Tips on How to Write an Expository Essay

If you’re wondering how to write an expository essay, you’ve come to the right place. This common college task always wreaks chaos among the students, making them panic in their attempts to understand what they should be doing now. The first thing students need lies in understanding what an expository paper is. It’s an academic type of writing with the goal to present a subject or an event to readers, exploring it in an objective way. 

No need for arguments or refutations here – one must remain neutral and focus on facts alone. These writing assignments teach students how to preserve objectivity and divide a subject into enough parts to make it clear for other people. With its help, learn how to explain things in a coherent way, but before it happens, you need to understand what topic is worth choosing and describing.

What Is an Expository Essay

For writing an essay of this type, students should know what guidelines to follow. This is the only way for them to figure out what they should begin with and decide on the approach to getting a good grade. We devised four steps that have been tested by time and numerous people before. Look at them below and try to keep them in mind.

  • Choose a topic based on your preferences. It is never a good decision to choose themes just for the sake of it. Think about an expository thesis statement (sentence where the goal of an essay is expressed): does it sound like something you would want to read? Go for a topic you truly like, something that will turn research into an exciting adventure. Sure, it might seem like an impossible task at first — after all, who likes doing homework, especially when it takes so much time? But there are many ways of making a subject interesting or even inspiring. Think about what you like, look at it from an academic perspective, and select this topic for your future expository essay.
  • Create a detailed outline. The next thing on the list is an expository essay outline. Many students want to skip this step, but it’s not a good choice. Outlines get a sense of direction, to look at what your expository essay is going to look like before you invest any significant efforts into writing it. In which parts are you going to break your subject? How many body paragraphs will your essay have? Build a picture of it by creating a short yet detailed outline. Use it as a lantern in the dark at every writing stage.
  • Locate enough sourcesGather evidence for your work that you’ll use as your support base. You won’t prove anything in this kind of essay, but still, make your words believable. Readers won’t have any reason for trusting what you say unless you show where facts come from. So, collect an impressive number of sources, look at what their authors say, and combine this with your writing, dedicating each series of sources to each paragraph of your expository essay.
  • Test your writing. Once your composition is ready, show it to someone. It could be a friend or a classmate, or a family member — that depends on you alone. Ask this person for their evaluation. What do they think about your work? Is it clear enough? If they didn’t know much about your subject before, do they feel enlightened now? If there is no one you could ask for input, distance yourself from your writing. Give it several hours or days if you have them, then look at it again. Imagine you’re completely clueless: would you be able to make sense of what’s written? Is everything coherent and detailed enough? If yes, then submit an expository essay when it’s time. If not, make any necessary corrections.

5 Tips on How to Start an Expository Essay

How about some great expository writing tips? It’s good when students know how they should start their work, but how to make it strong and impressive is another matter. With the five tips below, your expository writing skills will skyrocket.

  • Facts, Only Facts. Don’t confuse expository essay writing with anything else. Writers don’t have to argue or prove any point here: they should rely only on bare facts. Present them as they are and preserve neutrality, remaining objective at all stages. If there are several debating views on a chosen topic, fine — present them both, explaining what motivates them and which evidence they have for enlightening the audience.
  • Choose Specific Characteristics of Expository Writing. Writing expository essays could be done in various ways as they have different features. Only writers choose which of them they’d like to incorporate into their work. For example, you could focus on explaining the material, describing a subject, or informing other people about something. Sure, most papers will have all these components, but one of them will be central, and students should make a decision as to which one. They should also decide on a writing tone. It could be light, so known anecdotes and funny quotes could fit best in the form of evidence. More academic types will require statistics and definitions; essay based on descriptions requires vivid details.
  • Ensure That There Is Correct Formatting. College students are used to creating 5-paragraph essays. But expository essay format is a little different: unless professors instruct you otherwise, you can add as many paragraphs as you need. If your subject is very extensive or you were asked to write 8 pages, don’t try pushing all the info into five paragraphs. Be sure that each one doesn’t exceed 200 words and keep them focused on one specific sub-point. The structure is a relevant element of work.
  • Study All Methods for Writing. Expository papers could revolve around different aspects. Would you like to write a story about which factors cause what kind of event? Are you interested in the comparison and contrast model and plan on presenting objective findings of it? Problem and solution, definition essay — all of them fall under the expository category, so feel free to select whichever you want.
  • Look for Samples. Check examples of other expository essays online. This could help you get a direct and clearer idea of how you should write your paper. Don’t copy ideas from there, but look at the structure, tone, and other peculiarities. This could inspire you, giving you a push in the right direction.

Best Strategies For Finding Essay Topics

Before conducting any analysis and writing an expository essay, students need to choose a good topic. Many of them face difficulties here since it’s tough to select something they and their professor would find engaging and educational. Couple it with the fact that each topic should have academic value, and the process of search becomes excruciating. 

If you require assistance with it, look through our site. We have options for all possible subjects and essay types. If you are wondering, what is expository writing, how to find a good argument for controversial paper, what narrative essay is, you’ll find all the answers here. The topics we provide have all been verified by college and university professors; they are all unique and completely free, so pick whatever option you want. It’ll help with creating your essay.

Need Samples? Look Below

We have developed a collection of different expository essay samples. Each of them has been written by our experienced writers, so every expository paragraph is original. These examples cover various topics with different complexity levels. Some are for high school; others are for college as well as the university. They’re related to many subjects, too, so you’re guaranteed to find what your academic needs dictate. Examine them from all sides, use them as fuel for your work, and reap the inevitable benefits.

Complete Your Essay Successfully

Starting something is always the most difficult thing. If students manage to force themselves to overcome this barrier, they’ll see how most problems diminish in size before evaporating entirely. Choose the topic you enjoy, find enough credible sources for backing your own claims up, and develop an outline with all the details. Afterward, writing could become easy, taking hours instead of days.

But of course, knowing expository essay definition and other rules isn’t always enough. Problems happen — it’s inevitable. Some students face personal issues that don’t let them concentrate on homework; others feel physically ill, so they are in no state to be writing. If something like this is plaguing you, don’t worry: trust us — we’ll handle your work just right. Chat with us and explain what your instructions demand. We’ll find the right specialist who’ll compose an essay you want, giving it a title, finding sources, etc. Rely on us, and we promise we won’t let you down.

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Elizabeth Baldridge
Elizabeth Baldridge

Elizabeth provides educational materials, conducts research, explores and solves student challenges. Her posts are always helpful, innovative, and contain interesting insights.

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