How to Start a Essay

1 Expository is explaining a subject/topic. An expository essay, then,
is a written explanation of a subject. The goal is to share information
with the reader. It may be abstract or concrete in nature. It may be
about an idea (the U.S. system of checks and balances) or about a real
(non-fiction or fancy) subject (eg. making a toothpick model of the
Golden Gate Bridge). [1]

2 Your expository essay will test your knowledge of a subject. That
knowledge may be familiar to you already, or it may require loads of
information that you need to retrieve. It will, obviously be fact-based
and not opinion-based. It will be with ONLY third-person perspectives,
as first and second-person can be biased. Focus your attention on the
topic and not yourself or the reader. [2]

3 Explanations can be presented in a variety of methods, such as :
Explain a process process Compare and/or contrast two items Explain with
examples Divide and classify Identify a cause-effect relationship
(causal analysis)

Methods and Process Work

4 The first method requires sequential order in the details. If you were
to write the instructions for making a peanut butter and jelly sandwich,
laying out the bread would come before spreading the peanut butter and
jelly, which comes before putting the two slices of bread
together--sticky side in, of course! Methods #2 through #4 employ an
order of importance; the two options are to arrange the information from
most-to-least important (news reporting style) or least-to-most
important (dramatic buildup). The method of causal analysis involves one
of two options: identify a cause and predict its effect, or present the
effect and identify its cause. For example, if the effect is that Hammy
is dripping wet, the cause might be that he got caught in the rain or
sprayed with a garden hose. It's detective work.

5 As you organize your paper, keep these guidelines in mind. Whether it
takes just one paragraph or several to present your explanation, no
paragraph should have less than three sentences. Each will need a topic
sentence followed by two or more supporting sentences. Don't assume that
the reader is familiar with any portion of your subject. Neither should
you choose big, complicated words when a simple one will work. It is
better to be understood than to appear erudite. (You don't know the
meaning of erudite? That's the point! Showing off by used big words is
annoying! Don't do it!) You should also avoid overuse of the word
"then," as in "Then I went to school, and then I went to lunch, and then
I went to recess." [3]

6 Your essay will end with a concluding paragraph. It will summarize
your points and bring the subject to a close. It won't contain any new
material, but it should express the previous material in a different
way.

Writing the Essay

7 It's time for you to begin your expository essay. Here is a brief
summary to guide you.

I. Choose a topic. Perhaps you have a talent or skill to share. If so,
keep yourself out of the essay. This paper should not be about you
specifically; its purpose is to explain what something is, or how
something is done, or why certain results occur. Possible topics include
babysitting, car maintenance, camping, arts or crafts, or mastering a
specific video game.

II. Prepare an introduction - capture the reader's attention and also
state your purpose. Let the reader know what to expect as he or she
reads your essay. If your topic were photography, your purpose might
then be "to explain how to shoot awesome scenic photos."

III. Select the best method for presenting your explanation. Choose one
of the five previously listed methods.

IV. Organize the essay. Choose your main points; these will become the
topic sentences for the body of the essay. Decide whether your points
will be sequential, listed in order from most-important to
least-important or least-important to most-important.

V. Write the body paragraphs of the essay. Each paragraph will begin
with a topic sentence followed by at least two sentences that support or
further explain the topic sentence.

VI. Write your final paragraph. In the conclusion you will remind the
reader of your subject and review the information that they just read.
Don't slip any new facts or steps into the concluding paragraph. [4]

By: Zing Jie [5]