The Expository Essay

The Expository Essay Or “How to Write a How-To Essay”

First, Choose a topic and Brainstorm Survive Zombie Apocalypse Guns and weapons Bites No civilization Food and water Shelter Watch out for zombies in unusual places Dangerous No doctors Need friends Kill with blow to brain “Walking Dead” and “Resident Evil” Kill people who are bitten

Second, find the “Steps” Every how-to essay needs 3-5 general steps. What are the MAIN things you need to do? Choose items from your brainstorm that have something in common: kill with blow to brain,guns and weapons What ACTION do you need to do that involves both of these things? Step 1 – Find a weapon!

Third, add Supporting Details To add supporting details, ask yourself questions. Step 1 - Find a weapon: How can zombies be killed? – destroy the brain What kind of weapon is best? - guns are best, baseball bats also good, frying pan better than nothing Why are guns and bats good weapons? – don’t have to get close to zombies

Fourth, Build your outline. • Introductory Paragraph • Attention getter • Background information • Thesis statement • Body Paragraphs • 3-5 Steps with Topic Sentences • Supporting Details • Explain/Tell More • Concluding Paragraph • Restate thesis • Summarize • Clincher

How to Survive a Zombie Apocalypse • 1. Find weapons • Guns and ammunition best, difficult to find • Heavy, portable objects: baseball bats or golf clubs • Grab anything heavy or sharp. Bad weapon better than no weapon. • If no weapons are available, run and/or hide. • 2. Find food and water • Carry a water bottle and refill it whenever possible. • Dried or canned food – convenience stores, grocery stores, abandoned apartments • Be careful about wild foods, perishable foods • 3. Find shelter • Strong building with few or no windows on the ground floor. • Close to food, water, supplies • Way to keep warm in cold weather • Check for zombies, kill zombies • 4. Avoid common mistakes • If someone you love is bitten, kill them • Look carefully in all directions when walking • Avoid making noise • Bring a buddy when traveling

Fifth, write your thesis statement Combine your topic with a how-to controlling idea. It’s easy to survive the zombie apocalypse by following these steps. You too can survive the zombie apocalypse if you take my advice. By following these instructions, you and your friends can survive the zombie apocalypse. Anyone can survive the zombie apocalypse by following these instructions.

Thesis Statement/Topic Sentence You already have a Thesis Statement which gives the topic and controlling idea of the entire essay. By following these steps, you will survive the zombie apocalypse. Now you need Topic Sentences that give the topic and controlling idea for each paragraph.

Transition Signals Your topic sentences will begin with Transition Signals. Transition signals tell readers that you are ready to talk about a new step, category, reason, or idea. Transition signals can be Time-Order or Listing-Order. First, Second, Third and Finally can be used in either Time-Order or Listing-Order essays.

Time-Order Transition Signals Time-Order transition signals should be used when your steps must be done in order. For example: If you bake a cake you first buy the ingredients, next mix the ingredients, and finally put the batter in the oven. You can’t change the order. Also time-order: making a dress, fixing a car, planning a vacation, giving CPR Time-order transition signals: First, second, third, next, after that, then, finally CORRECT: first, second, third INCORRECT: first, next, third Avoid using “fourth” or “fifth.” This can sound awkward in English.

Listing-Order Transition Signals Listing-order transition signals are used when the steps can be done in any order. For example: If we learn English we can practice conversation, study vocabulary and study abroad in any order. Other examples: lose weight, make friends, decorate your house, earn more money For listing order paragraphs you should list what you think are the most important steps first. Listing order transition signals: First, second, third, in addition, also, finally. DO NOT use “first”, “second”, “third” inside your paragraphs to talk about supporting details. It can confuse the reader. “Finally” can only be used once to introduce your last body paragraph.

Write Topic Sentences Now it’s time to write Topic Sentences for each of your Body Paragraphs! Do this by adding a transition signal in front of a command verb or “should” statement.First, find a weapon. First, you should find weapons. First, come to class prepared and on time. First, you should always come to class prepared. A command verb sounds stronger and more exciting. A “should” statement sounds more formal and polite.

Write the rough draft! Write sentences describing your supporting details. Be willing to change! You might: • Change the order of the details • Add information • Take out unnecessary information • Combine details into Compound Sentences Be sure to include compound sentences! Example: Don’t hesitate, or your friend may turn into a zombie and bite you!

Introductory Paragraph • Attention getter - Captures your reader’s attention! • General background information - Explains why topic is important • Thesis Statement - Gives topic and controlling idea of the essay

Make an attention getter • There are four kinds of attention getters. • Question • Do you enjoy zombie movies like “Resident Evil”? • Fact • Recently the world was shocked by the story of Rudy Eugene, who was shot by police while eating a homeless man’s face. Some people called him “The Miami Zombie.” • Personal Story • I saw my first zombie movie, “Night of the Living Dead” when I was 19 years old. The eerie black and white photography, the realistic-seeming monsters, and the intriguing survival scenario had me totally hooked. • Quote • ”When there’s no more room in hell, the dead will walk the earth.” This quote, from the movie “Dawn of the Dead”, describes a zombie apocalypse, a popular modern nightmare.

Give relevant background information. • Background information in a “How to” essay explains why the topic is important and why the reader should trust you. • Think about these questions. • Why is this topic important? • Who will benefit from the information in your topic? • When, where and how did you learn this “how to” information?

Why is the topic important? Examples: Getting an A in Writing class will help you improve your GPA, but it will also mean that you’ve learned essential writing skills and improved your English. Singing well in a noraebang will impress your friends or coworkers. It might even help you win the heart of that cute guy or girl in the corner. Owning a dog can enrich your life in so many ways, but only if you know how to properly train one. DO NOT say “My topic is important because…” or “Surviving the zombie apocalypse is important because….” That calls attention to the fact the reader is reading an essay. \

Who will benefit from the information? All sophomores at Dongguk University must take a writing class. In Korea it’s common to sing with your friends or with your co-workers. Dogs are great company for children, young adults, and senior citizens! Though zombies may never really attack, everyone can benefit from thinking about survival strategies.

When, where, how did you learn it? After taking Sophomore Reading and Writing last semester, I know many ways to avoid an F and get an A. My family raised dogs from the time I was a child, and today I have my own dog. Every week I go to the noraebang with a group of friends, and we are constantly practicing and improving our singing.

Let’s see the attention getter, background information and thesis statement together in an introductory paragraph.

Example using a QUESTION attention getter. Do you enjoy zombie movies like “Resident Evil”? Many people enjoy watching zombie movies today and thinking about what they would do to survive if they were the characters on-screen. Though a zombie apocalypse is unlikely to happen, it never hurts to be prepared for this or any disaster. After watching and reading countless stories about zombies, I have learned many tips to keep you safe. By following these four steps, you too can survive the zombie apocalypse.

Example using a FACT attention getter. Recently the world was shocked by the story of Rudy Eugene, who was shot by police while eating a homeless man’s face. Some people called him “The Miami Zombie.” Though this was a rare event, there is still no explanation for it, which makes zombie fans speculate about the possible reality of the zombie apocalypse so popular in movies today. If Rudy Eugene or a real zombie attacked, would you be ready? After studying the mistakes of zombie movie characters, I am sure that I could make it to the end of the movie. If you take my advice, you too can survive the zombie apocalypse.

The Body • Topic sentence with controlling idea listing a step • Transition word • First, second, third, in addition, also, next, then… • Supporting Details • Explain, give examples

Body Paragraph 1 Outline 1. Find weapons • a. Guns and ammunition best, difficult to find • b. Heavy, portable objects: baseball bats or golf clubs • c. If you don’t have those, grab anything heavy or sharp. Bad weapon better than no weapon.

Body Paragraph 1 Essay First, find a weapon. Zombies can only be killed by destroying the brain. Guns are the best weapons for this because you don’t want to get too close to a zombie, but guns may be hard to find. If you can’t find a gun, look for a heavy, portable object with a long handle, such as a baseball bat or a golf club. These weapons will help you smash the brain while keeping your distance. If you can’t find any of these, grab anything heavy or sharp, such as a kitchen knife, scissors or a frying pan. A bad weapon is better than no weapon at all!

Body Paragraph 2 Outline 2. Find food and water • a. Carry a water bottle and refill it whenever possible. • b. Dried or canned food – convenience stores, grocery stores, abandoned apartments • c. Be careful about eating perishable or wild foods

Body Paragraph 2 Essay Second, find and collect food and water. Carry a water bottle and refill it whenever possible. When it rains, save the rainwater; bottled water will not always be available! Collect dried and canned foods from convenience stores, grocery stores and especially from abandoned houses or apartments. Be careful about eating foods that may spoil or wild foods. You don’t want to be sick without a doctor around!

Body Paragraph 3 Outline 3. Find shelter • a. Strong building with few or no windows on the ground floor. • b. Close to food, water, supplies • c. Way to keep warm in cold weather • d. Check the building for zombies and kill any zombies living there

Body Paragraph 3 Essay Third, you will want to find a safe shelter. Look for a strong building with few or no windows on the first floor. Ideally, the building should have food, water or supplies, or it should be close to somewhere that has them. If the weather is cold, make sure the building is well-insulated, or find a place where you can light a fire. When you have found your shelter, check the building for zombies, and kill any zombies that remain.

Body Paragraph 4 Outline 4. Avoid common mistakes • a. If someone you love is bitten, kill them • b. Look carefully in all directions when walking • c. Avoid making noise • d. Bring a buddy when traveling

Body Paragraph 4 Essay Finally, avoid common mistakes. If your friend or loved one becomes a zombie, you must kill them. Don’t hesitate, or your friend may turn into a zombie and bite you! Avoid making noise; it will attract more zombies. Try not to go out alone; take a friend if you have one to help spot and kill zombies. When you’re out, don’t get distracted. Pay attention to your surroundings and look in all directions – front, back, sides and even above and below. Many people are bitten by zombies who are lying on the ground or lurking in unsuspected places.

The Conclusion Paragraph • Restatement of Thesis- organizes reword thesis statement, keep same topic and how-to controlling idea • Summary of Details- remindsRepeat the main details of your body paragraphs to remind readers what to do • Clincher - adds excitement Prediction – tells readers what they WILL be able to do now that they’ve read your essay Suggestion/Recommendation – uses command verb or “let’s” to suggest or recommend action to the reader

Conclusion Paragraph If you follow all of these steps, you will be able to survive the zombie apocalypse.By getting a good weapon like a gun or a bat, finding canned food and water, choosing a strong shelter, and avoiding common mistakes you will ensure your safety.The next time you see a zombie movie, don’t be afraid. Go to bed knowing that you have the skills to survive, no matter what you wake up to!

Summary of Details The summary of details reminds the readers about each of your steps. It should include the most important details from the paragraph. Let’s write one! Step 1: Look at your paper. Underline/highlight the most important details from each paragraph.

Step 2 – Fill in your details to a sentence like this: By ………………………………., ……………………………….., and …………………….. you will be able to ________________. If you ……………………….., ………………………………, and……………………., you too can ________________________.

Clinchers! – Adding Excitement! There are three main types of clinchers: Prediction – tells what WILL happen in the future, using “will” and “won’t.” Suggestion/recommendation – uses command verbs “do”/”don’t”, “take”, etc. or “let’s” to give the reader advice. Final thought – leaves the reader with something to think about, usually used together with another type of clincher.

Examples of Predictions: Now that you know how to swim, you will be able to join your friends at the beach! After learning how to dance, you won’t be shy at the club anymore. Now that you know how to read Hangul, you won’t be so “바보” anymore. If you’ve followed my advice, you’ll have a happy dog and a best friend for life.

Suggestions and Recommendations Don’t be afraid of the water anymore! Now that you know how to swim, let’s go to the beach! Don’t stand by the wall anymore! Join the party in the center of the dance floor! Let’s make a friendlier world by studying Hangul together! Tell your dog who’s boss and train him well! He’ll* thank you for it with lifelong loyalty. *it’s good to combine clinchers

Final thoughts The beach isn’t only for tanning and picnics; it’s more fun if you swim. Get in the water today! Dancing is one of the most romantic activities to do on a date. Tango, salsa or waltz with your girlfriend today! Korea is becoming a world power. Knowing Hangul will not only help you make friends, it may help your future! Many dogs today are abandoned because of improper training. Make sure your dog is a well-trained dog, who can live happily in any home!

Now, add a clincher to your essay • Try to add more than one style • Connect the ideas to the ideas in your background information, if possible • It always helps to add an exclamation point (!). But only add one; too many exclamation points looks crazy!!!!!!!!!!!!

The Final Touches • Give your essay a Title. • Make sure you have formatted it correctly. • Proof-read for grammar. • Proof-read for spelling. • Proof-read for punctuation. • Proof-read for details fitting with the controlling idea. • Read it again and ask a friend to read it, too!

What will you need for your first draft? • Introductory Paragraph • Attention getter • Background information • Thesis Statement with how-to controlling idea • Body Paragraphs (3-5) • Topic Sentence with transition words • Supporting details • Be sure to include compound sentences! • Conclusion Paragraph • Restate the thesis • Summarize Details • Clincher

The Expository Essay