How to write an expository essay: useful tips and advice
An expository essay researches a certain idea, supports it with evidence and states a concluding argument. This essay type is completed according to a certain system, which simplifies the work for a writer. It is based on facts, analyzing causes and effects, comparing and contrasting. Keep on reading this article if you are interested in writing an efficient expository essay.
Tips on writing an expository essay
Your advisor will probably recommend you an optimal writing method that perfectly fits your topic. Here are the general pieces of advice to complete an essay of this type successfully.
- Facts, facts, and more facts. This is the basis of an expository essay, so be ready to conduct extensive research, look for evidence, evaluate it, and formulate the central argument.
- Depending on your topic, you can illustrate your essay with visuals. It can be a chart, a diagram, or graphics. This way, you get essay with enhanced readability.
- You can describe your topic using the following methods:
- Comparing/contrasting is great if you want to focus on the similarities and differences of two or more things.
- Problem/solution. According to this method, you explain a problem and determine how to deal with it.
- Cause/effect. You describe how one thing results in another and why.
- This is the most widespread method to write expository essays. The writer needs to describe the peculiarities of a topic. Keep in mind that an expository essay is different from a descriptive so focus on ideas backed up with facts and other evidence.
Finishing the work, you have to check the text via several tools to assure that you have avoided plagiarism and followed all the formatting rules. Below we provide some detailed recommendations on the most important writing stages.
Structure your work
Getting started is always the most complicated part for every paper type. Most students get stuck at this moment and then look for essay help online. The more time you hesitate about the structure, the more time you waste on writing the whole essay. An expository essay includes five paragraphs, each of them having its purpose. The length typically is 500-800 words.
Write a thesis statement first
A thesis statement is a central argument and the essay has to prove it. While talking about an expository essay, it’s essential to choose an idea that can be backed up with facts and relevant data. Make sure your thesis statement doesn’t sound too general. We recommend students formulate the main thesis first and then build a structure of the essay around it.
Complete an outline
After you defined a structure, it’s time to map out the critical points. If beginning with an intro is too challenging for you, choose the most suitable arguments for the main body. Create a heading for each paragraph. It should involve the main idea so that you understand clearly what you are writing about in each of them. Ensure they are logically connected and don’t disprove each other or the thesis statement. Wrap up the key outcomes in a concluding paragraph.
Get started with an intro
It’s never easy to start an essay. The first paragraph should be interesting, captivating, but not overwhelming at the same time. Add a fun or surprising fact, unexpected statistics. Even a light joke may work well, but make sure it’s to the point. Do not dive into too much detail, you’ll have enough space for this in the following parts of an expository essay. The introduction should be brief, engaging and its last sentence should include a thesis statement.
Write the strong and logical main body
If you want to go for a fast essay, we recommend writing the main body first and only then creating a frame of the introduction and conclusion. If you have more time before the deadline, you can follow a standard scheme of writing. The main body involves three paragraphs beginning from the most significant one. Make sure each paragraph delivers only one idea. It’s also important to state the relations between the thesis statement and the arguments provided. Back up the ideas with relevant thoughts, statistics, or quotes.
A concluding sentence at the end of each paragraph will help readers follow your essay flow. This way, you write an essay that is easy to read and well-structured. If you plan to compare or contrast certain ideas, end with the one you stick to and support this in the last paragraph.
Pay attention to the transition between points
If you don’t want to end up with an opinionated essay, you need to build a chain of arguments that support each other. We recommend getting started with the most powerful argument and then connecting weaker ones to it. Don’t think that transition words and phrases are redundant. They play a significant role for readers who need to follow your ideas and arguments and understand your thought process.
Write a strong conclusion
A summarizing paragraph should rephrase the thesis statement and the key arguments. The point made in a conclusion should be more powerful than the one at the beginning of an essay. Make sure it doesn’t involve any new information, only restates what’s already been said. This paragraph can also give more insight into the following steps. Adding a rhetorical question or a CTA is a great way to make your essay thought-provoking.
To Sum Up
When the first draft is ready, edit and proofread it to ensure it looks excellent. If you feel overwhelmed or stuck, you can get professional help at any stage of writing an essay. We hope that our pieces of advice will help you tailor an excellent expository essay and receive a high grade.