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Expository Writing Structure
Academic writing requires presenting your sources and your ideas effectively. The first element involves “entering a conversation about ideas” between you – the writer- and your sources to reflect your critical thinking. This template allows you, the writer, to organize your ideas in relationship to your thesis, supporting evidence, opposing evidence and the conclusion of the argument.
Step 1: INTRODUCE – In a paragraph structure, your first sentence is your Topic Sentence and its purpose is to introduce to your reader the content of the sentences that comprise the paragraph. It should be specific enough to separate it from the rest of the essay, but general enough that all elements in the paragraph can relate back to this one sentence.
Pick a sentence option from A, B and C and complete.
A) Introducing “Standard Views”
1. Americans today tend to believe that ____________.
2. Common sense seems to dictate that _____________.
3. It is often said that ____________.
4. One would think that _____________.
5. Many people assumed that ______________.
B) Making What “They Say” Something you say
1. Everyone has always believed that ____________.
2. As children, everyone probably used to think that _____________.
3. Although everyone would admit that he/she should know better by now, one cannot help thinking that ___________.
4. While one likely believes __________, one should also believe ___________.
C) Capturing Authorial Action
(X=the author’s name or the name of the person being quoted)
1. X acknowledges that _________.
2. X agrees that __________.
3. X argues that ___________.
4. X believes that ___________.
5. X claims that ___________.
6. X complains that ___________.
7. X concedes that __________.
8. X demonstrates that __________.
9. X emphasizes that ___________.
10. X insists that __________.
11. X observes that __________.
12. X questions whether ___________.
13. X refutes the claim that __________.
14. X reminds us that ___________.
15. X reports that __________.
16. X suggests that __________.
17. X urges us to __________.
Step 2: REPRODUCE– In order to back up your assertions, to make your point more valid, you will need to cite evidence or concrete detail from the works you are reading, statistics, stories and anecdotes, etc.
Pick a sentence option from D and complete.
D) Introducing Quotations
1. X states, “__________.”
2. According to X, “___________.”
3. X himself writes, “___________.”
4. In her book,_________, X maintains that “___________”
5. In X’s view, “_____________.”
6. X agrees when she writes, “____________.”
7. X disagrees when he writes, “____________.”
8. X complicates the matters further when he writes, “_____________.”
Step 3: EXPLAIN– Now that you have cited evidence, you need to explain your opinion about why the evidence is important. Using the sentences below, write TWO sentences that comment on the significance of the concrete detail provided.
Pick a sentence option from E and complete. Then pick a sentence option from F, G, H or I and complete.
E) Explaining Quotations (Pick one)
1. Basically, X is saying ___________.
2. In other words, X believes ___________.
3. In making this comment, X argues that __________.
4. X is insisting that ____________.
5. X’s point is that __________.
(Pick a sentence option from either F, G, or H and complete)
F) Agreeing--- With Reasons
1. X is surely right about _______ because, as he/she may not be aware, recent studies have shown that _______.
2. X’s theory of _________ is extremely useful because it sheds insight on the difficult problem of____________.
3. One can agree that _________, a point that needs emphasizing since so many people believe___________.
G) Disagreeing – With Reasons
1. X is mistaken because he/she overlooks ______________.
2. X’s claim that _______ rests upon the questionable assumption that ______.
3. X’s view that _______ is incorrect because, as recent research (personal experience) has shown, _______.
4. By focusing on _______, X overlooks the deeper problem of _______.
5. X claims _______, but society doesn’t need him/her to say that. Anyone familiar with _______ has long knows that _______.
H) Agreeing and Disagreeing Simultaneously
1. Although X is correct to point, overall his/her conclusion that _______ is invalid because _______.
2. Although _______ would disagree with much of what X says, he/she/they would fully endorse his/her final conclusion that _______.
3. Though X would concede that _______, he/she would still insist that _______.
4. X is right that _______, but her/his idea(s) seems questionable when she/he states _______.
I) Establishing Why Your Claims Matter (Pick one)
1. X is important because _______.
2. Ultimately, what is at stake here is ________.
3. A discussion of X is in fact addressing the larger matter of ________.
4. Although X may seem of concern to only a small group of ______, it should in fact concern anyone who cares about ___________.
Repeat Steps 2 and 3.
Step 4: Adding Metacommentary-Now that you have provided evidence and commentary, you need to summarize your view without adding new commentary or repeating too directly, what you have already said. The best conclusions provide some sort of interpretation of the content of the paragraph.
Use the options listed below to complete a brief paragraph of metacmmentary.
a. In other words, _______.
b. What ____ really means by this is _______.
c. X’s point is _________.
d. Essentially, one is arguing that ________.
e. X’s point is not that people should __________, but that people should ________.
f. What ________ really means is _________.
g. To put it another way, _________.
h. In sum, then, _________.
i. X’s conclusion, then, is that, ________.
j. In short, ________.
k. Although some readers may object that ______, one would answer that ______.
Commonly Used Transitions
|
Cause and Effect |
Conclusion |
Elaboration |
Contrast |
|
-Accordingly -As a result -Consequently -Hence -It follows, then -Since -Then -Therefore -Thus |
-As a result -Consequently -Hence -In sum, then -Then -In short -It follows, then -One upshot of all of this is that -Therefore -Thus |
-Actually -By Extension -In short -That is -In other words -To put it differently -To put it bluntly -Ultimately |
-Although -By contrast -Conversely -Despite the fact that -Even though -However -In contrast -Nevertheless -Nonetheless -On the contrary -On the other hand -Regardless -Whereas -While -Yet |
|
Comparison |
Addition |
Example |
Concession |
|
-Along the same lines -In the same way -Likewise -Similarly -In the same vein |
-Also -Besides -Furthermore -In addition -In fact -Indeed -Moreover |
-After all -As an illustration -Consider -For example -For instance -Specifically -To Take a case in point |
-Admittedly -Although it is true that -Granted -Of course -Naturally -To be sure |
Expository Outline for Body Paragraphs:
Sentence 1 Step 1 Topic Sentence
Sentence 2 Step 2 Evidence or Concrete Detail Related to Sentence 1
Sentence 3 Step 3 Commentary or Opinion about Sentence 2
Sentence 4 Step 3 Commentary or Opinion about Sentence 2
Sentence 5 Step 2 Evidence or Concrete Detail Related to Sentence 1
Sentence 6 Step 3 Commentary or Opinion about Sentence 5
Sentence 7 Step 3 Commentary or Opinion about Sentence 5
Sentence 8 Step 4 Conclusion about or Unique Summary of Sentences
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