What Is an Expository Essay?

An expository essay is an essay that explains or gives information about a topic. Its main purpose is to make the reader understand something clearly. Some common expository topics include:

• causes and consequences;
• advantages and disadvantages;
• problems and solutions;
• importance of something;
• effects of something.

In handling an Expository Composition, always remember to explain and not merely state of list facts.

Consider the following topic: “Write a composition of between 450-500 words on “The Causes and consequences of reckless driving on our highways.”

A candidate who says, “Drivers over speed. They drink alcohol. They overtake dangerously…” will be considered as a weaker candidate and will equally be scored very low marks.

On the other hand, a candidate who says, “One major cause of reckless driving on our highways is excessive speed. Some drivers drive at very high speeds because they want to reach their destinations quickly. Unfortunately, this gives them less time to react to sudden dangers on the road…” will be considered as a stronger candidate and will be scored higher marks than the first candidate. This is because in the second example, the candidate does not merely state, he explains and gives examples.