{"id":8301,"date":"2013-10-29T19:48:06","date_gmt":"2013-10-29T19:48:06","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/?page_id=8301"},"modified":"2026-03-28T11:18:27","modified_gmt":"2026-03-28T16:18:27","slug":"expository-passages","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/expository-passages\/","title":{"rendered":"Expository Essays"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\t\t\t<div id=\"mmDeferVideoEncompass_Xa_LqEYsvpQ\" style=\"position: relative;\">\n\t\t\t<picture>\n\t\t\t\t<source srcset=\"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/circle-play-duotone.webp\" type=\"image\/webp\">\n\t\t\t\t<source srcset=\"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/circle-play-duotone.png\" type=\"image\/jpeg\"> \n\t\t\t\t<img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"eager\" id=\"videoThumbnailImage_Xa_LqEYsvpQ\" data-source-videoID=\"Xa_LqEYsvpQ\" src=\"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/circle-play-duotone.png\" alt=\"Expository Essays Video\" height=\"464\" width=\"825\" class=\"size-full\" data-matomo-title = \"Expository Essays\">\n\t\t\t<\/picture>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<style>img#videoThumbnailImage_Xa_LqEYsvpQ:hover {cursor:pointer;} img#videoThumbnailImage_Xa_LqEYsvpQ {background-size:contain;background-image:url(\"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/533-expository-essays-2.webp\");}<\/style>\n\t\t\t<script defer>\n\t\t\t  jQuery(\"img#videoThumbnailImage_Xa_LqEYsvpQ\").click(function() {\n\t\t\t\tlet videoId = jQuery(this).attr(\"data-source-videoID\");\n\t\t\t\tlet helpTag = '<div id=\"mmDeferVideoYTMessage_Xa_LqEYsvpQ\" style=\"display: none;position: absolute;top: -24px;width: 100%;text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-style: italic;font-size: small;border-top: 1px solid #fc0;\">Having trouble? <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v='+videoId+'\" target=\"_blank\">Click here to watch on YouTube.<\/a><\/span><\/div>';\n\t\t\t\tlet tag = document.createElement(\"iframe\");\n\t\t\t\ttag.id = \"yt\" + videoId;\n\t\t\t\ttag.src = \"https:\/\/www.youtube-nocookie.com\/embed\/\" + videoId + \"?autoplay=1&controls=1&wmode=opaque&rel=0&egm=0&iv_load_policy=3&hd=0&enablejsapi=1\";\n\t\t\t\ttag.frameborder = 0;\n\t\t\t\ttag.allow = \"autoplay; fullscreen\";\n\t\t\t\ttag.width = this.width;\n\t\t\t\ttag.height = this.height;\n\t\t\t\ttag.setAttribute(\"data-matomo-title\",\"Expository Essays\");\n\t\t\t\tjQuery(\"div#mmDeferVideoEncompass_Xa_LqEYsvpQ\").html(tag);\n\t\t\t\tjQuery(\"div#mmDeferVideoEncompass_Xa_LqEYsvpQ\").prepend(helpTag);\n\t\t\t\tsetTimeout(function(){jQuery(\"div#mmDeferVideoYTMessage_Xa_LqEYsvpQ\").css(\"display\", \"block\");}, 2000);\n\t\t\t  });\n\t\t\t  \n\t\t\t<\/script>\n\t\t\n<p><script>\nfunction qNj_Function() {\n  var x = document.getElementById(\"qNj\");\n  if (x.style.display === \"none\") {\n    x.style.display = \"block\";\n  } else {\n    x.style.display = \"none\";\n  }\n}\n<\/script><\/p>\n<div class=\"moc-toc hide-on-desktop hide-on-tablet\">\n<div><button onclick=\"qNj_Function()\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/toc2.svg\" width=\"16\" height=\"16\" alt=\"show or hide table of contents\"><\/button><\/p>\n<p>On this page<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<nav id=\"qNj\" style=\"display:none;\">\n<ul>\n<li class=\"toc-h2\"><a href=\"#Expository_Essay_Structure\" class=\"smooth-scroll\">Expository Essay Structure<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"toc-h2\"><a href=\"#Compare_and_Contrast\" class=\"smooth-scroll\">Compare and Contrast<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"toc-h2\"><a href=\"#Cause_and_Effect\" class=\"smooth-scroll\">Cause and Effect<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/nav>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"accordion\"><input id=\"transcript\" type=\"checkbox\" class=\"spoiler_button\" \/><label for=\"transcript\">Transcript<\/label>\n<div class=\"spoiler\" id=\"transcript-spoiler\">\n<p>There are four different types of essays (expository, persuasive, descriptive, and narrative), and you will be responsible for learning each of them throughout your academic career. I\u2019m here to help break that down with you and focus on the smaller picture, first.<\/p>\n<p>Hello, and welcome to this Mometrix lesson on expository passages!<\/p>\n<p>An <strong>expository passage<\/strong> is used to teach and explain information in an objective way. To do this, authors usually write in a third-person point of view, avoiding pronouns such as <em>I<\/em> or <em>you<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p>You can use expository passages to <a class=\"ylist\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/informative-text\/\">inform<\/a>, <a class=\"ylist\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/how-to-compare-and-contrast\/\">compare and contrast<\/a>, or show the <a class=\"ylist\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/cause-and-effect-for-middle-school-students\/\">cause and effect<\/a> of information. It usually follows a chronological structure to help readers follow along with the ideas presented. It also reaches the points of the information quickly and as clearly as possible.<\/p>\n<h2><span id=\"Expository_Essay_Structure\" class=\"m-toc-anchor\"><\/span>Expository Essay Structure<\/h2>\n<p>\nA typical expository essay will be about five paragraphs, consisting of an introduction, three body paragraphs, and a conclusion. It\u2019s important to note that the topic in each body paragraph, whether it is three or more, will refer back to the main ideas summarized in the introduction paragraph. Each body paragraph should present and explain a separate but relevant point to the main idea.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/expository@200.webp\" alt=\"\" width=\"\" height=\"\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-215971\"  role=\"img\" \/><\/p>\n<h2><span id=\"Compare_and_Contrast\" class=\"m-toc-anchor\"><\/span>Compare and Contrast<\/h2>\n<p>\nIf you are writing a compare and contrast essay, and you are writing it objectively, you might consider having equal numbers of paragraphs for each topic being compared. When I write a compare and contrast expository essay, I like to do one paragraph explaining the first topic, one paragraph explaining the second topic, and then a third paragraph actually discussing how the two topics relate. Of course, if you choose to include more body paragraphs, you open yourself up to many more routes for exploring your topics.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/compare-contrast@200.webp\" alt=\"\" width=\"\" height=\"\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-215971\"  role=\"img\" \/><\/p>\n<h2><span id=\"Cause_and_Effect\" class=\"m-toc-anchor\"><\/span>Cause and Effect<\/h2>\n<p>\nWhen writing a cause and effect expository essay, you could take a similar approach as with writing a compare and contrast essay. You might present the topic in one paragraph, talk about the cause of the topic in the second paragraph, and explain the effect in your third paragraph. When writing a cause-and-effect passage, it\u2019s important to include factual evidence to back up your claims whenever necessary. This means that you would need to do a little bit of research and properly include quotations in your essay.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/cause-effect@200.webp\" alt=\"\" width=\"\" height=\"\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-215971\"  role=\"img\" \/><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"home-buttons\">\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/writing\/\">Return to Writing Videos<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Return to Writing Videos<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":95392,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":{"0":"post-8301","1":"page","2":"type-page","3":"status-publish","4":"has-post-thumbnail","6":"page_category-video-pages-for-study-course-sidebar-ad","7":"page_category-writing-videos","8":"page_type-video","9":"subject_matter-english"},"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/8301","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8301"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/8301\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":280913,"href":"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/8301\/revisions\/280913"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/95392"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8301"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}