Understanding and Producing Written English Lecture 11 Expository Writing

Narrative Essays Due Sunday night (Mon. morning 12 am) Web submission to tutor Same format as before

Expository Writing Writing that ‘explains’ Two Ingredients Analysis Argument

Basic Structure Problem  Solution The secret Picking problems worth solving Picking problems you can solve

Expository Writing Your experiences What went wrong? Topic Analysis Research Proof

Rule Number One Prove It!

How? Give examples Tell a story Describe something Quote someone smarter than you Give ‘facts’ (statistics, etc.)

Using what you have learned Analysis/ Argument DescriptionExpositionNarration

Analysis Classification Comparison and Contrast Process Cause and Effect

Write a Sentence… I am an expert (preposition) (noun, gerund or gerund phrase)

Expository Writing Writing that explains Writing that ‘exposes’ Doesn’t have to be boring ‘Creative writing’ Stories and descriptions Examples of expository writing from ‘real life’

Steps Brainstorming subjects of interest Evaluating possible topics Considering purpose and audience Narrowing down your topic Gathering information and evidence Deciding on a design Formulating a ‘thesis’ Making an outline

Choosing a topic What are you an expert on? ‘Applying for the job’ Self-awareness and self-confidence Writing and the ‘real world’

Purpose and Audience Whom are you writing for? What do you want them to think/do? What image do you want them to have of you?

Narrowing down your topic Biggest Danger: Trying to do to much Exploring your subject A journalist questions Who, what, where, when, why, how? Observing and describing Thinking of stories

Gathering information ‘Research’ Observing Talking to people Introspection and remembering Reading Gathering things

Determining your design: Reasoning Start with your purpose! What’s the problem? Problem>Solution Deductive Pattern (writing) Main Idea> Points> Reasons>Evidence Inductive Pattern (thinking) Eivdence/Experience> Reasons> Points> Main Idea

Design Patterns Classification To solve the problem, you need to understand the different characteristics of the different kinds of X Compare/Contrast To solve the problem, you need to understand how X is different from or similar to Y

Design Patterns Cause/Effect To solve the problem, you need to understand what caused X or what the effect of X might be Process To solve the problem, you need to understand how X develops over time (or how to do X)

Dangers ‘As we know…’, ‘It has been said…’ Writing about ‘ideas’ rather than ‘real things/people’ ‘Putting the cart before the horse’ Using clichès ‘Old hat’ and obvious statements Stealing Newspapers

Dangers Generalizations

Making an Outline The basic unit of an expository essay is… The Paragraph A paragraph is not just a bunch of sentences Idea+explanation/elaboration Point+evidence/examples Idea/point > topic sentencetopic sentence