Expository Writing by Roselle Gordon

Expository pieces explain or inform the reader about specific topics. These pieces should model organisation of information in a clear and concise manner. this is the most important part to be learnt about expository writings and students need to learn it.

One of the critical features of expository writing is the use of facts and evidence in support of what the writer is producing. because of the nature of expository pieces, where the writer is simply presenting information, it is important to have this element to so that it does not appear that the writer is sharing personal thoughts or even telling a story.

As a start, be sure to have an engaging introduction that grabs the readers attention at first, while providing brief content about the topic at hand, being careful not to present too much information. The introduction should also include a thesis statement that indicates the purpose of the writing.

Thereafter, students can now focus on their body paragraphs. here the meat of the matter is stated. detailed information is provided and writers are encouraged to organise their points clearly by starting each paragraph with a new topic/point. be sure to utilise transitional words and phrases. In an earlier post, we shared the importance of text structures such as compare and contrast, cause and effect as well as problem and solution. The accurate use of these helps the readers to follow along but also make connections between the ideas/ points made more effectively.

While all of the above is quite significant, writers should always remember their intended audiences, use appropriate language, avoid the use of too many complex vocabulary words. the fun thing about expository pieces is that they do not only require being written in essay format. Do not be afraid to include subheadings and even bullet point to help with point separation while maintaining a clear and concise piece of writing that is easy to read. 

At the end of your expository writing, a strong comeback conclusion should be included. the conclusion is a basic summary of mentioned points only. No new information should be introduced here, but simply reiterate main ideas in an interesting way.

Expository writing is an exciting skill students should develop, however, as an educators, we should remember to first teach students how to investigate or find information accurately in order to make their pieces valid. this is a very important initial step. As i navigate my older students to write well, I intend to ensure that each part of expository writing is mastered.