Expository writing is something that you have read today without even realizing it. The manual to your new coffee maker, the news article you glanced over at lunch, the chapter in your textbook you slept on last week. All of it counts.
Exposition writing is the style in which one explains, describes or informs the reader about something in a factual rather than opinionated manner. No convincing, no narrative in its own right, but simple information presented in a manner which makes the reader actually know the subject matter better at the end.
This guide explains what it is, the various types you will come across, how to actually write one and a few tips that can help to make the entire process not as painful.
What Is Exposition? A Quick Definition
So, what is expository writing? Simply put, it is a writing that describes something in terms of logic and evidence and the opinion of a writer is omitted altogether. It is not to make people believe in anything. It’s just to inform.
Many seek to know what expository essay writing appears like in real-life, or pose more informally, what should be in a piece of expository writing. The truth is, there is no complex answer. It is information that is conveyed in an orderly manner that leaves the reader with a better image than when he began.
And another quick way to view how it compares to other writing styles:
| Writing Style | Purpose | Tone |
| Expository | Explain or inform | Objective, factual |
| Narrative | Tell a story | Personal, descriptive |
| Persuasive | Convince the reader | Opinionated, argumentative |
| Descriptive | Create a sensory picture | Vivid, imaginative |
A persuasive essay desires to influence your thinking. Expositively, writing does not bother trying. It only brings the facts to the table and leaves you to think what you wish.
Expository Writing Style: Key Characteristics
The expository writing style possesses some features rendering it quite familiar when you know what to expect. It is real, objective, rational, and it does not wander but goes straight.
Is / Is not, more or less:
Expository writing is:
- Fact-based and researched
- No personal opinion, objective.
- Organized logically
- Written in straightforward language.
Expository writing is not:
- Emotional or persuasive
- First person opinion.
- Loosely structured
- Full of unsupported claims
It is these features of expository writing that cause it to appear so frequently in school and professional worlds. No one would want to read a technical manual just to figure out what the author thinks of the topic at hand.
Types of Expository Writing
This type of writing can be approached in a number of ways, and the format you use will often depend on what you are attempting to explain. It is now much easier to select the appropriate expository writing, knowing the various types of expository writing.
Compare and Contrast
Explores the similarities and differences of two or more things. Usually used in comparative essays of historical events, theories, or products.
Definition
Gives a definition of something, and can extend beyond a dictionary definition to explore context and nuance.
Classification
Orders information into categories to enable the reader to observe the interrelations of the various sections of a topic to each other.
Problem and Solution
Describes a problem upon which one then works through one or more possible solutions. Appears frequently in business literature and in policy papers.
Process or How-To
Takes the reader through a series of actions, such as a recipe or a tutorial. Perhaps the most prevalent online form.
Cause and Effect
Asks about the reasons for an event and the outcome. Commonly employed in science or history.
When you are too short of ideas to write expository writing, you need only have a look at your own daily questions. Why is that thing like that? Which one is better than the other? What do the steps entail? Any of them may become a solid piece.
Example of Expository Writing
Not even a definition can explain the concept as fast as an example can do so.
In photovoltaic cells, solar panels turn the sunlight into electricity. The incident of sunlight on these cells will knock electrons loose, and this will form an electric current. The electricity is then turned into alternating current so that it can be used to turn on homes and businesses. The entire mechanism is a physics-based one, not a fuel-based one.
Not a view in any place there. Not more than the mechanics, explained.
Real life examples of expository writing are found in:
- News on ongoing events.
- Textbook chapters on scientific concepts.
- Furniture assembly instructions
- Entries on historical figures in the encyclopedia.
Expository Writing Outline: How to Structure It
A good expository writing outline makes it all clear, and you are not simply beating around the bush. The majority of expository writing follows a basic three part format.
Topic Sentence (Introduction)
Get the big picture out there, at the beginning, the first or second sentence. The reader ought to be aware of what to expect.
Body (Supporting Details)
Divide that main idea into supporting points, each one of which is supported by facts, examples, or evidence. It is at this point that the expository essay structure tends to be extended to three or more paragraphs, each bearing a point.
Closing (Summary)
Repeat the thesis statement and briefly recap the major points.
An easy template that you can copy and paste:
Topic Sentence: [State the main idea]
Proving Point 1: [Fact or detail]
Proving Point 2: [Fact or detail]
In favor of Point 3: [Fact or detail]
Conclusion: [Summarize and reinforce the main idea]
Works whether you’re writing a single paragraph or a full essay writing assignment for class.
How to Write an Expository Essay (Step-by-Step)
Trying to figure out how to write an expository essay without making it a drag? This is approximately how it works out.
- Choose your topic. Choose something that you can speak about in a factual manner without naturally moving into opinion.
- Research properly. As strong as your sources are, your essay. This is an important step that most individuals take.
- Draft an outline. Take the three-part form of the above. Write down your topic sentence, supporting points and closing then write complete paragraphs.
- Write a first draft. Simple, just get the ideas down. Never mind wording–yet. The trick here is that a helpful method is the PETAL paragraph technique: Point, Evidence, Then Analysis, Link back to your main idea.
- Revise and edit. Read through and revise the flow, accuracy and clarity. Eliminate anything that comes out as opinion rather than fact.
That’s really it. Regardless of the assignment it happens to be of the school task or otherwise, the basic concept of expository writing remains the same: to make it simple, support it, and to avoid putting your own opinion into it.
Expository Essay Writing Tips
Even little mannerisms can go a long way.
- Stay objective. Keep all your personal information out of it.
- Use transitions. Use of terms such as therefore, for example and as a result keeps the ideas in a sentence together rather than disjointed.
- Cite credible sources. Support whatever you are saying with good and well researched information.
- Keep it clear. Don’t be too fancy and hide a simple explanation.
These expository essay writing tips apply to pretty much any subject, science, history, business, and whatever you are writing about.
Expository vs Narrative vs Persuasive vs Descriptive Writing
The differences are more of a click as you see all four side by side.
| Style | Goal | Example |
| Expository | Explain a topic factually | A textbook chapter on photosynthesis |
| Narrative | Tell a story | A personal essay about a childhood memory |
| Persuasive | Convince the reader of a viewpoint | An opinion piece arguing for a policy change |
| Descriptive | Paint a vivid picture | A passage describing a sunset in detail |
They all have their own work, and many of the longer pieces literally combine more than one. The truth about good essay writing is simply that it is all a matter of knowing when to alternate these relative to what the assignment really requires.
Conclusion
And in a nutshell, what is expository writing? Constructed writing that is explanatory and not an opinion. It appears in definition and comparison articles and how-to articles, cause and consequence articles, everywhere you look when you start paying attention to it, in classrooms, newsrooms, technical manuals, all that.
After you have the structure in place and you are at ease in keeping it objective, you no longer feel like it is so much of a task to write a clear expository piece. It is the same principles whether it is homework or work.
FAQs
What are the four main purposes of expository writing?
To elaborate, characterize, explain and inform. The majority of expository writing serves one (or more of) these simultaneously.
Why is expository writing important?
It is everywhere in education, journalism and technical writing because it enables one to know intricate issues without any confusion.
What is descriptive expository writing?
A combination of styles that makes the explanation of something factual, but still with vivid language that could help the reader visualize it.
What is expository writing in literature?
It tends to be in a story early, providing the reader with the background or context that they require before the plot truly gets moving.
What are the features of the expository writing?
Factual, objective, logically structured, and not a subjective opinion, and a structure that takes the reader through each point.
