1. Mrs. Gafkjen English January 2013
Expository Writing
Mrs. Gafkjen
English
January 2013

2. Expository Writing: Writing that informs or explains
Example: “Fossil teeth are clues to what dinosaurs ate. By studying teeth, paleontologists have learned that most dinosaurs were plant eaters, but some ate animals. Duck-billed dinosaurs, for example, had hundreds of teeth in their jaws. The teeth in each jaw were suited to grinding up plants. Tyrannosaurus rex had teeth that were six inches long, with edges like saws. These teeth were suited to tearing through flesh.”
-Dinosaurs Walked Here, Patricia Lauber

3. How to Write Exposition
1. Choose a Topic: Follow These Guidelines
Choosing a Topic for Expository Writing
Choose a topic that interests you
Choose a topic that will interest your audience
Choose a topic you know about or can learn about

4. How to Write Expository
2. Ask a Question and Answer it
Patricia Lauber might have gotten the idea for her paragraph by asking, “What did dinosaurs eat? How do we know?” Questioning can help you find a topic, narrow it, and develop it into a composition.

5. How to Write Expository
3. Gather Facts
A fact is a piece of information that can be proven.
Your own observations, plus the observations of experts that you find in your library, are your best sources of facts.

6. How to Write Expository
4. Remember your Audience
How much do they already know? What do they need to know to understand you?
5. List Reasons
Reasons explain why something happened or is or is not true. Because often signals a reason.
Becauase Tyrannosaurus Rex had long teeth with saw-like edges, experts believe it was a meat eater.

7. How to Write Expository
6. Find Examples
The first two statements in the dinosaur paragraph are followed by two examples. Examples are needed to support general statements and make them clearer.
7. Write a topic sentence and support it
Lauber opens with the topic sentence. She then gives reasons and examples to support that statements. A composition of more than paragraph has a thesis statement instead.

8. How to Write Expository
8. Organize
How to you arrange your details in expository writing? Here are your main choices:
Purpose: Details: Order:
To Explain Facts, Examples, Reasons Order of Importance,
Cause-Effect
Comparison-Contrast
To Explain a Process Steps Time Order
To Give Instructions Steps Time Order

9. How to Write Expository
9. Use Transitions
Words and phrases such as for example tie statements together.
10. Write a Conclusion
Restate the main idea, sum up the details, or add an observation or fact.

10. Writing to Persuade
Persuasive Writing: writing that tries to convince people to think a certain way or take an action.
“One way to fight the greenhouse effect is to soak up carbon dioxide in our atmosphere. If each of our one million readers planted a tree, we could neutralize the CO2 produced from burning one million tons of coal. Planting trees is especially beneficial in urban areas, where they shade “heat islands” that are normally three to five degrees warmer than outlaying areas. Why not “green” your neighborhood? For further information, write: National Arbor Day Foundation, Conservation Trees, 100 Arbor Ave., Nebraska City, NE and/or American Forestry Association, Global ReLeaf, P.O. Box 200, Washington, DC 20013
Greenpeace Magazine

11. How to Write Persuasion
1. Choose an issue that can be argued
You may be against pollution in general, but who isn’t? There is nothing to argue about. However, you can argue for or against a way to fight one kind of pollution, just as the Greenpeace article argues for a certain way to fight the greenhouse effect.

12. How to Write Persuasion
2. Do not choose an issue that is a matter of personal taste.
You cannot persuade someone that trees are beautiful. That is a matter of personal taste. However, you can try to persuade someone that more trees should be planted in cities.
a. can be argued
b. important to you
c. more than personal taste
d. gather sound evidence

13. How to Write Persuasion
3. Write a thesis statement
Write a sentence that states your opinion. Tell exactly what you want others to think or do. Use a word like must or should to give your statement force. For special effect, you can use a question, as the Greenpeace article does.
Why not ‘green’ your neighborhood’?

14. How to Write Persuasion
4. Gather Evidence
Why should we plant trees? The Greenpeace editors argue that trees soak up CO2 and shade hot cities. What arguments support your opinion? What kinds of facts would support each point? Where can you find them? Collect supporting facts, reasons and examples.

15. How to Write Persuasion
5. Use facts, not opinions
Your thesis statement gives your opinion. Go on to supports it with facts, not more opinions. Remember that facts can be proved, but opinions tell only what someone believes or thinks.
Opinion: I don’t think the greenhouse effect is serious.
Fact: Scientists do not agree on how serious a threat the greenhouse effect actually is.

16. How to Write Persuasion
6. Collect Opposing Arguments
Know the arguments on the other side. Argue against them when you can. Grant the points when you cannot.
Opposing Point: Although scientists do not agree about the greenhouse effect,
Argument against it: we cannot afford to wait until they do. That may be too late.

17. How to Write Persuasion
7. Organize your Arguments:
Arrange your arguments from least to most important or, if you prefer, from most to leave important. Use transitions such as next, furthermore, more important to show how the points fit together.

18. How to Write Persuasion
8. Know your Audience
If you are going to persuade your audience of anything, you must know who they are. What is important to them? How much do they already know? What might their opinion be now? What sorts of arguments might move them?
9. Try the “you” approach
Point out how your proposal will help the readers. Will it make them safer? Healthier? Wiser? More popular?

19. How to Write Persuasion
10. Recommend an Action
The Greenpeace editors suggest that everyone plant a tree. You can suggest that people volunteer time, write letters, join a group, or take some other action. Be specific. For example, the Greenpeace article lists addresses readers can write to for help.