Caleb S.
Caleb S.

How to Write an Expository Essay Outline - Know Here

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Published on: Aug 6, 2018

Last updated on: Dec 30, 2022

Expository Essay Outline

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Expository essay writing is not as easy as any other type of essay. It requires time, in-depth research, knowledge, attention, skills, and dedication to thoroughly analyze the topic. The first step to writing an exceptional expository essay is to craft an outline.

Learn the art of crafting an expository essay outline with the help of a template and step-by-step guide.

What is an Expository Essay?

The expository essay is a type of academic paper that discusses one specific topic in detail. This genre aims to provide readers with all the information they need to understand this particular subject easily.

Expository essays and argumentative essays are two different types of essays. An expository essay is written to give information about a topic. It defines and illustrates the topic. An argumentative essay is written to present an argument and prove a certain point of view.

Expository Essay Outline

An outline helps in organizing information and keeping the essay in proper structure. It is like a blueprint of an essay that acts as a road map for you to craft a compelling essay. Before you start jotting down words on a piece of paper, you should craft an outline for your expository essay.

An outline is the same for all types of expository essays; the only difference is the type of content it provides.

Here is how you can write an expository essay outline without any error.

5 Paragraph Expository Essay Outline

The 5-paragraph essay outline usually consists of 1 introduction, 3 body, and 1 conclusion paragraph. Here is a 5 paragraph essay outline structure:

Here is how a 5 paragraph expository essay outline looks like and the essential elements it contains.

  1. Paragraph I: Introduction

    1. Hook statement: Attention grabber
    2. Brief background information is necessary for the reader to understand the subject in discussion
    3. Informative thesis statement
  2. Paragraph II: Body Paragraph

    1. Topic sentence: The first main idea of the essay that explains the topic
    2. Supporting evidence
    3. Analysis of the evidence
    4. Concluding remarks and transition to the next idea
  3. Paragraph III: Body Paragraph II

    1. Topic sentence: The second main idea of the essay
    2. Supporting evidence
    3. Analysis of the evidence
    4. Concluding remarks and transition to the next idea
  4. Paragraph IV: Body Paragraph III

    1. Topic sentence: The most important central idea of the essay
    2. Supporting evidence
    3. Analysis of the evidence
    4. Concluding remarks
  5. Paragraph V: Conclusion

    1. Restate the thesis statement
    2. A brief summary of the essay
    3. Reveal unanswered questions
    4. Call to action

Read some good expository essay examples to have a better understanding of expository essay structure.

How to Write an Expository Essay Outline?

This is the best advice you can ever get.

“Create an essay outline before the actual write-up.”

It doesn’t matter what type of paper or essay you are writing; creating an outline is essential. Brainstorm for the ideas you want to include in your essay and note the key points in the outline. When you write the essay, you can refer back to it to ensure that you have included all the important information.

Above, we have given an expository essay outline template to make the essay writing process easy for you. If you follow the proper outline, you can easily write a flawless expository essay in no time.

Here is a process of crafting an outline for an expository essay:

  1. Choose A Captivating Topic

    When you start writing an essay, you first need a good topic that enthralls the reader. When you choose an expository essay topic, you need to make sure it intrigues the reader. The essay topic should arouse the reader’s curiosity.

  2. Write a Tempting Introduction

    An essay introduction is the first opportunity you get to make a good impression on the reader’s mind. Therefore, make sure your introduction is not just captivating but informative. It should not deviate from the main idea of the essay.

    1. Start your introduction paragraph with an eye-catching hook statement that identifies the purpose of the essay. The hook statement should give the reader an idea of what you will reveal in your essay.
    2. Provide some brief background of the topic that sets the ground for the essay. The background information is necessary to make the idea clear to the reader.
    3. Write a well-defined thesis statement that provides a sort of navigation for your essay. It is a precise, clear, and one-sentence summary of the whole essay.
  3. Craft The Informative Body Paragraphs

    The body part is the section where you provide evidence that supports your thesis statement. This section's main goal is to investigate the topic with the help of factual evidence thoroughly.

    1. Start each body paragraph with a topic sentence that reveals one specific idea about the topic.
    2. Present the factual evidence that supports the thesis statement as well as the topic of the essay. Thoroughly analyze these facts and evidence without being biased and discuss the importance of the evidence.
    3. Provide a concluding remark that elaborates on the topic sentence and smoothly transitions to the next paragraph.li>
  4. Draft a Convincing Conclusion

    The conclusion is the essay's final section, leaving an impact on the reader’s mind. Hence it should be informative enough that it convinces the reader of your case. And it should leave an everlasting impression on the reader's mind.

    1. Start the essay conclusion paragraph by reinstating the thesis statement to remind the reader about the purpose of the essay.
    2. Summarize the essay and discuss the significance of the topic of your essay.
    3. Reveal unanswered questions and provide a call to action.
  5. Editing

    Once you have completed a rough outline, the next step is to make essential changes. Editing an outline is much easier than editing the whole essay.

    1. Read your outline and check if you have included any irrelevant or unnecessary information in your essay.
    2. Remove the extra details which are not required and do not serve the essay's actual purpose.
    3. Check if your information is in a logical structure and follows the format of the essay.
    4. Make sure that all the information logically connects and directly associates with the essay's main topic.

Expository Essay Outline Examples

Here is a sample expository essay outline that you can use to craft an outline for your essay.

Expository Essay Outline Template

Writing an expository essay seems difficult for you?

Don’t worry, as expository essay writers are here to help you with your essay writing needs. 

MyPerfectWords.com is a professional online essay writing service that you can rely on for getting essay help. 

Our expository essay writing service has a team of professionals as well as highly qualified writers to help you with your academic needs. 

Feel free to place your order now to hire the best essay writer online.

Caleb S.

WRITTEN BY

Caleb S. (Literature, Marketing)

Caleb S. has been providing writing services for over five years and has a Masters degree from Oxford University. He is an expert in his craft and takes great pride in helping students achieve their academic goals. Caleb is a dedicated professional who always puts his clients first.

Caleb S. has been providing writing services for over five years and has a Masters degree from Oxford University. He is an expert in his craft and takes great pride in helping students achieve their academic goals. Caleb is a dedicated professional who always puts his clients first.

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