Expository Writing
• Ninth grade EOC writing test:
expository essay + field test expository essay
• Write
expository
(analytical)
texts
to
communicate ideas and information to specific
audiences for specific purposes.
– The expository must have effective introductory and
concluding paragraphs, use a variety of sentence
structures, rhetorical devices and transitions, as well
as maintain a controlling idea or thesis, appropriately
organized structure for the audience and the context,
and it must use relevant information and make valid
inferences.
-- Reporting Category 4:
Composition 15A for Expository Texts
Expository Writing
• “We want students to explain the importance of
something.” – Martha Scarborough, Pearson
• The charges are scaffold now: ReadThinkWrite.
– READ: a stimulus will be given (The essay does not have to
be about the stimulus. It is all about the charge.)
– THINK: teacher-talk question and the charge
– WRITE: student explanation in written form following the
“helpful tips.” Students must explain the charge using
either
• Personal experiences to explain in anecdotal details
• Philosophical responses to explain the importance of something
(“We LOVE this!”—Martha Scarborough, Pearson)
• Information from what the student has learned in life or in school
Expository Writing
• Students must clearly state the thesis,
organize ideas, and develop those ideas in
their expository texts.
• No persuasion will be accepted; it’s all
explanatory writing in this section.
• Students will only be held accountable for
responding to the charge, not the stimulus.
Remember!
• The expository must have effective introductory and
concluding paragraphs, use a variety of sentence
structures, rhetorical devices and transitions, as well
as maintain a controlling idea or thesis, appropriately
organized structure for the audience and the context,
and it must use relevant information and make valid
inferences.
stimul
us
main idea
26 lines
details, examples, universal
truths
• Lead:
• Thesis:
• Example:
• (P)
• (E)
• (Details)
(body) *(E) • (Details)
• (Details)
• (L)
• Re-word thesis
• Leave reader with something to think about
• Lead: a personal scenario
• Thesis: cell phone (positive effect on lives)
• Example: driving safety
(body)
• (P) Need help because car is broken down on the side of
the road
• (E) Female (me--alone)
• (Details) Night (dark highway)
• (Details) Unable to make repair
• (E) Calls for help using cell phone
• (L) Concluding sentence
• Re-word thesis
• Universal truth
• Leave reader with something to think about
1.
Understand
the
prompt and stay on
topic.
2. Understand what the
prompt is asking.
3. Read
the
prompt
carefully, and, often
several times, circling
key words.
4. Identify how many
parts there are to the
question.
5. Collect your thoughts.
6. Keep track of time.
7. Organize your ideas.
8. Use specific details to
support your thesis
statement.
9. Use
appropriate
transitions to connect
ideas
(guide your
reader).
10. Stay focused on a
consistent central idea
while answering the
prompt.
11. Leave time to revise.
12. Believe in yourself!
is dead.
Boring Sentences
“Connectors”
Body #1
(TRANSITIONS)
Body #2
• Use the “Connectors” chart to help you
accurately use transitions words in your
writing.
• This chart will be placed in your folder for
future use after today’s writing assignment.
Expository Essay Outline
(another form of pre-writing)
examples
Expository Essay Example 1
Read the information in the box below.
Findings suggest that watching too much TV is as detrimental to longevity as smoking and
lack of exercise. Previous research has shown that smoking is associated with a four-year
reduction in life expectancy after the age of fifty. That works out to an average eleven
minutes of life lost for every cigarette smoked, which is the equivalent to thirty minutes of
TV time.
Think carefully about how unhealthy habits can cause people to die at earlier ages than
those who lead healthier lifestyles.
Write an essay explaining why living healthily is important.
Be sure to –
• Clearly state your thesis
• Organize and develop your ideas effectively
• Choose your words carefully
• Edit your writing for grammar, mechanics, and spelling
Example:
Dissect this essay and score it.
Example:
Dissect this essay and score it.
Universal truth
Lead/hook/attention-getter
Thesis statement (main idea)
Informative statement
Problems w/ examples
Solutions w/ details
Informative statement
Conclusion
Clincher
Did the writer score a “3” or a “4”?













make every word and line count (24-26 lines must be used)
strong THESIS STATEMENT in the introductory paragraph
good ORGANIZATION: beginning, middle, and end
strong CONCLUSION that leaves the reader saying, “I agree,” or “I want to know more”
varied SENTENCE STRUCTURE (use very few simple sentences)
use CONNECTORS/TRANSITIONAL words and phrases
body should contain a SPECIFIC EXAMPLE(S) or ANTEDOTE(S) that you develop and tell
many DETAILS about it and relate it back to prompt (this is what will make your paper
UNIQUE)
every sentence should TELL MORE about your thesis/specific example(s) but should
NEVER REPEAT (do not say the same thing over and over again)
use STRONG VERBS and DESCRIPTIVE LANGUAGE
the essay must be FOCUSED and STAYS ON TOPIC (every idea relates to your thesis
statement)
Easy to UNDERSTAND and to FOLLOW
mature handwriting (no chicken scratch)
include QUOTES or truisms (truisms are UNIVERSAL TRUTHS that most everyone agrees
with– like on motivational posters)
Expository Essay Example 2
Read the information in the box below.
“Weeds are flowers too, once you get to know them.”
--A.A. Milne
First impressions can sometimes be misleading. Think carefully about this statement.
Write an essay explaining the importance of getting to know people before forming an
opinion about them.
Be sure to –
• Clearly state your thesis
• Organize and develop your ideas effectively
• Choose your words carefully
• Edit your writing for grammar, mechanics, and spelling
Example:
Dissect this essay and score it.
Example:
Lead/hook/attention-getter
Thesis statement (main idea)
Point #1 w/ examples
Point #2 w/ examples
Point #3 w/ example
or is it the conclusion?
Universal truth
Did the writer score a “3” or a “4”? NO. Why?













make every word and line count (24-26 lines must be used)
strong THESIS STATEMENT in the introductory paragraph
good ORGANIZATION: beginning, middle, and end
strong CONCLUSION that leaves the reader saying, “I agree,” or “I want to know more”
varied SENTENCE STRUCTURE (use very few simple sentences)
use CONNECTORS/TRANSITIONAL words and phrases
body should contain a SPECIFIC EXAMPLE(S) or ANTEDOTE(S) that you develop and tell
many DETAILS about it and relate it back to prompt (this is what will make your paper
UNIQUE)
every sentence should TELL MORE about your thesis/specific example(s) but should
NEVER REPEAT (do not say the same thing over and over again)
use STRONG VERBS and DESCRIPTIVE LANGUAGE
the essay must be FOCUSED and STAYS ON TOPIC (every idea relates to your thesis
statement)
Easy to UNDERSTAND and to FOLLOW
mature handwriting (no chicken scratch)
include QUOTES or truisms (truisms are UNIVERSAL TRUTHS that most everyone agrees
with– like on motivational posters)
Expository Essay Example 3
Read the information in the box below.
“A snowball in the face is surely the perfect beginning to a lasting friendship.”
― Markus Zusak, The Book Thief
“A friend is someone who knows all about you and still loves you.”
-- Elbert Hubbard
Think about the important people in your life and the traits that they possess which make
them real friends.
Write an essay explaining the qualities of a true friend.
Be sure to –
• Clearly state your thesis
• Organize and develop your ideas effectively
• Choose your words carefully
• Edit your writing for grammar, mechanics, and spelling
 make EVERY WORD AND LINE
COUNT
 strong THESIS STATEMENT
 good ORGANIZATION
 strong CONCLUSION
 varied SENTENCE STRUCTURE
 Use CONNECTORS/TRANSITIONAL
words and phrases
 body should contain a SPECIFIC
EXAMPLE(S) and tell many DETAILS
 every sentence should TELL MORE
about
your
thesis/specific
example(s) but should NEVER
REPEAT
 use
STRONG
VERBS
and
DESCRIPTIVE LANGUAGE
 STAYS ON TOPIC
 Easy to UNDERSTAND and to
FOLLOW
 MATURE HANDWRITING
 include QUOTES or UNIVERSAL
TRUTHS
“Maybe?”
What do you
mean maybe?
Expository Essay Example 4
Read the information in the box below.
In wartime, conventional notions of morality and legality are continually tested.
Throughout The Book Thief, the main characters must make decisions about how to
behave, and these decisions usually prove fateful.
How do you think you would act if the laws of the U.S.A. dictated that you had to treat
others who are unlike you unfairly? (people with handicaps, or the homeless, or people of
different races, political beliefs, or religious backgrounds)
Write an essay explaining why is it important to treat people fairly.
Be sure to –
• Clearly state your thesis
• Organize and develop your ideas effectively
• Choose your words carefully
• Edit your writing for grammar, mechanics, and spelling
Score the Essay:













make every word and line count (24-26 lines must be used)
strong THESIS STATEMENT in the introductory paragraph
good ORGANIZATION: beginning, middle, and end
strong CONCLUSION that leaves the reader saying, “I agree,” or “I want to know more”
varied SENTENCE STRUCTURE (use very few simple sentences)
use CONNECTORS/TRANSITIONAL words and phrases
body should contain a SPECIFIC EXAMPLE(S) or ANTEDOTE(S) that you develop and tell
many DETAILS about it and relate it back to prompt (this is what will make your paper
UNIQUE)
every sentence should TELL MORE about your thesis/specific example(s) but should
NEVER REPEAT (do not say the same thing over and over again)
use STRONG VERBS and DESCRIPTIVE LANGUAGE
the essay must be FOCUSED and STAYS ON TOPIC (every idea relates to your thesis
statement)
East to UNDERSTAND and to FOLLOW
mature handwriting (no chicken scratch)
include QUOTES or truisms (truisms are UNIVERSAL TRUTHS that most everyone agrees
with– like on motivational posters)
recall
Expository Writing
• Ninth grade EOC writing test:
expository essay + field test expository essay
• Write
expository
(analytical)
texts
to
communicate ideas and information to specific
audiences for specific purposes.
– The expository must have effective introductory and
concluding paragraphs, use a variety of sentence
structures, rhetorical devices and transitions, as well
as maintain a controlling idea or thesis, appropriately
organized structure for the audience and the context,
and it must use relevant information and make valid
inferences.
-- Reporting Category 4:
Composition 15A for Expository Texts
Expository Writing
• “We want students to explain the importance of
something.” – Martha Scarborough, Pearson
• The charges are scaffold now: ReadThinkWrite.
– READ: a stimulus will be given (The essay does not have to
be about the stimulus. It is all about the charge.)
– THINK: teacher-talk question and the charge
– WRITE: student explanation in written form following the
“helpful tips.” Students must explain the charge using
either
• Personal experiences to explain in anecdotal details
• Philosophical responses to explain the importance of something
(“We LOVE this!”—Martha Scarborough, Pearson)
• Information from what the student has learned in life or in school
Expository Writing
• Students must clearly state the thesis,
organize ideas, and develop those ideas in
their expository texts.
• No persuasion will be accepted; it’s all
explanatory writing in this section.
• Students will only be held accountable for
responding to the charge, not the stimulus.
Remember!
• The expository must have effective introductory and
concluding paragraphs, use a variety of sentence
structures, rhetorical devices and transitions, as well
as maintain a controlling idea or thesis, appropriately
organized structure for the audience and the context,
and it must use relevant information and make valid
inferences.
1.
Understand
the
prompt and stay on
topic.
2. Understand what the
prompt is asking.
3. Read
the
prompt
carefully, and, often
several times, circling
key words.
4. Identify how many
parts there are to the
question.
5. Collect your thoughts.
6. Keep track of time.
7. Organize your ideas.
8. Use specific details to
support your thesis
statement.
9. Use
appropriate
transitions to connect
ideas
(guide your
reader).
10. Stay focused on a
consistent central idea
while answering the
prompt.
11. Leave time to revise.
12. Believe in yourself!
is dead.
Boring Sentences
“Connectors”
Body #1
(TRANSITIONS)
Body #2
• Use the “Connectors” chart to help you
accurately use transitions words in your
writing.
• This chart will be placed in your folder for
future use after today’s writing assignment.
Expository Essay Outline
(another form of pre-writing)
practices
Expository Essay 1
Read the information in the box below.
“Just a spoon full of sugar helps the medicine go down…”
--Mary Poppins
Sometimes in life, we realize that it’s the “sweeter things,” the more uncomplicated and
less stressful things, that make the world that we live in a simpler place and easier to
enjoy. What do you think about or what do you do in order to make your circumstances
more bearable when life gets a little tough?
Write an essay explaining why it is important to have a hobby.
Be sure to –
• Clearly state your thesis
• Organize and develop your ideas effectively
• Choose your words carefully
• Edit your writing for grammar, mechanics, and spelling
Expository Essay 1
Read the information in the box below.
“Just a spoon full of sugar helps the medicine go down…”
--Mary Poppins
Sometimes in life, we realize that it’s the “sweeter things,” the more uncomplicated and
less stressful things, that make the world that we live in a simpler place and easier to
enjoy. What do you think about or what do you do in order to make your circumstances
more bearable when life gets a little tough?
Write an essay explaining why it is important to have a hobby.
Be sure to –
• Clearly state your thesis main idea
• Organize and develop your ideas effectively details, examples, universal
• Choose your words carefully 26 lines
truths
• Edit your writing for grammar, mechanics, and spelling
Expository Essay 2
Read the information in the box below.
If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more, and become more,
you are a leader.
--John Quincy Adams
There are many qualities that make someone a good leader. Think about people who you
know that have a talent for leadership. What qualities and/or behaviors make them
effective leaders?
Write an essay explaining what makes a person a good leader.
Be sure to –
• Clearly state your thesis
• Organize and develop your ideas effectively
• Choose your words carefully
• Edit your writing for grammar, mechanics, and spelling
Expository Essay 2
Read the information in the box below.
If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more, and become more,
you are a leader.
--John Quincy Adams
There are many qualities that make someone a good leader. Think about people who you
know that have a talent for leadership. What qualities and/or behaviors make them
effective leaders?
Write an essay explaining what makes a person a good leader.
Be sure to –
• Clearly state your thesis main idea
• Organize and develop your ideas effectively details, examples, and explanations
• Choose your words carefully you only have 26 lines—make every word count
• Edit your writing for grammar, mechanics, and spelling
Expository Essay 3
Read the information in the box below.
Edgar Allan Poe, author of many famous works like “The Cask of Amontillado,” “The
Raven,” and “Annabel Lee,” is considered a great American writer. His works continue to
sell, and they are widely read and studied in schools everywhere. However, Poe never
received much recognition for his accomplished writing while he was alive.
Should people do things only to be recognized? Think carefully about this question.
Write an essay explaining whether a person must always be acknowledged in order to
have “accomplished” something.
Be sure to –
• Clearly state your thesis
• Organize and develop your ideas effectively
• Choose your words carefully
• Edit your writing for grammar, mechanics, and spelling
Expository Essay 3
Read the information in the box below.
Edgar Allan Poe, author of many famous works like “The Cask of Amontillado,” “The
Raven,” and “Annabel Lee,” is considered a great American writer. His works continue to
sell, and they are widely read and studied in schools everywhere. However, Poe never
received much recognition for his accomplished writing while he was alive.
Should people do things only to be recognized? Think carefully about this question.
Write an essay explaining whether a person must always be acknowledged in order to
have “accomplished” something. "The Secret Auden" (an example)
Be sure to –
• Clearly state your thesis main idea
• Organize and develop your ideas effectively details, examples, and explanations
• Choose your words carefully you only have 26 lines—make every word count
• Edit your writing for grammar, mechanics, and spelling