Have you ever heard of expository essays?
Maybe you even wrote a couple?
Or is this a completely new term for you?
Whatever the case, an expository essay is something every student will most likely encounter.
Professors often use this type of essay to
evaluate the students' knowledge about a topic.
So, what is an expository essay?
How would you even approach it?
Are there any tips to improve your writing?
Hey guys, it’s Vlad here from Essay Pro, and today, you'll have all these questions
answered by the end of the video.
So, without further ado, let's dive in!
What is an Expository Essay? Well, the clue lies in the name.
The term expository derives from the word exposition.
According to the Oxford Dictionary, exposition is "a comprehensive description and explanation
of an idea or theory.”
So, your main goal while writing an expository essay is to research an idea or concept.
Then, you must explain it using supportive pieces of evidence.
Remember: an expository essay assesses your knowledge of a particular topic.
This is why it is often seen as part of an exam taken in High School or College.
If so, you have to focus on presenting the issue without stating your personal opinion
and strictly sticking with the facts.
How to choose a topic for an Expository Essay?
In most cases, you will be writing an expository essay in class or during an exam.
So, there is no need to come up with a topic — the teacher will give it to you.
However, in some cases, you will have to figure out a topic yourself.
In this case, try to choose an idea or concept you are familiar with.
It is much easier to come up with relevant supporting evidence if you have some prior
knowledge about the topic already.
Also, keep in mind that there are different types of expository essays.
They are:
Descriptive essay in which you have to describe something.
It can be an idea, a thing, or a person.
Process essay in which your goal is to explain how something can be done.
For example, how to write an expository essay as we’re doing in this video.
Comparison essay in which you have to contrast two ideas, and determine their similarities
and differences.
Cause and effect essay in which your main goal is to answer the following questions:
Why and How something happened and What are the consequences.
For example, what caused the fall of the Berlin wall and the impact it had on Germany.
Problem and solution essay in which you have to introduce a particular problem and present
possible solutions.
For example, you can explore the issue of fires in the Amazon and offer some solutions.
Keep in mind that they have to be based on reliable information.
Now, after learning the different types of expository essays, let's
come up with a topic.
You can follow these steps:
Think about an idea that fascinates you or something you are familiar with.
For example, social media.
After all, you are watching this video on YouTube.
Now, consider the five types of expository essays.
Which one will suit our social media topic best?
We can explore why social media became so popular and how it impacts our lives.
This is a cause and effect essay.
Or we can focus on a problem related to social media — for example, lack of privacy due
to the rise of social media.
Later, we'll need to offer some solutions.
This is a problem and solution essay.
Another option is describing social media and its popularity in general.
As you can see, there are lots of ways to tweak one idea and eventually come up with
multiple great essay topics.
We will use the topic "The social media privacy problems and ways of solving it" as an example
in this video.
Now, let’s explore the structure of an expository essay.
An expository essay is a traditional five-paragraph essay.
It consists of:
An introduction.
Three body paragraphs.
A conclusion.
The main goal of the introduction is to catch the readers' attention by writing a compelling
hook statement.
This can be anything from a rhetorical question to a quote from a famous individual.
Afterward, you should clearly state the main idea.
How do we do this?
Well, it’s the same as with most other essay types - we do this by writing a thesis statement.
However, the thesis statement of an expository essay is slightly different.
Remember, you are not supposed to make an argument or state your opinion,
like in argumentative and definition essays.
Instead, you have to outline the topic clearly.
Also, make sure to include some background information to familiarize readers with the topic.
We recommend using this structure while writing the introduction:
Start with a hook sentence that will intrigue the readers.
Give some background information for readers to understand the topic better.
Conclude with a thesis statement
So, here is an example:
"Privacy is dead, and social media holds the smoking gun."
These words by Pete Cashmore, the CEO of Mashable, describe the problem caused by the advent
of social media: the lack of privacy.
With such events as the Facebook Cambridge Analytica scandal, many people wonder how
to protect their personal data while using social media.
The problem of social media privacy has practical solutions.
In our example, we started with a hook — a quote by Pete Cashmore.
After that, we gave some background information considering social media privacy and presented
a thesis statement.
Here is another tip.
The expository essay focuses on actual facts and verified information, not on the author's
opinions.
It means that you have to write in the third person.
So, stay away from "I" or "You" pronouns.
Let's move to the body paragraphs.
The main goal here is to elaborate on the thesis statement and present verified information
to support it.
An expository essay is a standard five-paragraph essay.
That means that we need to present three body paragraphs.
Each of them will cover a separate point to support the thesis.
In our example, the thesis statement is "The problem of social media privacy has practical solutions."
So, we can come up with three solutions.
Remember: each of them will be explored in a separate body paragraph.
Knowing the people you are friends with on social media.
Paying with cash instead of using a banking card.
Installing anti-malware software on all of your devices.
Now it's time to expand these body paragraphs and add some evidence-based support.
For example, in the second body paragraph, the solution is paying with cash instead of
using a bank card.
To support this point, we can mention that in 2018, Facebook asked large U.S. banks to
share their customers' data — including bank card transactions.
So, people who wish to protect their financial data are better paying off with cash.
Here is another important thing.
As we mentioned before, professors often assign expository essays during a class or an exam.
It means that you will have little to no time for doing in-depth research.
But the topic of your essay will be based on what you have already learned.
If so, it is important to study hard and be familiar with class material.
In this way, you will come up with solid references in no time.
The goal here is to sum up the information.
Remember: do not introduce anything new.
This is the task specifically designed for your body paragraphs.
Instead, restate your main points and wrap everything up with a powerful final sentence.
So, for example:
"The lack of privacy due to the rise of social media is real.
However, there are some ways to fight this problem.
Being conscious about who to become friends with on social media, limit the usage of bank
cards, and use reliable anti-malware software.
All of this will help in making your social media experience better and more private.
Just as it is supposed to be."
We have covered a lot of information in this video: how to come up with a topic for an
expository essay, create a cohesive and logical structure, and tips on writing the best expository
essay possible.
Now you are ready to apply these skills in your studies.
If you enjoyed this video, please leave a like and subscribe to our YouTube channel.
There, you’ll find tips and tricks that will take your essay writing skills to the
next level.
Also, if you want to share your thoughts about this video or expository essays in general
— head to the comments section and drop us a line!
Anyways guys, thanks for watching and I’ll see you all on the next video - peace!