Expository Writing

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Expository Writing

• Reveal Something

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Whats that big word mean?

• What is expository writing? Well, expository
  comes from the word expose which means to
  reveal, so expository writing explains or
  analyzes a topic to reveal information to the
  reader. It can also sometimes be called
  informative writing.

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What is a paragraph?

• You could say that a paragraph is a group of
  sentences. When handwritten, the first word of
  each paragraph is indented. When word processed,
  block style is sometimes used.
• The group of sentences in a paragraph are related
  in topic.

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Read the paragraph and identify the topic and
controlling idea

• Some amusement park rides, like rollercoasters,
  can be frightening experiences. Looking at a
  rollercoaster from the ground can make you think
  it is fun. However, once you are up in the air,
  your feelings can change. The coaster goes
  higher than you thought. The cars bump and
  swerve around so you feel as if you are about to
  fall out. Going to an amusement park is
  enjoyable, but it might be scary as well.

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Introduction to expository paragraphs

• Exposing a topic can be accomplished in many
  ways, but in expository writing, it is usually
  done by supplying specific details and examples.
  In the amusement park ride paragraph, the writer
  explains why a ride might be frightening by
  supplying specific details about a rollercoaster.
  This is not the only way to reveal the
  controlling idea frightening. The writer could
  have chosen to discuss another type of ride, such
  as one that uses a parachute to drop one from an
  extremely high point. That, of course, would
  have required different specific details or
  examples to expose the controlling idea and make
  the meaning clear to the reader.

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Lets practice it!

• Lets see if we can use the same topic and
  controlling idea in a paragraph of our own about
  a different kind of amusement park ride.
  Remember to use specific details.

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You do it!

• Of course, there are other possible controlling
  ideas and topics for paragraphs about an
  amusement park. Look at this example of a topic
  sentence.
• One of the best things about amusement parks are
  that everyone is in a happy mood.
• Brainstorm some ideas to support the controlling
  idea and write a paragraph to support the topic
  sentence.

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Practice

• Read the paragraph and answer the questions on
  the following slide.
• Mrs. Smith became one of my favorite teachers
  when she went out of the way to help me when I
  was having trouble with math. Mrs. Smith would
  always come in early to help me and other
  students who had trouble understanding their
  multiplication and division problems. She would
  often think of activities using food, such as
  cookies or candy, to help us learn some difficult
  lesson. Whenever I had trouble understanding a
  new idea, she would go over it again but not
  embarrass me. I think I am doing well in math
  today because of the help Mrs. Smith gave me in
  the fifth grade.

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Practice

• What is the topic?
• What is the controlling idea?
• What are the three supporting ideas?
• Do you think the concluding sentence is a good
  one? Why?

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Practice

• Complete the topics and controlling ideas
  practice sheet and add two or three supporting
  statements to each one.

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Writing Complete Sentences

• You may have been told at some point that you
  have trouble writing complete sentences
  (incomplete sentences are called fragments) or
  that you tend to write run-on sentences. Dont
  despair. Almost all student writers will have
  trouble with these at some point.

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Fragments

• If you are writing fragments, you might need to
  understand exactly how a simple sentence is
  composed. A simple sentence consists of a
  subject and a predicate. Here are four types of
  simple sentences.
• Bob ran to the story. (simple sentence w/ 1
  subject and 1 verb)
• Sandra and Maria share a locker at school.
  (simple sentence with compound subjects and 1
  verb)
• The children played and screamed on the
  playground. (simple sentence with 1 subject and
  compound verbs)
• Joanna and Sarah walked around the campus and
  visited their friends. (simple sentence w/
  compound subjects and compound verbs)

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You try it!

• Write a sentence to fit each of the situations
  below.
• Simple subject and simple predicate
• Compound subject and simple predicate
• Simple subject and compound predicate
• Compound subject and compound predicate

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Writing complete sentences

• Some writers run into trouble when they write a
  dependent clause and think that it is a complete
  sentence.
• Because I was late.
• Since no one was at home.
• Neither of these is a complete sentence. Each
  must be connected to an independent clause in
  order to be complete.

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Correct it!

• Everyone was upset with me because I was late.
• The house was dark since no one was at home.
• Complete the finding dependent clauses exercise
  on the class calendar.

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Correcting Run-On Sentences

• Most students write run-on sentences. It is
  actually easy to detect these and to correct
  them. What happens is that the writer strings
  two complete sentences together without a proper
  connection.

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Correcting Run-On sentences

• Ex. Susan wanted the job at the pet store she
  wasnt hired.
• One way to improve this is to separate the
  sentences.
• Susan wanted the job at the pet store. She
  wasnt hired.
• However, a better way to improve this would be to
  combing the two sentences with a connecting word.
• Susan wanted the job at the pet store, but she
  wasnt hired.
• Notice that the original two sentences were
  connected using commas and the word but. This is
  now a compound sentence.

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Practice!

• Run-on My brother is a singer I am a dancer.
• Compound My brother is a singer, but I am a
  dancer.
• Run-on All my friends are coming to my party I
  am very excited.
• Compound All my friends are coming to my party,
  and I am very excited.
• Run-on Mary can take photography next semester
  she can take band.
• Compound Mary can take photography next
  semester, or she can take band.

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Complex sentences

• Another type of sentence is a complex sentence.
  Actually, you used these on the finding dependent
  clauses worksheet. Here are some common complex
  sentence connectors because, since, unless,
  before, after, until, if, when, whenever,
  although, as, as soon as, while, though, although

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Correcting Run-On sentences with Complex Sentences

• Run-on Maria doesnt like to cook she will help
  her mother on special occasions.
• Complex Maria doesnt like to cook although she
  will help her mother on special occasions.
• Run-on The reporter wrote an article about the
  new teacher she interviewed him.
• Complex Before the reporter wrote an article
  about the new teacher, she interviewed him.

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Something cool

• You may have noticed that the clauses in a
  complex sentence can usually be switched from the
  back of the sentence to the front and from the
  front to the back.
• Ex. I dont like to surf even though I like to
  swim. Even though I like to swim, I dont like
  to surf.

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Practice it!

• Complete the Correct Run-On Sentences worksheet
  on the classroom calendar.

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Free writing

• In this technique, you are to write for five or
  ten minutes on a subject without stopping. You
  are to put down whatever comes to your mind as
  fast as you can. Do not stop until the time is
  over. Try not to stop writing the entire time.
  Do NOT worry about spelling or punctuation during
  this time. Just get down the ideas!

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Focused Free write

• This time, instead of free writing about anything
  that comes to your mind, focus in on the topic of
  your neighborhood.

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The Five W Questions

• Your topic is the importance of table manners.
  Now what? Right, you must develop a controlling
  idea! Try this brainstorming technique based on
  the five W questions that newspaper articles
  often use. Who? What? Where? When? Why?

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Five W Questions Cont.

• Who uses good table manners?
• What is so important about good table manners?
• Where should a young person use good table
  manners?
• When is an important time to be aware of your
  table manners?
• Why should anyone care about good table manners?

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Bubble Graphs

• Here is a way of coming up with writing topics
  that you have probably used before. Lets look
  at one students example and see what controlling
  ideas she figures out from her graph.

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Looping

• Suppose the teacher gives you no subject at all
  and asks that you write an essay about whatever
  you want? Just start writing about anything you
  want and write does the various thoughts which
  happen to pop into your mind. You dont even
  have to finish a whole thought if something else
  occurs that seems more interesting. Just write.
  After you are done, go back and circle ideas that
  could be possible topics and write a topic and
  controlling idea statement for each one.

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Model Paragraph

• Automobiles are expensive to own. After buying
  a car you have to have money for insurance that
  the law says you must have in case of an
  accident. Cars, even new ones, need occasional
  costly repairs. Even if you drive carefully, you
  will sometimes make mistakes and might get a
  ticket, which you must pay for or you license
  will be taken away. Even if you never get in an
  accident or get a ticket, you have to fill the
  car with gas, and prices are at an all-time high.

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Review

• Why is the topic sentence a good one?
• Do the supporting sentences explain the
  controlling idea?
• Are all the sentences related?
• Which would make the best concluding sentence?
• Owning a car will cost the owner plenty of money.
• Also, you could get in trouble driving without a
  license.
• Commercials on television tell you that you must
  have insurance.

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Peer Paragraph Review

• List your name and the name of the person who
  wrote the paragraph.
• What is the topic of the paragraph?
• What is the controlling idea?
• Is it an acceptable topic/controlling idea
  sentence? If not, what is the problem?
• Do all sentences support the controlling idea?
  Point out any problems.
• Which supporting detail is most interesting?
• Tell the writer what he/she has done well.

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Thesis Statements

• An expository essay, like a paragraph, is
  controlled by one central idea. In an essay,
  this controlling idea is called a thesis
  statement. In our model essay The Positive Side
  to Student Government the thesis statement is
  Holding a school office will bring you many
  rewards. It is a complete sentence restating the
  topic- school office- and the controlling idea-
  bring many rewards.

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Thesis statements

• A clear thesis statement
• Should be a complete sentence
• Should express an attitude or opinion.
• Should be an arguable statement.
• Should have only one clear controlling idea.

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Examples

• My dads love of swimming.
• I am going to discuss the camera.
• Air conditioning is used in many schools today.

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The Introduction

• Where should the thesis statement be placed in
  your introductory paragraph? Although there is
  no single place that it must be, the most common
  place is the last sentence in the first
  paragraph.

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Model paragraph

• Trees can change the look of a neighborhood.
  Trees provide shade, windbreaks, and homes for
  singing birds. Every homeowner should be
  required to plant at least one tree in the front
  of the house.
• What is the topic?
• What is the controlling idea?

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Introduction

• In an essay, the entire first paragraph sets up
  the topic and the controlling idea. The thesis
  statement (topic and controlling idea) is placed
  at the end of the first paragraph so it is fresh
  in the readers mind as the writer starts his
  proof in the developmental or body paragraphs.

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Introductions Continued

• Expository writing must prove the attitude or
  opinion that the writer states, whether it is
  just a paragraph, an essay, or a 500-page book.
  Most expository writing is nonfiction and can
  therefore be compared to how a trial is
  conducted, since the law often deals with facts.
  However, facts may be dealt with in different
  ways, depending on which side of the case is
  important to a participant. A lawyer must prove
  his case to the jury. The writer must prove his
  statement to the reader. A lawyer only argues
  one side of the case (the side of the client).
  The writer states one view of the topic and
  attempts to prove it. A lawyer will not usually
  bring up facts that would help the other lawyers
  case. Likewise, a writer only uses proof that
  will help his or her case.

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Practice

• Suppose you are a lawyer and your client is a
  student accused of jaywalking on a busy street.
  Which of the following would you use to defend
  your client.
• The crosswalk was not clearly marked.
• The student had been kept late after school and
  felt that he did not have time to walk to the
  corner.
• The student frequently was seen crossing in the
  middle of the block.
• On the day the student was given a jaywalking
  ticket, he had a sore foot and he was needed at
  home to help his mother take care of his baby
  sister.
• He was just one of eight students who crossed in
  the middle of the block.

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Write Your Own

• Using one of the facts below to begin your own
  introduction paragraph for an expository essay.
  You must add at least one sentence that states
  examples that can be used to support the first
  sentence. The last sentence should state the
  attitude or opinion about your topic.
• All schools can use improvement, and ours is no
  different.
• Almost all students look forward to summer
  vacation.
• Eating continuously at fast-food restaurants can
  cause problems.
• Computer training is important for the future.

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Paragraph Review

• Answer these questions about the paragraph that
  you read.
• Was there a fact stated in the first sentence
  that cannot be argued? What is it?
• What has the writer made you think he or she will
  discuss in the developmental paragraphs?
• What is the topic? What is the controlling idea?
• Make a positive comment about the paragraph.
• What do you think will be the writers topic
  sentence for the first body paragraph? Write a
  possibility. Do the same thing for the second
  body paragraph.
• Do you think that there will be a third body
  paragraph? Explain.

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Body Paragraphs

• Developmental paragraphs usually number from 2
  to 4 in student essays. They provide
  explanation, illustration, discussion, or proof
  for the thesis statement.

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Body Paragraphs

• Each developmental paragraph discusses one
  aspect of the main topic. If you write about
  some of the ways trees have an impact on a
  neighborhood street, each paragraph should
  discuss one of those ways or functions.

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Body Paragraphs

• Each developmental or body paragraph should echo
  or refer to the thesis statement. If your thesis
  statement says every homeowner should plant
  trees, then each controlling idea should have
  something to do with the reason every homeowner
  should plant a tree.
• The developmental paragraphs should flow. The
  flow of thoughts from one paragraph should flow
  into the next. This is done by using transitions.

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Conclusions

• The conclusion can restate the main points.
• The conclusion can restate the thesis.
• The conclusion should not bring up a new topic.

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Practice

• Thesis statement The food in San Francisco is
  unusual and surprising for the people who visit
  this fascinating city.
• Support
• Chinese cuisine found in Chinatown area is often
  considered the best in the United States.
• The restaurants in the Italian section of North
  Beach often specialize in food from one small
  section of Italy.
• The area of Fishermans Wharf has developed
  dishes that originated in this city.
• Develop a concluding paragraph using the thesis
  and supporting details.