Expository writing tells all
And it is found everywhere

 

Almost all written material ordinary people read and write is exposition.

Memos, e-mails, letters to the editor, notes to Kyle's teacher — all are examples of exposition. So are Kyle's algebra text, your employee manual, and the daily paper.

Each of those forms of writing is an example of nonfiction informative prose. In each case the writing exposes or explains opinions or ideas.

It is non or not fiction because the writers present it as true and believe that it is true. They may be mistaken, but that's a different matter.

Good exposition does for ideas what supermarket tabloids for celebrities' bodies: lays them out where nobody can miss a freckle on them.

Exposition can occur in both fiction and nonfiction, but the term expository writing refers only to nonfiction. The ELA curriculum is full of such terminology traps for unwary teachers and students.

There are as many varieties of exposition as there are cereal brands, each with their own patterns of organization. Fortunately, you and I don't have to teach them all or write them all. We can limit ourselves to teaching one that can be adapted to many other uses.

Limiting our focus makes teaching writing and learning to write much easier for all parties. We teach a process that works nearly all the time for nearly all required writing in school and work. In my experience, the kid who is smart enough to figure out he's got one of the 5% of situations in which the standard process won't work is smart enough to figure out an alternative.

To succeed as a writing teacher, you need to know some basic terminology like nonfiction and essay, mainly so you use lingo with the least chance of confusing students.

You also need to know a few other things as well:

• An appropriate writing process for teaching expository writing.

• A teachable structure for exposition.

• How to handle writing mechanics issues in written work.

• How to adapt the writing pattern you teach to other uses.

• How to evaluate and grade writing.

• How to use writing to achieve learning objectives other than writing.

Sooner or later, we'll look at every one of those issues somewhere on this website.