Lesson 1.2C: Writing the Expository Paragraph
 We looked at the four different types of paragraphs in Lesson 1.2A. One type was the expository paragraph, which explains, as clearly as possible, how something is done, how something works, or why something happens. Let's take a closer look at this type of writing in this lesson.
Beginning Your Paragraph - The Topic Sentence and Beyond
The topic sentence tells the reader what the paragraph is about. If your topic sentence is too broad or general, you won't be able to contain what you need to in a paragraph. Conversely, if the topic is too specific, it will be difficult to elaborate on it in a paragraph.
The main job of the topic sentence is to let your reader know how you are going to approach your topic. As you're going to be writing an expository paragraph, your topic sentence will introduce what you are going to explain to your reader (for example, how something is done, and so forth). Another important job of the topic sentence is to create interest in your topic so the reader will want to continue. Review the following examples to learn more about poor and good examples of topic sentences.
Poor Example:
There are many things that cause cancer.
This topic sentence is poor because it is vague: "many things" is not specific. The topic is also too broad to discuss in six to eight sentences. In fact, a book could be written on this topic.
Good Example:
There should be a national holiday in February in order to lighten people's spirits during a bleak month.
This topic sentence is effective because it is limited in scope, but presents an argument that can be supported in six to eight sentences.
The remaining sentences in the paragraph will all support (or point back to) the topic sentence. Each of these sentences will develop the main idea. This is called the body of the paragraph. The paragraph then ends with a concluding sentence.
Paragraph Structure and Coherence
Understanding the basics of paragraph writing is very important, as it is the basis for other types of writing, such as multi-paragraph compositions or reports.
 To learn more about the structure of the paragraph, click on Paragraph Essentials.
Organization
One thing that is very important when writing an expository paragraph is the order in which information is presented. If you are writing a "how to" paragraph, you would order the information in your paragraph step by step. If you begin by listing all the steps you need to cover, it would be important to look at that list and number your facts or steps from first to last. Doing this would ensure you wouldn't forget anything important, or have details or steps out of order. By carefully arranging your details, facts, and ideas in a proper and precise order, you have a paragraph that has coherence, a paragraph that makes sense.
 Go to "The Writing Process" in Writing on the Run! and read the section titled "Revise and Edit."
Summary
Completing this lesson has helped you to:
- use a variety of strategies to generate ideas for writing
- collect information prior to writing
- organize ideas before writing
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