A Comprehensive Guide To Write An Explanatory Essay

You and your younger sibling are watching a movie when your puzzled sibling says, “I didn't understand. What was the story of the film?”

So, you analyze the film and convey it to your sibling in terms they can understand. That's precisely what an explanation essay is, so picture having to craft an academic essay about that. Suddenly, it doesn't seem as enjoyable when it's an academic task, does it?

Don't worry; in this blog, we'll cover all the essentials of explanation essay writing and show you how to produce one that will earn you top marks.

Confusions between Explanatory and Expository Essays

There are numerous websites that claim that an explanation essay is the same as an expository essay, that it is completely different, or that expository essays do not even exist if you Google "explanatory essay."

Now, who's correct?

Whoever your professor supports.

No, really. Your lecturer sets the requirements for your assignment. So, suppose your professor says that an explanatory essay must describe a viewpoint or evaluate the effectiveness of, say, a local housing program. In that case, that is the guideline you should base your essay on.

However, suppose your professor makes a distinction between explanatory essays (which merely describe something's nature and how it functions or was created) and expository essays (which, through research and analysis, reveal the truth about a person, place, thing, or idea). In that case, you should make a similar distinction.

We'll use the terms "explanatory" and "expository" interchangeably throughout this reflective essay. Some create an unnecessary technical barrier between these several types of essays. It is critical that both:

• Keep an impartial viewpoint.
• Let the evidence speak for itself.

You should be in fine shape as long as your essay follows the same format (and if your professor so specifies, incorporates analysis).

What is an Explanatory Essay?

In an explanation essay, the author clarifies or characterizes a concept, circumstance, or individual. The author needs to acquire the data and conduct the necessary research to adequately explain the topic, regardless of their opinion.

Explanatory essays merely provide facts about a topic, as opposed to other types of essays, which attempt to convince or defend a stance. You don't need to worry about arguing for a position or attempting to analyze the subject from several viewpoints for these kinds of title essays. Your readers' education or information is your only concern when writing.

An explanation essay requires extensive research from a variety of sources. You should refrain from writing about your personal thoughts and opinions, though.

Keep in mind that the essay's sole purpose is to provide facts. Your instructors will be evaluating your essay on how well you adhere to the prescribed framework and will be looking for a proper presentation.

What are the Types of Explanatory Essays?

You will encounter these six categories of explanatory essays in high school and college –

1. Definition or Description

In this kind of essay, you must clarify, enlarge, and describe a difficult idea for your audience in a way that is more direct and understandable.

Additionally, you should clarify the idea and provide your own interpretation of the subject through the introduction.

The body paragraph, which comes after the introduction, should contain a thorough and well-researched examination of the essay you were given. The conclusion then provides a final summary of these topics.

• Examples –Functioning of Suspension Bridges
• This essay explains –The design and construction of suspension bridges allow them to support such heavy loads.

2. Cause and Effect

This style of essay centers on a circumstance that was brought about and ultimately had some sort of impact. Basic inquiries like "What was the cause of this cause" and "What are the results or repercussions of this" must be addressed.

The two approaches to writing this kind of essay are as follows –

• Chain Pattern: which denotes describing each cause and each effect in turn;
• Block Pattern: In this structure, all of the causes are covered in the first paragraph, and all subsequent effects are covered in the second paragraph.
• Examples –How American Highways Changed Due to Federal Funding
• This essay explains –The history of federally supported highways in the United States, including when federal programs to pay for highway construction began, why elected officials and others thought roadways were necessary, and what impact they have had on the country's landscapes, populations, economies, and ecosystems.

3. Compare and Contrast

Your goal in this style of essay is to identify and explain the similarities and/or contrasts between two concepts, phenomena, situations, things, individuals, or even a time.

Most frequently, the two subjects being contrasted or compared belong to a wide group. For instance, if you are comparing and contrasting high school and college, you can identify parallels and differences in the methods of instruction, the grading scheme, the setting of the campuses, the curricula, the extracurricular activities, etc.

This style, like the cause and effect essay, is tackled in the chain and block format.

• Examples –Electric vs. Hybrid Vehicles
• This essay explains –The various characteristics of hybrid and electric vehicles are discussed, demonstrating how they differ or are comparable in terms of things like price, energy usage, size, range, simplicity of use, and so forth.

 4. How-to

Explanatory essays of this kind are frequently written. You must detail the whole process and the precise stages involved in manufacturing or performing the action in this. Because of this, the majority of themes for this kind of essay begin with a "how-to."

The goal of writing "how-to" essays is to outline the procedures that must be taken in a way that makes it simple for readers to do so accurately, methodically, and without making any mistakes.

• Examples –How to Get Ready for a Global Bike Trip
• This essay explains –How to prepare for a bicycle tour across countries and continents. Readers are taught how to plan their trip, identify the necessary travel documents, make equipment selections, and estimate the amount of training they should complete prior to departure.

5. Classification

In this kind of essay, you'll be given a broad subject from which you must accurately divide ideas into several groups or parts.

Put another way, group things, situations, and individuals who have similar traits into distinct groups and then further justify your classifications.

Including examples and sources for each category in your essay will help it be of high quality and demonstrate your writing's authority.

• Examples –The Bicycle's Evolution
• This essay explains –The history of the bicycle's creation and how its frame, size, and shape have evolved over time.

6. Problem and Solution

Your task in this kind of essay is to identify the most effective solution to the problem raised by the topic assigned by your professor.

This can be achieved by approaching the issue from several perspectives and potential outcomes, as well as by engaging in brainstorming to identify the ideal resolution that satisfies every requirement.

• Examples –How Bicycle Infrastructure Could Reduce Obesity in America
• This essay explains –How creating biking paths and trails could inspire Americans to be more physically active while enhancing their health by biking one step at a time, as opposed to how American reliance on motorized automobiles fosters a sedentary lifestyle that results in obesity.

What kind of explanatory essay do you intend to write? This list should have assisted you in narrowing it down. Let's now begin the writing process.

How to Structure an Explanatory Essay?

The first step in creating a great explanatory essay is to create an outline. Here are the components of the structure.

• Introduction

The initial section of explanatory essays is the most significant and crucial paragraph that your teachers will see, and they will decide whether or not to keep reading the rest of the essay based on how excellent of an introduction it is.

Your introduction must be compelling and captivating enough to hold your lecturers' interest.

The essay's opening two sentences, which also contain the thesis statement, are covered in the introduction. You must include a succinct summary of the subject matter here, as well as any key elements that your professor may notice when reading the explanation essay.

• Body

Your essay's body, which consists of three paragraphs, is the center and middle sections.

You can elaborate on the issue at hand in the body paragraphs while using citations, statistics, and other sources to support the points you made and the information you included in the essay.

In this body section, you can add relevant photos, infographics, illustrations, theories, quotes, and so on to detail the substance of the essay better and make it more engaging to read.

• Conclusion

The conclusion section, which concludes the essay and expresses your (the writer's) opinions on this particular issue, summarises all the important arguments stated in the body of the essay.

This sentence is just as important as the introduction.

This is so that your lecturers, after reading your conclusion paragraph, will have a clear comprehension of the full essay and will have a favorable impression of both your essay writing and the substance you used to compose it.

Steps to Start a High-Scoring Explanatory Essay

Explanatory essay writing is similar to teaching others about a specific idea. The finest ones draw the reader in and provide them with all the information they require on the subject. It doesn't matter if they agree or disagree; what matters is that they have all the facts.

Now that you are aware of what an explanation essay is, its function, and the many forms, let's look at the procedures required to create a successful essay and get high marks.

1. Choose a Topic and Angle

Do you have complete freedom to write about whatever you want? Maximize your use of it.

For example, suppose your professor of public speaking in college allow you to pick any topic for speeches. In that case, you can explain how to deal with the zombie apocalypse in a presentation. You can bring up props and completely enthrall the students. And you will undoubtedly receive a high grade.

In a written essay, you cannot use props or sound, but you can still use your imagination. The topic and approach you choose will work its charm.

To make wise choices, first, confirm that you comprehend the assignment –

• What precisely are you supposed to write for your professor? Which subtype should your essay fall under?
• Do you have any restrictions on the subjects you can write about?
• What type of class is this? An English writing class will provide more latitude than, say, a French Revolution history class.

Make a list of subjects you're interested in if you are permitted to write about anything. Next, consider subtopics within that field.

For instance, transportation

• Electric vehicles.
• Bicycles.
• The system of highways.
• Bridges.
• Buses.
• Engineering.

Next, focus on your unique angle. You could write volumes about any of these subjects.

• For example –the highway system plus electric vehicles
• Angle –How Much Will Electric Vehicle Charging Stations Cost to Install on Federal Highways?

2. Conduct Research & Gather Evidence

Solid research is necessary for explanatory essays. These writings are here to put out the facts so that the reader can comprehend the subject fully. It doesn't matter what you think about electric vehicles, suspension bridges, or transportation infrastructure. It also has no place here.

Depending on how much background knowledge you have, decide where to start your study.

You probably don't need to start with the encyclopedic article on "suspension bridges" if you're writing about suspension bridges and already know the Brooklyn Bridge and the Golden Gate Bridge are suspension bridges. However, encyclopedias are an excellent place to start if you don't already know the fundamentals of your subject.

You don't need to visit a study library to acquire that fundamental understanding of your issue, thanks to technological advancements and this wonderful thing called the internet. However, you must still be certain that your sources are reliable.

When you are familiar with the fundamentals of your subjects, concentrate on investigating them from the standpoint of your angle. A list of the questions you're attempting to answer could be useful for maintaining the focus of your investigation.

Example:

• Which is more environmentally friendly, electric cars or buses?
• Are most buses powered by petrol or by electricity?
• What are the typical greenhouse gas emissions from gas-powered buses?
• How much energy is used by electric vehicles? How long do their batteries last? Are they only utilizing electricity that was generated in a polluting manner elsewhere? How about electric buses?
• How many passengers can one bus carry? How many people can generally fit in one car?
• How much more energy would each individual use on average in an electric automobile compared to a bus?

When you are aware of the questions you must address, search for sources that do so. You should probably only use academic sources—peer-reviewed studies and research articles distributed by scholarly journals—when writing an academic essay. Official government databases, however, can be helpful as well.

3. Outline Your Ideas

You will have a tonne of knowledge and data once the extensive research is complete. Avoid the error of starting the writing process too soon.

To avoid being disorganized or, worse yet, forgetting crucial details, take time to sketch your thoughts.

A five-paragraph explanation essay typically consists of three body paragraphs and one paragraph each for the introduction and conclusion.

Simply writing down the ideas you want to put in the beginning, middle, and end paragraphs constitutes creating an outline. This basic plan acts as the framework and guarantees that your paper has a logical progression.

Don't skip this step, no matter how frazzled and time-constrained you are.

Your outline is only a direction. It is not necessary to adhere to the last millimeter of an architect's blueprint. There is potential for change.

But when you're writing, an outline helps you stay on course. Use your map as a guide if you become stuck or lost while writing. There may be times when you need to change your course, go back, or rearrange what you've written.

4. Write

It's time to assemble everything!

Start writing your introduction and setting up your piece once your research and outline are done. The topic(s) you're writing about, and the queries you're going to address should be quickly introduced to your readers at the start, but you shouldn't reveal too much. You want to pique readers' interests and encourage them to keep reading.

Your introduction could be up to three paragraphs long, depending on the overall size of your essay (larger articles get lengthier intros). However, it should be brief and to the point and should flow easily into the main content of your essay.

The body of your essay serves as its meat and potatoes. Respond to those queries, elaborate on your justification, and ensure that readers fully comprehend your subject. Showcase your research! Be sure to mention any odd or amusing information you came upon. To clarify some of the trickier parts of your subject, use a suitable metaphor or appealing tale.

As you write, make sure to maintain a logical flow throughout your composition –

• Use chronological sequence when writing about a historical period or significant event; begin at the beginning and list the events in the order they occurred.
• Are you describing the operation of a device or other invention? Start with the component doing the most substantial work, such as the suspension bridge's wires, or with the feature that causes movement to begin, such as the pedals of a bike or the wind rotating the turbines.
• Other logics include size (from small to large, from large to tiny), significance (from biggest to smallest), or space (from left to right, from right to left, from outside to inside, from inside to outside).

5. Revise

Make sure to give your piece at least one day to rest. Then, for the editing procedure, open the document and read it while keeping in mind the following inquiries –

• Does the essay complete the task? Review your professor's assignment description. Do your essay topics meet every requirement? What's missing if not? Can you incorporate that idea into what you've written so far? As required, revise.
• Is the order of the phrases and paragraphs logical and clear? If certain parts of your essay seem awkward, you may have reversed your logic (as was said before), or you may need to add extra detail to bind the phrases or paragraphs together.
• Be sure to show how the facts link to one another in your essay rather than merely listing the information.
• Does the hook grab your attention? Your essay's opening sentence should pique the interest of the reader.
• Does the conclusion adequately summarise the main points? Your conclusion should succinctly summarise the key point or essential idea for your reader rather than restating everything your essay says. It should demonstrate that you kept your promise from the introduction without being overly repetitious or redundant.
• Have you referenced each of your sources? Be sure to tick this off before pressing the "submit" button. Observe the citation guidelines that your professor has provided.
• Are the grammar and spelling perfect? These things are important because you are a writer. Added advice to help you spot evasive typos. Read your essay from the back. What you see might surprise you.

Bottom Line

Even if an explanation essay is a common assignment, it can still be challenging to complete. Keep in mind that the main goal of an explanation essay is to explain or describe a topic, scenario, event, etc., rather than to express your opinion or take a position. Take this blog as your guide and write an impeccable explanatory essay. But if you are still need any then you consult an experts for explanatory essay writing service.

FAQs

Q.1. When beginning an explanatory essay, why is it important to create an outline first?

While writing your paper, it's a good idea to create an outline. It enables you to generate fresh concepts while ensuring the organization, focus, and consistency of your paper. Instead of starting with a blank sheet, many authors find that working from a plan is easier.

Q.2. What is the format for an explanatory essay?

The conventional essay serves as the standard format for explanatory papers. This typically consists of an introduction, three paragraphs with a maximum of one subtopic each, and a conclusion. This is a standard essay structure.

Q.3. How do you start an explanatory paragraph?

In an explanation, your major goal should be to inform the reader about the subject. You could give instructions, offer suggestions, or describe a process. First, then, after, and ultimately are examples of transition words used in an explanatory paragraph.

Q.4. What is a good way to start an explanatory essay?

Create a hook first: Use a provocative statement or intriguing inquiry as your introduction's opening sentence to lure readers in. For instance, you may begin your essay topics on the advantages of exercising with a factual statement about the prevalence of obesity in the United States.

Q.5. How do you write a strong explanatory essay?

Give clear explanations: It's critical to succinctly and clearly clarify difficult ideas while writing an explanatory essay. Avoid technical jargon and speak clearly. Use diagrams and other visual aids, for instance, to help demonstrate your arguments when discussing the process of photosynthesis.