Teaching Students How to Write an Expository Paragraph

What is an expository paragraph?

So often, the reason something is written down is to communicate ideas clearly and effectively. This comes in many forms: cookbooks, almanacs, scientific reports, and instruction manuals, to name a few. All of those nonfiction texts are examples of expository writing. Expository (or informative) writing explores, shares, explains, or defines a specific subject or idea. This type of writing does not include the writer’s opinion or tell a story; its goal is not to persuade, and the writer’s voice should be neutral.

Expository writing is a vital skill in the real world because it helps to convey often complex information in a structured and understandable manner. For students in Grades 3 and up, expository writing is a straightforward yet challenging writing type since presenting ideas is a natural reason to write, yet it is difficult to do so using relevant evidence in an organized, concise, and precise manner. 

Teaching students how to write an expository paragraph has many real-world applications, as it develops their organizational, analytical, and research skills. Plenty of careers require expository writing—so by practicing and mastering this genre of writing, students will gain skills that will benefit them throughout their lives.

A great way to introduce your students to this type of writing is to have them read picture books or easy readers. Never underestimate your students’ abilities to grasp new or complex information by reading these types of texts. Note that the following are potential texts you can use, but always check with your school or district for recommended resources.

1. Mysterious Universe: Supernovae, Dark Energy, and Black Holes by Ellen Jackson and Nic Bishop
2. The Stars: A New Way to See Them by H. A. Rey
3. Sniffer Dogs: How Dogs (and Their Noses) Save the World by Nancy Castaldo
4. The Great White Shark Scientist by Sy Montgomery and Keith Ellenbogen

Expository paragraph example

Read below an example of an expository passage, where the student writer classifies the types of planets in our solar system:

People might think all planets are alike, but there are actually three types of planets in the solar system. The terrestrial planets are made of rock and metal and are closest to the sun. These include the smaller planets Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars. They rotate slowly and don’t have many moons. Farther from the sun are the planets called gas giants: Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. They are called gas giants because they are formed from gases such as hydrogen and helium. Gas giants rotate fast and have many moons. Finally, planetoids are objects made up of rock and ice and are too small to be true “planets.” Planetoids sometimes even get pulled into a planet’s gravitational field and become moons themselves. Whether they are terrestrial planets, gas giants, or planetoids, the planets in the solar system are fascinating.

Activity: Write an expository paragraph

A classification paragraph is a powerful tool to get students to grasp the structure of expository writing. In this activity, have your students practice expository writing by writing a classification paragraph. This type of paragraph has three parts:

1. A topic sentence tells what the paragraph will be about.
2. Body sentences present categories and specific details about each one.
3. A closing sentence wraps up the paragraph.

Have your students follow these steps:

Step 1. Select a topic

Have your students choose a topic they care about. Ensure they can easily break down their subject into categories, such as the above example on planets. Here are some ideas:

• Types of fruits
• Types of shoes
• Types of rock music
• Types of dogs
• Types of dance styles

Step 2. Write a topic sentence

A good topic sentence should name the topic and mention its categories. For example, if the paragraph is about the different types of rock music, a topic sentence could be “Rock music, one of the most popular genres of music in the world, can be categorized into three different types.”

Step 3. Develop the first draft

Consider freewriting before creating the first draft, consisting of 5–10 minutes of students writing as much as possible about their topic of choice without worrying about individual words or sentences. Freewriting gives students a chance to brain dump, or get all of their ideas about the topic in one place, then use those ideas to form their initial draft.

The first draft of your students’ paragraph should start with the topic sentence. Next comes the body sentences, which explain the topic’s categories and arrange them in the best possible order, such as order of importance, chronological order, or order of location. Students should write at least two or three supporting sentences per category based on their topic, which gives each group equal importance. For example, if the subject is “rock music” and one category is “alternative rock,” there should be at least two or three sentences that provide specific details about alternative rock.

Finally, the closing sentence thoughtfully wraps up the paragraph. The concluding statement could indicate a purpose for the classification discussed in the paragraph. Why do these categories matter?

Step 4. Revise work

Your students should check their draft for ideas, organization, voice, word choice, and sentence fluency. Have them think about the following questions when revising:

• Is the topic sentence clear?
• Are there any details that should be added or removed?
• Are the categories and details organized in the best way?
• Are the words clear and precise?
• Does the paragraph flow well?
• What’s the closing sentence, and does it thoughtfully close up the paragraph?

Step 5. edit for clarity

Finally, have students edit their paragraphs carefully, not worrying so much about the overall argument and instead looking for smaller mistakes and errors in conventions. They should check to ensure they used correct punctuation, capitalization, spelling, and grammar. Have students proofread the paragraph at least twice.

It may be helpful to have students to exchange their paragraphs with one another. It’s often easier for someone else to catch minor errors.

Next step: How to start an expository essay

A classification paragraph is a straightforward way to introduce students to expository writing. Once they master organizing their ideas into a brief paragraph, they should be ready to move on to writing a more complex essay.

At first, stick with a classification essay, which breaks categories into three paragraphs as opposed to three sentences. Or consider exploring other types of expository writing, such as compare and contrast, explanatory paragraphs, cause and effect, how-to, and problem/solution. This downloadable PDF handout for students provides tips on how to write a classification paragraph and essay.

Teaching students how to write a persuasive paragraph also elevates their organization and communication skills. The handout below for students offers essential tips on how to write a persuasive paragraph and, afterward, an essay.

***

This blog, originally published in 2021, has been updated for 2025.

Looking for a flexible literacy solution for your classroom? Inspire a lifelong love of reading, writing, and learning with HMH Into Reading.