You can find more examples of expository essays on .


We can’t possibly answer the question “what is an expository essay?” without going over the different essay types that could fall under this category. Below are a few of the most common types of expository essays that you’re going to see, or that you might have already seen at this point in your academic career.


Descriptive essays: Also referred to as a definition essay, a descriptive essay is an essay wherein you describe and define a particular topic to tell your reader what it is or what it means. Think of it as a long, informative, descriptive definition of something.

With an expository essay, you need to be able to teach your reader about a subject. In order to teach someone about a subject, you need to fully understand it first. Therefore, if you read an essay and come out of it feeling like you understand the topic better or that you have a more well rounded knowledge of it, it is likely effective expository writing.

offers guidance for writing expository essays.

You can usually tell if an essay is expository by the use of expository writing. By expository writing, we mean descriptive writing that takes facts and credible information and processes that data into digestible chunks with a clear, concise conclusion.

Writing an expository essay also shows your ability to conduct research and practice critical thinking. There is a significant amount of information out there that can be accessed in so many different ways, from browsing the web to visiting your campus library. You need to be able to sift through all of the data out there and use your own critical thinking skills to pick out the real facts. In today’s day and age, this is an extremely important skill to have outside of the academic world as well.

It may seem kind of weird to you that you’ll need to explain a topic that’s already been covered in class. However, from your professor’s perspective, the point of writing an expository essay is to test your . Essentially, your professor wants to see that you completely understand the subject matter or topic and that you’ve reviewed all of the facts or information.

Therefore, an expository essay is any type of essay that takes a topic or idea, investigates and analyzes it in detail, and then produces a conclusion. You’re not taking a stand or making an argument about it, but instead going over all of the facts and exploring the topic in depth. Your goal is to remain neutral and not form an opinion one way or another.


What is an expository essay… and how do I write one?

While every part of an essay is important, you should devote most of your time to the body paragraphs. This is where you’ll do most of your analysis, exposition, and all the other good stuff that goes into figuring out your subject and relaying that to your reader.

The core elements of a good expository essay include the following:

We can’t write your essay for you. Partly because we don’t know what you’re explaining, partly because you probably have better points and thoughts than we could ever come up with. But we can give you a pretty good example of what your completed expository essay might look like.

How to Write an Expository Essay | Structure, Tips & Examples

So, let’s start off by answering the main question right off the bat: what is an expository essay? After all, that’s the real information you’ve come here to find.

10 Tips to Write an Expository Essay That Engages Your Audience

Now you know what an expository essay is, and you have a good idea of what it all entails. With a few more , you’ll be pumping out some award-winning words in no time.

What is an Expository Essay and How to Write It - Paperpal

With longer expository essays or more in-depth topics, you’ll understandably include more body paragraphs. Otherwise, don’t overthink the structure of your essay too much. Focus more on the actual words and sentences.

Expository Essay: Structure, Tips, and Examples - PaperTrue

The format of an expository essay is about as basic as it gets. It’s not exactly the most creative or exciting in its format, but that just gives more opportunity for your actual writing to shine.