Expository Essay
An expository essay is an essay in which you explain something.
It is not an argument, and it is not a comparison. Your objective is
to give the information in an objective way, without taking sides.
The Expository Essay Process
1. Research/Pre-Writing/Videos – In Your Writing Journal or on
Your Computer
2. Compile Notes – Graphic Organizer
1. Construct Outline
2. Draft 1 - Copy from Outline
1. Draft 1 - Create a great lead - question, analogy, statistic,
quote, unusual fact
2. Draft 2 - ELABORATE your 2 points of analysis (bottom slice)
1. Edit for grammar, spelling, punctuation, sentence structure,
agreement, etc.
2. Final Draft
How to Do Research for a Paper
Videos:
Techniques for video note-taking
•Watch the video all the way through once
• Watch it through again, pausing to note down main
ideas on the left side of your two-column notes.
•Watch it through a third time, pausing to note any
supporting details that go with the main ideas.
Compile Notes:
•Select two of the green solutions from the videos you
watched.
•Review all the notes you have taken on those solutions.
•Use the graphic organizer provided analyze the strengths
and weaknesses of each solution described in the videos.
•Make sure you have noted down the times in the videos
for each of the ideas you will be using in your paper.
Videos - The Two Column Note-Taking Strategy
1. Divide your paper into two columns – make the right
column wider and the left column narrower.
2. On the left side list main ideas – be sure to put the
time stamp from the video so you can find it easily
again!
3. On the right side, list supporting details that go with
the main ideas.
In your writing journal or on your computer: Create a twocolumn page for each text you will be reading and use the
method above to take notes.
What is Analysis?
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Making Inferences
Seeing what is NOT there and should be
Connecting two ideas
Looking at how details support main ideas
Why is analysis important?
It shows your thinking. It shows that you can do
more than just repeat back something that you
have memorized or understood.
Example:
Basic Understanding – It takes builders 3 months
to pack 1000 tires full of dirt to build an Earthship
wall.
Analysis – It is very labor intensive and takes
much longer to build than a regular house.
Strengths/Weaknesses Analysis
Video Title/
Solution
Strengths
Weaknesses
The Important Parts of an Essay
• An essay can be thought of in 3 parts:
• Say what you’re going to say
• Say it
• Say what you said
• Lead
• Thesis Statement
• Claim
• Avenues
• In this essay you will analyze the strengths and
weaknesses of two “go-green” solutions.
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Body Paragraphs
Sandwiching of examples with 2 points of analysis each
Support of the thesis claim
Elaboration of analysis – the most important part!
• Conclusion
• Restates Thesis and avenues in different words
• Transitions
A Different Way to Think About Your Outline
Thesis Claim
Body
Paragraph 1
Avenue 1
Sandwich
1
Point of
Analysis
Point of
Analysis
Avenue 2
Sandwich
2
Point of
Analysis
Point of
Analysis
Sandwich
1
Point of
Analysis
Point of
Analysis
Body
Paragraph 2
Sandwich
2
Point of
Analysis
Point of
Analysis
As you can see, the thesis claim is king. Every piece of the essay
should refer back to the thesis claim over and over again. The
entire structure of the essay is set up to support the thesis claim.
2 Points of Analysis
The bottom “bread” of your sandwich should be the thickest
of all. It ties your example to your topic statement and to
your thesis. In order to analyze your example in depth you
need to use at least 2 points of analysis – one for each of the
topics you are comparing.
Prompts to consider using in the analysis section:
1.This demonstrates that _____________________
2.This implies that __________________________
3.This reveals that __________________________
4.This is because ___________________________
5.This proves that ___________________________
6.This means that___________________________
One weakness of using something like car parts for building houses is
how much work it takes. Architect Karl Wanaselja says that “…the
upstairs siding (of his home) is 104 car roofs that I cut out of the
junk yard with a sawzall.” (:20) This means that he would
definitely need to have made many trips to the junk yard to find
cars of the right color. The number of cars he had to saw through
reveals exactly how much physical labor was also involved. All
those trips and the amount of effort required to saw that many
cars demonstrates that this work took a great deal of time.
In your outline: Use 2 points of analysis – one for your nonrenewable fuel and one for your renewable fuel
Essay Lead
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Hooks the reader
Relates to the topic, but often more indirectly
Should not be too short that it feels abrupt
Should not be too long that it seems to take forever to get
to the point
A Good Lead in an Expository Essay Should:
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State the topics that you will be comparing
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Give some background on each topic.
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Give the reader any additional background information they may
need in order to understand your analysis.
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Give the reader enough information to understand the analysis
that will follow, but don’t give too much away.
Good Ways to Start Your Lead:
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Ask a question.
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Use a quote.
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Create an analogy
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Provide an unusual fact or statistic
Revision Strategies
• Build Transitions
• Use Elaboration Strategies
• Use the Sandwich Strategy
• Use Strong Verbs
• Check Sentence Structures
• Fully Develop Analysis Sections
Elaboration Strategies
• Explain Why
• Explain Why Not
• Explain How
• Explain the Details
• Define
• Give an example
Goal: Add at least 5 sentences to body
paragraphs.
Transitions
• 3 Parts to a transition
• Refer back to what you just talked about
• Refer forward to what you’re going to talk
about
• Linking idea
• Transitions can be used between sentences as the
first step in revision
• Go through each paragraph two sentences at
a time and build a transition sentence
between each pair.
• Re-read your paragraphs aloud.
• Add anything that feels unsaid
• Delete where you feel like you’ve overdone it
Using Powerful Verbs and Adjectives
(And Dropping Unnecessary Adverbs!)
Some verbs are better than others. When you revise:
•Go through your draft and underline all the verbs.
•Give them the “vanilla” test.
•If they are too vanilla, or if you are using adverbs to spice
them up, use a thesaurus to find a more “spicy” verb.
•Avoid using the same “spicy” verb twice.
Examples:
Vanilla:
Some people are building houses out of plastic bottles.
Less Vanilla:
Some people are constructing low-cost homes with
plastic bottle bricks.
Very Spicy:
There are many creative and resourceful individuals and
groups who are developing low-cost and green homes
utilizing plastic bottle bricks.
Fine-Tuning Sentences for Better Flow
Sentence structure affects the way the language of your
piece flows.
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Read through the piece ALOUD to yourself
Read it through ALOUD to someone else
Have someone else read it ALOUD to you
Listen for:
• Short, choppy sentences
• Repetitious words or ideas
• Combine short sentences
• Delete or reword repetitious ideas or words
Examples:
Not So Good: This process is good. It is good
because it is giving something good back to the
earth.
Better: This process is positive because it benefits the
environment.
Editing Basics
Verbs:
Agreement – Subjects and verbs.
Tense – Check each verb – are they all in the same tense?
Variety – Are you using the same verbs over and over
again?
Person – Does it switch anywhere from you to I, from I to they,
from you to they or he/she? Have you taken “I” out of it, as in
“I think”…
Word Variety – Are you using the same word over and over
again?
Sentence Structure – Are your sentences varied and not all the
same?
Spelling – Check for words the spell checker won’t pick up and
incorrect duplicates ie. Aloud/Allowed
Capitalization – Beginning of sentences, and proper nouns
Sentences – Check for run-ons and fragments.
Strategy:
•Read your piece backwards. This will help you find spelling
and technical errors.
•Read it aloud to a partner – have the partner read it aloud to
you.