Expository Essay Writing Tips?

Discussion in 'Off-Topic Lounge' started by Random_Guy, Jun 12, 2010.

  1. Random_Guy

    Random_Guy Well-Known Member

    Apr 6, 2009
    8,419
    0
    0
    Australia, mate!
    Hey guys,

    I have to write an Expository Essay for English, and I'm not really sure how to structure it. The topic is "In the face of great adversity, one must look within themselves to ultimately survive". I'm really struggling for ideas for each paragraph. Can you guys help give me some ideas on what the topic for each paragraph should be?

    I'm not asking you guys to write the whole essay for me, I just need to get some sample ideas for an expository essay.

    Thanks.
     
  2. Random_Guy

    Random_Guy Well-Known Member

    Apr 6, 2009
    8,419
    0
    0
    Australia, mate!
    Any help please? This is quite urgent!
     
  3. songbird

    songbird Well-Known Member

    Dec 4, 2009
    4,449
    0
    0
    How long does it have to be?
     
  4. Kamazar

    Kamazar Well-Known Member

    Dec 13, 2008
    6,509
    18
    0
    First Paragraph - intro: go from broad to specific and talk about how certain traits (greed, jealously, fear, lack of trust, etc) become more apparent as an event escalates in severity. create a thesis statement with points that fall in line.

    Second to Fourth Paragraphs: come up with key examples from both real events and media (make sure it's serious stuff, such as To Kill a Mockingbird or Citizen Kane, not Van Wilder or the Chronicles of Narnia) and break them down with analysis. do not summarize, focus on the meat of the topic. you'll lose more point if you inject the paper with filler than if you're a couple sentences short of a paragraph.

    Fifth Paragraph: take what you said in the body paragraphs and apply it to the thesis without restating it. go from specific to broad again.
     
  5. Brazilian Rider

    Brazilian Rider Well-Known Member

    Mar 6, 2009
    3,276
    1
    0
    If I ever get stuck in an essay, I just throw a bunch of fancy english mechanical structures and I find my way out... It also helps that I know a shitton of quotes and how they can help in any topic...
     
  6. SkyMuffin

    SkyMuffin Well-Known Member

    May 24, 2010
    2,377
    0
    36
    college student, ENG/WGS major
    Lexington, KY
    Humans have a diverse set of survival skills-- some of which are not present in other life forms on this planet. We have logic, faith, creativity, and conscious thought. Each of these things serves as a means of making sense of our world. We are both rational and emotional beings-- our emotions and our logic work together to help us comprehend the world. If we did not know how to learn and understand, we would probably go crazy.

    There are definitely different kinds of "great adversity", and there are also different definitions of "survival". We are unique in that each person can have completely different ideas of what "survival" is. Everyone has the basic desire to physically live on and reproduce, but there are many exceptions. People who are tortured, for example, may rather risk death and injury than betray their ideals or the organization their belong to. The survival of their ideals becomes more important than their physical well-being. Even if they die, they still "survive" because they defeated adversity.
     
  7. Kamazar

    Kamazar Well-Known Member

    Dec 13, 2008
    6,509
    18
    0
    Holy ****ing shit! I had the exact same topic as one of the essays for my English 10 final. Sadly, my grade went from a B+ to a B because of the exam, even though I thought I did great, so yeah...
     
  8. Electric_Shaman

    Electric_Shaman Well-Known Member

    Jul 22, 2009
    1,398
    2
    0
    Unless there is a gun in my belly, looking inside myself will not help me survive in the face of great adversity.

    /end essay
     
  9. Blah

    Blah Well-Known Member

    Jul 2, 2010
    334
    0
    0
    Use examples of people who haved faced adversity. MLK Jr for example. He was facing the adversity of discrimination, so he looked inside himslef, found his motivations, his beliefs, his practices, andput them to use to conquer segregation in a peaceful way.
    Similarly, Malcom X. He even switched to Islam to uphold is internal beliefs
    If you use a lot of examples to prove an overall point, you are guarenteed to get a good grade
     
  10. runformoney1110

    runformoney1110 Well-Known Member

    May 6, 2010
    2,691
    0
    0
    Graphic designer
    In your closet
    lol wut
     
  11. JBRUU

    JBRUU Well-Known Member

    May 9, 2012
    6,758
    0
    36
    USA
    This guy knows what he's talking about; follow this.
     
  12. Drummerboycroy

    Drummerboycroy Well-Known Member

    Apr 2, 2012
    4,172
    0
    36
    Clinician
    Maine!
    Two years later... do you think he (she) ever got it done?;)

    DBC
     
  13. Drummerboycroy

    Drummerboycroy Well-Known Member

    Apr 2, 2012
    4,172
    0
    36
    Clinician
    Maine!
    Pretty sure the guy has graduated, lived a full life, and likely retired by now...

    DBC
     

Share This Page