Chapter 16 Expository Essay

The Purpose of Classification in Writing

The purpose of classification is to break down a broad subject, concept, or system into smaller, more manageable, more specific parts according to shared qualities or characteristics.

We classify things in our daily lives all the time, often without thinking about it. Motor vehicles, for example, can be classified as trucks, cars, and sports utility vehicles. Music can be classified as jazz, rock, classical, pop, and so on. Smaller categories, and the ways in which these categories are created, help us make sense of the world.

Choosing a Topic for a Classification Essay

Choosing a topic is the first step in writing a classification essay. A classification essay is best suited to something that you want to divide into categories or types.

Once you have chosen the entity you want to classify, do some prewriting to generate ideas and to begin to identify categories or types. Idea mapping is especially effective for preparing to write a classification essay because it helps you gradually divide the topic into smaller categories. (Refer to Chapter 4 to learn about idea mapping and other prewriting strategies.)

Structuring a Classification Essay

Coming up with a strong topic pays double rewards in a classification essay. Not only do you have a good topic, but you also have a solid organizational structure for the essay. The structure of a classification essay is dictated by the initial topic and the subsequent categories or types.

Words That Emphasize Classification

To emphasize classification, use the following words:

• Nouns: category, class, group, division, sub-genre, type, kind
• Verbs: categorize, classify, group, divide, subdivide, sort
• Adjectives: distinct, special, separate, different

The Purpose of Comparison in Writing

Comparison refers to putting two things side by side (literally or figuratively) and examining them in order to identify similarities and differences. For example, you might compare two people, two novels, two poems, two sociological approaches, two historical events, two concepts, or two scientific methods.

In comparing the two, consider ways in which they are similar and ways in which they are different. Also, determine the extent of the similarities and differences: How similar or different are they? Comparison helps us understand both entities more fully, and it reveals the significance of comparing the two. The purpose of conducting the comparison and/or contrasting is not to state the obvious but rather to illuminate subtle differences or unexpected similarities.

Choosing a Topic for a Compare-Contrast Essay

A compare-contrast essay is best suited to comparing two subjects. The key to a good topic for a compare-contrast essay is to choose subjects that connect in a meaningful way. If you haphazardly choose two unrelated subjects, your reader will struggle to see the purpose of comparing the two. For example, an essay comparing apples to giraffes is unlikely to produce fruitful results.

First, choose whether you want to compare (a) two seemingly disparate subjects that have surprising similarities or (b) two seemingly similar subjects that have important differences. Sometimes, you will want to emphasize similarities; in other cases, you might want to emphasize differences. Sometimes, you will do both.

Carefully examine the wording of the assignment instructions. If the assignment asks you to compare two subjects, you will likely be free to focus on similarities, differences, or both. If an assignment asks you to compare-and-contrast, you will likely be expected to identify both similarities and differences. If an assignment asks you to contrast two subjects, you will likely be expected to focus on differences. As always, when in doubt, ask your instructor!

To focus on the differences between two subjects, you would likely not choose to contrast apples and oranges because the differences between the two are obvious. Rather, you might choose to contrast two types of apples to highlight subtle differences: Red Delicious apples are sweet, while Granny Smiths are tart and acidic. Drawing distinctions between elements in a similar category will increase the audience’s understanding of both. Identify characteristics that apply to both subjects so that you can examine subtle differences. It is helpful to create a table that compares the two according to several characteristics:

On the other hand, to focus on similarities, choose two subjects that seem at first to be somewhat unrelated. In this case, you likely would not choose two different types of apples, as in the example above, because they share so many of the same properties already. Rather, you might try to compare apples and oranges. The more divergent the two subjects initially seem, the more interesting a compare-contrast essay will be. It is helpful to create a Venn diagram to help identify similarities (see Figure 16.2).

Structuring a Compare-Contrast Essay

The structure of a compare-contrast essay is partly determined by whether the writer wants to emphasize similarities, differences, or both.

Words That Emphasize Comparison

Given that compare-contrast essays analyze the relationship between two subjects, it is helpful to have some phrases on hand that will cue the reader to such analysis. Use these words and phrases to emphasize the relationship between the subjects. See Table 16.2 for examples.

The Purpose of Considering Cause and Effect in Writing

It is human nature to ask “why?” and “how?” We may want to know how our child got sick so we can better prevent it from happening in the future, or why our colleague received a pay raise because we want one as well. We want to know how much money we will save over the long term if we buy a hybrid car. These are a few examples of the cause-and-effect relationships we think about in our lives.

A cause is something that produces an event or condition; an effect is what results from an event or condition. The purpose of the cause-effect essay is to determine how various phenomena relate in terms of origins and results. Sometimes, the connection between cause and effect is clear, but more often, determining the exact relationship between the two is very difficult. For example, the effects of a cold may be easily identifiable: a sore throat, a runny nose, and a cough. But determining the cause of the sickness can be far more difficult. A number of causes are possible, and to complicate matters, these possible causes could have combined to cause the sickness. That is, more than one cause may be responsible for any given effect. Often it is not necessary or even possible to find the exact cause of an event or to name the exact effect. Therefore, cause-and-effect discussions are often complicated and frequently lead to debates and arguments.

Choosing a Topic for a Cause-Effect Essay

Often, your instructor will give you a specific topic for a cause-effect essay. In some cases, you will write about a subject for which the causes and effects have already been well established by experts—such as when you are asked to write about the causes of volcanoes or the causes of cholera.

In other cases, the causes and effects might be more open to interpretation—such as when you are asked to write about the causes of gun violence in the US or the causes of the opioid epidemic. In these cases, use the complex nature of cause and effect to your advantage. When formulating a thesis, you can claim one of a number of causes or effects to be the primary cause or effect. As soon as you claim that one cause or one effect is more crucial than the others, you have developed a thesis.

Having said that, be cautious about resorting to speculation. Speculation is unsubstantiated guessing. Writers are particularly prone to this trap in cause-and-effect arguments due to the complex nature of finding links between phenomena. For example, it can be tempting to speculate about the cause of gun violence or the causes of the opioid epidemic, and that speculation might lead you to make claims that can’t be substantiated by logic or evidence. Be sure to have clear evidence to support the claims that you make.

Structuring a Cause-Effect Essay

The first step in structuring a cause-effect essay is to prewrite to identify a number of possible causes and effects. Freewriting is a good way to start generating ideas.

Then put those ideas into a flow chart to help you begin to plan the structure (see Figure 16.4).

While the flowchart will help you determine a broad number of causes and effects, you have some important choices to make: First, will the essay focus on only causes, only effects, or both? Then, which of those causes, and which effects, will be included in the essay?

For example, referring to the flowchart above, the student could decide to write about three causes and three effects related to video game addiction. Alternatively, the student might want to focus on the role of game designers in creating addiction and therefore decide to focus on only one cause but multiple effects. The student revises the flow to remove the causes that will not be discussed in the essay (see Figure 16.5).

Now the flowchart indicates the essay will focus on one cause and three effects. By carefully choosing which causes and/or effects to include, you shape your thesis and you establish the structure of the essay.

Words That Emphasize Causes and Effects

Use phrases of causation when forging connections between various events or conditions. This will help organize your ideas and orient the reader:

• as a result
• because
• consequently
• due to
• hence
• since
• therefore
• thus

The Purpose of Process Analysis in Writing

Almost everything we learn involves following a step-by-step process. From a child learning to ride a bike to an employee learning a difficult new procedure at work, we all initially need instructions to effectively execute a task.

Think back to the last time you tried to assemble a piece of furniture following poorly written instructions or tried to troubleshoot a computer problem following instructions that didn’t match what you were seeing on the monitor, and you will remember how frustrating it is to try to follow instructions that are not well written and well organized.

On the other hand, all of us have had to teach a process to someone else, and it can be challenging to explain steps clearly and in the correct order to help someone succeed. Think back to a time when you tried to teach a process to a child or a co-worker—perhaps you thought you were being perfectly clear in your instructions, but the child or co-worker struggled to follow along, and one of you—or both of you—became very frustrated. Giving clear instructions is not as easy as it might seem.

The purpose of a process essay is to clearly explain and/or analyze how to do something or how something works. In either case, the process must be articulated into clear, definitive steps, which are carefully arranged in a logical way so that they can be followed to complete the process.

Choosing a Topic for a Process Essay

Choosing a suitable topic is the first step in writing a process essay. A process essay is best suited to the explanation of a process. Choose a process that is interesting, is relatively complex, and can be explained in a series of steps. Choose something you know well so that you can more easily describe the finer details about each step in the process.

Don’t choose a process for which the instructions are too simple or too concrete—or if there is no room for interpretation. For example, the steps to baking a chocolate cake are better suited for a recipe card than for a process essay, and the process of setting up a new TV is better suited for an instruction manual than for a process essay. For one thing, no one will want to read an essay on these topics unless they are in the kitchen baking a chocolate cake or in the living room unpacking the exact same model of TV. For another thing, these processes aren’t generally open to interpretation, so there is likely nothing interesting you can add that would justify writing an essay on the topic. Having said that, if your grandfather taught you some little-known baking secrets that apply to all cake-baking situations, and if these tips are not common knowledge and other bakers might want to know about them, you might be able to make a case for writing an essay about baking cakes. Choose your topic thoughtfully.

Once you have chosen the process you want to explain, do some prewriting to help you generate ideas. You might want to create a timeline to identify the steps in the process.

“How-to” essays are a type of process essay, and they can sometimes be written from the second-person point of view, using the pronoun you as if the writer were directly giving the reader instructions to follow: for example, “First, you must gather the materials.” If you’re not sure if the use of second-person pronouns is permitted in your assignment, check with your instructor.

The Structure of a Process Essay

More so than in any other type of expository essay, structure is critical to a process essay. The steps or stages must be described in the correct order if they are to be successfully completed. The organization of a process essay is typically chronological. That is, the steps of the process are conveyed in the order in which they need to occur to achieve the desired outcome.

If a particular step is complicated and needs a lot of explaining, then it will likely take up a paragraph on its own. But if a series of simple steps is easier to understand, then the steps can be grouped into a single paragraph—as long as all the steps are arranged in a logical order. A common pitfall in writing process essays is to include lots of very short paragraphs, with each one- or two-sentence paragraph describing one distinct small step, so take time now to group the little steps into significant stages.

Drawing a flow chart or a timeline can help to ensure that the major steps are arranged in the best order (see Figure 16.6).

Terms That Emphasize Process and/or Time

Time-related transitional phrases are helpful in organizing process analysis essays. To help your reader follow the process, use words that emphasize the order that the steps or stages must occur in.

• after/afterward
• after that
• as soon as
• at last
• before
• currently
• during
• eventually
• meanwhile
• next
• now
• since
• soon
• finally
• later
• still
• then
• until
• when/whenever
• while
• first, second, third

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In this chapter, we’ve introduced four common types of expository essays, and we’ve emphasized how crucial it is to choose a structure that naturally suits your topic and purpose—and vice versa. For example, if you were assigned to write an essay on the topic of purchasing a condo, you would not choose a classification structure; conversely, if you were required to write a classification essay, you would not choose the topic of purchasing a condo. When the topic and the structure naturally match, essay writing is much easier.

We’ve also emphasized that each of these essay types requires special consideration regarding essay structure. There is a close relationship between the type of essay and the thesis statement. Take a moment to check your understanding of these relationships by completing Practice 16.6 and Practice 16.7.

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The classification essay, the compare-contrast essay, the cause-effect essay, and the process essay are not the only types of expository essays, but they are four of the most common ones you’ll be asked to write. Other types of expository essays that your instructors may ask you to write include the descriptive essay, the definition essay, the illustration essay, and the problem-solution essay. Although not at all expository essay assignments will fit the four types we’ve presented, many of the tips in this chapter apply to all types of expository essays.

These four modes can be used to write not only expository essays but also analysis and argumentative essays, which will be discussed in more detail in the next two chapters. You can choose the structures you learned for classification, comparison, cause and effect, or process analysis to develop your analysis or argument in more sophisticated and nuanced ways, even if your instructor doesn’t specify that one of these structures must be used.

• • Expository essays primarily explain or describe a subject.
• • A classification essay divides a whole subject into parts, categories, or sub-genres.
• • A compare-contrast essay analyzes subjects by either comparing them, contrasting them, or both.
• • A cause-effect essay determines how various phenomena are related.
• • A process essay explains how to do something, how something works, or both.
• • When writing an expository essay, begin with a standard essay structure, but adapt it to meet the purposes of the particular type of essay.
• • Transitional words emphasize the relationships between parts of an expository essay.
• • The structures associated with classification, comparison, cause and effect, and process analysis can be applied to other types of essays, such as analysis essays, argumentative essays, and research papers.