Explanatory Essay Explanatory Essay Purpose definition to inform

Explanatory Essay Purpose: (definition) to inform about or explain a topic • Explanatory essays

Format: • 3 rd person (nonfiction) • Do not use I, me, my, etc.

Overall: • Use strong word choice and avoid repetition • Use transitional phrases to

Structure: • Claim: give the title of the book, story, article, etc. , the

Purpose: Compare/Contrast and Transitions: Don’t write about several different ideas. Limit your focus to

Repeat steps 2 -5: Use a transition to start each part, and they must

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Explanatory Essay

Explanatory Essay Purpose: (definition) to inform about or explain a topic • Explanatory essays explain, interpret, describe, or analyze something based on prior knowledge, background experiences, or information in the prompt or other resources. • Ex: research reports, compare/contrast, cause and effect, how-to, explanation of an event or topic

Format: • 3 rd person (nonfiction) • Do not use I, me, my, etc. (No 1 st person) • Factual – based on real facts / research • No emotions or personal feelings • The paragraphs follow the same outline as a constructed response

Overall: • Use strong word choice and avoid repetition • Use transitional phrases to link each part & do not repeat transitions • Incorporate compound sentences (more than 1 idea combined by a comma, conjunction, or semicolon) and complex sentences (independent clause + subordinate clause) • Include new vocab words *at least 5 Wordly Wise words – JUST THE FACTS! ~ no emotions

Structure: • Claim: give the title of the book, story, article, etc. , the name of the author, and explain the purpose for your essay / what will the reader learn after he/she has read the essay • Reason: state your reason to support your claim. This will either be a similarity OR difference. • Evidence: provide a direct quote for support • Elaboration: in your own words explain what actually happened in the story in relationship to the quote • Analysis: explain how the 1 st reason proves the claim • Concluding Sentence: wrap up the overall story with a theme and explain why it fits by supporting it with the story

Purpose: Compare/Contrast and Transitions: Don’t write about several different ideas. Limit your focus to one idea that you can thoroughly explain. • Be sure to begin each part with a transition! Do not repeat the same transitions – use a variety! Claim - topic of overall essay (After reading) Reason #1 – similarity or difference (For example, ) Evidence (Proof of this can be found) Elaboration (In other words, ) Analysis (As a result of this, )

Repeat steps 2 -5: Use a transition to start each part, and they must be different than the ones used already! Reason #2 – similarity or difference - whatever you didn’t do for reason #1 (In addition, ) Evidence (As noted on page…) Elaboration (To further explain, ) Analysis (Therefore, ) Concluding sentence (As a result, ) *For specific examples, see class examples on Roanoke Island Christmas Carol