An expository essay is not considered to be a difficult assignment. The main purpose of it is to explain or describe the subject of writing to the reader. The specific facts should be introduced about the theme assigned. We have prepared four main steps in writing the expository paper.
Step 1. Before you start.
- Make sure you understand the requirements of the expository type of paper. Here you do not need to argue about something or to persuade the reader. Your task is to enlighten the topic.
- Pick out a good topic. If you have chance not to complete the essay for assigned topic but to formulate it itself try to do it in the way the most comfortable for you in order to explicate the information you know well.
- Finding the sources. It is a very important part of your work. Check if the instructor requires you to use some exact books or articles. If not you should operate the materials which are considered to be competent and reliable enough.
- Conduct the research. Check your sources carefully and note the most significant facts and citations. You will be able to include them into your essay.
- When working with readings pay attention to such useful information as dates, statistics and facts. They will serve as evidences to your thesis statement.
Step 2. Writing an introduction.
- Find a hook for catching the reader’s attention. It may be an unknown interesting fact, statistics, analogy, rhetoric question, or a definition.
- Provide the background general information connected with your subject of writing.
- Then narrow it to a thesis statement, your main idea of the paper.
- The thesis statement must be expressed in a precise and clear way as no controversy can be presented in this sentence.
Step 3. Main body of the paper.
- Divide your information in order to shape three paragraphs in this part. This is the optimal number of evidence paragraphs for the expository essay.
- Every paragraph should start with the topic sentence, which means the key idea of this component. Specify it with the help of details: facts, statistics, and quotations.
- Remember that each of your statement should be supported, motivated and connected with the previous content and the topic, in general.
- Make sure that each of your paragraphs is linked to the next with the help of transitions. Every component can be treated separately but still it is the part of the whole.
- Check if all the pieces of evidence provided are reasonable. If there is any, which do not bring much sense you should better avoid it.
Step 4. Conclude the essay.
- Paraphrase your thesis statement and involve it in your conclusion part. This will show that you did not deviate from your topic and idea after denoting all the points.
- Synthesize all written in a very brief but meaningful piece.
- The last sentence can reveal the spots of significance of the issue, its effect for the reader, future explorations, or introducing new possible questions regarding the concept.
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