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EXPOSITORY WRITING. What is it? Which is it’s purpose?. Type of writing. Purpose: Inform Describe Explain Define author’s subject. Deliver information. Most frequently used by students – elementary to college & university. Expository Essays. Requires : Research on an idea
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What is it? Which is it’s purpose? • Type of writing. • Purpose: • Inform • Describe • Explain • Define author’s subject. • Deliver information. • Most frequently used by students – elementary to college & university.
Expository Essays • Requires : • Research on an idea • Gather & evaluate evidence • Explain the idea • Set forth an argument concerning that idea in a clear and concise manner. • How: • Comparison and contrast • Definition • Example • The analysis of cause and effect
Structure • A clear, concise, and defined thesis statement that occurs in the first paragraph of the essay. • Clear and logical transitions between the introduction, body, and conclusion • Body paragraphs that include evidential support - factual, logical, statistical, or anecdotal. • A bit of creativity! • A conclusion that does not simply restate the thesis, but readdresses it in light of the evidence provided.
A clear, concise, and defined thesis statement. • It’s the interpretation of a question or subject, not the subject itself. • Informs the reader how you will interpret the matter under discussion and it’s significance. • Tells the reader what to expect in the rest of the paper. • States an idea that might invite others to dispute. • Usually a single sentence that presents your argument to the reader. • Focus on the assignment!
How do I get a Thesis (statement)? • A thesis is the result of a lengthy thinking process. • It is not the first thing you do after reading an essay assignment. • First you have to collect and organize evidence, look for possible relationships between known facts (such as surprising contrasts or similarities), and think about the significance of these relationships. • Then you will probably have a "working thesis," a basic or main idea, or an argument that you think you can support with evidence but that may need adjustment along the way. • Writers use all kinds of techniques to stimulate their thinking and to help them clarify relationships or comprehend the broader significance of a topic and arrive at a thesis statement. • BRAINSTORM • http://writingcenter.unc.edu/resources/handouts-demos/writing-the-paper/thesis-statements
Strong vs. weak thesis • Think on these: • Do I answer the question? • Have I taken a position that others might challenge or oppose? • Is my thesis statement specific enough? • Does my thesis pass the "So what?" test? • Does my essay support my thesis specifically and without wandering? • Does my thesis pass the "how and why?" test?
The North and South fought the Civil War for many reasons, some of which were the same and some different. • While both sides fought the Civil War over the issue of slavery, the North fought for moral reasons while the South fought to preserve its own institutions. • While both Northerners and Southerners believed they fought against tyranny and oppression, Northerners focused on the oppression of slaves while Southerners defended their own right to self-government. • There isn't one right answer; there are only strong and weak thesis statements and strong and weak uses of evidence.
… expository essay… • Clear and logical transitions between the introduction, body, and conclusion. • Transitions are the ropes that hold the foundation of the essay together. Without logical progression of thought, the reader is unable to follow the essay’s argument, and the structure will collapse. • Body paragraphs that include evidential support. • Each paragraph should be limited to the exposition of one general idea. This will allow for clarity and direction throughout the essay. • Conciseness creates an ease of readability for your audience. Each paragraph in the body must have some logical connection to the thesis statement in the opening. • Evidential support (whether factual, logical, statistical, or anecdotal). • Sometimes you will be required to write expository essays with little or no preparation; therefore, such essays do not typically allow for a great deal of statistical or factual evidence.
A bit of creativity! • Though creativity and artfulness are not always associated with essay writing, it is an art form. Try not to get stuck on the formulaic nature of expository writing at the expense of writing something interesting. Remember, though you may not be crafting the next great novel, you are attempting to leave a lasting impression on the people evaluating your essay. • A conclusion that does not simply restate the thesis, but readdresses it in light of the evidence provided. • This is the portion of the essay that will leave the most immediate impression on the mind of the reader. • It must be effective and logical. • Do not introduce any new information into the conclusion; rather, synthesize and come to a conclusion concerning the information presented in the body of the essay.
Argument • Perhaps it is helpful to think of an essay in terms of a conversation or debate with a classmate. If I were to discuss the cause of the Great Depression and its current effect on those who lived through the tumultuous time, there would be a beginning, middle, and end to the conversation. In fact, if I were to end the exposition in the middle of my second point, questions would arise concerning the current effects on those who lived through the Depression. Therefore, the expository essay must be complete, and logically so, leaving no doubt as to its intent or argument. • http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/685/02/
Expository Organizational Patterns • Circumlocution: • Depicts a pattern in which the speaker discusses a topic, then diverts to discuss a related but different topic. • A planned trip… learning to drive… being lazy… • Narrative Interspersion: • A pattern or a sub-pattern imbedded in other patterns in which the speaker or writer breaks up a narrative within the expository text for specific purposes, including to clarify, or elaborate on a point or to link the subject matter to a personal experience. • Self destruction among Afro Americans… violence, gangs, pregnancy & drugs… discrimination – skin shades… drugs, ruins lives, is stupid….
Recursion: • When the speaker discusses a topic, then restates it using different words or symbolism. It is used to drive home a point and to give special emphasis to the text. • Yes, we're on the move now, • and no wave of racism can stop us; • and the burning of churches will not deter us. • and the bombing of our homes will not dissuade us • and the beating and the killing of our clergymen and young people will not divert us. • The wanton release of their known murderers will not discourage us. • We're on the move now! • Martin Luther King, Jr,
Description: • The author describes a topic by listing characteristics, features, and examples • The Olympic symbol consists of five interlocking rings. The rings represent the five continents - Africa, Asia, Europe, North America and South America - from which athletes come to compete in the games. The rings are colored black blue, green, red, and yellow. At least one of these colors is found in the flag of every country sending athletes to compete in the Olympic games. • Sequence: • The author lists items or events in numerical or chronological order. • The Olympic games began as an athletic festivals to honor the Greek gods. It was this festival that became the Olympic games in 776 B.C. These games were ended in A.D. 394 by the Roman Emperor who ruled Greece. No Olympic games were held for more than 1,500 years. • Then the modern Olympics began in 1896. • The games have continued every four years since 1896 except during World War II, and they will most likely continue for many years to come.
Comparison: • The author explains how two or more things are alike and/or how they are different. • The modern Olympics is very unlike the ancient Olympic games. Individual events are different. While there were no swimming races in the ancient games, for example, there were chariot races. There were no female contestants and all athletes competed in the nude. Of course, the ancient and modern Olympics are also alike in many ways. Some events, such as the javelin and discus throws, are the same. Some people say that cheating, professionalism, and nationalism in the modern games are a disgrace to the Olympic tradition. But according to the ancient Greek writers, there were many cases of cheating, nationalism, and professionalism in their Olympics too. • Cause & Effect: • The author lists one or more causes and the resulting effect or effects • There are several reasons why so many people attend the Olympic games or watch them on television. One reason is tradition. The name Olympics and the torch and flame remind people of the ancient games. People can escape the ordinariness of daily life by attending or watching the Olympics. They like to identify with someone else's individual sacrifice and accomplishment. National pride is another reason, and an athlete's or a team's hard earned victory becomes a nation's victory. There are national medal counts and people keep track of how many medals their country's athletes have won.
Problem & Solution: • The author states a problem and lists one or more solutions for the problem. A variation of this pattern is the question- and-answer format in which the author poses a question and then answers it. • One problem with the modern Olympics is that it has become very big and expensive to operate. The city or country that hosts the games often loses a lot of money. A stadium, pools, and playing fields must be built for the athletic events and housing is needed for the athletes who come from around the world. And all of these facilities are used for only 2 weeks! In 1984, Los Angeles solved these problems by charging a fee for companies who wanted to be official sponsors of the games. Companies like McDonald's paid a lot of money to be part of the Olympics. Many buildings that were already built in the Los Angeles area were also used. The Coliseum where the 1932 games were held was used again and many colleges and universities in the area became playing and living sites.
Bibliography • http://writingcenter.unc.edu/resources/handouts-demos/writing-the-paper/thesis-statements • www.google.com • http://thesaurus.com • http://stanford.edu/~arnetha/expowrite/info.html#what • http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/685/02/ • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Expository_writing
Five Paragraphs Essay • Introductory paragraph • Three evidentiary body paragraphs • Conclusion
CENSORSHIP • Write about Censorship in: press, media, books, TV, internet, religion, etc. • Research, take notes, gather information & collect evidence. • Create an outline. • Computer written paper. • Sent by email & printed. • hchow@marymountbogota.edu.co • Word count: 250 to 350. Do not go under or over those limits. • Choose one expository pattern and use it throughout your essay.
