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How to Write an Expository Essay

The expository essay is actually one of the most straightforward assignments you will ever encounter. Its purpose is simply to describe or explain a specific topic to the reader using factual information.

You do not have to develop an argument or prove anything in an expository essay; you only have to understand your topic and present it to the reader in a logical, cogent manner.

An expository-writing prompt will ask you to describe the changes wrought by the Industrial Revolution, but it will not require you to take a position on whether the Industrial Revolution had a positive or negative impact..

Writing an expository essay

Usually, an expository essay is structured in five paragraphs. The first is the introduction, which contains the thesis statement. The next three body paragraphs each develop a separate point to support the thesis, and provide factual examples and information. The fifth and final paragraph is the conclusion, which ties the body paragraphs together and sums up the essay. Since the content is factual, you will need to write in the third person only. This means no "I" or "you" in the essay.

The thesis statement drives the structure and content of the expository essay. It's the most important sentence in your essay, but that doesn't mean it has to be complicated. In fact, the best thesis statements are simple. It's important that the statement be clear and that it be one that you can support with facts. A thesis statement for an expository essay should not express an opinion or take a position on a topic.

Too much: The Boston Tea Party was the most important act of civil disobedience in the American colony because it protested unjust taxation without representation and was therefore the main cause of the Revolutionary War.

Just right: The Boston Tea Party was a significant act of civil disobedience that galvanized Americans around the issue of taxation without representation and helped spark the Revolutionary War.

A strong thesis for an expository essay will not present an opinion or state an argument. Remember, your thesis statement should be based purely on factual information that you present in the body of your essay. It should be clear, concise, and well written. Once you have a sound thesis in place, writing the rest of your essay will be easy because you will know exactly what information you need to present.

Writing expository essay does not have to be difficult!