Understanding Expository Writing: Exposition and Thesis Statements
Expository writing involves explaining, describing, and discussing a topic through a structured essay format. It centers around a clear thesis statement supported by evidence. Learn about crafting effective thesis statements and differentiating between strong and weak examples.
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WHAT IS EXPOSITION? Expository Writing English I
WHAT IS EXPOSITION? EXPOSITION, or an EXPOSITORY ESSAY, is: Writing that explains explains, describes describes, or discusses discusses a topic An EXPOSITORY ESSAY: Is built around a thesis statement Includes factual, evidence to explain and support the thesis statement The goal of an expository essay is: To clearly explain what the writer thinks about a topic
A THESIS STATEMENT: Is one complete sentence Is statement, not a question Is the controlling idea of an essay Makes a claim that others might dispute Is narrow and specific and can be supported with evidence and explanation
THESIS STATEMENT DOS AND DONTS: Do Abraham Lincoln was one of our country s best presidents. Do Not During the Civil War, Abraham Lincoln was the President of the United States. Do Global Warming is a real threat, and Americans should do their part to conserve energy. Do Not If our nation s leaders do not act fast, Global Warming is going to kill us.
HOW ARE THESE THESIS STATEMENTS? Prompt: Write an explanation about how a sport or activity can teach life lessons to those who participate in it. All sports teach you life lessons. Everything in life teaches us a lesson whether it s good or bad. Volleyball is a great sport to learn life lessons because every time you get on the court, you have to work with five other girls to succeed. There are a couple of things you can learn from shopping that will help you in life. Like basketball, life demands good decision making, hard work, and cooperation. Which of these thesis statements meets ALL requirements of a quality thesis statement? ALL the
YOU TRY IT. Prompt: Write and explanation about how a sport or activity can teach life lessons to those who participate in it. First make a short list of sports or activities that you enjoy. Next, pick one, and think about how it can be compared to life and the lessons you might learn from it. Now, draft a thesis statement that has ALL the qualities of a strong thesis statement.
WHAT DOES A WRITER DO IN AN EXPOSITORY ESSAY? DO DO - - Clearly explains what s/he thinks about the topic. Is aware of the audience/reader Writes in either 1stor 3rdperson. 3rdperson is best! NOT DO NOT DO Try to persuade or convince the reader to think a certain way. Write in 2ndperson - you No! No! No!
WHAT DOES A WRITER USE TO DEVELOP & EXPLAIN THE TOPIC? In order to thoroughly develop and explain the topic, a writer must use EVIDENCE. Evidence used in expository writing comes in several forms. We will focus on: Logical Evidence Empirical Evidence Anecdotal Evidence
WHAT IS LOGICAL EVIDENCE? Logical evidence, simply put, refers to FACTS. When a writer uses facts to develop an expository essay and to support their thesis statement, the writer is using LOGICAL EVIDENCE. Logical evidence is convincing for the reader/audience because a fact is something that can be verified, something real or actual.
WHAT IS EMPIRICAL EVIDENCE? Empirical evidence is evidence that can be experienced or observed. Scientific research is considered empirical evidence. Scientifically-based research from fields such as psychology, sociology, economics, and neuroscience is considered empirical evidence. Empirical evidence is data used to analyze, compare, evaluate, and monitor progress.
WHAT IS ANECDOTAL EVIDENCE? Anecdotal evidence consists of an anecdote or a descriptive story about an event or experience. phenomenon. Another name for this type of evidence is a testimonial. We are all familiar with this kind of evidence and commonly use it in everyday decision making. For example, when choosing a babysitter or dentist, we would often ask for the experiences of friends and family. Anecdotal evidence falls short of what is necessary for a reasonable standard of proof.
QUICK REVIEW: Expository writing is writing that clearly explains a topic; it is informational. An expository essay is built around a thesis statement, or controlling idea. A thesis statement must be specific and able to be supported with evidence. There are several types of evidence used to develop expository writing. Logical evidence is factual. Empirical evidence is scientific; it is observable. Anecdotal evidence is like word of mouth ; it is based on personal experiences.
