Expository Writing

By: Ms. McGrady

Expository Writing

•Quick Write: •What do you think of when you hear Expository Writing?

What are the Two Types

• Exposing or Uncovering a Topic

• Process Essay: “How To” Essay

3 Important Questions

• Why? (Explains the statement)

• How? (Gives examples to answer the why?)

• What difference does it make? (Consequences or results of the how?)

How The Questions Help

• Organize your thoughts

• Develop the body paragraphs

• Can be used in either type of essay

Bake the CakeOrganizing the Body

Paragraphs

Top Layer: Statement or Reason

• 1-2 sentences• Key Questions=Why?• Beginning of the

Paragraph

Middle Layer: Examples/Descriptions/Details

• Several Sentences/Thickest layer

• Key Question=How? (Related to the why?)

• Middle of the Paragraph

Bottom Layer-Conclusion or Wrap it

Up• 1-2 Sentences• Key Question=What

difference does it make? (consequences of the how?)

• End of the Paragraph

Other Information

• A Cake=1 Body Paragraph

• In 1 Essay you have 5 Paragraphs

• You bake 3 cakes because you have 3 body paragraphs

These

Are the

Body

Paragraphs

Each cake is a Paragraph

You gotta have a PLAN!

Plan for Expository Essays

– Choose 1 Subject– List 3 Reasons– Bake 3 Cakes (1 for each

reason)– Use subject and reasons to

write the introduction and the conclusion paragraphs

Introduction

Visual: big to small

Discuss subject Preview 3 Reasons

Conclusion – Restate Subject– Restate/Review 3

Reasons

What I don’t Want: the Block

– 5-10 sentences– Run-on sentences or

paragraphs with no topic– Topic wanders– Built around weak verbs– Large subject with no

specific point (unrelated information)