Types of writing 3: Exposition

1. Types of writing 3: Exposition By陈烽

2. Exposition---to inform • to explain clearly by giving details • It mainly deals with processes by explaining • how sth. is made • how sth. is used • how sth. may change • It also deals with the relationships between things by discussing • its cause and effect • its nature • its significance

3. The 3 parts of an essay Introduction Body Conclusion

4. The 3 parts of an essay Introduction Body Paragraph A Body Paragraph B Conclusion

5. The 3 parts of an essay Introduction Body Paragraph A Body Paragraph B Body Paragraph C Conclusion

6. Introduction paragraph • a topic sentence • a preview of main points

7. A topic sentence • Watching TV makes people less intelligent. • Cats and dogs in the house can cause sickness in families. • Eating less food is one of the least effective ways to lose body fat.

8. A preview of main points Many students in China would like to attend universities in other countries. In order to make a wise decision whether or not to go abroad, the students must become aware of three realities of studying abroad. Without understanding of these realities, students may make choices that result in failure.

9. China has a nationwide testing system. The system is standardized, meaning that universities can use academic merit as criteria for deciding whom to give opportunities rather than other factors such as wealth, social networks, or how much their previous teachers favor them.

10. Body paragraphs • one main point in each of the body paragraphs • that main point must support the thesis in the topic sentence in the introduction

11. Ways to support a thesis • Illustration---examples/statistics • Division and classification • Comparison and contrast • Cause and effect • Definition

12. Illustration • example---a story of one event that proves that your thesis is true in at least one case • statistics that prove that your thesis is true---numbers often prove facts

13. Example • specific • typical • relevant • first hand or second hand from reliable sources • an expert arrangement of these examples

14. Statistics • first hand or second hand from reliable sources • The annual funding for the AI Lab at MIT was 12.15 million US dollars.We can see that many investors take AI seriously.

15. Division and classification • to put events, people, places, or things into different categories • categories are groups people use to understand how things are different or similar • to show how two things produce similar results

16. Practice Michael Jordan Apple Chinese Lion George W. Bush Cat French Cherry Indian Peach Tiger Orange Horse Gandhi Elephant Duck

17. A. We divide things according to differences between them 1. human beings and animals, (Verbal language…) 2. Animal and fruits (blood…)

18. B. We group things according to similarities between them 1. human beings--- Michael Jordan, Chinese, George W. Bush, French, Indian, Gandhi 2. fruits--- apple, orange, pear, peach, cherry… 3. animals---tiger, lion, horse, elephant, chicken…

19. Comparison and contrast • a comparison to show how two things are similar • a contrast to show how two things are different • an analogy --- a kind of comparison to show that two events, people, places, or things are similar in some basic (essential) way, even though they are not like each other.

20. Compare and contrast A mind is different from a brain. “Brain” refers to the object used for thought. “Mind” refers to the being that does the thought. Both a brain and a mind are related to thought. However, only a mind is self-aware; whereas a brain is only a piece of the body.

21. Make an analogy “Mind” is to “brain” as “driver” is to “the engine of a car”.

22. Patterns for comparison and contrast 1. Subject-by-subject 2. Point-by-point

23. Subject-by-subject • University A is Better than University B • University A A. Student body B. Teaching staff C. Library & other facilities D. Campus • University B A. Student body B. Teaching staff C. Library & other facilities D. Campus

24. Point-by-Point • University A is better than University B • Student body A. Uni. A B. Uni. B • Teaching Staff A. Uni. A B. Uni. B • Library & other facilities A. Uni. A B. Uni. B • Campus A. Uni. A B. Uni. B

25. Cause and effect • reasoning to help readers understand how you reach your opinion or belief about the facts you write about • show your thinking, use logic • logic shows readers how you think, not just the opinions you have at the end of your thinking

26. two basic ways • An effect may have many causes, and a cause may have many effects. • to state an effect and devote the rest of the paragraph to examine the causes • to state the cause and then mention or predict the effects

27. Definition • Sometimes, to avoid confusion or misunderstanding, we have to define a word, term, or concept, which is unfamiliar to most readers or open to various interpretations. • To show the meaning of a word • To show how you will use that word in your writing • To add something else to the common meaning of that word • To limit the meaning of that word in your writing

28. three basic ways to define… • to give a synonym • to use a sentence • to write a paragraph or even an essay

29. Conclusion paragraph • Summarize the main points • Now that you have explained your points, you can write them in more simple, brief terms. • Reach a conjecture • From the facts you have written, readers can reach some opinion.

30. The most important quality of exposition is CLARITY • Ways to achieve clarity: • Limit your subject or the scope of discussion • Prepare enough materials to help the explanation

31. Expository Writing Practice Introduce the topic with a topic sentence and a preview of main points Write two or three more body paragraphs. Each body paragraph needs to have one main point. Then conclude with a summary or discussion.

32. Thank you!