Addressing a
Context Prompt
Style 1 – Expository/Discursive
Expository/Discursive
O Implies you are discussing a ‘big idea’ related to a text
O Discussion based, think of what you want to say about the
O
O
O
O
prompt, what you wish to explore in detail
Best ones should include a title and allow you to take on a
persona
The persona allows you to set up a context for your piece
of writing
Eg – persona is an Indigenous Australian who grew up in
Sydney and has their own blog, writing an expository
article about the high incidences of racism that occur in
Sydney high schools
Eg – persona is a white Australian working in Melbourne
as a TV journalist, writing an expository current affairs
piece about bullying in the work place
Expository Introduction
O Sentence 1
O State the focus of written piece, reword the prompt
O Sentence 2
O Develop sentence summarising some arguments for
prompt statement (sentence 1)
O Sentence 3
O Develop sentence summarising some arguments
against prompt statement
O Sentence 4
O Write your thesis statement
Sample Expository Introduction
Sample prompt: Prejudice says more about the perpetrator than the
victim
S1
There is always more than one person affected by prejudice and
who the victim is isn’t always clear cut.
S2
There’s some evidence to suggest that the perpetrator of prejudice
is the silent victim, often acting out towards others due to physical
and emotional factors they have little control over that shaped them
at a young age.
S3
But there is also evidence to suggest that regardless of the reasons
for perpetrating prejudice, it is only the victims who should be
focused on as they often deal with long term side effects as a
result.
S4
This essay will consider the various ways in which prejudice can be
defined, and how both the perpetrator and victim are affected by
prejudice.
Activity – Write Your Own
Sample prompt – Due to Australia’s multicultural heritage, it is safe to
assume that most people experience some form of prejudice their
entire lives.
S1
S2
S3
S4
Expository Body Paragraphs
Sample Prompt – Prejudice says more about the perpetrator than the
victim
Order
Idea
Supporting Points
Concluding sentence
1
Key idea,
which will
form your
topic
sentence.
Material needed to develop
your paragraph, 3-4
supporting points required.
Links the idea back to
the prompt.
May also provide a link
to the next
paragraph/idea.
Eg – Prejudice
comes in many
different forms
and affects
many different
people,
suggesting what
our societies are
really like.
-
-
-
Jasper, Jeffrey, Charlie, Eliza
and Mad Jack Lionel all
experience different forms of
prejudice in Jasper Jones
Malala Yousafzai and Martin
Luther King Jnr experienced
different forms of prejudice
on behalf of others
‘Boat people’ are being
discriminated against at an
individual level
Eg – These examples
suggest that society as a
whole plays a role in how
prejudice is perpetrated,
and paints a picture that
could argue what our
societies are really about.
Sample Body Paragraph
Prejudice comes in many different forms and affects many different people,
suggesting what our societies are really like. Jasper Jones, Jeffrey Lu, Charlie
Bucktin, Eliza Wishart and Jack Lionel all experienced different types of
prejudice in the novel Jasper Jones. Jasper and Jeffrey were unfairly
maligned due to their racial heritage. Charlie was considered too smart, Eliza
suffered as she was female and ‘Mad Jack’ because he was a recluse. In
each case, the prejudice affecting these individuals impacted on more than
just them and outlined what small town Australia circa 1965 was like.
Mirroring this, Martin Luther King Junior was ultimately assassinated
because he stood up for black civil rights in the USA. According to these
examples, societies in the past were rife with mistreatment of others.
However, moving into the present day, Malala Yousafzai had death threats
published by the Taliban against her and her father because she stood up for
women’s educational rights, and ‘boat people’ are now beginning to be
labelled ‘illegals’ by politicians, a clear act of prejudice against anyone
attempting to seek asylum across the oceans. These examples suggest that
society as a whole plays a role in how prejudice is perpetrated, and paints a
picture that could argue what our societies are really about.
Activity – Write Your Own
Sample Prompt – Prejudice says more about the perpetrator than the
victim
Order Idea
Supporting Points
Concluding Sentence
Conclusion
O Main job in expository writing:
O Rephrase the prompt
O Recap main ideas discussed
O Give point of view (don’t say ‘I’ though)