Expository and Informative Writing
Expository writing explains facts or ideas clearly.
About this topic
Expository writing explains, informs or describes a topic factually, without trying to persuade. Typical forms: how-to guides, reports, news articles, encyclopedia entries and explanatory essays. Organise logically using patterns such as cause and effect, process, definition, classification or problem and solution. It is the most common kind of writing you will meet at school and at work.
Clarity is the main goal. Begin with a clear statement of the topic, use headings or topic sentences to guide readers, define technical terms and support every point with facts, examples or data. Keep the tone neutral and the language precise, and use transition words that fit the pattern, such as because and as a result for cause and effect, or first, next and finally for a process.
Worked example: an explanation of how volcanoes erupt might define magma, describe the build-up of pressure in the chamber, explain what happens when gases expand, and conclude with real events such as Mount St Helens in 1980. A diagram or labelled figure can help.
Common mistakes include sneaking in opinion, assuming the reader knows the jargon, and including interesting but irrelevant facts. Check your sources, quote or paraphrase accurately, and organise before you write. After drafting, ask whether a person who knew nothing about the topic could follow it, and simplify wherever not.
Key ideas
- Define, compare, explain
- Organise logically
- Use headings and examples
Quick check
Use cases: where Expository and Informative Writing helps
- Homework: review the key idea behind Expository and Informative Writing before you start a problem set.
- Exam revision: use the quick check to test whether you can recall Expository and Informative Writing without notes.
- Visual learning: play with the interactive lab to see how Expository and Informative Writing changes when you adjust its inputs.
- Teaching a friend: explain Expository and Informative Writing in your own words, then compare your version with the key ideas.
Strong reading and writing are needed in every subject, job and exam.
Frequently asked questions
What is Expository and Informative Writing?
Expository writing explains facts or ideas clearly.
What will I learn in Expository and Informative Writing?
Define, compare, explain. Organise logically. Use headings and examples.
Is Expository and Informative Writing part of English?
Yes. It is one of 60 English topics on LearnViz HighSchoolEdu, with 3 key ideas, a live animation and a quick check.
Does the Expository and Informative Writing lab work on a phone or tablet?
Yes. The animation resizes to fit your screen and supports touch, so you can drag, tap and slide with your finger.
How should I study Expository and Informative Writing?
Read the summary and key ideas first, play with the interactive lab to see the idea in motion, then answer the quick check. If you get a question wrong, go back to the key idea it tests.
Do I need an account, and is my progress saved?
No account is needed. Marking a topic as learned is saved in your own browser, so it stays on that device and is not sent to a server.