How to write an expository essay

Updated on January 20, 2021

An expository essay aims to explain or elaborate on a topic. It explores various ideas while evaluating an argument and providing information. 

The topic is presented, you then go ahead to fully explain and shed light on the topic. This is done by presenting facts alongside evidence, presenting it to the audience in a way that is easy to comprehend.

Like other types of essays, an expository essay possesses a simple structure consisting of an introduction which will contain your stance on the topic called a thesis, a body where you explore an idea, item, event and so on and then a conclusion where points are wrapped up and summarised.

  1. Introduce your topic

Usually your teacher  or supervisor may have already chosen a topic for you, but in case they won’t and it’s up to you to choose possibly from a list or whatever you have in mind. It is advisable to choose a topic which you have some  background knowledge on . Writing an essay on a topic that is completely unknown to you to  could be very challenging and make it difficult for you to explain the topic to the audience.

  1. Do Your Research

Now that you’ve chosen the topic you will be writing about, it’s time to do some  research. Even if perhaps by experience you already have some knowledge on the topic, it is still absolutely necessary to gain more information. Reference your sources and by researching, you may even learn more about this topic and find out things that were unknown to you.

When doing your research, read lots of articles, transcripts, you can go online or to a local library, visit an expert or even buy research papers on the topic to see how much information you can gather. Then begin to narrow down your work,  making sure to include only viable facts gotten from websites and publications written by experts in the field. 

  1. Structure your essay

Now that you have chosen your topic, you should have some sort of plan, an essay outline. The essay outline should basically contain how you plan to structure your essay. Like any other type of essay an expository essay contains an introduction, a body and a conclusion.

  1. Introduce Your Thesis 

Some scholars who are used to writing argumentative essays may be misled into taking a strong stance on the topic they chose or try to prove a point in the thesis statement. That will not be necessary for an expository essay. The thesis statement in an expository essay is about letting your audience know what you’re going to write about, its significance and how it affects them.

  • Introduction 

Make sure to introduce your topic in an interesting way, it does not have to be a story after all it is just an introduction, instead grab the reader’ attention by giving some facts or an inspiring quote that sublimely summarises the theme of your essay. The introduction will also include your thesis statement.

  • Body

As you begin to write the body of the essay  the reader must be able to follow you logically. This is why an outline is the best place to begin any type of essay.

The body of your essay is  usually the chunkiest part of the essay. Try to make sure that each paragraph is dedicated to a specific idea or point you are trying to prove.

Remember to include evidence and facts gathered from your research as they are vital to your essay.

  • Conclusion

The conclusion is the part of the essay where you simply summarise everything previously said in your essay. That doesn’t mean it must be boring and repetitive, be creative, leave the audience with something to think about, the conclusion of your essay is an opportunity to create a strong impression on the reader’s mind. Try to  drive home the importance of your topic and if possible suggest solutions and ideas to further research and innovations based on your topic.

  1. Go over and proofread

When your essay is finished, take some time to yourself to relax, get your mind off the paper for a while, then come back to it with fresh eyes. Go over your paper looking for errors, spelling mistakes and grammatical errors are not your friend.Another idea would be to read it to yourself, imagining you are reading to your audience.

Only after all this is done will your essay be truly ready. Good luck and happy writing.

The Editorial Team at Healthcare Business Today is made up of skilled healthcare writers and experts, led by our managing editor, Daniel Casciato, who has over 25 years of experience in healthcare writing. Since 1998, we have produced compelling and informative content for numerous publications, establishing ourselves as a trusted resource for health and wellness information. We offer readers access to fresh health, medicine, science, and technology developments and the latest in patient news, emphasizing how these developments affect our lives.