Writing an Expository Essay: A Detailed Beginner’s Guide

Writing essays has always been a big head scratcher for students and it is one of the most common types of assignment that usually gets assigned to high school or college students. Writing an expository essay can be a challenging task, but by following the right steps, you can create a clear, concise, and informative essay that will impress your readers right away. That being the case, this is a complete guide to writing down an impressive expository essay. However, before getting into that, it is essential to learn what exactly is an expository essay.

What is an Expository Essay?

As the name suggests, an expository essay is about describing something in detail. Hence, the goal of an expository essay is to ensure the proper explanation or description of a topic, idea, or concept in a clear and concise manner. The purpose of an expository essay is to provide the reader with objective information about a topic and to present the information in a clear, concise, and organized way. The essay can be based on facts, statistics, or other evidence that supports the writer’s viewpoint. The writer’s opinion is not expressed, and the essay is not written to persuade the reader to accept a particular point of view.

However, students often get confused between an argumentative essay and an expository but in an argumentative essay, you choose a side and in an expository, you explain both sides with a balanced point of view. Now, unlike different types of essays, expository is further categorized into various types. Let’s dig deeper into the blog and understand the type of expository essay.

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Different Types of Expository Essay

As said above, there are different types of expository essays that are assigned to the students.

Problem solution essays
Definition essays
Classification essays
How-to essays
Cause and effect essays
Compare and contrast essays

Example Topics for Expository Essays

Discuss the primary causes and effects of rising globalization.
List various ethical issues becoming prevalent in the workplace.
Analyse the impact of digital marketing on businesses in today’s world.

Parts of Expository Essay

Introduction – The introduction is the most important part of the essay. Hence, while writing the introduction you should make sure that it is impressive and hooks your audience right away. This will encourage readers to read your essay till the end. In your introduction, you should ensure that you have a very well-included outline, thesis statement and a strong hook which can be a stat, quote or anything you feel will hook your readers till the end.

Body paragraphs – The next part is to write the body paragraphs, the number of body paragraphs can vary from topic to topic and on the word count that is often even assigned by the professors. In each body paragraph, try to add a new aspect of the essay topic at the start of each paragraph and back your topic sentence with strong pieces of evidence.

Conclusion – The conclusion is the part where you rewrite your thesis statement and let your readers know how you have discussed all the aspects of your selected topic and conclude your essay by discussing the few details of the future aspects.

How to Write an Expository Essay?

Choose a topic: The first step in writing an expository essay is to choose the right topic. You can select a topic based on personal interest, or you may even get assigned a topic by your professor. Ensure that the topic is specific and well-defined to provide a clear direction to your writing.
Once you have selected your topic, the next step is to research the subject. You can gather information from various sources such as different research topics, books, articles, and websites. Ensure that the sources you use are reliable and trustworthy.
Create a structure: Before you begin writing, create an outline of your essay. An outline helps you organize your thoughts and ensures that your essay flows logically. The outline should include an introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion.
Write an introduction: The introduction is the first paragraph of your essay, and you need to ensure that it should grab the reader’s attention. The introduction should include a clear thesis statement, some background information and an outline.
Add the body paragraphs: The body paragraphs should provide details and evidence that support the thesis statement of your main essay. Each paragraph in your essay should have a clear topic sentence that should directly validate the thesis statement of your essay. Further, you can use examples, statistics, or other evidence to support your points.
Conclude your essay: The conclusion of your essay should summarize the main points of the essay discussed in the body paragraphs and you should also restate the thesis statement. However, one should avoid introducing new information in the conclusion.
Edit and crosscheck: After you have finished you essay, youtube last and the most important step is to cross check and proofread. While correcting your content, you have to ensure that your writing is clear, concise, and easy to understand. Check for spelling and grammar errors, and ensure that your essay flows logically.

Now that you have gone through all the details on how to write an expository essay, it is now time to discuss a few tips and tricks for writing an impressive expository essay. Hence, below are a few tips that can help students in writing an effective essay.

Use clear and concise language: Your writing should be easy to understand and free of complex vocabulary. This will ensure that your readers are able to understand the context of your essay the same way you want them to understand.
Use examples and evidence: Use examples and evidence to support your points and provide the reader with a clear understanding of the subject. When you support your points with statistical data and different pieces of evidence, it proves to your readers that you have well-researched your topic which makes it more credible.
Be objective: An expository essay should be objective, and your personal opinion should not be expressed. Hence, you need to make sure that you are not adding any kind of information that is biased in one way or the other.
Use transitional words: Use transitional words to connect your ideas and ensure that your essay flows logically. Some examples of transitional words are, accordingly additionally, afterwards, although, furthermore and so on.
Avoid plagiarism: Ensure that your essay is original and that you cite any sources you use. This will help you in avoiding any kind of plagiarism that may affect your grades negatively.

In conclusion, writing an expository essay requires research, organization, and clear writing. By following these steps and tips, you can write a well-organized and informative expository essay that will provide the reader with a clear understanding of the subject and will also help you in scoring HD grades.