Expository Writing
Means: writing to inform or explain
something.
Expository structure
• Minimum of five paragraphs:
1. Introduction
2. Body paragraph #1
3. Body paragraph #2
4. Body paragraph #3
5.Conclusion
3 parts:
Hook:
Bridge:
Thesis:
A sentence that grabs the reader’s attention. It
should should relate to the broad idea of the topic in
a high-interest way.
GOOD ones are:
-an amazing fact
-a detailed description
-a quote, proverb
-a bold opinion
-a statistic
-a question –this is overused!!!!!!
Quotation as a Hook
1.Find a quote that is related to the main idea of your
essay. You will need to see the connection between the
quote and the rest of your writing!
2. Put the quote between quotation marks.
3. Put the quote in context by naming the person who said
it, and backfilling information for the reader, as if s/he didn’t
know much about your topic. Examples:
“Up, Up and Away!” exclaims Superman, the quintessential
superhero, as he soars into the air to fight for justice and
against evildoers. As a beloved cartoon figure, Superman
is an idol to kids everywhere, and symbolizes all that is
good and
A few sentences that connect your
hook to your thesis.
The bridge should fill in background
info and add detail for the reader…you
are “bridging” the space between the
hook(the opening sentence) and the
thesis(what you are going to write
about in the body paragraphs).
One way to make a bridge is to explain
why the topic is important.
NEVER!!!
A statement of the main idea of your essay.
The thesis statement is the MOST
IMPORTANT sentence in your essay. Think
“Big Idea”.
It should….
-be a sentence (or two) in length
- clearly state what you are writing about and
specifically list the three topics covered in the
body paragraphs
Example topic: "The high cost of living in Tokyo"
• Hook: Imagine if living in Shibuya, Tokyo cost
you $300 every single day!
• Bridge: Tokyo is one of the most expensive
cities in the world. The prices of things in Tokyo
are much higher than in other parts of Japan.
Many people living in Tokyo have a difficult time
paying for their lifestyles.
• Thesis Statement: Tokyo is definitely one of the
most expensive cities to live in due to
overpopulation, competition for resources, and
lack of supply.
How To Write a Body Paragraph
1. Start with a transition word or phrase and
an interesting statement regarding the
content of the paragraph.
2. Write the topic sentence, which will state
what the paragraph will be about. It will
come from one of the three topics in your
thesis statement. The first supporting idea
listed in the thesis is the first paragraph’s
topic.
3. Include one detail from your
brainstorming list for this supporting idea
that explains the topic in this paragraph (13 sentences).
4. Explain how this fact/idea relates back to
the thesis. In other words, answer why
this idea proves your thesis.
5. Provide any other details that will help
reader understand this idea. For example,
how it will be done. (1-any # of sentences)
6. Repeat steps 3-5 for the 2-4 details you
will use to explain your topic sentence
(details that you pull from your
brainstorming session)
7. Conclude your main point of this
paragraph by relating it back to your
thesis.
• Example Body paragraph:
To begin with, the overpopulation of Tokyo
makes every aspect of life competitive! For
example, parking space is so scarce that
people don’t have lawns, they “rent out”
their front yards as parking lots for
premium prices. You have to prove you
have a place to park a car before you can
even be issued a pricey drivers license.
Even if you can afford to own a car, you
might not be able to afford to drive it with
exorbitant gas prices. With so many
vehicles in the city, stations set gas prices
so high that many can’t afford to drive their
cars more than on weekends. This makes
Tokyo is an expensive place to live just in
terms of too many people crammed into a
small amount of real estate.
• Example Body paragraph breakdown:
To begin with(TRANSITION WORD OR
PHRASE) , the overpopulation of Tokyo
makes every aspect of life
competitive!(TOPIC SENTENCE FOR
BODY PARAGRAPH 1) For example,
parking space is so scarce that people
don’t have lawns (DETAIL), they “rent out”
their front yards as parking lots (DETAIL)
for premium prices. You have to prove you
have a place to park a car before you can
even be issued a pricey drivers license.
(DETAIL)
Even if you can afford to own a car, you
might not be able to afford to drive it with
exorbitant gas prices (DETAIL). With so
many vehicles in the city, stations set gas
prices so high that many can’t afford to
drive their cars more than on weekends
(DETAIL). This makes Tokyo is an
expensive place to live just in terms of too
many people crammed into a small
amount of real estate. (CONCLUSION
sentence that ties it back to the original
thesis statement.)
THE CONCLUSION
• Just as every essay has a clear beginning,
it should have a clear ending. The last
paragraph, also know as the conclusion,
should make your essay sound finished.
• The concluding paragraph typically has
two parts:
1. The summary statement is one or two
sentences which restate the thesis in a
fresh way to reinforce the essay's main
idea.
2. The clincher is a final thought which
THE SUMMARY STATEMENT
• The summary statement is an effective
way to start your concluding paragraph
because it helps to drive home the ideas
you've expressed in your essay.
• Look at your thesis statement again and
rework it in a new way. Avoid repeating
key words and phrases from the thesis
statement because you don't want the
summary statement to sound boring or
repetitive. Using a thesaurus is a good
way to find new, interesting words.
Example of a thesis statement turned into a
summary statement:
• Thesis Statement: Many Americans are
buying the Toyota Corolla because of its
competitive price, fuel economy, and high
resale value.
Summary Statement: Reasonable
pricing, low miles per gallon, and an
attractive resale value have all contributed
to the popularity of the Toyota Corolla in
today's market.
THE CLINCHER
• The clincher, also referred to as the closer,
is your last opportunity to connect with the
reader. One way to make the most of this
moment is to return to the technique you
used for your grabber.