The Expository Essay
Expectations for your essay
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To Hook or not to Hook?
• Let’s be real
– Some of your future teachers will ask you
to put this component in your essay.
• We are not
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X
I. Intro Paragraph
1) Introduce your essay with context: Introduce
your source material or main subject in three
or four sentences.
2) Dedicate one or two sentences each to each
of the topics you will discuss your essay.
3) Drop your thesis at the end of this intro
paragraph.
Remember:
Just like your thesis is a mini outline for
your essay, your intro is also a type of
outline or roadmap for your essay.
II. The Body Paragraphs
• In your body paragraphs you will:
1) Have a topic sentence that indicates what your
paragraph is about.
2) Present your main piece of evidence. This can be a
quote, paraphrase, or statistic.
-introduce it with context, who is speaking or
writing and where did they say it.
-after the evidence, analyze the evidence in
reference TO YOUR THESIS.
3) Present your secondary evidence. This can also be a
quote, paraphrase, or statistic.
4) Conclude with your concluding sentence. This will be
like your topic sentence with evidence included.
Here’s another example of
introducing a quote and
analyzing it
In chapter 6 of Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, Frederick
Douglass is quoting and speaking about his master, Mr. Auld, when he
writes, ‘"Learning would spoil the best nigger in the world. Now," said he,
"if you teach that nigger (speaking of myself) how to read, there would be
no keeping him. It would forever unfit him to be a slave. He would at once
become unmanageable, and of no value to his master. As to himself, it
could do him no good, but a great deal of harm. It would make him
discontented and unhappy." These words sank deep into my heart, stirred
up sentiments within that lay slumbering, and called into existence an
entirely new train of thought. It was a new and special revelation,
explaining dark and mysterious things, with which my youthful
understanding had struggled, but struggled in vain. I now understood what
had been to me a most perplexing difficulty--to wit, the white man's power
to enslave the black man.” (20) Frederick Douglass is writing about his
master, Mr. Auld, and his resistance to educate his slaves. His master has
clearly come to the conclusion that educating slaves would lead to a
rebellion, or at least to a slave population that is harder to manage. This
realization demonstrates how education is used as a means of control in
the novel because without it, according to Mr. Auld, slaves were more
manageable and easier control. This quote also illustrates, Douglass’s own
realization as to the reason that slaves are kept illiterate and uneducated
and are thus, easier to control. This quote shows that Douglass believes
that the lack of education is the most oppressive measure that slave
holders impose on the enslaved population.
III. The Conclusion
1) Have topic sentence for this paragraph as well:
This will be a restatement of your thesis (a
simpler version).
2) Dedicate two sentences explaining each of
your topics with the evidence you provided in the
body paragraphs.
3) Have a concluding sentence that sums up your
argument.
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END
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