Expository Essay – Basic Guidelines

Writing an essay and getting good grades on it is not always an easy job. It requires time and effort on the part of the writer to produce a perfect write up. A perfect essay is something that is written with the correct formatting, is relevant to the theme or topic and is 100% error free. The language should also be smooth and simple. An expository essay is something that simply explains a process, an event or an idea with facts, instead of giving views and opinions on it. Examples of this essay include:

1. essays that describe a process in details, much like a process and procedure essay

2. essays that give a descriptive account of a historical event, as in a discussion essay

3. essays that analyse ideas, works, objects etc. without giving any of the writer’s own views or opinions, that is, an analytical essay without the critical appraisal part.

4. essays that explain the cause that led up to an event and discuss the after effects, much like in a cause and effect essay.

Expository essays are sometimes written as an answer to a question that act as the prompt. These essays are often written as answers to questions such as

1. describe the events that led to the american civil war

2. explain the functions of a human respiratory system

3. compare and contrast between two transportation modes, like the air transport and land transport system.

Like any other academic essay, expository essays also consist of the customary five paragraphs starting with an introduction leading to the main body and ending with a conclusion. The introduction along with giving a brief introduction to the entire theme, will also present a thesis statement. This statement should be brief and to the point, so that it covers the entire topic in one sentence. The main body will explain the process or idea chosen, in detail. It will analyse the various used resources and give evidences accordingly. Each different idea must be developed in a separate paragraph and the writer will have to make sure to see that all the paragraphs are smoothly transitionary. The main idea should be dominant and well developed in each paragraph. The concluding paragraph should be a brief summary of the main body, and should reinstate the thesis statement made at the introductory paragraph. The concluding statement should be strong and should give a feeling to the reader that the theme has been completely covered. Once the essay is finished the writer should go in for essay editing and proof reading to make sure the paper is completely error free.

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