Overview

Expository writing is the writing you do to explain and to share information. Writing about how to do something, how something works, how things are alike or different, or why something happens is expository writing. Most of the writing you do for school—such as book reports and research papers—is expository.

Good expository writing is clear, concise, interesting, and informative. It is also well organized. How you organize information in expository writing depends on what you want to say. To explain how to do something, it is best to list the steps in order. To list facts, you may want to cite them in order of importance, with the most important fact first.

Research reports that you write for school are expository. A good research report will include information from several sources. For that reason, you will spend a good deal of time in the prewriting stage— gathering, reading, and organizing information. During the writing and revising steps, you may want to add charts, graphics, photographs, or illustrations to your reports. These visual elements will strengthen your writing by presenting information clearly and concisely.