Expository Paragraphs: Examples
LUIS NAZARIO, DEBORAH BORCHERS, AND WILLIAM LEWIS, BRIDGES TO BETTER WRITING. WADSWORTH, 2010)
Expository writing analyzes and explains information to inform or educate your reader. As
we move to expository writing, your knowledge of description and narration will help you provide
the vividness and interest essential to effective expository writing. With its emphasis on logic and
organization, expository writing is most likely the type of writing you will be doing in college and
throughout your career. When you enter the workforce, you will find that expository writing is
necessary in almost any profession and that your ability to write exposition requires the same skills
necessary to succeed in many careers: thinking critically, analyzing complex situations, and
presenting information clearly to co-workers.
Note: Please don’t use the second person, ‘you’.
READY TO WRITE: PERFECTING PARAGRAPHS
BY: KAREN BLANCHARD AND CHRISTINE ROOT
There are many reasons why people move. Some move to find better jobs or to advance
their careers. Others are attracted to places with better weather. Still others want to move to a
place with less crime. Finally, people often want to move to a place with a lower cost of living. For
these reasons, every year millions of people move to new places.
Note: This paragraph is very simple because there is no detailed support. It would be much better
to provide examples, statistics, facts, etc.
More men are now doing jobs that traditionally belonged to women. For example, there are
now twice as many male nurses as there were ten years ago. The number of stay-at-home fathers in
the United States has increased from 98,000 in 2003 to more than 160,000 today. Similarly, there
are many more male secretaries, elementary school teachers, librarians, and bank tellers than ever
before. It is clear that ideas about traditionally female occupations have changed.
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For thousands of years, garlic has had many uses. The Romans gave garlic to their slaves for
strength and to their soldiers for courage. During the Middle Ages, some people used garlic to keep
witches away. In the eighteenth century, garlic was used to cure diseases. Even today, some people
believe that eating garlic can prevent colds. [Therefore,] garlic has a long history as a plant with
many uses.
Today, cell phones can do a lot more than just make and receive calls. A lot of cell phones
come with cameras that take colour pictures. Some cell phones even have video cameras to record
live-action events. One can also use a cell phone to check your email on the Internet or set
reminders for important events with a special alarm clock. Many cell phones have calculators for
solving simple math problems and fun games to play if you’re bored. With all of these new features,
it is hard to imagine what cell phones of the future will be able to do.
HTTP://WEB.GCCAZ.EDU/~MDINCHAK/ENG101/EXPOSITORY_WRITING.HTM
Expository essays are written by students to demonstrate their knowledge and
understanding of a particular topic. For example, a student might use a descriptive pattern to
emphasize the features and characteristics of a topic. Sequential writing emphasizes the order of
events, listing items in numerical or chronological order. A writer might use a comparison or
contrast pattern to emphasize the similarities or differences between two topics. A cause and/or
effect pattern shows the relationship between events, while a problem/solution pattern shows a
different kind of relationship that discusses a problem and suggests solutions. Variations of these
patterns are sometimes used, as well as a combination of patterns to create an expository essay.
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COMPARE/CONTRAST PARAGRAPHS
HTTP://LRS.ED.UIUC.EDU/STUDENTS/FWALTERS/COMPCONT.HTML
Even though Arizona and Rhode Island are both states of the U.S., they are strikingly
different in many ways. For example, the physical size of each state is different. Arizona is large,
having an area of 114,000 square miles, whereas Rhode Island is only about a tenth the size, having
an area of only 1,214 square miles. Another difference is in the size of the population of each state.
Arizona has about four million people living in it, but Rhode Island has less than one million. The two
states also differ in the kinds of natural environments that each has. For example, Arizona is a very
dry state, consisting of large desert areas that do not receive much rainfall every year. However,
Rhode Island is located in a temperate zone and receives an average of 44 inches of rain per year. In
addition, while Arizona is a landlocked state and thus has no seashore, Rhode Island lies on the
Atlantic Ocean and does have a significant coastline. [Conclusion Sentence]
HTTP://ENGLISH120.PBWORKS.COM/W/PAGE/19006833/CONTRAST%20AND%20COMPARISON%20PARAGRAPH
Although I raised Marcee and Obbie from puppies, they have completely diverse
personalities. Obbie is a six year old, male, toy Pomeranian whereas Marcee is a one year old,
female, Boston terrier. Obbie is small and soft, unlike Marcee who has bristly hair and is much bigger.
Marcee insists on sleeping on the bed, under the covers every night. On the other hand, Obbie will
only sleep on the floor, under the bed. Obbie is tremendously loyal and uptight; however, Marcee is
hyper and friendly to anyone she meets or sees. Around other dogs, Marcee cowers to the larger
dog, yet Obbie will always stand his ground, never giving up until he is scolded. Given that they were
both treated the same way all their life, it is hard to believe that they are so different in everything
they do.
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CAUSE AND EFFECT PARAGRAPHS
HTTP://LRS.ED.UIUC.EDU/STUDENTS/FWALTERS/CAUSE.HTML
In recent decades, cities have grown so large that now about 50% of the Earth's
population lives in urban areas, and there are several reasons for this occurrence. First, the
increasing industrialization of the nineteenth century resulted in the creation of many
factory jobs, which tended to be located in cities. These jobs, with their promise of a better
material life, attracted many people from rural areas. Second, there were many schools
established to educate the children of the new factory labourers. The promise of a better
education persuaded many families to leave farming communities and move to the cities.
Finally, as the cities grew, people established places of leisure, entertainment, and culture,
such as sports stadiums, theatres, and museums. For many people, these facilities made
city life appear more interesting than life on the farm, and therefore drew them away from
rural communities.
HTTP://UTMINERS.UTEP.EDU/AJKLINE/CAUSE.HTM
The causes of air pollution seem to stem from carelessness or blatant unconcern.
Every citizen who drives a car that is not properly serviced and that does not have emission
control devices is contributing noxious gases into the atmosphere. Large industries that do
not have filtration mechanisms on their smoke stacks are also contributors. Every
government which does not pass or passes but does not enforce strict air pollution
legislation is also destroying the atmosphere. One may wonder why these three aspects of
society show such a lack of concern with the air they breathe. The underlying cause which
motivates all three groups is money. Legislation and enforcement of laws and installation
and maintenance of filtration systems cost money. The majority of these three groups
seems content to save a bit of money now and sacrifice an invaluable commodity later.
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The effects of air pollution and disregarding its warning signals influence present life
styles and determine the future. Now people are only inconvenienced by air pollution.
Large urban areas such as Los Angeles have pollution alerts which warn elderly people and
those with pulmonary diseases to stay indoors. For those intrepid enough to venture
outdoors, alerts mean stinging eyes, irritated sinuses, and scratchy throats. Even though
people living outside urban areas are seldom inconvenienced today, no one should be
complacent about what the future holds. If pollutants keep building up in the atmosphere
at present rates, only a few years into the 21st century will find the delicate layers of the
atmosphere so damaged as to admit the sun's ultraviolet rays full throttle, or the
atmosphere will be so clogged with pollutants that not enough of the sun's warming rays
will filter through to support life. Whatever happens in the upper air, the city streets will
surely be nonnegotiable without a gas mask, and every home will have to have special
filtration devices to make air breathable. Without strict controls on polluters, today's
inconvenience will be tomorrow's crises.
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