By

Peony Lam

22-10-2000

What Expository Writing is

Techniques used in Expository Writing

• Deal with facts

• May take one of the following forms:

Information

Report

Argument

Discussion

Persuasion

What form of Expository Writing would you have to produce?

•Vitamin pills: effective or not?

•Minutes of General Office Meeting

•The need to ban cigarette smoking in all public places

•Opening a small business

•A sales letter

Discussion

Report

Argument

Information

Persuasion

Techniques used in Expository Writing

Supporting statements with reasons and evidence

Organizing material by using comparison, contrast, classification or description of process

Giving reasons

List reasons in paragraph forms

Use connecting words

Put the most important reason last

Giving Reasons(Example)

Exercise is good for you. Why? Experts claim that, first of all, regular exercise helps you to relax. Secondly they say it takes your mind off whatever day-to day worries you might have. The most important reason, however, is that those who exercise on a regular basis live longer and happier lives.

Giving Details

Concrete examples

Figures or statistics

Personal experience

Competition for higher education in Hong Kong is very keen. Every year, there are more than 160,000 secondary school students fighting for a total of about 25,000 seats in form six classes. That means only 15 per cent of the form five graduates can continue their studies in form six.

Giving Details

(Examples)

Figures or statistics

Another thing you can do to start your business is to take an ordinary, everyday sort of product and change or improve it. Hamburgers, for example. There are so many bad hamburgers in the world that anyone who makes an honest burger with generous portions and fresh buns will never lack customers.

Giving Details

(Examples)

Concrete examples

Giving Details(Examples)

Biking can be great fun. .Unfortunately, many young people become reckless. Last week, I actually saw two students riding against the flow of traffic. Others like to speed risking their lives. According to government reports, accidents involving bicycle riders have increased by about 20 per cent over the previous year.

Experiences

Figures or statistics

Common words and phrases related to figures or statistics

Increase from

Drop to

Fall from

Fall to

Increase by

Drop from

Giving Details(Examples)

This year the number of candidates taking Business Law has ___________ last year’s 380 to ___. And the pass percentage has ___________ about 15. However, the credit percentage has ___________ 6 and the number has ___________ 54 to___.

increased from

450

increased bydropped to

fallen from 30

Using ComparisonsThe Chinatown in San Francisco resembles Hong Kong in many ways: business among Chinese is conducted in Cantonese. There are also hawkers at the road side. If you go into one of the many Chinese restaurants, the interior décor will certainly strike you as familiar.

Classifying

There are three arguments for the preservation of wide-life. The first one carries the moral perspective that everything has a right to life. The second argument considers the extinction of wildlife and its effect on the economy. Finally the destruction of the ecological system is discussed in the third argument.The first argument put forward in defense of wild animals is a moral one …After the moral argument comes the economic one …Finally, the third argument for preserving the lives of wild animals is an ecological one …These, then, are the three most common arguments for the protection and preservation of wild animals.

Introduction

Body

Ending

Describing a ProcessFirst the fruits are picked. Then they are cleaned and placed in the sun to dry. The heat can reduce the moisture in the food by about 10 per cent. This prevents micro-organisms from growing on them. After drying, the fruits are packed in plastic bags. These bags are then sealed tight. Finally the bags go into large boxes for delivery.

The steps are described according to Time Sequence.

Describing a Process

(Example)First of all, you have to realize your need. Then you search for information. After you have collected all the information you need, compare the alternatives. Compare also the after-purchase service as the maintenance of your appliance depends a lot on it. Finally, you make your decision.

Some useful websites for learning how to write

http://webster.commnet.edu/writing/writing.htm

http://www.eslcafe.com/