potential solutions to address and mitigate this issue.
- Definition essay
This type of essay defines and explains the specific term or concept. It goes beyond a simple dictionary definition and provides a detailed, comprehensive view of the matter.
- Classification essay
Classification essay categorizes and organizes subjects into groups according to certain criteria, for example, based on shared characteristics.
- Literature analysis essay
This type of expository essay analyzes a literary work, such as a novel, poem, or play, exploring its themes, characters, literary devices, and overall significance.
It’s important to note that these essay types can sometimes overlap, and categorization may not always be as clear-cut as this. This is also not an exhaustive list of expository essay types. Although the examples above might help you choose a suitable approach to writing your essay, always be sure to consult the assignment sheet and turn to your instructor for clarification if in any doubt.
Writing Process Step By Step
Writing an expository essay of any variety can be broken down into several steps that you should follow to make the work on your assignment easier.
- Choose a topic
As a rule, you will be given a topic or at least a set of assignment guidelines that the topic of your choice should align with. However, within these constraints, you can still choose a suitable slant or an aspect of the issue to explore. Listen to your curiosity and choose things that you yourself find interesting. This way, it will be easier to engage your readers, and in the pre-writing stage, looking for information on the topic will be more fun for you.
- Gather information
Now it’s time to do some reading. Head to your school library, Google Scholar, or any other collection of reputable scholarly sources: academic journals, governmental statistics, and official websites of relevant organizations. Use keyword search or tags to look in our own free library. For example, you can find a selection of mental health annotated bibliographies there.
Don’t rely on your memory; always take notes of facts and evidence you want to use in your essay. Also, make sure to save source info to cite in the text and in your references.
- Organize your notes
Before you start educating your readers, make an inventory of your knowledge on the topic. Create a concept map or a mind map to lay out and revise all the information you have. Is this enough? Are there any gaps? Maybe some perspectives are missing? Remember, you have to be objective and balanced.
- Create an outline
To put many pieces of information you’ve found into a coherent text, you will need an outline – a plan of your future essay that serves as a skeleton and organizes your writing. While outlining, keep your main purpose and intended readers in mind and include only relevant key points. In the most generalized way, your outline should consist of an introduction, a main body with one paragraph per each key point you want to explore, and a conclusion. This is also the time to develop a thesis statement – the crux of your essay. It should sum up in one sentence what your paper is about.
- Flesh out your essay
If this is not an exam situation and you are preparing your essay at home, you don’t have to start with the first section. In fact, most writers find it helpful to leave the introduction and the conclusion for later, when the body of paragraphs is fully written. Suit yourself and explore aspects of your topic as you see fit, but don’t forget to logically structure your text later according to your outline.
- Revise and edit
When you’ve completed your first draft, take a break if possible. Returning to your text with fresh eyes is better to spot any gaps, inconsistencies, or biases. Read your essay for clarity, coherence, and overall effectiveness first. To help you with that, you might want to seek feedback and suggestions from your peers or instructors. Consider making necessary amendments and see if this way your essay works better.
- Finalize your essay
Now is the time for final edits. Check for grammar, spelling, punctuation, and adherence to assignment guidelines regarding word count, formatting style, ways of presenting references, etc. Once all that is done, you are ready to submit your lovely piece of writing to get a well-deserved A+!
By following these steps, you should be able to create a well-structured expository essay that effectively explains your chosen topic. Remember to maintain an objective tone and give a balanced view of the matter you are exploring. By the way, if you didn’t notice, this post was an example of expository writing.
If you need more inspiration, here you can find topic suggestions for expository essays. Hope to see you soon checking out my new guides and writing tips. Take care, and love writing!
