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Continuous Writing - Expository
In this article, we will be talking about continuous writing - expository. Here, we will be covering the basic structure of an expository/ discursive essay. We will brainstorm to form key points, pick suitable examples and look into cause and effect structure. Before we get into all of these topics, let us understand what an expository essay is first.
What Is An Expository Essay?
Also known as a discursive or discussion essay, an expository essay presents and discusses issues surrounding a particular topic.
A good expository essay must include a thorough discussion of both sides of the topic, as well as address possible grey areas that lie in between two extremes.
Expository essays do not require a stand to be taken. However, you may still take a stronger view of one side of the argument over the other.
Paragraph Development
Here, we will be learning about PEEL/ TEEL structure. One common way to develop a paragraph is using the following PEEL/ TEEL structure:
- Point/ Topic Sentence – the key discussion point of the paragraph
- Elaboration – explain in greater detail your understanding of the topic
- Example/ Evidence – supports your point as exemplified or justified
- Link – sums up the paragraph by linking it to the previous paragraph and overall topic
Practice Questions
Question 1:
Economic competition between firms benefits the consumers because it will spur companies to provide better choices and lower prices.
The excerpt above is a __________.
- Topic sentence
- Elaboration
- Example
- Link to topic
Answer:
(1) - Topic sentence
Explanation:
The correct answer to this question is option (1) - “Topic sentence”. The sentence mentioned is a general statement about the topic and not an elaboration.
Question 2:
Therefore, competition among firms often benefit the welfare of the consumers as they get to choose from more options and purchase at a lower price.
The excerpt above is a __________.
- Topic sentence
- Elaboration
- Example
- Link to topic
Answer:
(4) - Link to topic
Explanation:
The correct answer to this question is option (4) - “Link to topic”. This is not an example as there is no name, year, or any other information that is provided as an example here. Another way to identify this as a link to topic is the first word of the sentence i.e. “therefore”. “Therefore” is a link word and thus the statement provided is a link to the topic.
What do you do when you get an Expository Passage?
Remember the alphabets “CEFGHHS”. These alphabets will help you look into the different aspects of society. So, when you will be brainstorming to form topic sentences or trying to come up with topics to talk about, the following alphabets will really help you.
| Topic: What are the advantages & disadvantages of competition? | |
|---|---|
| C | Culture |
| E | Education |
| F | Family |
| G | Gender |
| H | History |
| H | Health |
| S | Sports |
Practice Questions
Question 1:
Competition will motivate us to achieve higher levels of innovation and excellence, which would otherwise be impossible.
The topic sentence above is a/an __________.
- advantage of competition
- disadvantage of competition
Answer:
(1) - advantage of competition
Explanation:
The correct answer to this question is option (1) - “advantage of competition”. It is an advantage of competition as it helps us achieve more.
Question 2:
Competition can often drive one to excel at all costs, even at the expense of their morals.
The topic sentence above is a/an __________.
- advantage of competition
- disadvantage of competition
Answer:
(2) - disadvantage of competition
Explanation:
The correct answer to this question is option (2) - "disadvantage of competition". Excelling is good, but excelling at all costs is bad. This means that you want to succeed but you will do this through illegal means and at the expense of your morals.
Question 3:
High-profile athletics coach Alberto Salazar has been banned for four years by the US Anti-Doping Agency for multiple anti-drug violations. He is the head coach of the Nike Oregon Project which has produced some of the world’s best athletes including four-time Olympic gold medalist Mo Farah.
The example above is most suitable for the topic sentence __________.
- Competition seems to cause much stress and physiological harm.
- Competition can often drive one to excel at all costs, even at the expense of their morals.
- Economic competition between firms benefits the consumers because it will spur the companies to provide better choices and lower prices.
- Competition will motivate us to achieve higher levels of innovation and excellence.
Answer:
(2) - Competition can often drive one to excel at all costs, even at the expense of their morals
Explanation:
The correct answer to this question is option (2) - “Competition can often drive one to excel at all costs, even at the expense of their morals”.
Question 4:
In the area of business, competition from Apple has also driven Samsung and Huawei to constantly innovate and come out with a new breakthrough in display technology with the foldable screen made of a revolutionary polymer material layered for slim flexibility.
The example above is most suitable for the topic sentence __________.
- Competition seems to cause much stress and physiological harm.
- Competition can often drive one to excel at all costs, even at the expense of their morals.
- Economic competition between firms benefits the consumers because it will spur the companies to provide better choices and lower prices.
- Competition will motivate us to achieve higher levels of innovation and excellence.
Answer:
(4) - Competition will motivate us to achieve higher levels of innovation and excellence.
Explanation:
The correct answer to this question is option (4) - “Competition will motivate us to achieve higher levels of innovation and excellence”.
Question 5:
StarHub started offering a 50GB "worry-free" data add-on for \(\text{S\$20}\) a month, letting users surf with peace of mind for a competitive price. This was in response to Circles.Life offer of an unlimited data add-on for just \(\text{S\$20}\) a month. Singtel and M1 have followed suit with more attractive offers. This means that most users are able to get more data for lower prices.
The example above is most suitable for the topic sentence __________.
- Competition seems to cause much stress and physiological harm.
- Competition can often drive one to excel at all costs, even at the expense of their morals.
- Economic competition between firms benefits the consumers because it will spur the companies to provide better choices and lower prices.
- Competition will motivate us to achieve higher levels of innovation and excellence.
Answer:
(3) - Economic competition between firms benefits the consumers because it will spur the companies to provide better choices and lower prices.
Explanation:
The correct answer to this question is option (3) - “Economic competition between firms benefits the consumers because it will spur the companies to provide better choices and lower prices”.
Question 6:
Spanish tennis great Rafael Nadal relied on his competitive spirit to shatter Roger Federer’s all-time Grand Slam record and grabbed his 19th Grand Slam title and fourth US Open crown. His competitiveness helped him to sustain his gruelling training regime which involves sprinting routines and working with a balance board to improve reaction time.
The example above is most suitable for the topic sentence __________.
- Competition seems to cause much stress and physiological harm.
- Competition can often drive one to excel at all costs, even at the expense of their morals.
- Economic competition between firms benefits the consumers because it will spur the companies to provide better choices and lower prices.
- Competition will motivate us to achieve higher levels of innovation and excellence.
Answer:
(4) - Competition will motivate us to achieve higher levels of innovation and excellence.
Explanation:
The correct answer to this question is option (4) - “Competition will motivate us to achieve higher levels of innovation and excellence”.
Cause-And-Effect Structure
One common way to develop a paragraph is using the Cause-and-Effect structure.
| Topic - Disadvantage Of Competition | |
|---|---|
| Excessive competition might cause one to feel extremely stressed and even burnout from work and studies. | |
| Cause | Effect |
| Excessive competition tends to cause one to be obsessed with comparisons against others. He is constantly pressured to excel and feels insecure about one’s abilities. | The unhealthy stress from the competition may become counter-productive to one's work and learning, as he may be distracted by his fixation on completion, rather than focus on the quality of learning and work. |
| Topic - Disadvantage of Competition | |
|---|---|
| Competition might drive one to excel at all costs, even at the expense of their morals. | |
| Cause | Effect |
| This makes the competition unfair for others and does not reflect the true abilities of the competing individuals. | One may be driven to cheat or perform unethical acts to eliminate the competition |
| Causal Link | |
| Therefore, excessive competition can often drive one to gain an unfair advantage and compromise one's morals to win at all costs | |
Test Your Concepts
Answer the following questions based on the concepts we’ve covered in this article. If you get stuck, revisit the relevant section to revise the concepts.
Question 1:
Competition between firms will often drive them to slash their prices or offer products with better quality to get a bigger piece of the market share. The consumers benefit from having more choices in terms of service and it prevents a monopolistic situation where firms have the power to set exploitative high prices.
The excerpt above is a __________.
- Topic sentence
- Elaboration
- Example
- Link to topic
Question 2:
Economic competition between firms benefits the consumers because it will spur the companies to provide better choices and lower prices.
The topic sentence above is a/an __________.
- advantage of competition
- disadvantage of competition
Question 3:
Competition seems to cause much stress and physiological harm.
The topic sentence above is a/an __________.
- advantage of competition
- disadvantage of competition
Question 4:
Cyclist Lance Armstrong admitted to taking banned substances over the course of his career and was stripped of his seven Tour de France cycling titles and faced a lifetime ban in sports that followed the World Anti-Doping Code.
The example above is most suitable for the topic sentence __________.
- Competition seems to cause much stress and physiological harm.
- Competition can often drive one to excel at all costs, even at the expense of their morals.
- Economic competition between firms benefits the consumers because it will spur the companies to provide better choices and lower prices.
- Competition will motivate us to achieve higher levels of innovation and excellence.
Question 5:
The pressure to win rather than optimise the learning experience distracts them from producing quality work, and the knowledge that someone is doing better than them often results in a lot of pent-up angst and frustration. It drives them to over-exert themselves and this may cause them to face burnout.
The example above is most suitable for the topic sentence __________.
- Competition seems to cause much stress and physiological harm.
- Competition can often drive one to excel at all costs, even at the expense of their morals.
- Economic competition between firms benefits the consumers because it will spur the companies to provide better choices and lower prices.
- Competition will motivate us to achieve higher levels of innovation and excellence.
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