EXPOSITORY
ESSAY PROCESS
PRE WRITING STAGES
PRE-WRITING
STAGES
The essay process
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Choosing a topic and narrowing it down.
Generating ideas
Organizing ideas into a plan / outline
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Writing the first draft
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Getting feedback from a peer or the instructor
Revising and editing the draft
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Writing the final draft
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Stage 1: norrowing down
a topic
Example
“eating habits”
“changes in eating habits”
“the trend of eating healthy food”
“organic food”
“organic food industry”
“two problems of organic food industry in Turkey”
Stage 2: Generating Ideas
 Brainstorming
 Freewriting
 Clustering
(Mindmapping)
 Journalist’s
Questions
What / Where /Who /Why /When /How
Stage 3: Outline
Writing the Thesis Statement
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The thesis statement should be expressed in a complete
sentence.
The idea in the thesis statement should not be too
narrow or too broad.
The thesis statement should express an opinion, attitude,
or an idea; it should not simply announce the topic.
The thesis statement should not be factual; it should not
express a fact. It should be a statement that someone
could disagree with. Therefore, it is a statement that
needs to be explained or supported.
A thesis statement should express only one idea toward
one topic; if it contains two or more ideas, the essay runs
the risk of lacking unity and coherence.
Stage 3
Sample Outline for an Expository Essay
Thesis Statement: There are two main types of beneficial programs on TV for children.
Body I:
Topic Sentence: One of the most beneficial TV programs for children is documentaries
A. (major 1) Documentaries on National Geographic
a. (minor 1) teaches appreciation of life
b. (minor 2) promotes the importance of conservation of the planet.
B. (major 2) Documentaries on History Channel
a. (minor 1) teaches history in an appealing way
b. (minor 2) introduces civilizations that are not in the curriculum
Body II:
Topic Sentence: In addition to documentaries, children's programs have a positive
influence on children’s development.
A. (major 1) prepare preschool kids to school
a. (minor 1) teach alphabet, colors, animals
b. (minor 2) raise social awareness praising friendship and sharing
B. (major 2) encourage creativity
a. (minor 1) encourage painting
b. (minor 2) promote musical intelligence
Stage 3: Outline
IMPORTANT REMINDER
 Keep
in mind that an outline should be
prepared BEFORE writing the first draft,
because it is a skeleton that helps one in
the writing process. It is like a detailed
plan one makes before writing the essay.
Stage 3: Outline
Principles of an Effective Outline:
Parallelism
Body I:
A. Topic Sentence: One of the most beneficial TV
programs for children is documentaries
1. (major 1) Documentaries on National
Geographic
a. (minor 1) teaches appreciation of life
b. (minor 2) promotes the importance of
conservation of the planet.
2. (major 2) Documentaries on History Channel
a. (minor 1) teaches history in an
appealing way
b. (minor 2) introduces civilizations that
are not in the curriculum
Stage 3: Outline
Principles of an Effective Outline:
Coordination
Body I:
A. Topic Sentence: One of the most beneficial TV
programs for children is documentaries
1. (major 1) Documentaries on National
Geographic
a. (minor 1) teaches appreciation of life
b. (minor 2) promotes the importance of
conservation of the planet.
2. (major 2) Documentaries on History Channel
a. (minor 1) teaches history in an
appealing way
b. (minor 2) introduces civilizations that
are not in the curriculum
Stage 3: Outline
Principles of an Effective Outline:
Subordination
A. Topic Sentence: One of the most beneficial TV programs
for children is documentaries
1. (major 1) Documentaries on National Geographic
a. (minor 1) teaches appreciation of life
b. (minor 2) promotes the importance of
conservation of the planet.
2. (major 2) Documentaries on History Channel
a. (minor 1) teaches history in an appealing way
b. (minor 2) introduces civilizations that are not in
the curriculum
B. Topic Sentence: Children’s programs have a positive
influence on children’s development.
Stage 3: Outline
Principles of an Effective Outline:
Division
A. Topic Sentence: One of the most beneficial TV programs
for children is documentaries
1. (major 1) Documentaries on National Geographic
a. (minor 1) teaches appreciation of life
b. (minor 2) promotes the importance of
conservation of the planet.
2. (major 2) Documentaries on History Channel
a. (minor 1) teaches history in an appealing way
b. (minor 2) introduces civilizations that are not in
the curriculum
B. Topic Sentence: Children’s programs have a positive
influence on children’s development.