Expository essay – rules of composition
compiled by Tomasz Szczegóła
EXPOSITORY ESSAY – RULES OF COMPOSITION
A classic format for compositions is the five-paragraph essay. It is not the only format for writing an essay, of
course, but it is a useful model for you to keep in mind, especially as you begin to develop your essay writing
skills.
Topic paragraph (TP)
The topic paragraph should accomplish two tasks: 1) it should get the reader's interest so that he or she will
want to read more. 2) it should let the reader know what the writing is going to be about. In order to
accomplish the second task the paragraph must include a carefully crafted thesis statement which is a kind of
mini-outline for the paper, communicating its topic, focus and purpose. Many writers think of a thesis
statement as an umbrella: everything that you carry along in your essay has to fit under this umbrella, and if
you try to take on packages that don't fit, you will either have to get a bigger umbrella or something's going to
get wet.
The thesis statement is also a good test for the scope of your intent. The principle to remember is that
when you try to do too much, you end up doing less or nothing at all. Can we write a good paper about
problems in higher education in the United States? At best, such a paper would be vague and scattered in its
approach. Can we write a good paper about problems in higher education in Connecticut? Well, we're getting
there, but that's still an awfully big topic, something we might be able to handle in a book or a Ph.D.
dissertation, but certainly not in a paper meant for a Composition course. Can we write a paper about
problems within the community college system in Connecticut. Now we're narrowing down to something
useful, but once we start writing such a paper, we would find that we're leaving out so much information, so
many ideas that even most casual brainstorming would produce, that we're not accomplishing much. What if
we wrote about the problem of community colleges in Connecticut being so close together geographically that
they tend to duplicate programs unnecessarily and impinge on each other's turf? Now we have a focus that we
can probably write about in a few pages (although more, certainly, could be said) and it would have a good
argumentative edge to it. To back up such a thesis statement would require a good deal of work, however, and
we might be better off if we limited the discussion to an example of how two particular community colleges
tend to work in conflict with each other. It's not a matter of being lazy; it's a matter of limiting our discussion
to the work that can be accomplished within a certain number of pages.
The thesis statement should remain flexible until the paper is actually finished. It ought to be one of
the last things that we fuss with in the rewriting process. If we discover new information in the process of
writing our paper that ought to be included in the thesis statement, then we'll have to rewrite our thesis
statement. On the other hand, if we discover that our paper has done adequate work but the thesis statement
appears to include things that we haven't actually addressed, then we need to limit that thesis statement.
The thesis statement usually appears near the beginning of a paper. It can be the first sentence of an
essay, but that often feels like a simplistic, unexciting beginning. It more frequently appears at or near the end
of the first paragraph or two. Here is the first paragraph of Arthur Schlesinger, Jr.'s essay The Crisis of American
Masculinity. Notice how everything drives the reader toward the last sentence and how that last sentence clearly
signals what the rest of this essay is going to do.
„What has happened to the American male? For a long time, he seemed utterly confident in his manhood,
sure of his masculine role in society, easy and definite in his sense of sexual identity. The frontiersmen of
James Fenimore Cooper, for example, never had any concern about masculinity; they were men, and it did
not occur to them to think twice about it. Even well into the twentieth century, the heroes of Dreiser, of
Fitzgerald, of Hemingway remain men. But one begins to detect a new theme emerging in some of these
authors, especially in Hemingway: the theme of the male hero increasingly preoccupied with proving his
virility to himself. And by mid-century, the male role had plainly lost its rugged clarity of outline. Today men
are more and more conscious of maleness not as a fact but as a problem. The ways by which American men
affirm their masculinity are uncertain and obscure. There are multiplying signs, indeed, that something
has gone badly wrong with the American male's conception of himself.”
The first paragraph serves as kind of a funnel opening to the essay which draws and invites readers into the
discussion, which is then focused by the thesis statement before the work of the essay actually begins.
Expository essay – rules of composition
compiled by Tomasz Szczegóła
However, avoid announcing the thesis statement as if it were a thesis statement. In other words, avoid
using phrases such as "The purpose of this paper is... " or "In this paper, I will attempt to..." Such phrases
betray this paper to be the work of an amateur. If necessary, write the thesis statement that way the first time;
it might help you determine, in fact, that this is your thesis statement. But when you rewrite your paper,
eliminate the bald assertion that this is your thesis statement and write the statement itself without that
annoying, unnecessary preface.
The last sentence of the introductory paragraph should also contain a transitional "hook" which moves
the reader to the first paragraph of the body of the paper.
Things NOT TO DO in the topic paragraph:
 Apologize. Never suggest that you don't know what you're talking about or that you're not enough of an
expert in this matter that your opinion would matter. Your reader will quickly turn to something else. Avoid
phrases like the following:
In my [humble] opinion.... or I'm not sure about this, but...
 Announce your intentions. Do not flatly announce what you are about to do in an essay.
In this paper I will... or The purpose of this essay is to...
Get into the topic and let your reader perceive your purpose in the topic sentence of your beginning
paragraph.
 Use a dictionary or encyclopedia definition.
According to Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, a widget is...
Although definitions are extremely useful and it might serve your purpose to devise your own definition(s)
later in the essay, you want to avoid using this hackneyed beginning to an essay.
Developmental paragraphs (DPs)
 2-4 (most commonly 3) paragraphs of APPROXIMATELY EQUAL LENGTH
 must have the basic structure of a paragraph: TOPIC SENTENCE + SUPPORTING
CONCLUSION/TRANSITION to the following paragraph
 should be filled with CONCRETE SUPPORT (examples, facts, reasons, statistics, evidence etc.)
 each DP must concern itself with a single focus to maintain UNITY
 should be COHERENT and employ a variety of TRANSITIONAL expressions
 DPs should be arranged IN THE ORDER suggested by the thesis statement
SENTENCES
+
First developmental paragraph (DP1)
The first paragraph of the body should contain the strongest argument, most significant example, cleverest
illustration, or an obvious beginning point. The first sentence of this paragraph should include the "reverse
hook" which ties in with the transitional hook at the end of the introductory paragraph. The topic for this
paragraph should be in the first or second sentence (topic sentence of this paragraph). This topic should
relate to the thesis statement in the introductory paragraph. The last sentence in this paragraph should include
a transitional hook to tie into the second paragraph of the body.
Second developmental paragraph (DP2)
The second paragraph of the body should contain the second strongest argument, second most significant
example, second cleverest illustration, or an obvious follow up the first paragraph in the body. The first
sentence of this paragraph should include the reverse hook which ties in with the transitional hook at the end
of the first paragraph of the body. The topic for this paragraph should be in the first or second sentence (topic
sentence of this paragraph). This topic should relate to the thesis statement in the introductory paragraph.
The last sentence in this paragraph should include a transitional hook to tie into the third paragraph of the
body.
Expository essay – rules of composition
compiled by Tomasz Szczegóła
Third developmental paragraph (DP3)
The third paragraph of the body should contain the weakest argument, weakest example, weakest illustration,
or an obvious follow up to the second paragraph in the body. The first sentence of this paragraph should
include the reverse hook which ties in with the transitional hook at the end of the second paragraph. The topic
for this paragraph should be in the first or second sentence (topic sentence of this paragraph). This topic
should relate to the thesis statement in the introductory paragraph. The last sentence in this paragraph should
include a transitional concluding hook that signals the reader that this is the final major point being made in
this paper. This hook also leads into the last, or concluding, paragraph.
Here is a list of some common transitional devices (also called connective words) that can be used to
cue your reader in a given way.
ADDITION
again, also, and, and then, besides, equally important, finally, first, further, furthermore, in addition, in the first place,
lastly, moreover, next, second, still, too, what is more
CAUSE or EFFECT
accordingly, as a result, because, consequently, due to, since, so, therefore, thus
COMPARISON
also, by the same token, just as, likewise, similarly, in the same way
CONTRAST
although, although this may be true, and yet, at the same time, but at the same time, compared to, conversely, despite
that, even so, even though, for all that, however, in contrast, in spite of, instead, meanwhile, nevertheless,
notwithstanding, on the contrary, on the other hand, otherwise, regardless, still, though, whereas, yet
EXAMPLE/ILLUSTRATION
after all, as an illustration, even, for example, for instance, in particular, in this case, in this situation, indeed, in fact, in
other words, in short, it is true, of course, namely, specifically, that is, to illustrate, to demonstrate, thus, truly
TIME SEQUENCE
after a while, afterward, again, also, and then, as long as, at last, at length, at that time, before, besides, earlier,
eventually, finally, formerly, further, furthermore, in addition, in the first place, in the past, last, lately, meanwhile,
moreover, next, now, presently, second, shortly, simultaneously, since, so far, soon, still, subsequently, then, thereafter,
too, until, until now, when
SUMMARY/CONCLUSION
all in all, altogether, as has been said, as has been shown, finally, in brief, in conclusion, in other words, in short, in
simpler terms, in summary, lastly, on the whole, taking everything into account, that is, therefore, to summarize, to
sum up
A word of caution: Do not interlard your text with transitional expressions merely because you know these
devices connect ideas. They must appear, naturally, where they belong, or they'll stick like a fishbone in your
reader's craw. (For that same reason, there is no point in trying to memorize this vast list.) Having said that, if
you can read your entire paragraph/essay and discover none of these transitional devices, then you must
wonder what, if anything, is holding your ideas together. Practice by inserting a tentative however, nevertheless,
consequently. Reread the text later to see if these words provide the glue you needed at those points.
Expository essay – rules of composition
compiled by Tomasz Szczegóła
Concluding paragraph (CP)
This paragraph should include the following:
1. an allusion to the pattern used in the introductory paragraph.
2. a restatement of the thesis statement, using some of the original language or language that "echoes" the
original language. (The restatement, however, MUST NOT BE a duplicate thesis statement.)
3. a summary of the three/four main points from the body of the paper.
4. a final statement that gives the reader signals that the discussion has come to an end.
5. it should have the form of a paragraph (although it is usually the shortest of all paragraphs in the
essay, just one or two sentences will not be enough)
Your conclusion is your opportunity to wrap up your essay in a tidy package and bring it home for your reader.
It is a good idea to recapitulate what you said in your thesis statement in order to suggest to your reader that
you have accomplished what you set out to accomplish. It is also important to judge for yourself that you have,
in fact, done so. If you find that your thesis statement now sounds hollow or irrelevant — that you haven't
done what you set out to do — then you need either to revise your argument or to redefine your thesis
statement. Don't worry about that; it happens to writers all the time. They have argued themselves into a
position that they might not have thought of when they began their writing. Writing, just as much as reading, is
a process of self discovery. Do not, in any case, simply restate your thesis statement in your final
paragraph, as that would be redundant. Having read your essay, we should understand this main thought with
fresh and deeper understanding, and your conclusion wants to reflect what we have learned.
There are some cautions we want to keep in mind as we fashion our final utterance. First, we don't
want to finish with a sentimental flourish that shows we're trying to do too much. It's probably enough that
our essay on recycling will slow the growth of the landfill in Hartford's North Meadows. We don't need to
claim that recycling our soda bottles is going to save the world for our children's children. (That may be true,
in fact, but it's better to claim too little than too much; otherwise, our readers are going to be left with that
feeling of "Who's he/she kidding?") The conclusion should contain a definite, positive statement (or call to
action), but that statement needs to be based on what we have provided in the essay.
Second, the conclusion is no place to bring up new ideas. If a brilliant idea tries to sneak into our
final paragraph, we must pluck it out and let it have its own paragraph earlier in the essay. If it doesn't fit the
structure or argument of the essay, we will leave it out altogether and let it have its own essay later on. The last
thing we want in our conclusion is an excuse for our readers' minds wandering off into some new field.
Allowing a peer editor or friend to reread our essay before we hand it in is one way to check this impulse
before it ruins our good intentions and hard work.
Never apologize for or otherwise undercut the argument you've made. Leave your readers with the
sense that they've been in the company of someone who knows what he or she is doing. Also, if you promised
in the introduction that you were going to cover four points and you covered only two (because you couldn't
find enough information or you took too long with the first two or you got tired), don't try to cram those last
two points into your final paragraph. The "rush job" will be all too apparent. Instead, revise your introduction
or take the time to do justice to these other points.
Here is a brief list of things that you might accomplish in your concluding paragraph. There are
certainly other things that you can do, and you certainly don't want to do all these things. They are only
suggestions:

include a brief summary of the paper's main points.

use a quotation.

evoke a vivid image.

call for some sort of action.

universalize (compare to other situations).

suggest results or consequences.
Expository essay – rules of composition
compiled by Tomasz Szczegóła
Sample essay
1
Stephen King, creator of such stories as Carrie
and Pet Sematary, stated that the Edgar Allan Poe
stories he read as a child gave him the inspiration
and instruction he needed to become the writer
that he is. 2Poe, as does Stephen King, fills the
reader's imagination with the images that he
wishes the reader to see, hear, and feel. 3His use
of vivid, concrete visual imagery to present both
static and dynamic settings and to describe
people is part of his technique. 4Poe's short story
"The Tell-Tale Heart" is a story about a young
man who kills an old man who cares for him,
dismembers the corpse, then goes mad when he
thinks he hears the old man's heart beating
beneath the floor boards under his feet as he sits
and discusses the old man's absence with the
police. 5In "The Tell-Tale Heart," a careful reader
can observe Poe's skillful manipulation of the
senses.
The introductory paragraph includes a
paraphrase of something said by a famous
person in order to get the reader's attention.
The second sentence leads up to the thesis
statement which is the third sentence. The
thesis statement (sentence 3) presents
topic of the paper to the reader and provides
a mini- outline. The topic is Poe's use of
visual imagery. The mini- outline tells the
reader that this paper will present Poe's use
of imagery in three places in his writing: (1)
description of static setting; (2) description
of dynamic setting; and (3) description of a
person. The last sentence of the paragraph
uses the words "manipulation" and "senses"
as transitional hooks.
1
The sense of sight, the primary sense, is
particularly susceptible to manipulation. 2In "The
Tell-Tale Heart," Poe uses the following image to
describe a static scene: "His room was as black as
pitch with the thick darkness . . ." Poe used the
words "black," "pitch," and "thick darkness" not
only to show the reader the condition of the old
man's room, but also to make the reader feel the
darkness." 3"Thick" is a word that is not usually
associated with color (darkness), yet in using it,
Poe stimulates the reader's sense of feeling as
well as his sense of sight.
In the first sentence of the second paragraph
(first paragraph of the body) the words
"sense" and "manipulation" are used to
hook into the end of the introductory
paragraph. The first part of the second
sentence provides the topic for this
paragraph--imagery in a static scene. Then a
quotation from "The Tell-Tale Heart" is
presented and briefly discussed. The last
sentence of this paragraph uses the
expressions "sense of feeling" and "sense of
sight" as hooks for leading into the third
paragraph.
1
The first sentence of the third paragraph
(second paragraph of the body) uses the
words "sense of sight" and "sense of
feeling" to hook back into the previous
paragraph. Note that in the second
paragraph "feeling" came first, and in this
paragraph "sight" comes first. The first
sentence also includes the topic for this
paragraph--imagery in a dynamic scene.
Again, a quotation is taken from the story,
and it is briefly discussed. The last sentence
uses the words "one blind eye" which was in
the quotation. This expression provides the
transitional hook for the last paragraph in
the body of the paper.
Further on in the story, Poe uses a couple of
words that cross not only the sense of sight but
also the sense of feeling to describe a dynamic
scene. 2The youth in the story has been standing
in the open doorway of the old man's room for a
long time, waiting for just the right moment to
reveal himself to the old man in order to frighten
him. 3Poe writes: "So I opened it [the lantern
opening]--you cannot imagine how stealthily,
stealthily--until, at length, a single dim ray, like
the thread of the spider, shot from out the
crevice and fell full upon the vulture eye." 4By
using the metaphor of the thread of the spider
(which we all know is a creepy creature) and the
word "shot," Poe almost makes the reader gasp,
as surely did the old man whose one blind eye
the young man describes as "the vulture eye."
Expository essay – rules of composition
compiled by Tomasz Szczegóła
1
The reader does not know much about what the
old man in this story looks like except that he has
one blind eye. 2In the second paragraph of "The
Tell-Tale Heart," Poe establishes the young
man's obsession with that blind eye when he
writes: "He had the eye of the vulture--a pale
blue eye, with a film over it." 3This "vulture eye"
is evoked over and over again in the story until
the reader becomes as obsessed with it as does
the young man. 4His use of the vivid, concrete
word "vulture" establishes a specific image in the
mind of the reader that is inescapable.
In the first sentence of the fourth paragraph
(third paragraph in the body), "one blind
eye" is used that hooks into the previous
paragraph. This first sentence also lets the
reader know that this paragraph will deal
with descriptions of people: ". . . what the
old man looks like . . .." Once again Poe is
quoted and discussed. The last sentence uses
the word "image" which hooks into the last
paragraph. (It is less important that this
paragraph has a hook since the last
paragraph is going to include a summary of
the body of the paper.)
1
The first sentence of the concluding
paragraph uses the principal words from
the quotations from each paragraph of the
body of the paper. This summarizes those
three paragraph. The second and third
sentences provide observations which can
also be considered a summary, not only of
the content of the paper, but also offers
personal opinion which was logically drawn
as the result of this study. The last sentence
returns to the Edgar Allan Poe-Stephen
King relationship which began this paper.
This sentence also provides a "wrap-up" and
gives the paper a sense of finality.
"Thick darkness," "thread of the spider," and
"vulture eye" are three images that Poe used in
"The Tell-Tale Heart" to stimulate a reader's
senses. 2Poe wanted the reader to see and feel
real life. 3He used concrete imagery rather than
vague abstract words to describe settings and
people. 4If Edgar Allan Poe was one of Stephen
King's teachers, then readers of King owe a debt
of gratitude to that nineteenth-century creator of
horror stories.
PARAGRAPHING - LENGTH
Paragraphs are units of thought with one idea developed adequately. Listed here are some rules of thumb to
use when paragraphing. As your writing improves, you'll be able to break these "rules" to meet your own
needs. Until then, these suggestions will be helpful:
 Put only one main idea per paragraph.
 Aim for three to five or more sentences per paragraph.
 Make your paragraphs proportional to your paper. Since paragraphs do less work in short papers, have
short paragraphs for short papers and longer paragraphs for longer papers.
 If you have a few very short paragraphs, think about whether they are really parts of a larger paragraph-and can be combined--or whether you can add details to support each point and thus make each into a
more fully developed paragraph.
Materials compiled by Tomasz Szczegóła, Writing Program Coordinator for Years 1BA and 2BA, School of English, Adam Mickiewicz
University, Poznań (stomasz@ifa.amu.edu.pl) from: Guide to Grammar and Writing at ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/, Purdue University’s
Writing Lab at owl.english.purdue.edu/ and The Writing Skills Workbook by Lefkovitz.
www.staff.amu.edu.pl/.../IFA.../RULESOFESSAYWRITING.docer