Expository essay outline

The outline is like a blueprint; its function is to act as a guide that you can use to build a house, or in this case an essay. Without the outline the risk of straying off the subject increases. It’s needless to mention you get confused due to a multitude of ideas that you don’t know where to place. Let’s take a look at the outline you should follow when writing an expository essay:

• Introduction – your opportunity to make a positive first impression. It should consist of the:
  • Hook – the first sentence of the essay; it can include quote, statistics, anecdote, or anything else you find catchy
  • Background info and context – a brief info about the topic itself
  • Thesis statement – specifies the exact topic you’re going to write about, things you will analyze
• Body paragraphs – the central part of the essay. The number of paragraphs isn’t specified, you can write as many as you need to thoroughly analyze the subject. In most cases, 3-5 paragraphs are enough. They should be written in the following manner:
  • Topic 1 – fact 1 + evidence, fact 2 + evidence etc. – basically, each paragraph starts with a topic sentence that announces what aspect of the subject you’re going to discuss. Within the paragraph, you mention the facts you discovered while researching supported by evidence
  • Topic 2 – fact 1 + evidence, fact 2 + evidence etc.
  • Topic 3 – fact 1 + evidence, fact 2 + evidence etc.
• Conclusion – summary of the thesis, facts, and evidence. It also discusses the importance of the subject, raises more questions that make a reader think, and finishes with call-to-action

Writing tips

An expository essay is similar to working as an investigative journalist on some super important assignment. Your job is to investigate a topic thoroughly and report facts, regardless of your own opinion about them. In order to write a top-quality expository essay, follow these tips:

• Research topic thoroughly and try to learn more even though you may already be familiar with it
• Use evidence to support every claim or fact you include
• Use only reputable sources for evidence e.g. studies, official figures and announcements, journals, and other similar sources
• Avoid fabricating information just because you want to emphasize something
• Avoid showing how you feel about the topic
• Organize facts in a manner that will be easier to follow e.g. chronologically, based on priority etc.
• Use concise and clear language
• Prioritize quality over quantity; it’s not about how many facts you introduce, but how strong they are
• If the essay describes a process or activity, second person writing can be used too
• Vary sentence length throughout the paper to add more rhythm
• Avoid vague expressions, be precise