Expositary Essay

[xXNovaxX]

Hi, for context; what do people understand about an Expositary essay....how is it different to a text response/or are they the same?

Also, does anyone have an outline of how to write one, i have written one before and did quiet good, but it was a random guess how i wrote it, i would appreciate an overview of how it is structured. And are you allowed to use "we" etc....like be a bit more casual? Remembering that an expositary essay explores IDEAS.

thank you

[lynt.br]

From what I understand, the context study differs from text response in that you are writing about your ideas relevant to the context (i.e. on a broader scale) whereas in a text response you are analysing the ideas within a novel. Examiners are looking for how well you can express your thoughts on the context study. They are not looking for extensive textual knowledge (Although this may help you better express your ideas).

An examiner I talked to illustrated context in the form of a pyramid:

The Prompt

Your Ideas       The Text

It basically means that a context piece needs to demonstrate how your ideas and the ideas presented in the text explore the element of your context presented in the prompt or stimulus. Keep in mind that the 'prompt' differs from a topic in that it is designed to stimulate thought rather than a constrained answer. This means it may come in the form of a picture.

A basic outline to writing an expository style context piece:

Topic sentence focuses on the context, not the text you are studying.

Evidence to support your contention can be drawn from extraneous resources. E.g, evidence can be taken from real-world issues, cultural figures, celebrities, media, other texts.... It should not be limited to just the text you are studying. (although it is wise not to ignore this as a valuable source of evidence). I'd imagine a strong expository essay provides a balance between thorough understanding of how the ideas of your context are presented in the text you are studying as well as how they are prevalent in reality.

Explanation into how your evidence supports your ideas about the context study. I think in a text response, you want to link your evidence and ideas to the text you are studying. In context, you want to link your evidence to the broader ideas behind your context. Avoid restricting your explanations to just the text, try to relate them to the real world.

Link explaining how what you have written is relevant to the prompt/context.

are you allowed to use "we" etc....like be a bit more casual?

From what I've been told, Context writing is effectively free-writing. You can break most of the conventions that apply to text response such as avoiding personal pronouns. I think using 'We' is quite acceptable if you are using it to demonstrate how an element of your context study applies to humanity as a whole.

[xXNovaxX]

Thanks one hundred lynt.br !!!! Your explanation is very clear +1 Karma =).

Another question. I would like yo use ideas/examples from poems, texts, movies, real life experiences. But how on earyh do you do that!. For one, examiners are not going to know every poem thats out in the world, or every film. So how do they judge you on that? OR is it (i think this is right), that they don't judge on your RESOURCES, but just how you FIT IT IN......i.e. how you USE it? Does that sound right?

Also, how can you fit into an essay for example "oh, my friend doesn't have an identity, he is always trying to find who he is because he has no family". Because it is an essay it is difficult to use real life examples, am i right?

Thank you!

[shinny]

Thanks one hundred lynt.br !!!! Your explanation is very clear +1 Karma =).

Another question. I would like yo use ideas/examples from poems, texts, movies, real life experiences. But how on earyh do you do that!. For one, examiners are not going to know every poem thats out in the world, or every film. So how do they judge you on that? OR is it (i think this is right), that they don't judge on your RESOURCES, but just how you FIT IT IN......i.e. how you USE it? Does that sound right?

Also, how can you fit into an essay for example "oh, my friend doesn't have an identity, he is always trying to find who he is because he has no family". Because it is an essay it is difficult to use real life examples, am i right?

Thank you!

That's why you choose evidence which is well known, and then quote and/or describe the evidence that you're giving as well. I wouldn't use hypothetical examples (or even if they are real, the 'my friend' examples always seem hypothetical), so don't use them. And yes, using 'we' is perfectly fine. In fact, I tend to stick with that tense in expositories since most of the expositories refer to some idea about humanity in general, and it gives it a slightly different feel from text response.

[shinny]

I was asked in a PM for clarification about what I said above, so perhaps it's best done here for everyone else's benefit too. Basically, hypothetical (or seemingly hypothetical) situations would be alright if they're an obvious reference to the text, but I'd avoid them elsewhere. They tend to look like you're making up evidence on the spot, whereas an obvious reference to the text through such means would actually be seen as a positive since it incorporates actual evidence in a creative way. However, depending on what writing style you're adopting, it might not even be necessary to 'cover up' such evidence, and you could really just directly quote it in some cases.

[nerd]

One of the nice things about context writing is that it is ultimately free writing. You can write whatever you want. I'm a big fan of writing 'hybrid' pieces - mixing the types of writing together. For example, you can write a feature article (imaginative/expository) or some type of personal letter (persuasive/imaginative).

Thus, you can use personal pronouns in context, simply because you don't actually have to say "I wrote an expository piece". If your piece is a mix between a couple of formats, you can do whatever you like (within reason!)

[xXNovaxX]

I think context is great, our teacher was saying that all English teachers (generalization) hated the new study design, but I find it great that we ARE FREE like "nerd" said. The prompts are always good and broad, that is they don't restrict you. Also, they really do reflect your skills in English since you are given the choice of form. For those that don't like text responses, they could do a letter, or article, or speech etc etc.

And Shinny, thanks for the clarification, because my teacher urges us to use personal experience...though I always avoided them, and still will because yeah, it does sound fake and made up, lol. But thanks for the comment anyway.