Introduction to Expository writing:

Definition:
Expository writing is a compositional style that you may use when
writing essays, but this form of writing also can have uses in business
settings. The primary goal of expository writing is to inform or educate
the reader with facts, statistical data and information, which means it
can benefit you when writing reports on professional topics such as
finance or research.

Examples: Some common examples of expository writing include

academic essays, textbooks, instructional guides, and news reports.

Types:

1)Compare and contrast essay: Compare and contrast essay

is a type of essay in which the writer compare and contrast two
things. The writer compares the similarities between the two selected
subjects and contrast the differences in those subjects. The subjects
should belong to the same category.

2)Cause and Effect Essay: In the cause and effect essay, the
writer tries to find because of something: why did something happen?
And what effects it might have? This type of essay has built around
the reason that caused something to happen and its possible
impacts.

3)problem and solution: in the problem and solution essay,the

writer identifies a problem and then proposes its solution. The writer
examine the particular subject from various aspects and perspectives
prior to providing a solution. This essay is somewhat similar to the
cause and effect essay.

4)Process essay: The process essay refers to the process of

something i.e: How to make an apple pie. This type of writing
included a step by step process of making or doing something. The
goal is to provide the process in such a way that the reader can follow
the sequence
5)Definition essay: The definition essay is a type of expository
essay that gives a complete description of the topic. It explains what
the term or the topic of the essay exactly means. Some terms have
concrete meanings like glass, book ete. Whereas some have abstract
meanings like love, respect, honor ete.

6)Classification essay: A classification expository writing piece

sorts and categorizes topics into a very rigid structure that is easy to
follow and understand. It's used when there are different examples of
the main topic and those examples all have different information
within them. The purpose of classification is to break a subject into
smaller, more manageable, more specific parts.

7)Descriptive writing: The primary purpose of descriptive writing

is to describe a person, place or thing in such a way that a picture is
formed in the reader's mind. Capturing an event through descriptive
writing involves paying close attention to the details by using all of
your five senses.

8)Exploratory writing: Expository writing is writing that seeks to

explain, illuminate or 'expose' (which is where the word 'expository'
comes from). This type of writing can include essays, newspaper and
magazine articles, instruction manuals, textbooks, encyclopedia
articles and other forms of writing, so long as they seek to explain.

9)Anecdotal evidence: Anecdotal evidence refers to personal

stories, individual accounts or isolated examples that are used to
support a claim or argument. While anecdotal evidence can be
compelling and relatable. It is based on personal experiences and
may reflect broader trends or realities.

10)Sequential writing: Sequential writing, also known as

chronological writing, involves organizing information or events in a
clear, time-based order. This approach is often used when presenting
a series of actions, or events in a logical sequence, making it easier
for readers to understand a process .
Characteristics:
Expository text exists to provide facts in a way that is educational and
purposeful. The text is fact-based with the purpose of exposing the
truth through a reliable source. True and deliberate expository text will
focus on educating its reader.

.Clarity: being clear and concise to your intended audience. Clarity

helps individuals to define their goals, create a clear path to achieving
them, and make effective decisions.

.Coherence: Coherence is achieved when sentences and ideas

are connected and flow together smoothly. An. essay without
coherence can inhibit a reader's ability to understand the ideas and
main points of. the essay.

.Organization: Organization in writing is how ideas are presented.

Typically, organization refers to the larger parts of a piece of writing,
although it also refers to how paragraphs and sentences are written.

The writing process:

1)Pre-writing:Pre-writing is the first stage of the writing process. It

is important because it helps writers generate ideas for their eventual
written thesis. Pre-writing helps writers lay a solid foundation for their
work. Centering a piece’s focus and organizing the order of things.

Purpose of pre-writing:Pre-writing helps writers prepare a

response to a prompt or stimulus. Through prewriting writes can
generate ideas and then explore their generated ideas. This enables
them to narrow their focus in order to determine what specifically to
write about in a first draft.
Pre-writing techniques:

a)Brainstorming: Brainstorming is a process where you quickly

verbalize or write all of your thoughts as they occur to you. Though
you can brainstorm without writing your thoughts down, keeping a
record makes it easier to keep track of them. This process is usually
very informal, and it often helps writers find a theme or topic on which
to focus their paper.
If you use this technique, remember that this strategy is about
generating many ideas instead of focusing on high-quality ideas. Try
not to focus on connecting, censoring, developing or defending your
ideas during a brainstorming session. Instead, try to document your
thought process by generating several ideas, even ones you might
not use for this specific writing project.

b)Free-writing: Freewriting involves writing whatever comes to

your mind without worrying about the grammar, spelling or quality of
your ideas. When freewriting, the goal is to write quickly and without
too much thought so you can generate as many ideas as possible.
Regardless of what you're writing, the key is to write continuously for
a set amount of time, usually between five and 10 minutes.
If you already have a topic in mind, it helps to focus on that central
idea as you write. After the time is up, you can read over what you
wrote and highlight any interesting ideas that help you clarify your
vision for the paper. Then, you can use those sentences to guide the
creation of your outline or first draft.

c)Mind-mapping: Mind-mapping or idea mapping, also known as

clustering is a prewriting technique that focuses on the relationships
between topics and ideas. When your mind map is complete, it often
looks like a web. Mapping things out can help you understand the
relationships between ideas and determine which areas have the
most potential for your paper. You can then look for clusters of
subtopics that you want to develop and use them as key points for
your paper.

d)Outlining: Outlining allows you to organize your thoughts into the

general order in which you want to address them in your paper. When
outlining, most writers create a structure for their paper by using
bullet points or Roman numerals. First, you can split the introduction,
body paragraphs and conclusion into headings. Then, list the main
idea, evidence and analysis for each section underneath the
corresponding heading. Though some benefit from this strategy on its
own, it's typically most effective when you pair it with another
prewriting technique that gives you a sense of your argument, themes
and approach.
2)Drafting: During drafting, the writer puts his ideas into complete
thoughts, such as sentences and paragraphs. The writer organizes
his ideas in a way that allows the reader to understand his message.
Drafting is the stage of the writing process in which you develop a
complete first version of a piece of writing. Even professional writers
admit that an empty page scares them because they feel they need
to come up with something fresh and original every time they open a
blank document on their computers.

3)Revising and editing:

Revising a piece of your own writing is more than just fixing errors
—that's editing. Revision happens before editing.
Revising involves re-seeing your essay from the eyes of a reader who
can't read your mind, not resting satisfied until you're sure you have
been as clear and as thorough as possible.
Revising also requires you to think on a large scale, to extrapolate: If
a reader remarked that you didn't have enough evidence in
paragraph three, you should also take a close look at paragraphs two
and four to be sure that you provide substantial evidence for those
claims as well.

Editing: Editing involves looking at each sentence carefully, and

making sure that it's well designed and serves its purpose.
Proofreading involves checking for grammatical and punctuation
errors, spelling mistakes, etc. Proofing is the final stage of the writing
process.

4)Proof-reading:Proofreading is the final stage of the writing

process when the paper is evaluated for mechanical correctness,
such as grammar, punctuation, spelling, omitted words, repeated
words, spacing and format, and typographical errors. You should
proofread only after you have finished all of your other revisions and
editing.
The proofreading process becomes more efficient as you develop
and practice a systematic strategy. Learn to identify the specific areas
of your own writing that need careful attention.

5)Peer review and feedback: Feedback and peer review are

essential parts of the academic writing process. They can help you
improve your clarity, coherence, argument, and style, as well as
identify and correct errors and gaps in your work. To make the most
of feedback and peer review, you need to know how to use them
effectively and constructively.

Essay Organization and Structure:

Introduction: An introduction is the opening section of an essay,
paper, or other written work. It introduces the topic and provides
background information, context, and an overview of what the reader
can expect from the rest of the work.

Thesis Statement: A thesis statement is the main idea of an

essay. It consists of the topic of the essay and the writer's claim about
the topic that will be proven throughout the essay. The thesis usually
appears at the end of the introduction, often as the last sentence, and
lets the reader know what to expect.

Body Paragraphs: Body paragraphs are where you support your

thesis with evidence. In the case of an English essay, these are
where you present your examples and quotations from the text and
explain how they support your argument. If your thesis is a simple
one, you might not need a lot of body paragraphs to prove it. If it's
more complicated, you'll need more body paragraphs.

Conclusion: The purpose of a conclusion is to summarise the

main points of your essay. It is your last opportunity to bring together
what you have been saying, and to make your opinion, and your
understanding of the topic, very clear to your examiner. It is also your
opportunity to make a good final impression and to end on a positive
note.
Cohesion: Cohesion refers to the way we use vocabulary and
grammatical structures to make connections between the ideas within
a text. It provides flow and sequence to your work and helps make
your paragraphs clear for the reader.

Coherence: Coherence in a piece of writing means that the reader

can easily understand it. Coherence is about making everything flow
smoothly. The reader can see that everything is logically arranged
and connected, and relevance to the central focus of the essay is
maintained throughout.

Different Types of Expository writing:

1) Description or Descriptive writing: The primary purpose of

descriptive writing is to describe a person, place or thing in such a
way that a picture is formed in the reader's mind. Capturing an event
through descriptive writing involves paying close attention to the
details by using all of your five senses.

2) Illustration or Illustrative Writing:Illustration is a rhetorical

style that uses examples to support the thesis or main idea of a
paragraph or essay. Illustration is most often used at the paragraph
level to help illustrate or support a point, but you may also encounter
illustration essays of various types in your college courses.

3) Classification essay: A classification expository writing piece

sorts and categorizes topics into a very rigid structure that is easy to
follow and understand. It's used when there are different examples of
the main topic and those examples all have different information
within them. The purpose of classification is to break a subject into
smaller, more manageable, more specific parts.

4) Cause and Effect Essay: In the cause and effect essay, the
writer tries to find because of something: why did something happen?
And what effects it might have? This type of essay has built around
the reason that caused something to happen and its possible
impacts.

5) Process essay:The process essay refers to the process of

something i.e: How to make an apple pie. This type of writing
included a step by step process of making or doing something. The
goal is to provide the process in such a way that the reader can follow
the sequence

6) Comparative analysis essay: A comparative essay is a type

of essay in which an essay writer compares at least two or more
items. The author compares two subjects with the same relation in
terms of similarities and differences depending on the assignment.

Writing for Different Purposes and Audiences:

Types of Purposes:

1) To Inform:When writing to inform, your job is to convey

information accurately and objectively. One example of when you
'write to inform' is in a job application. You may be asked to write a
personal statement providing information on: your qualifications.

2) To Analyze: Make a justified selection of some of the essential

features of an artefact, idea or issue. Examine how these relate to
each other and to other ideas, in order to help better understand the
topic.

3) To Persuade:The purpose of persuasion in writing is to

convince or move readers toward a certain point of view, or opinion.
An argument is a reasoned opinion supported and explained by
evidence. To argue, in writing, is to advance knowledge and ideas in
a positive way.

4) To Entertain: When an author writes to entertain, they want to

interest the reader. Entertaining texts can be happy, sad, or even
spooky, but their primary purpose is to draw the reader into the story.
Texts that are written to entertain include stories, poems, plays, and
songs.

Writing for Academic Audiences:

Writing for Academic Audiences is also known as "scholarly writing"

and is, therefore, meant to be read by scholars in a particular field. In
an academic setting, your audience is generally your professor, your
classmates and sometimes other professors who may be assessing
your work at the end of the semester. It is, therefore, critical to
consider how you will articulate your ideas in order to reach the
desired objective for that specific audience.

Guidelines:
a) Using Formal Language: Write clearly and professionally.
B) Researching Well: Use reliable sources for accurate
information.
c) Organizing Clearly: Structure your writing with a beginning,
middle, and end.
d) Supporting Your Ideas: Use facts and examples to explain
your points.
e) Giving Credit: Show where your information comes from by
citing sources.
f) Thinking Critically: Look at information carefully and make
smart conclusions.
g) Staying Neutral: Keep your writing factual, not personal.
h) Adding New Ideas: Share new thoughts or discoveries in your
field.
i) Checking Your Work: Edit to make sure your writing is clear
and correct.

Writing for Public Audience:

Writing for public audiences means writing in a way that everyone
can understand and find interesting. It's about using simple language,
telling stories or giving examples that connect with everyday life, and
making sure the information you share is accurate and trustworthy.
Writing for Everyone: Making Ideas Clear and Interesting
a) Simple Words: Use everyday language that everyone
understands.
b) Stories and Examples: Share stories and examples that
people can easily relate to.
c) Accuracy and Trust: Provide correct information from reliable
sources.
d) Real-Life Connections: Explain how your topic relates to
everyday life.
e) Keeping Interest: Write in a way that keeps readers
interested.
f) Easy to Understand: Make sure your writing is clear for
everyone to follow.
g) Encouraging Action: If needed, suggest ways readers can do
something with your information.
h) Summary: Writing for the public means making ideas clear and
interesting using everyday language and relatable examples,
ensuring accuracy, and encouraging readers to connect and take
action if possible.

Different Tones and Styles:

Tones:
1. Formal Tone:
Used in academic writing, professional reports, and formal
correspondence. It's serious, structured, and avoids personal
pronouns and casual language.

2. Informal Tone: Found in casual conversations, personal emails,

and some types of blogs. It's relaxed, conversational, and may
include slang or colloquialisms.

3. Objective Tone: Often seen in scientific reports, news articles,

and academic essays. It presents information without personal bias
or emotion, focusing on facts and evidence.

4. Subjective Tone: Used in personal narratives, opinion pieces,

and reviews. It reflects the writer's personal feelings, thoughts, and
experiences.

5. Persuasive Tone: Found in advertising, speeches, and

editorials. It aims to convince the audience to adopt a certain
viewpoint or take a specific action.

Styles:

1. Narrative Style: Tells a story, often used in novels, biographies,

and personal essays. It has characters, a plot, and a storyline.

2. Descriptive Style:Paints a picture with words, focusing on

sensory details to create vivid imagery. Common in poetry, travel
writing, and nature essays.

3. Expository Style: Explains or informs, using facts, statistics,

and examples to clarify a topic. Found in textbooks, informative
articles, and how-to guides.

4. Argumentative Style: Presents a viewpoint and supports it

with evidence and reasoning. Used in debates, persuasive essays,
and opinion pieces.

5. Conversational Style: Mimics spoken language, with

contractions, rhetorical questions, and direct address to the reader.
Often found in blogs, social media posts, and informal articles.

Ethical Considerations:

Plagiarism:
Types of Plagiarism:

1) Complete Plagiarism: Complete plagiarism occurs when

someone copies an entire piece of work from someone else and
presents it as their own without making any changes. It's like
pretending you wrote something that you actually didn't.

2) Source-based Plagiarism: Source-based plagiarism happens

when you use information or ideas from a source—like a book,
website, or article—without giving credit to the original author. It's not
acknowledging where you got the information from, which can
mislead others about who originally came up with the ideas.

3) Direct Plagiarism: Direct plagiarism is when someone copies

another person's exact words without putting them in quotation marks
or mentioning who wrote them. It's as if you're taking credit for
someone else's words and not admitting that they came from
someone else.

4) Self or Auto Plagiarism:Self or auto plagiarism occurs when

someone submits their own previous work as if it's new or original. It's
like reusing your own ideas or papers without letting others know
they've been used before. This can be misleading because it doesn't
show that you're building on your own past work.
5) Paraphrasing Plagiarism: Paraphrasing plagiarism happens
when you rewrite someone else's ideas or information in your own
words without properly citing where the original idea came from. Even
if you change the words, it's still using someone else's thoughts
without giving credit. It's important to acknowledge where ideas
originally came from, even if you're putting them in your own words.

6) Inaccurate Authorship: Inaccurate authorship occurs when

someone claims that someone else created a piece of work when
they didn't. It's like giving credit to the wrong person for something
that was actually done by someone else. This can cause confusion
and isn't fair to the person who actually did the work.

7) Mosaic Plagiarism: Mosaic plagiarism involves taking pieces

from different sources—like sentences or ideas—without saying
where each part came from. It's like making a puzzle with other
people's pieces but not showing where each piece belongs. This can
create a misleading mix of ideas that doesn't properly credit the
original sources.

8) Accidental Plagiarism:Accidental plagiarism happens when

someone uses someone else's work without meaning to or without
realizing it. This can occur because of not understanding how to
properly cite sources or not realizing that certain information needs to
be credited to its original creator. It's important to learn how to
correctly cite sources to avoid accidentally using someone else's
work without giving them credit.

Originality:
Originality in writing means coming up with your own ideas and
expressing them in your own way. It's about being creative and
unique, not copying from others.

Types of Originality:

Conceptual Originality: This involves generating new ideas or

concepts that haven't been explored or articulated before. It could be
a new theory, hypothesis, or approach to solving a problem.

Expressive Originality: This relates to how you present your

ideas or thoughts in a unique and creative way. It includes your
writing style, voice, and the way you structure sentences and
paragraphs.

Interpretive Originality: This is about offering new insights or

interpretations of existing ideas, texts, or phenomena. It involves
seeing connections or meanings that others may not have
considered.

Technical Originality: In fields like science or technology, this

refers to creating new methods, techniques, or inventions that haven't
been developed previously.

Aesthetic Originality: In creative arts like literature, music, or

visual arts, this pertains to creating works that are innovative,
imaginative, and distinctively your own in terms of style, form, or
genre.

Citation:
In writing, citation means showing where you got your information
from. It's important because it gives credit to the original authors, lets
others find the sources you used, and proves you did thorough
research. Citations include details like the author's name, year of
publication, and title of the work, following a specific style (like APA or
MLA). This helps keep your writing honest and trustworthy.

Types of Citation:

In-text citation: This is when you mention a source within your

writing, usually including the author's last name and the year of
publication in parentheses, such as (Smith, 2020).

Direct quotations: When you directly copy someone else's words,

you must use quotation marks and cite the source.
Paraphrasing: When you rewrite someone else's ideas in your
own words, you still need to cite the original source.

Bibliographic citation:This is the full citation of a source,

typically found in a bibliography or reference list at the end of your
work. It includes all necessary information (author, title, publication
date, etc.) formatted according to a specific citation style (APA, MLA,
Chicago, etc.).

Referencing:
Referencing means giving credit to the books, articles, and websites
you used in your writing. It involves listing these sources at the end of
your work so that others can find them too. This helps show where
your information came from and makes your writing more trustworthy.
Types of Referencing:

In-text referencing: When you mention a source in your writing,

you briefly cite it by including the author's name and the year of
publication in parentheses, like (Smith, 2020).

Bibliographic referencing:At the end of your work, you list all

the sources you used in a detailed format. This includes the author's
full name, title of the work, year of publication, and other information
depending on the citation style you're using (like APA, MLA, or
Chicago).