*Expository Writing and Writing in the Content Areas*

Expository Writing refers to communication used to explain, describe, give information or inform. It is factual, not creative.

 

Patterns are vital to expository writing. Understanding how and when to use these patterns assists greatly in recognizing them in a text book, or magazine, therefore making understanding much easier. Some basic patterns are listed below:

DescriptionThe author describes a topic by listing characteristics, features, and examples.
Sequence
The author lists items or events in numerical or chronological order.
Comparison
The author explains how two or more things are alike and/or how they are different.
Cause and Effect
The author lists one or more causes and the resulting effect or effects.
Problem and Solution
The author states a problem and lists one or more solutions for the problem. A variation of this pattern is the question- and-answer format in which the author poses a question and then answers it.
The Basic Five Paragraph Essay - Although this is the most boring of all writing assignments, it is also the most frequently given and harshly graded piece of work. This site gives some good tips on how to make the basic expository essay more interesting. Just remember that cute openings, humor and a closing "zinger" will make your writing more interesting to read, but will probably not gain you many, if any, points if the basic facts are not correct. Get the facts down first, THEN make it creative and fun.