Explanations are an important part of learning new information and skills. Without someone or something to explain things, people would keep making a lot of easily avoidable mistakes. Providing clear and effective explanations is a vital skill in most career paths. That is why expository essays are a common assignment across all levels of education.

Like any writing process, crafting an effective expository essay can be daunting. What makes an expository essay different from other styles of writing? What is a good expository essay topic? Am I technically reading an expository essay right now?

Read on to learn all about expository essays and boost your writing skills!

What Is an Expository Essay?

There are a lot of different types of essays, so let’s start by defining the term expository. Basically, an expository essay is an essay that is intended to explain or describe something. They use facts and data to describe or analyze a given topic or idea.

For a helpful reminder, think of the words expose or exposition when it comes to these essays. If you’re interested in journalism, you can also think of it as an exposé.

This style is slightly similar to that of argumentative essays, but is different when it comes to intent. Unlike an argumentative essay, expository essays aren’t meant to support a position, but rather just state facts. While the essays are structured similarly, the use of opinion sets an argumentative essay apart from an expository essay.

Types of Expository Essays

Expository writing is used heavily in specific career paths, and is seen broadly across most fields. Any text that is written with the purpose of educating or informing an audience falls under this type of writing. Below are four common styles of expository essays you might see in your assignments.

1. Cause and Effect Essays – Like the name implies, these essays describe a chain of events and their consequences. Example: The Impact of Social Media on Mental Health.
2. Compare and Contrast Essays – Another straightforward title. These essays take two ideas and analyze them for similarities and differences. Example: Capitalism vs Communism.
3. Descriptive Essays – These essays broadly describe or define a specific subject or idea. Essentially it is just information about a topic. Example: Giant Squids and Their Constant Fight Against Whales.
4. How-To Essays– Also called process essays. These are step-by-step descriptions of a process or system. Example: Baking the Perfect Fruit Cake.

How to Start an Expository Essay

Starting an expository essay is much like starting any essay. First, you should decide on a topic if one hasn’t been assigned. Research the topic until you feel like you understand it well enough to write about it. Then, make a plan for how you will go about writing the essay.

An easy way to begin structuring your essay is by following the five-paragraph essay format. This looks like an Introduction paragraph, three Body paragraphs, and a Conclusion paragraph.

Essay Outline

Before any essay writing begins, it’s good to have a plan. Prewriting exercises are a great way to get an early idea of what your essay will become. Think about your audience, narrow down your topics, and determine your purpose in writing. You should also use an outline to build the frame for your essay.

Here is an example of what an expository essay outline might look like.

I. Introduction Paragraph

• Hook sentence
• Subtopic Sentence 1
• Subtopic Sentence 2
• Subtopic Sentence 3
• Thesis statement

II. Subtopic Paragraph 1

1. Supporting statement
2. Supporting statement
3. Supporting statement

III. Subtopic Paragraph 2

1. Supporting statement
2. Supporting statement
3. Supporting statement

IV. Subtopic Paragraph 3

1. Supporting statement
2. Supporting statement
3. Supporting statement

V. Conclusion Paragraph

• Restate thesis
• Subtopic Sentence 1
• Subtopic Sentence 2
• Subtopic Sentence 3
• Concluding statement

Introduction

The introduction paragraph should begin with a statement that grabs the reader’s attention. This is known as the hook sentence. The next couple of sentences should lay out the topics that you will discuss in the body of your essay. Finally, the introduction should include a sentence that states the core idea of the entire essay; this is your thesis statement.

Body

The body of your essay is where your research comes in handy. Each body paragraph should discuss one topic that relates to your thesis statement. Then, the rest of the paragraph supports those topics with evidence from your research. Don’t forget to cite your sources!

Conclusion

Your conclusion is where you tie all of your information together. It should begin by restating your thesis. The next sentences should review your subtopics found in the body paragraphs. The last sentence should describe a conclusion you want the audience to have reached through reading your essay.

Review and Edit

Once you have written the first draft of your essay, go through it again. Look for spelling or grammatical errors, but also check to see if the essay makes sense throughout. If you feel comfortable, you might want to give it to a peer to proofread. You are allowed to write as many drafts as you need to in order to feel confident in your writing.

Expository Essay Topics

Oftentimes, an expository essay assignment has no specific topic attached to it. In that instance, there is an extra layer of preparation before you can begin writing your essay. You need to figure out what you want to write about.

First, you should consider what is appropriate for your level and field of study. For example, expository essay topics for middle school and high school are vastly different from essay topics for college. Similarly, you wouldn’t want to tackle a doctoral thesis in your first semester of undergrad. Focus on topics that fit closely with the class and the assignment.

Like any open-ended writing assignment, your best chance of enjoying the process is to pick a topic that interests you. You’ll be spending lots of time researching and writing about this, so pick something that isn’t boring to you. If the course is within your major, there should be a lot of potential for interesting topics. If it’s not, you might discover something new with which you are fascinated.

Examples of Expository Essays

For a list of expository essay examples, check out PaperDue’s extensive catalog. Follow PaperDue’s blog for more writing tips and advice.