The Expository Essay

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The Expository Essay

• Your new best friend!
• Class Participation/Notes Section
• 1/15/09 Expository Essay Notes P

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What is Expository?

• Inform
• Explain
• Examine
• Discuss
• Interpret
• Please translate all of the above before
  tomorrow!

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Key Vocabulary

• Topic
• Thesis
• Claim
• Evidence
• Bias

• Main idea you are writing about (from prompt)
• One sentence that explains what your essay will
  be about
• What you are showing/proving (in the thesis)
• Examples that prove you are right
• ?????? What the reader already believes

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Sample Prompt

• Think about innovations that have made vehicles
  safer such as seat belts and air bags.
• Write an essay in which you describe a safety
  improvement that has helped to save lives.

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Planning and Prewriting

• Before your write your essay PLAN make an
  outline
• Topic
• Introduction
• Body
• Conclusion

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Introduction

• Background information from the prompt and what
  you already know
• Example What do you know about the sample topic?
• Thesis the main idea of your essay what you
  are trying to show readers
• ExampleWrite a thesis for the sample prompt
• main topic your focus idea thesis
  statement

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Example Thesis

• Topic Safety improvements in driving such as
  airbags and seatbelts
• Focus Idea have saved many lives
• Thesis Seatbelts and airbags have made great
  improvements in driving safety and have saved
  many lives.

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Body

• Topic sentence
• Evidence to support ideas
• Explanation of the evidence
• Address the biases
• Concluding Sentence

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Conclusion

• Review main points
• Explain the significance of the topic and claim
• Do not introduce new ideas or evidenc in the
  conclusion!