Macmillan/McGraw-Hill: California Vistas 2007

An expository composition is a report that shares your knowledge or ideas about a topic with a reader. A multi-paragraph expository composition must have several paragraphs.

The expository composition that you are about to write will have five paragraphs. The first paragraph will introduce your composition's main idea. The second, third and fourth paragraphs will support the main idea with specific details. The fifth paragraph will bring your composition to an end by summarizing the points you have made.

ELA Standard 2.2

Before you write an expository composition:

Find the topic you want to write about. Your teacher may ask you to write about a particular topic. Think about what you want to say in your composition. Spend a few minutes "free writing" about the topic. How do you "free write"? Just take a pen and a notebook and start writing down anything that comes to mind about your topic. Keep writing for five minutes without stopping. Don't worry about spelling, neatness or punctuation. The aim of free writing is to get your ideas flowing.
Now read what you have written. You might want to circle the sentences or phrases that you think are most important. It might be helpful to organize your ideas into an outline.
Using a two-column graphic organizer like the one below, write down your main idea, three supporting details, and your concluding thought.

Your main idea should be the message you want your composition to get across. For example, if you are writing about the environment, the main idea of your composition might be that if people don't protect the environment, the environment will be damaged. The rest of your essay will explain this point.
Your supporting details should support your main idea. For example, if you were writing about the environment, one supporting detail might explain how littering hurts the environment. Another supporting detail might explain how recycling helps to protect the environment. Make sure that your supporting details really support your main idea point.
Your concluding thought should summarize the points of your main idea and supporting details. You might also think of a final detail to add or point to make.

Now that you've made an outline for your expository composition, it's time to write a first draft! Use your outline to write one paragraph at a time. Each paragraph should contain a main idea, supporting sentences and a concluding sentence. You can think of each paragraph as a mini-expository composition!

Try to make good links between your paragraphs. This way they will flow together well. Your teacher can show you good techniques to make sure that each paragraph fits well with the paragraph that came before.

Don't worry about any spelling or grammar mistakes. Since this is a first draft, you don't even need to make sure that your handwriting is neat!

Read your expository composition. You might even read it aloud to a friend or teacher. You and your friend or teacher should decide:

Does your first paragraph introduce your reader to the main idea? Is your main idea clear?
Do the next three paragraphs support your main idea? Do they help the reader understand your main idea more fully than if they just read the first paragraph?
Does your last paragraph summarize the main idea and supporting details? Do they leave the reader with a clear idea of your message?
Give your composition a title. Your title should tell the reader what the composition is mainly about.

Rewrite your expository composition so that it fully answers these questions.

You should also edit your work by checking your spelling and punctuation. Look up any words that you are unsure of in the dictionary.

Now copy out the final version of your expository composition in your best handwriting or print it out on a computer. Read through your final draft twice. The first time, check that the story is exactly the way you want it. (If it isn't, go back and make more changes.)

If you like your final draft, check that there are no spelling or punctuation errors. Be sure to put your name, the date and title on the first page. Now, you can share your story with your friends!

Macmillan/McGraw-Hill | California Vistas | Our Golden State

Published by Macmillan/McGraw-Hill, a division of the Educational and Professional
Publishing Group of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., 1221 Avenue of the Americas,
New York, New York 10020. Copyright ©2007 Macmillan/McGraw-Hill. All rights reserved. Image Credits

Please read our Terms of Use and Privacy Notice before you explore our Web site.

Write a Multi-Paragraph Expository Composition