How to Write an Expository Essay
When writing an essay, follow these eight basic steps:
Select a topic:
Be sure the topic is narrow enough to make it manageable within the space of an essay
Write a thesis sentence:
Be sure the thesis statement(or sentence) expresses a controlling idea that is neither too
broad nor too specific to be developed effectively
Select a method of development:
Check through all the methods before you finally settle on the one which will best serve your thesis:
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Organize the essay:
Begin by listing the major divisions which the body paragraphs in your essay will discuss; then fill in the primary supports that each body paragraph of the essay will contain
Write topic sentences for the body paragraphs of the essay:
For each body paragraph, furnish a topic sentence that directly relates to the thesis sentence
Write the body paragraphs of the essay:
Each body paragraph should develop the primary support covered in that paragraph's topic sentence
Furnish a paragraph of introduction:
An introductory paragraph should state the thesis of the essay, introduce the divisions in the body paragraphs of the essay, gain the interest of the reader
Write a paragraph of conclusion:
A concluding paragraph should restate the thesis and divisions of the essay bring the essay to an appropriate and effective close without digressing into new issues.
Source: Ida Masters Hollowell, James A. Levernier, A. Franklin Parks, Structuring Paragraphs: A Guide to Effective Writing. 2nd ed. New York: St. Martin's,1986.
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Use transitions and make connections not only between paragraphs, but among sentences, too. Play with different types of sentence structures (some long, some short, etc.) and more vivid, descriptive word choice to make the essay engaging to the reader.
NOTE: This isn’t even close to how I would like the essay to be laid out. I’m just writing paragraphs and eventually I will get them in an order I like them and revise.
2. Your first paragraph seems to be your first point instead of your introduction. Your first sentence also appears to be your thesis statement. Your introduction should incorporate all of the points of your paper. You are introducing all of them. So, lengthen your introduction and then for your thesis statement you need to list all of the points that you discuss. In his play, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Shakespeare clearly establishes the feelings of Theseus with respect to love, reason.
For the first body paragraph you should use your strongest argument or most significant example unless some other more obvious beginning point (as in the case of chronological explanations) is required. The first sentence of this paragraph should be the topic sentence of the paragraph that directly relates to the examples listed in the mini-outline of introductory paragraph.
The strengths in my writing are my organizational skills, grammatical construct, and my work ethic. Organizing an essay is a very natural process for me. I always follow the basic guidelines for the structure of an essay, which state that one must have an introduction, thesis statement, body, conclusion, and a works cited when needed. The “Are Helicopter Parents Entering the No Fly Zone?” essay, “Animal Cloning—How Unethical Is It?” essay, and the “The Clean Water Act—Is it Successfully Reducing Water Pollution?” essay all have a proper introduction, an informative thesis statement, a body, great conclusions, and works cited pages. Formatting the essays is an integral aspect of organizational skills. Each new paragraph is indented, the font is twelve-point Times New Roman, the sentences are double spaced, and the headers are correct.
16. Write a conclusion paragraph that briefly tells the reader what you wrote about in your essay and your overall
You should be able to read the main idea for a paragraph, say “helps prove that” and then read your thesis statement and have it make sense. Before writing your paper out, you need to know what those three major arguments you will make will be. Below, write the main ideas for your three body paragraphs.
Conclusion: This paragraph will restate the ideas of the entire essay. Be sure that your last sentence is powerful.
In a short essay, completely covering a large topic is impossible, so picking a specific, focused topic is important. For example, the broad topic of global warming would need to be narrowed down to something more specific, like the effects of automobile exhaust on an ecosystem.
Now write the thesis for your essay in the space below, using your answers to the questions above. For example, your thesis statement might look like this:
INTRO PARAGRAPH Topic sentence: the idea that governs the entire paragraph then expand on that idea. The overall argument of paper should show the argument from the thesis/topic sentence.
1. The thesis of the essay is stated at the end of the first paragraph. The author says,
2. Your thesis statement appears in its own paragraph. Thesis statements are a part of the introduction and should be included in the introductory paragraph.
will be included in each specific paragraph. This will help to avoid getting off of the subject and
are going to say about your topic. Thesis statements often come at the end of the introductory paragraph. This