How To Write An Expository Essay Step By Step Guide

Writing an expository essay

• What is an expository essay?

•  Introduction

• Structure

• Citation

• Wrap up

Expository essays are one of the most common types of assignments required of college students, and they are frequently among the most difficult. 

 

In our guide on writing an expository essay, we’ll walk you through everything from choosing a topic to selecting a framework that works for you to arrange your thoughts and ideas.

 

By the end, you’ll know how to start an expository essay and how to make an outline for an expository essay. This will let you do your assignment quickly, easily, and well.

What is an expository essay?

An expository essay is a simple piece of writing that describes something. In an expository essay, you clarify your point by providing an example, clarifying a term, or explaining how something works. 

 

There are many different forms of expository essays—for example, describing an object or explaining how to do something—but they all follow the same pattern. The most important thing to remember while writing an expository essay is that your goal as a writer is to explain and describe. 

 

In your introduction and conclusion, you should tell readers your issue and why it is significant, relevant, or intriguing. It helps to know how these aspects of your work fall into three primary areas to produce a good expository essay: introduction, body, and conclusion.

 

 Introduction

The opening sentence is a critical component of every expository essay. The idea is to pique the reader’s interest so they will continue reading your essay until the end.

 

It would be best to summarise what you intend to discuss in your essay. A quote can also be used to build an emotional connection with your readers.

 

You should also explain why you’re writing it, how you want to convey it, and how it fits into your larger framework. Before beginning work on an expository essay, several elements must be examined.

 

One must first decide upon a topic before beginning to write. Specifically, you’ll need to think of ideas, investigate them if necessary, and pick the one that will resonate most with your target market. Once you’ve settled on a topic, it’s time to map out how you’ll incorporate your ideas into a unified whole.

 

The structure must be used at every step for your essay to flow well from the beginning to the end.

 

Structure

A topic-focused and logical explanation is what an expository essay provides. In classes like history and physics, where students are required to explain complex topics, it is a technique that is used rather frequently.

 

When writing an article of this nature, it is recommended to write it in the format of a standard explanatory essay. It is important to include the declaration of your argument, or thesis, right at the beginning of your explanation.

 

The essay’s body should be broken up into three paragraphs, containing examples supporting your thesis statement from a certain perspective (historical, scientific, etc.) and explanations focusing more on providing clarity than adding extra content. 

 

For example, in an expository essay about evolution, your first paragraph could explore how life has changed over time using fossils as proof. You may use specific animals as evidence in your second paragraph to show how species evolve.

 

Finally, in your third paragraph, you might use theories to explain why evolution occurs. This method paints a detailed picture for the reader without overwhelming them with data on a complex topic. These procedures can also be used to write other sorts of expository essays.

Citation

When it comes to academic writing, proper citation is critical. Start by referencing your sources (preferably in parentheses) as you go, but make sure you’ve done it right at least once for each source in your essay. 

 

This will help with proofreading and making any changes or additions that might be needed after proofreading. Also, don’t forget to properly cite your work at the end of your essay with a Works Cited page! Remember that you should use APA style citations if you can, but MLA style is also fine.

 

Check out our handouts on correct citation formatting here for further information on how to cite using either system. Remember the following suggestions when mentioning sources in your essay: ensure that every piece of information has been cited (this includes thoughts and ideas that are not yours). 

 

It’s easy to skip citations if they are only loosely related to your paper or show up too often. Do not attempt it.

Wrap up

A thesis statement must be included at the end of your essay, just as it is for every other component (in fact, you should have one in every paragraph). It is the paper part where you restate your thesis using fewer words.

 

Your reader can get the solution they’re looking for by simply perusing the conclusion. Check out this tutorial if you’re unsure how to build a powerful thesis sentence for your paper.

 

You are not required to restate all of your ideas or provide a brief synopsis; rather, you should remind the reader of the topic you were talking about and why it is significant. 

Conclusions are also great places to summarise any significant themes or ideas that have come up during your research, particularly if you used those ideas to back up a point you made earlier in your essay.

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