What is an Expository Essay Outline?

What is an expository essay outline? You might be asking this question because you have just been asked to write an expository essay by your teacher or professor. An expository essay is any essay that informs, explains, or describes something to the reader- owl.english.purdue.edu. The expository essays’ category can be described as the catch-all category because writing an expository essay requires you to expose the topic thoroughly while introducing something new to your readers.

An expository essay outline refers to a plan that indicates how ideas or information will be organized and structured in order to convey them to the readers in an effective manner while supporting the thesis statement. The outline of an expository essay should be written after completing other activities such as conducting research because you need to know what you intend to tell the readers.

To know what is an expository essay outline first know what should portray

An expository essay outline should have a thesis statement and organization that shows how you intend to expose something clearly. The outline should serve as a road-map that will guide you throughout the process of writing about the given topic. Having an outline for an expository essay enables you to present information in an organized manner. It also enables you to keep ideas, thoughts and information flowing logically.

So, exactly what is an expository outline and what are its components? To answer this question, different sections of an expository essay outline will be highlighted and samples given.

An expository essay outline should have the following sections:

• The introduction

The introduction should be the attention grabber of the expository essay. Example of the information that should be included in the introduction is the background or issue that will be discussed. The introduction should also have a thesis statement.

To make writing this section easy, the outline can be listed as follows:

1. Attention grabber- This can be a quotation, statistics or fact.
2. Background information-This can be an overview of the topic or work or the author.
3. Thesis statement-This is a sentence that tells the reader what the essay is about and the position of the author on the topic.

• First Body paragraphs

After catching the attention of the reader, you should provide deeper investigation of the topic in the body paragraphs. The number of body paragraphs to have in an expository essay depends on the topic or assignment parameters.

Example of information that you can have in the first body paragraph includes:

1. Topic sentence-This states the main idea of the paragraph
2. Factual evidence-This supports the thesis statement or question. You can have one fact or more to support your thesis statement.
3. Analysis of the evidence- This implies that you dig deeper to give readers detailed information about the provided evidence.
4. Smooth transition-This is one or two sentences that links the first paragraph to the next in a logical manner.

It is important to ensure that each body paragraph supports the position that you state at the beginning or in the introductory paragraph with factual evidence. In the analysis, examples and details should be provided to expand or support the stated thesis.

• Second body paragraph

This should:

1. Provide a topic sentence or supporting point
2. Follow the stated thesis statement in order to support the main argument.
3. Expand, support and offer examples or details of the second reason or point of the expository essay
4. Provide a transition to the next paragraph

• Third body paragraph

This should:

1. State the last topic sentence or supporting point
2. Show how it supports the topic or thesis statement
3. Provide concrete details
4. Provide a transition to the conclusion or introduce counter opinions in a brief manner and show why they are not strong

• Conclusion

The conclusion part of an expository essay gives you a chance to create a final lasting impression for the target readers.

In the outline of an expository essay, the conclusion may include:

1. A summary of the thesis or question
2. Discussion of the broader significance of the discussed topic
3. Revelation of the unanswered questions
4. Acknowledgement of counter arguments
5. A rebuttal of counter arguments as well as their reasons

Note that no new information should be added in the conclusion and the outline should indicate this clearly- wdeptford.k12.nj.us. Thesis sentence can be restated in the conclusion but it should be rephrased. The main points or arguments of the essay can also be summarized in the conclusion but this should be done in one sentence. Depending on the topic, the conclusion can also include answer(s) to the “so what” question or a call to action.

What is an expository essay outline that depicts professionalism?

For an expository essay outline to depict professionalism, it must have the main idea for each section and the sub-points that support it. For instance, when writing an expository essay on My Dog, Tom, the outline of the introductory paragraph can be as follows:

• Topic sentence- My dog, Tom, is the friendliest pet that anybody can have
• Sub-point 1- He is easy to care for and beautiful
• Sub-point 3-Playing with Tom is fun.
• Sub-point 3- Tom knows how to take care of my family
• Sub-point 4- I have never come across a pet that is better than Tom.

A professional expository outline must also require the writer to include a clearly stated thesis statement. This is very important because a thesis statement is the controlling idea or theme of the essay- mooremiddleschool.org-pdf. A good outline of an expository essay should also have several elements. These include the transition sentence, a rhetorical question, examples and statistics.

What purpose should an expository essay outline achieve?

Generally an expository essay outline is a guide that enables a writer to come up with an objective essay that the target readers can understand with ease. An attention grabber which is at the introductory paragraph attracts the attention of the reader. This can be a poem, a song, statistics or a liner quotation. However, the used attention grabber should be related to the topic of the expository essay. Including the attention grabber in the outline just like a thesis statement enables you to remain focused while writing the expository essay.

An expository essay outline acts as the guideline that enhances organization while writing an essay. Using an outline, you will know which information to include in the essay and where to include it. It also enables you to communicate the information to the readers in a simple way by keeping the essay concise and clear.

Tips on writing an expository outline

After answering the question, “what is an expository essay outline,” it is important to learn how to write one. Writing an outline for an expository essay might seem easy but it is not. You must know what exactly you want to tell the target readers in order to determine how to organize your essay.

Here are tips that can help you in writing a great expository essay outline:

• Revise the analyzed situation or events by comparing data or information collected from different sources. This will enable you to concentrate your expository essay outline and the essay on the basis of the scope of the available information while remaining clear.
• Have a single main point for each body paragraph with other sentences acting as the supporting information for the main point. This will make the expository essay that you write using the outline easier for the readers to understand since they will be able to follow its logical flow.
• Ensure that the conclusion brings your expository essay to a logical end of your analysis. It should do this by restating the thesis statement while supporting the main argument or point of your essay.
• Ensure that the conclusion is not placed at a place where it comes as a surprise to the reader. To achieve this, include transition sentences in the outline. Additionally, the outline should include the main points of the conclusion in order to make the written essay memorable.
• Ensure that the arrangement of the points from the introduction to the conclusion have a clear and organized connection. Note the important points of your expository essay in the outline to ensure that you do not leave them out while writing the essay.

After writing the outline for your expository essay, go through it to ensure that it will enable you to write an essay that has an exposition nature that serves to expound and explain something or the topic- sbcc.edu- Expository Essay pdf.

We hope from the above guidelines coming up with a good expository outline will not be a problem any more.

Are you having difficulties in writing a good expository essay? Get in touch with us for assistance. Visit our homepage for information about our academic writing services. You can also continue reading more academic paper writing guidelines and sample papers on this blog.

Sources

http://www.wdeptford.k12.nj.us/high_school/pritorto/expository_essay_outline.htm

https://www.sbcc.edu/clrc/files/wl/downloads/StructureofaGeneralExpositoryEssay.pdf

http://www.mooremiddleschool.org/users/13MyDocs/Expository%20Essay%20Outline.pdf

https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/685/02/

https://www.umuc.edu/writingcenter/writingresources/prewriting_outlining.cfm

https://owl.english.purdue.edu/engagement/2/2/55/