The expository essay: Home

The structure of the expository essay is held together by the following.

• A clear, concise, and defined thesis statement that occurs in the first paragraph of the essay.

It is essential that this thesis statement be appropriately narrowed to follow the guidelines set forth in the assignment. If the student does not master this portion of the essay, it will be quite difficult to compose an effective or persuasive essay.

• Clear and logical transitions between the introduction, body, and conclusion.

Transitions are the mortar that holds the foundation of the essay together. Without logical progression of thought, the reader is unable to follow the essay’s argument, and the structure will collapse.

• Body paragraphs that include evidential support.

Each paragraph should be limited to the exposition of one general idea. This will allow for clarity and direction throughout the essay. What is more, such conciseness creates an ease of readability for one’s audience. It is important to note that each paragraph in the body of the essay must have some logical connection to the thesis statement in the opening paragraph.

• Evidential support (whether factual, logical, statistical, or anecdotal).

Often times, students are required to write expository essays with little or no preparation; therefore, such essays do not typically allow for a great deal of statistical or factual evidence.

• A bit of creativity!

Though creativity and artfulness are not always associated with essay writing, it is an art form nonetheless. Try not to get stuck on the formulaic nature of expository writing at the expense of writing something interesting. Remember, though you may not be crafting the next great novel, you are attempting to leave a lasting impression on the people evaluating your essay.

• A conclusion that does not simply restate the thesis, but readdresses it in light of the evidence provided.

It is at this point of the essay that students will inevitably begin to struggle. This is the portion of the essay that will leave the most immediate impression on the mind of the reader. Therefore, it must be effective and logical. Do not introduce any new information into the conclusion; rather, synthesize and come to a conclusion concerning the information presented in the body of the essay.

A complete argument

Perhaps it is helpful to think of an essay in terms of a conversation or debate with a classmate. If I were to discuss the cause of the Great Depression and its current effect on those who lived through the tumultuous time, there would be a beginning, middle, and end to the conversation. In fact, if I were to end the exposition in the middle of my second point, questions would arise concerning the current effects on those who lived through the Depression. Therefore, the expository essay must be complete, and logically so, leaving no doubt as to its intent or argument.

The five-paragraph Essay

A common method for writing an expository essay is the five-paragraph approach. This is, however, by no means the only formula for writing such essays. If it sounds straightforward, that is because it is; in fact, the method consists of:

1. an introductory paragraph
2. three evidentiary body paragraphs
3. a conclusion

(Purdue Writing Lab)

Medical disrespect. Bullying doctors are not just unpleasant, they are dangerous. Can we change the culture of intimidation in our hospitals?

The future is emotional. Human jobs in the future will be the ones that require emotional labour: currently undervalued and underpaid but invaluable.  

Die, selfish gene, die. For decades the selfish gene metaphor let us view revolution with new clarity. Is it now blinding us?

Is this life real? Philosophers and physicists say we might be living in a computer simulation, but how can we tell? And does it matter?

Life is quantum. Weird quantum effects are so delicate it seems they could only happen in a lab. How on earth can life depend on them?

The mathematical world. Some philsophers think maths exists in a mysterious other realm. They're wrong. Look around: you can see it.

Keep smiling. Is there any reason to think dolphins and humans have a special relationship? Sure, but it might not be a friendly one.

Too many worlds. Nobody knows what happens inside quantum experiments. So why are some so keen to believe in parallel universes? 

Animal spirits. The more we learn about the emotions shared by all mammals, the more we must rethink our human intelligence.  

The first smile. Why do laughter, smiles and tears looks so similar? Perhaps because they all evolved from a single root. 

I, cockroach. Do insects feel pain? Are they conscious? A science kit for at-home cyborg cockroaches provokes the hard questions.   

The sexism problem. Harrassment drove me out of physics 30 years ago and little has changed. Why is scientific sexism so intractable? 

How totalism works. The brainwashing methods of isolation, engulfment and fear can lead anyone to a cult. I should know - I was in one. 

First impressions count. A judgement of competence is made in a tenth of a second on the basis of facial features. Thus political decisions are made.  

Rules of ascent. For mountaineers, it's not enough to get to the top - it must be done in a certain way. But why is the harder way better? 

Monks with guns. Westerners think that Buddhism is all about peace and non-violence. So how come Buddhist monks are in arms against Islam?

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