Expository Essay Notes

Vocabulary flashcards covering key concepts from the expository essay notes.

Expository Essay

A genre of writing whose purpose is to educate and inform the reader in an unbiased, fact-based manner about a topic.

Expository Writing

The process of investigating an idea, evaluating evidence, and explaining it in detail to present information clearly.

Unbiased

Presenting information without bias or opinion.

Facts

Verifiable information used to support a topic.

Opinions

Personal beliefs or judgments that may not be supported by verifiable evidence.

Thesis Statement

The main claim or point of view stated in the introduction that guides the essay.

Introduction

The opening section that includes an attention grabber, background information, and a thesis.

Body Paragraphs

Paragraphs that present supporting details and elaborations to support the thesis.

Conclusion

The closing section that reiterates the points and highlights the thesis.

Attention Grabber

A device used at the start of the introduction to capture the reader's interest.

Topic Sentence

The sentence that states the main idea of a body paragraph.

Supporting Detail

Evidence or specifics that back up the topic sentence.

Elaboration

Explanations or expansions that clarify supporting details.

Exposition Texts

Texts that are organized, logical, straightforward, and unbiased to convey information.

Expository Essay Types

Common types include compare/contrast, classification, cause and effect, and problem/solution.

Expository Essay Structure

Introduction, body paragraphs, and conclusion.

Minimal Knowledge Assumption

Assuming the reader has little or no prior knowledge of the topic.

Common Contexts for Expository Writing

Textbooks, academic essays, scientific reports, business writing, technical writing, instruction manuals, encyclopedias.