Exposition can be either oral or written. It is used to explain, interpret, inform, or describe. An expository writer must assume that the audience has no prior knowledge regarding the topic being discussed. So the topic must be written in a clear manner explaining how things work (you can however, leave out common knowledge–you probably are not writing for first graders). Exposition reaches beyond the obvious. Its underlying purpose in explaining, interpreting, informing, or describing is to reveal aspects of substance. Exposition does not simply provide a definition of the term “fake news”; it explores the inherent danger in using a terms that grossly oversimplifies the true nature of news. In an essay one would explore how the term “fake news” should but often does not refer to unreliable news sources, rumor mills, and blogs or social media sites that purposely spread unsourced stories to fulfill a political or personal agenda. One might also write that “fake news” is a term applied to news that is sourced but that someone simply choices to openly discredit.
As most academic terms, exposition can acquire various definitions depending on the context in which a writer is using the word. The HarperCollins Collins English Dictionary defines exposition in seven different disciplinary contexts.
- Within the Communication Arts / Journalism & Publishing discipline exposition is defined as: a systematic, usually written statement about, commentary on, or explanation of a specific subject
- The act of expounding of setting forth information or a viewpoint
- (Business / Commerce) of a large public exhibition, especially of industrial products or arts and crafts
- The act of exposing or the state of being exposed
- (Performing Arts / Theatre) the part of a play, novel, etc., in which the theme and main characters are introduced.
- (Music / Classical Music) Music the first statement of the subjects or themes of a movement in sonata form or a fugue
- (Christianity / Roman Catholic Church) RC Church the exhibiting of the consecrated Eucharistic Host or a relic for public veneration (Harper Collins Dictionary)
TYPES OF EXPOSITION
- Description – The author explains a particular topic by showing characteristics, features, and examples.
- Comparison – The author shows how two or more topics are alike.
- Contrast – The author shows how two or more topics are different.
- Cause and Effect – The author demonstrates the cause while showing the effects of the cause.
- Problem and Solution – The author explains a problem, then explores possible solutions.
- Analytical – The author evaluates a topic or argument revealing its strengths and weaknesses.
- Classification – The author sorts things into useful categories, makes sure all the categories follow a single organizing principle, and gives examples that fit into each category.
- Sequence – The author lists items or events in numerical or chronological order.
FIND A TOPIC, READ, DISCUSS, AND RESEARCH
First you must find a specific aspect of a topic that would interest you. This means you will and must read about the topic. You will have to research the topic extensively so that you can explain it—what exposition is all about. Research your topic extensively if necessary. You will probably have to spend quite a bit of time, but remember that the researching can be exciting. The general initial researching may even provide some valuable information that you want to explain. Researching is like exercising: at first it hurts, but with time you become stronger and it’s easier to flex your researching muscles. After you have decided upon a topic, you can create a thesis.
When you read, read critically and actively as was discussed in the previous chapter. Question the author’s points, consider conflicting viewpoints and support evidence. Analysis and exposition is built upon disagreement. Don’t avoid it; explore it with an open mind.
Like reading and writing, writing and talking work in unison. Teachers often observe classes that actively read and then discuss what they have read are often much stronger writers. Moreover, some students find that discussion is an important step in articulating their ideas and galvanizing their viewpoints on a topic.
Thesis
An expositional paper is most easily written when you have a “tight” thesis. This means that the focus of your topic is extremely specific. When your thesis is concise, you can write at length because you know exactly what you should be writing about. But when you have a sloppy, vague thesis, you can become lost and your writing reflects this. This goes back to choosing a topic focus that deals with something specific, and not overly general. A thesis makes a claim regarding your focus and is supported by details and facts. It is written in one or two complete sentences. An example of a thesis would be: “Gardening can be a rewarding hobby because of the creativity involved, the variety of plants, and the many uses of plants.”
Create a Sketchy Outline
After you write your thesis, create a sketchy outline so that you have a game plan for your paper. Your outline should have information that you want to include for each part of your thesis. For our thesis example, we could find lots of information that could support the different parts of gardening. Notice the word could–just because we have the information doesn’t mean we must use it in the paper. This is a rough outline after all.
Start Writing
Too often we don’t begin writing because we are stuck—don’t be, just start writing. You can begin anywhere. Start writing where you feel the most comfortable. When you have your outline, as sketchy as it may be, it reminds you of ideas that you want to include in your paper. Remember though that readers are interested in what YOU have to say—they don’t want to read regurgitated quotes and opinions of others, so make sure that your point is being heard.
STRUCTURE OF AN ANALYTICAL/EXPOSITORY ESSAY
The structure of an expository piece consists of first an introduction that contains the most crucial element—the thesis—the main point you wish to convey. After the introduction is the body, in which you clarify the different aspects of the thesis in great detail. The final piece, the conclusion, restates and rephrases (using different words) the thesis and ties up any “loose ends”.
Thesis Statements
A thesis statement is one of the most important elements of any successful expository essay. A thesis statement controls the subject matter of the essay and states something significant to the reader. It is the one statement that summarizes the main point of the essay and states why the essay is important and worth reading. An essay that lacks a strong thesis will have broad scope and lack focus.
The following are qualities of a well-crafted thesis statement:
- A thesis statement should identify a specific purpose for the essay.
- A thesis statement should assert something about the essay, and it should be something with which others can reasonably disagree.
- A thesis statement should be clear and easily identifiable by a reader.
- A thesis statement generally comes toward the end of the introduction and is usually the final sentence.
- A well-focused thesis statement, key to organizing an essay, contains two elements: a clear subject and a clear perspective on the topic.
- Use a precise topic rather than a generalized topic when writing a thesis. Avoid statements like “I will use my essay to consider. . .” and “This paper will discuss….”
- o Vague – Ecological disasters are a major concern today.
- o Precise – Pollution of underground water supplies threatens cities on the American West Coast.
A thesis should have the following characteristics:
- *It should be simple or complex, BUT never compound.
- *It should be stated positively.
- *It should be restricted, precise, and unified.
- *It should not contain figurative language.
INTRODUCTION
The very first part of your introduction should have an attention-grabbing device (a hook) to engage your readers. Hooks can be statistics, facts, questions, or unusual details. Don’t make general statements such as “it is clear that…” because you are trying to explain something that perhaps your reader doesn’t know, so it would not be clear to them. Instead be informative. The introduction will also contain your thesis. Good topic referring to Rhetoric. One can check it at the essays writing companies and already written essays accomplished by writing service writers.
Be creative in your introduction: use an anecdote, a provocative statement, a surprising or insightful quote, or even a shocking statistic. Bring the audience up to speed on the broader aspects of the subject on which you are basing your essay.
Consider starting with a criticism. For example, in Malcolm Gladwell’s book Outliers, people view his research as a key to unlocking human potential, but that’s an overstatement. One might consider challenging the more common and popular interpretations of the book as being a “self-help” book.
Consider starting with praise. The book Outliers is the first widely read and very honest discussion of the commonly held belief that success in America is only a matter of hard work. The reader is confronted with the reality that even in America, privilege provides opportunities poverty cannot. Such an introduction establishes a viewpoint while introducing an important element of the book.
BODY
Now that you have your specific thesis, along with your sketchy outline, you must support your thesis claim by using concrete evidence and examples. You should exfoliate your thesis. Remember that expositional writing assumes that your readers have no prior knowledge regarding your topic, so you must explain things very clearly. Parallelism can be very important in your paper. It can give the readers a feeling of structure and importance. Pick a method of organization and stick with it.
In our example, we would explain in detail how much creativity is involved in gardening. We could write about the style of impressive European or Oriental gardens. Next, we would show how there are a variety of plants. We could write about plants found in different climates. Finally, we would explain the many uses of plants. We could write about floral bouquets and vegetables.
Because exposition’s purpose is to inform, you will want to establish common ground with your readers. You should write objectively, which will fulfill the purpose of explaining things.
Topic Sentence:
It may help to use a topic sentence to focus each paragraph and to keep the writer and the reader on point. This is a statement of the point you’ll make usually in the introductory paragraph.
Support:
Support should always come from the articles you found in your research, your author research, and through passages from the text. BE SPECIFIC when you refer to any text. Paraphrase with detail, and use direct quotes when necessary. This is very, very important.
Developing Paragraphs:
To develop paragraphs, consider one of the following forms of support for your point of view:
- Use examples and illustrations (exemplification)
- Cite data (facts, statistics, evidence, details, and others)
- Examine testimony or authoritative statements and published passages (what other people say such as quotes and paraphrases)
- Use an anecdote or story (narrative)
- Define terms in the paragraph. These terms should be important to the topic under discussion.
- Compare and contrast (describe and explain the characteristics of two objects or ideas to draw attention to similarities and differences)
- Evaluate causes and reasons for the occurrences of an issue or condition in the world. What do you or others believe causes anything from car accidents or racism or juvenile diabetes.
- Examine effects and consequences of a particular action or state of being
- Analyze the topic, supporting texts or common beliefs about some aspect of your topic. For examples, tackle a stereotype or a common belief about the topic.
In each paragraph, explain what you believe the support means. Many of you were already doing this in your paragraphs.
CONCLUSION
A conclusion wraps up your paper by recalling your main points, but do not use the identical words that you used in your introduction. Conclusions and introductions are like frames, they should tie your whole paper together. You should explain your main points briefly and freshly. Don’t be sloppy–this is the last impression you are making.
Some combination of the following is always helpful:
- Refer back to your thesis.
- Tell us what you ultimately think about the topic under discussion.
- Tell us what readers can and should take from this discussion in terms of how we view the world, our families, specific populations, etc. Consider addressing these questions: What would you like us to learn from your discussion on the book? What points should we remember? What particular insights on the subject were most important?
- How can you make your reader remember this essay?
