Expository Texts

Introduction to the structure, types, and language of expository texts.

Professor Erika de Freitas Coachman / Professor Izabelle da Silva Fernandes
1. Itens iniciais

Purpose
To analyze the typical structure of expository writing, as well as different types of expository discourse and
the language used. Getting acquainted with the language of expository writing will provide you with the
linguistic and stylistic tools that typically mold this textual genre. The study of this genre will aid learners in
becoming more skilled writers.

Preparation
Make sure you have an English dictionary at hand. If you prefer the screen to the page, you can rely on free
online options, such as the Cambridge and the Merriam-Webster dictionaries. If you want to enrich your
vocabulary and learn new expressions, try the Thesaurus, a dictionary that lists antonyms and synonyms for
each word. Linguee is a tool that might also come in handy since it provides contextualized translations and
versions of the expressions you search.

Goals
• To recognize the typical structure of expository discourse.
• To identify the main features of different types of expository texts.
• To describe the language of expository writing.

Warm up
The main purpose of this Unit is to set forth some of the basic features of expository writing, as it delineates
its typical structure, defines its most recurrent types, and analyses stylistic as well as linguistic patterns. But
before moving any further, we should turn to the root of the word “expository”, derived from the Latin verb
exponere, which means “to show” or “cast out for public view” (ARRINGTON, 1992). Thus, the original meaning
of “expository” seems to invite us to look into this textual genre as a dynamic action, rather than a static
definition.

As you go through the first section, you shall learn the underlying structure of many expository texts - a handy
outline that may help you organize the components of your own writing. As for the second one, the objective is
to navigate through a wider variety of texts so you may become familiar with different types of expository
discourses. Finally, the third and last section is devoted to the language of exposition, laying bare some of the
stylistic and linguistic patterns that stand out when it comes to this particular textual genre.
1. Structure of Expository Texts

Structuring a five-paragraph essay

Five paragraphs
When thinking in terms of structure, five-paragraph essays remain the most common skeleton for expository
texts, even though they should not be regarded as a rigid or inflexible formula. In the following chart, you can
find a clear-cut depiction of this discursive pattern, which traditionally relies on an introduction followed by
three evidentiary body paragraphs that eventually culminate in a conclusion.

The five-paragraph approach to expository writing.

Introduction and thesis statement

The introduction contains a concise thesis statement, placed either at the beginning or the end of the
paragraph. It is devised to encapsulate the central point of the whole exposition.

In other words, thesis statements are brief excerpts designed to summarize the core ideas of a given
text.

Take into consideration, for instance, the thesis statement in bold, placed at the very opening of an article
entitled The animals that detect disasters:

For millennia, people across the globe have reported alarmed animal
behaviour in the run-up to natural disasters. Could these signals be used to
warn us of impending catastrophes?

(MILLER, 2002)

Followed by the question “could these signals be used to warn us of impending catastrophes?”, the
introduction tackles the main point of the exposition, aimed at describing animal reactions as efficient
warnings of imminent disaster, thus putting, in a nutshell, the theme of the text as a whole.

Evidentiary paragraphs
A clear and concise introduction must be followed by evidentiary paragraphs, carrying factual, logical, or
statistical support to back up the exposition’s thesis statement. In The animals that detect disasters, for
instance, the introductory lines are succeeded by a chain of supporting paragraphs carrying factual evidence
on the unusual behaviour of animals sensing “impending peril” and the failure of automated tidal and
earthquake sensors “to raise any alert” before the Indonesian coast was swept by a tsunami in 2004.

In 2004, a tsunami triggered by a 9.1 magnitude undersea quake off Indonesia decimated coastal
communities around the Indian Ocean, killing at least 225,000 people across a dozen countries. The
huge death toll was in part caused by the fact that many communities received no warning. Local
manmade early warning systems, such as tidal and earthquake sensors, failed to raise any clear alert.
Many sensors were out of action due to maintenance issues, while many coastal areas lacked any
tsunami siren warning systems. Yet in the minutes and hours before surging walls of water up to 9m
(30ft) high smashed through coastlines, some animals seemed to sense impending peril and make
efforts to flee. According to eyewitness accounts, elephants ran for higher ground, flamingos abandoned
low-lying nesting areas, and dogs refused to go outdoors. In the coastal village of Bang Koey in Thailand,
locals reported a herd of buffalo by the beach suddenly pricking their ears, gazing out to sea, then
stampeding to the top of a nearby hill a few minutes before the tsunami struck.

(ADAPTED FROM MILLER, 2022)

In addition to including sound evidence to support the main point of the exposition, you should work on the
transition between one paragraph and the other, so that the flux of ideas within your text may flow smoothly,
with a logical bond holding together every single part of the exposition. That is the case of the latter fragment,
retrieved from BBC’s article on animals that efficiently detect disasters. The introduction is ended with a
question the author promptly answers with the help of the following evidentiary paragraphs. You may look into
the excerpts below to understand how this connection is carefully knit by the author.

“(...) Could these signals be used to warn us of impending catastrophes?"

The introductions ends with a question that is promptly answered by the following paragraphs.

“(...) The huge death toll was in part caused by the fact that many communities received no
warning".

The first evidentiary paragraph following the introduction claims that lives could have been spared if
a warning had been sounded before the tsunami hit the Indonesian shore.

"Local manmade early warning systems, such as tidal and earthquake sensors, failed to raise any
clear alert. (...) some animals seemed to sense impending peril and make efforts to flee. According to
eyewitness accounts, elephants ran for higher ground, flamingos abandoned low-lying nesting areas,
and dogs refused to go outdoors".

Manmade warning systems failed, but animals sensed the approaching catastrophe, as eyewitness
accounts have attested.
 Building smooth transitions from one paragraph to another.Adapted from Miller
(2022).

By focusing on the paragraphs above, you should notice that each paragraph is devoted to the exposition of
one central idea - a strategy that avoids overwhelming the reader with a massive amount of information at
once. Nevertheless, every one of them has a clear connection with the thesis statement opening the
introductory paragraph, adding ideas and knowledge that should help the reader answer the main question of
this expository text: “could these signals be used to warn us of impending catastrophes?”.

The concluding paragraph

Finally, we have reached the last component of
the exposition: the concluding paragraph that is
likely to leave a more definite impression on the
reader. On the one hand, the purpose at this
point is not to expose any new information to
the text; on the other hand, it is not meant to
merely repeat the thesis statement.

Instead, the objective of an effective

concluding paragraph is to invite the reader to
revisit the thesis statement, based on the
evidence gathered throughout the whole
exposition. To realize how that works in actual writing, consider the fragment that concludes the text The
animals that detect disasters:
 Not all experts think that animal early warning systems are a viable option for predicting disasters. And
even if they do help, animal movements alone are unlikely to be enough to provide: people will need to
rely on a combination of early warning signals to get the full picture. Still, while we may not be able to
talk to animals quite yet, perhaps it's time to pay more attention to their warnings.

(ADAPTED FROM Miller, 2022)

As we can learn from the excerpt above, good conclusions should not repeat the content of the thesis
statements but re-evaluate them with the help of the knowledge that has been exposed in the previous
paragraphs. In this particular case, the conclusion does not actually endorse the idea that animals alone
should be considered a reliable option to either prevent or respond to imminent disasters. Conversely, it also
hints at the possibility of paying closer attention to what animals do and how their behavior may warn us of
impending catastrophe.

Main tips
At last, below you will find a handy summary of the main tips you should consider before structuring your own
expositions:

Devote each paragraph to one central Write an introduction with a clear and
idea concise thesis statement

Wrap up with a conclusion that Provide factual, logical, and statistical

reassesses the thesis statement evidence within your body paragraphs

Knit ideas together so that the transition

from one paragraph to another flows
smoothly

Demonstration
As you read in the first section, reliable expositions must be rooted in sound evidence. Whether factual,
logical, or statistical, such evidence must offer necessary backup for the statements presented throughout the
text. In The Guardian news story entitled Plants humans don’t need are heading for extinction, study finds ,
such endorsement is provided in several ways. First of all, even the very title of the article is devised to
underscore the text’s scientific validity - “study finds” highlights that the ideas available in the text have been
retrieved from reliable academic sources.

Now, read the evidentiary paragraphs below that have been used within the text to strengthen its core ideas
with the help of statistical data:
 There are 6,749 plants which are winners and are helpful to humans such as corn, rice, wheat, and other
crops, which cover 40% of the surface of the planet, and plants which have gone extinct in the wild but
are surviving in cities, such as the ginkgo tree, planted on every block of New York City, according to
Kress. Then there are 164 plants which are winners and aren’t useful to humans, mainly invasive, weedy
species such as the kudzu, also known as “the vine that ate the south”. About 20,290 species of plants
are categorised as losers, mostly because they are not useful to humans, and they’re already recognised
as endangered species - such as the magnolia tree from Haiti, which was cut down for firewood and
does not grow anywhere else. Smaller lineages of plant species - such as cycads, the cypress family
such as redwoods and junipers, and an ancient family of conifers called the araucariales - are most likely
to disappear completely.

(QUAGLIA, 2022)

Categorizing plants as either “winners” or “losers”, the text sets apart species that survive from those
sentenced to extinction, that are most likely to vanish due to human action. Such ideas are not randomly
discussed but built upon sound statistical grounds.

Hands on

Question 1

Which option could function as the thesis statement in the text entitled Millions suffering in deadly pollution
‘sacrifice zones’, warns UN expert (GAYLE, 2022)?

“A UN expert has warned of the creation of pollution ‘sacrifice zones’ across the world, where tens of millions
of people are suffering strokes, cancers, respiratory problems, and heart disease as a result of toxic
contamination of the environment”.

“The special rapporteur on human rights and the environment cited physical health issues, including cancer,
heart disease, respiratory illness, strokes, and reproductive health problems, as well as ‘incredible mental
health problems associated with living in these places’”.

“All of this infringed their human rights, Boyd said. ‘Their rights to life, their rights to health, and … their right to
a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment’”.

“One in six deaths in the world involves diseases caused by pollution, three times more than deaths from Aids,
malaria, and tuberculosis combined”.

E
“The toxification of planet Earth is intensifying,’ Boyd’s report warns”.

A alternativa A está correta.

Thesis statements are brief excerpts designed to encapsulate the core ideas of a given text. Option A is the
alternative that best summarizes the theme of the text, defining the concept of "sacrifice zone" as a place
where people suffer health problems because of the toxic contamination of the environment.

Question 2

Mark the alternative that provides statistical evidence to support the main point of the news story Millions
suffering in deadly pollution ‘sacrifice zones’, warns UN expert (GAYLE, 2022).

“It’s governments that have the obligations to respect, protect and fulfil our human rights”.

“The French overseas territories of Guadeloupe and Martinique, in the Caribbean, where 90% of people were
found to have the carcinogenic pesticide chlordecone in their blood”.

“The human rights council recognised for the first time that everyone had a human right to live in a clean,
healthy and sustainable environment”.

“this union of human rights law and environmental law can be an extremely powerful catalyst of the kinds of
transformative changes that we so desperately need”.

“Previous agreements on biodiversity, climate change, and pollution were formerly unenforceable”.

A alternativa B está correta.

Alternative B offers statistical evidence to underscore the idea that environmental pollution has caused
several health problems.

Question 3

When discussing the pervasive existence of “sacrifice zones” all over the world, David Boyd, the special
rapporteur on human rights and the environment, argues that their distribution is “grossly unfair” and
“disproportionate”. Mark the option providing evidentiary support to back up this statement (ADAPTED FROM
GAYLE, 2022):
 A

“One in six deaths in the world involves diseases caused by pollution, three times more than deaths from Aids,
malaria, and tuberculosis combined and 15 times more than from all wars, murders and other forms of
violence”.

“There are sacrifice zones all over the world, in every region: in the north, in the south, in the east, in the west,
in rich countries, in poor countries”

“The United States, one of the wealthiest countries in the world, one of the wealthiest countries in all of human
history, is home to one of the worst sacrifice zones on the planet. This place is called ‘cancer alley’. It is in
Louisiana (...), in poor, predominantly black communities”.

“Boyd, the special rapporteur on human rights and the environment, cited physical health issues, including
cancer, heart disease, respiratory illness, strokes, and reproductive health problems, as well as incredible
mental health problems associated with living in these places because people feel exploited, they feel
stigmatised”.

“Boyd says pollution contributed to twice as many premature deaths as Covid-19 in the first 18 months of the
coronavirus pandemic”.

A alternativa C está correta.

Option C illustrates the unfair and disproportionate distribution of environmental pollution, showing that
poor and predominantly black communities inhabit one of the worst sacrifice zones in the world.

Question 4

Mark the true statement regarding the structure and the components of expository texts.

The typical format of traditional expositions relies on a six-paragraph structure, including two introductory
paragraphs, three evidentiary body paragraphs, and a conclusion.

The evidentiary paragraphs are meant to carry factual, logical, or statistical information, mixing a wide range
of topics, including issues that are not covered by the thesis statement.

C
Each evidentiary paragraph is aimed at adding two or more new ideas to endorse the viewpoint summarized
by the introduction’s thesis statement.

The evidentiary paragraphs often offer digressions from the main topic of the text, inviting the reader to
analyze different topics from new and varied perspectives.

The purpose of the conclusion is to invite the reader to reapproach the thesis statement in light of the
evidence provided in the previous paragraphs.

A alternativa E está correta.

The conclusion is not meant to merely repeat the thesis statement. Instead, it invites the reader to re-
evaluate it, based on the evidence provided throughout the text.

Question 5

Which part of the text is meant to encapsulate the core ideas of the expository essay?

Introduction.

The first evidentiary paragraph.

The second evidentiary paragraph.

Conclusion.

Thesis statement.

A alternativa E está correta.

A thesis statement is a sentence that summarizes the main ideas of an expository text or essay. It is usually
found either at the beginning or at the end of the introduction. Therefore, since it sums up the main points
of an essay, the thesis statement is meant to encapsulate the core ideas of the expository essay.
Question 6

The Guardian text I’m a climate scientist. Don’t Look Up captures the madness I see every day (KALMUS, 2021)
discusses the message behind the movie Don’t Look Up. The article’s initial lines pose the question “A film
about a comet hurtling towards Earth and no one is doing anything about it?” followed by the statement
“sounds exactly like the climate crisis”. Which alternative best explains this discursive pattern?

The question is not answered within the text so that readers can think for themselves.

The rhetorical question is placed at the beginning of the text and it is followed by an answer that helps the
author link the movie to the climate crisis.

The question raises doubt on the main themes debated throughout the text, exploiting the uncertain future of
the planet we inhabit.

The question is meant to analyze the controversy behind the movie, inviting readers to ask themselves the
same question.

The rhetorical question is not explicitly answered by the author, because the reader already knows the answer.

A alternativa B está correta.

The author poses this rhetorical question to lead readers towards the main theme of the text, which
exploits the link between the movie and the actual climate crisis.

Theory in practice
Writing a concluding paragraph is not always easy. As you shall understand in the next section, it is important
to avoid cliché endings so that your conclusion may have a positive final impact on the minds of its readers.

What other options do we have, rather than restating the main ideas of the exposition?

Chave de resposta

Instead of repeating yourself in the final paragraph, you may try to look forward and discuss what the
future may have in store for the theme you have debated. The following excerpt, for example, is the
concluding paragraph of a BBC text on natural living bridges crafted from fig trees. It brings the text to an
end by depicting how architecture may learn from living infrastructures in the future.
 Although still in its infancy outside Meghalaya, Watson hopes that architecture inspired by the living root
bridges could come to play a fundamental role in cities – bringing with it benefits for urban air, soil, and
wildlife. "Living infrastructure can support incredible biodiversity and species, not just humans," Watson
says. "We need that biodiversity to survive." (RATHNAYAKE, 2021)

Let’s talk about Expositions!

In this video professor Erika Coachman will talk about expositions. What are they? How are they structured?
Stick around to learn more about this important genre!

Conteúdo interativo
Acesse a versão digital para assistir ao vídeo.

Learning check

Question 1

Mark the alternative that best defines the objective of the concluding paragraph:

Expose new information to support the thesis statement.

Invite the reader to endorse the thesis statement.

Re-evaluate the thesis statement in the light of information from the previous paragraphs.

Work on the transition between one paragraph and another.

Provide evidence to support the thesis statement.

 A alternativa C está correta.
The objective of a concluding paragraph is to invite the reader to reapproach the thesis statement, based
on the evidence gathered throughout the whole expository text.

Question 2

Choose the option with useful advice concerning the structuring of expository texts:

Wrap up with a conclusion that ratifies the thesis statement.

Mingle different ideas within each paragraph to support your thesis statement.

Surprise your readers by including new information in your concluding paragraph.

Write conclusions to endorse the thesis statement, providing evidence to support it.

Knit ideas together so that the transition from one paragraph to another flows smoothly.

A alternativa E está correta.

You should work on the transition between one paragraph and the other, so that the flux of ideas within
your text may flow smoothly, with a logical bond holding together every single part of the exposition.
2. Types of Expository Texts

Common types of expository texts

Expository writing
Categorizing textual genres may seem at first a very efficient way of looking into different types of texts and
learning about their distinctive traits.

Comentário
However, expository writing often blurs the line dividing textual genres: you may find expositions within
the realm of narratives, scientific reports, or news articles, to name a few.

This is the reason why Arrington (1992) validates the idea that expository writing should not be regarded as a
separate genre, but as a specific mode employed across different genres.

The expository structure analyzed in the first section is considered the most typical framework for expositions.
Nevertheless, it should not be seen as the sole option: throughout this section, you will exploit a variety of
types of expository texts that will enable you to accommodate your ideas in accordance with different models.
In addition to the traditional skeleton depicted in the first section, you shall learn about expositions delineated
as feature stories or designed according to the so-called inverted pyramid format.

The inverted pyramid.

The inverted pyramid format is a skeleton often used to structure news stories, such as the BBC article (2021)
on Derek Chauvin’s twenty-two year-sentence.

Convicted of murdering George Floyd in 2020, the white

police officer had knelt upon his neck for nine minutes
despite the victims’ pleas “I can’t breathe”. The introduction
encapsulates the core information of the text, answering
important questions such as: “who”, “what”, “why”, “when”,
and “where”. At the same time, the following paragraphs are
designed to sketch additional data, to describe varied
reactions to the police officer’s sentence, including
responses from the Floyd family, President Joe Biden
himself, and the convict’s mother.

To have an overview of the workings of the pyramid format,

consider the excerpts from the BBC article displayed below:
The US white ex-police officer convicted of murdering African-American man George Floyd in
Minneapolis in May 2020 has been sentenced to 22 years and six months in jail. The judge said
Derek Chauvin's sentence was based "on your abuse of a position of trust and authority, and also
the particular cruelty shown" to Mr Floyd. Mr Floyd, 48, died after Chauvin knelt on his neck for nine
minutes. His murder caused global protests against racism and police brutality. Chauvin, 45, was
convicted of second-degree murder and other charges last month. (...)

The introduction concentrates the most prominent information of the text within the initial
paragraph, exposing who George Floyd and Derek Chauvin were, why the former was killed, and
what has happened to his murderer after trial.

The Floyd family and their supporters welcomed the sentence. Mr Floyd's sister Bridgett Floyd said
the sentence "shows that matters of police brutality are finally being taken seriously" but there was
still "a long way to go". President Joe Biden said the sentence "seemed to be appropriate" but
admitted that he did not know all the details. During the sentencing hearing, Mr Floyd's brother
Terrence Floyd demanded the maximum available, a sentence of 40 years. "Why? What were you
thinking? What was going through your head when you had your knee on my brother's neck?" he
said. Mr Floyd's daughter Gianna, aged seven, appeared in a video recording, saying she missed him
and she loved him. (...) In court, Chauvin's mother said he was a "good man".

*The second paragraph exploits further details, shifting the reader's attention towards responses to
the murderer's sentence. The core information had already been introduced in the initial paragraph
and this fragment merely adds information on top of it.

An example of the inverted pyramid format.Adapted from George Floyd’s murder:

Derek Chauvin sentenced to over 22 years. BBC News, 25 June 2021.
Feature stories

Feature stories.

Unlike inverted pyramids, feature stories tend not to give out the most prominent information at the very
beginning of the text. Instead, their introductions aim to engage readers, catching their attention from the very
onset, and raising their interest so that they carry on reading the text until the end.

Therefore, instead of putting the exposition’s central ideas in a nutshell, feature stories’ introductory
paragraphs typically begin with a human touch, offering readers an anecdote or an enthralling story.

In general, feature stories exploit topics in a greater depth, have a more personal slant, and carry a more
individual style - especially if compared to more traditional and straightforward news articles.

The next fragment, for instance, retrieved from

The Guardian (BECKET, 2017), focuses on the
controversies behind gun ownership in the
United States. To catch the reader’s eye, this
feature story kicks off with the historical
background of a small town named Nucla,
where every single citizen owns a firearm.

As you may now realize, such expositions do

not go straight to the point at the beginning,
since their objective is to attract readers at Richard Craig, who started the gun ordinance, at home
first, aided by an interesting story, such as the in Nucla.
past of the town where everyone has a gun.
 There’s an empty stretch of field off highway 141 in Colorado that used to be the perfect American town.
Small houses with white picket fences boasted big flower gardens. Kids played kick the can in the
streets, rode their bikes, splashed in swimming pools. On Sundays, they might have watched an Elvis
movie on TV. The rent was cheap, the fathers all worked, the mothers stayed at home. Uravan was
placid, friendly and, in most of the ways people usually measure it, safe. For many years, a former
resident recalled, there was no law enforcement in the mining company town. Nobody needed it. The
kids were good kids, because if they weren’t, the company bosses would kick their whole families out.
(...) Things changed in 1986 when Uravan was declared a Superfund site contaminated by hazardous
waste. The mine closed, residents moved out. The entire town - the trees, the houses, the post office,
the Coke glasses from the drug store - was shredded and buried in a concrete-lined hole.

(BECKET, 2017)

Alternative patterns
Comparisons
Even though you should consider these tips when formatting your expositions, keep in mind that these are not
hard and fast patterns. You may alternate different formats according to your purposes so that you can keep
readers interested, offering them clear, enthralling, and well-structured texts.

The New York Times approach to expository writing, for

instance, recommends varied designs for engaging
expositions. Comparisons, for example, allow you to
organize your writing based on the contrast between two
components. Consider the example below to understand
how expositions may revolve around comparisons. Entitled
Bing, the Imitator, Often Goes Google One Better (POGUE,
2009), the New York Times article lays out an expository
comparison between Bing and Google - two web search
engines.
 Exemplo
For the last 15 years, Microsoft’s master business plan seems to have been, “Wait until somebody else
has a hit. Then copy it.” I know that sounds mean, but come on, the list of commercial hits/Microsoft
knockoffs is as long as your arm. PalmPilot/PocketPC. Netscape Navigator/Internet Explorer. Mac OS X/
Windows Vista. Apple iPod/Microsoft Zune. You’d think Microsoft would feel a little sheepish after a
while. And now we have yet another me-too effort. It’s something called Bing, and it’s the latest iteration
of Microsoft’s multiyear attempt to imitate Google. The name, presumably, is supposed to evoke the
sound of a winning game-show bell. The cynics online, however, joke that Bing is an acronym for “But It’s
Not Google.” Here’s the shocker, though: in many ways, Bing is better. That’s quite a statement, of
course, almost heresy. But check it out yourself. It’s easy to compare the two, thanks to sites like bing-
vs-google.com. Here, you’re shown search results from both Bing and Google, side by side, on a split
screen.

Troubleshooting and explaining cause-and-effect relationships

Expository writing may also follow a second alternative pattern, centered on the axis problem- solution. That is
precisely what Unicef’s Global Chief of Education, Robert Jerkins, opted for while exposing five tips to promote
children’s education during the lockdowns provoked by the covid-19 outbreak:

1. plan a routine together;

2. have open conversations;
3. take your time;
4. protect children online;
5. stay in touch with your children’s education facility.

Each one of these tips was followed by an expository paragraph explaining how and why these five actions are
fundamental to minimize the challenges posed by the pandemic to children’s schooling and well-being.

In addition to troubleshooting, expositions can account for the explanation of cause-and-effect relationships,
shedding light on how one given action may trigger a specific consequence. The news article The Fog That
Follows Chemotherapy (BRODY, 2009) is designed in accordance with this format and basically aims at
pointing out cognitive issues that have become especially common among patients that have survived cancer
and tried to get back to their former routines. You may take a glimpse at this cause-effect pattern by reading
the expository fragment below:

As more people with cancer survive and try to return to their former lives, a side effect of chemotherapy
is getting more and more attention. Its name is apt, if unappealing: chemo brain. Nearly every
chemotherapy patient experiences short-term problems with memory and concentration. But about 15
percent suffer prolonged effects of what is known medically as chemotherapy-induced cognitive
impairment. The symptoms are remarkably consistent: a mental fogginess that may include problems
with memory, word retrieval, concentration, processing numbers, following instructions, multitasking, and
setting priorities.

(BRODY, 2009)
Before we move on to the next section, dedicated to the linguistic aspects of expositions, you must learn
useful strategies that shall help you write interesting introductions and enthralling conclusions, avoiding
“clichéd openings” and “repetitive endings”.

Writing interesting introductions and conclusions

When writing introductions, you may start with…

Writing introductions.

When writing conclusions, you may end with…

Demonstration
Expositions may also be devised to make room for comparisons.

To help consumers, The Guardian ranked the best streaming and pay-TV services available in 2021, comparing
different options and listing them according to their classification. The pros and cons are also detailed to help
readers make up their minds.
 Our updated list of the best pay-TV and streaming services in the UK The choice of how you get your TV
and movies in the UK has exploded in recent years, with a growing number of premium pay-TV providers
and streaming services available at a wide range of prices. Many of them have long contracts, exclusive
content, and complicated bundle pricing. And that’s before you work out how to actually get it to your
television, whether it is live broadcast TV via the traditional routes of aerial, satellite or cable, new
offerings of streaming live TV over the internet, on-demand download or streaming services, or a mix of
all three. All of which makes choosing the right one for you a bit of a minefield of information overload. To
help you pick the best pay-TV or streaming service for your needs, wants and budget, here’s a guide
covering all the options from Sky Q to Disney+, Amazon Prime Video, Netflix, and everything in between.

(GIBBS, 2021)

Hands on

Question 1

Read the fragment from the BBC article The US highway that helped break segregation and complete the
following statement:

Adam Malick Sow had a headache. He was several hours into his trip from New York to Washington DC, and
after his limousine crossed into the state of Maryland, he asked his driver to find a place to stop. A few miles
later, the newly appointed ambassador to the United States from the African nation of Chad stepped into a
diner along US Route 40 and asked for a cup of coffee. The answer on a summer day in 1961 would change
history.

The wife of the diner's owner refused to serve the diplomat because he was black. "He looked like just an
ordinary run of the mill [N-word] to me. I couldn't tell he was an ambassador," Mrs. Leroy Merritt later told the
national magazine Life. "I said 'There's no table service here'." The insult sparked an international incident,
making the front page of newspapers across Africa and Asia. Soon after, diplomats from Niger, Cameroon and
Togo reported similar experiences at Maryland restaurants. Like others, they travelled on the same highway
from the United Nations in New York to their embassies in Washington. And their treatment set off a little-
remembered civil rights struggle that paved the way toward outlawing segregation in the United States.
(BLEIBERG, L. The US highway that helped break segregation. BBC. 7 March 2022)

To avoid clichéd openings, the article begins with:

a comparison.

a description.

a narrative.
 D

a quote.

a rhetorical question.

A alternativa C está correta.

The introductory paragraphs of this expository text begin with a narrative telling the experience of an
ambassador who was denied a cup of coffee at a diner on Route 40 because he was black. The story is
presented at this early point to catch the reader's attention from the very beginning and illustrate the theme
of the text as a whole.

Question 2

Choose the option that best describes the role of the fragment presented in question 1.

It aims at explaining a cause-and-effect relationship, shedding light on how one given action may trigger a
specific consequence.

It organizes the expository text based on the contrast between two components or more.

Its purpose is to describe troubleshooting alternatives, centering the entire text on the axis problem-solution.

It is designed to attract readers’ attention at the beginning, providing an interesting story that illustrates the
central theme of the text.

It begins with a look at what may or will happen in the future.

A alternativa D está correta.

Beginning the introductory paragraphs with a narrative, which is the case of this article, is meant to draw
the reader's attention from its very beginning and to illustrate its main theme.

Question 3
The BBC article The US highway that helped break segregation may be classified as a(n)

feature story, because it gives out the most prominent information at the very beginning of the text.

feature story, because it adds human touch to the onset of the exposition, raising readers’ interest with a story
related to the central theme of the text.

inverted pyramid, because it adds human touch to the beginning of the exposition, raising readers’ interest
with a story related to the central theme of the text.

inverted pyramid, because it gives out the most important information at the onset of the text.

comparison, because it organizes the exposition based on two contrasting components.

A alternativa B está correta.

This BBC article is a feature story because its introductory paragraphs tell a story, sharing the experience
of an ambassador who was denied a cup of coffee at a diner on Route 40 because he was black. This
narrative is presented at this early point to catch the reader's attention from the very beginning, adding a
human touch to the illustration of the central theme of the text.

Question 4

One of the concluding paragraphs of the feature story The US highway that helped break segregation includes
the following fragment:

The diner's now called North East Family Restaurant and owned by Ed Omar, originally from Alexandria, Egypt.
He had never heard the story until I stopped by one morning. "I just learned something new," he said. "I'm
North African. Look at me. I'd be the first one they'd kick out. Waitress April Jones can't imagine refusing to
serve someone who was black. "Are you serious?" she said. "It is crazy. It's changed a lot." (BLEIBERG, 2022)

A conclusion that brings the essay to a full circle may be called

a comparison.

a description.
 C

a narrative.

a quote.

a frame.

A alternativa E está correta.

The frame format brings the essay to full circle, ending the text with the same story that initiated it.

Question 5

Introductions initiated with a rhetorical question often:

tell a story that summarizes the central point of the text.

pose a question to guide the reader to the theme of the text.

describe an element that is key to the text.

begin the text with the same story that ends it.

organize the text based on contrasting components.

A alternativa B está correta.

A rhetorical question appears at the beginning to prepare the reader to the topic of the text, often posing a
reflection that is key to the essay as a whole.

Question 6
Mark the alternative that best classifies the text in accordance with the characteristics of its introduction. You
should note that the most prominent facts on the developments of the war between Russia and Ukraine are
laid bare in the bullets at the very beginning, while further details are described in the following paragraphs.

BBC, 2022.

Inverted pyramid.

Feature story.

Comparison.

Description.

Narrative.

A alternativa A está correta.

Inverted pyramids give out the most important information at the beginning of the text, saving the details
for the following paragraphs.

Theory in practice
Some expositions revolve around the axis problem-solution. Such texts typically aim at coming up with
troubleshooting options for those in need of them. The following excerpt was retrieved from the introductory
paragraph of a text on how to respond to bullying.

As children return to their classrooms this fall, experts say parents and educators should look for signs of
bullying at school, an age-old problem that often emerges in new and different forms every year.
(ROSENKRANTZ, H. How to Handle Bullying at School. The US News. 01 Sep 2021)

What may follow the introduction in this type of text?

 Chave de resposta

The introduction is, then, succeeded by subtitles that put into a nutshell the actions that must be
undertaken to fight bullying: 1) diagnose the problem; 2) take the lead at school; 3) create an intervention
plan; 4) encourage peer support; 5) model proper behavior; 6) learn more about bullying and prevention.

Types of expository texts

In this video, you will learn more about the different types of expository texts. Do you know how many there
are? Do you know which formats are more commonly used? Stay tuned for more on expository texts!

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Learning check

Question 1

Choose the option that lists three alternative components to the usual ingredients of clichéd introductions:

A frame, a quote, a future action.

A comparison, a frame, a quote.

A narrative, a description, a rhetorical question.

A narrative, a frame, a future action.

A description, a future action, a rhetorical question.

A alternativa C está correta.

When writing introductions, you may start with 1) a narrative that summarizes the theme of the text, 2) a
description that delineates an element that is key to the story, 3) a rhetorical question that leads to the
central point of the text.
Question 2

Choose the option that lists three alternative components to the usual ingredients of clichéd conclusions:

A frame, a quote, a future action.

A comparison, a frame, a quote.

A narrative, a description, a rhetorical question.

A narrative, a frame, a future action.

A description, a future action, a rhetorical question.

A alternativa A está correta.

When writing conclusions, you may end with 1) a frame that brings the essay full circle, with 2) a quote that
sums up the essence of the essay, or with 3) a future action that ends with a look forward, analyzing what
may or will happen next.
3. Language and Grammar of Expository Texts

Grammar of Expository texts

Common verb tenses
Now that you are acquainted with the core structural patterns and types of expository genres, we shall focus
on linguistic features which are commonly used in this sort of text. To begin with, you may have noticed in the
previous sections a variety of verb tenses conveying distinct meanings. Let’s take a brief look at the most
relevant ones. As previously pointed out, an interesting strategy to hook readers is to open a text (be it an
essay, a news article, or a feature story) with engaging narratives or anecdotes. This can be done, for
instance, with a reference to a past event. Reread the statement below and notice how the author resorts to
such tools:

For millennia, people across the globe have reported alarmed animal
behaviour in the run-up to natural disasters. Could these signals be used to
warn us of impending catastrophes?

(MILLER, 2022)

To report a fact that builds up his thesis statement, the writer kicks off the text with an emphatic adverb of
time: “for millennia”, which indicates a long-standing and unsettling phenomenon. Then, he resorts to a
Present Perfect Tense (formed by the auxiliary verb “have” followed by the main verb in the Past Participle).

As Downing and Locke (2006) explain, this verb tense is “non- deictic” (p. 327) since it does not
pinpoint any specific moment in the past. The author does, however, mark an event that is not only
perceptible but also relevant in the present time.

Had he mentioned a year, a month, or any other adjunct related to a separate time- frame in the past, the
Simple Past Tense would have been more suitable. That is the case in another extract you have read in the
previous sections, constructed by means of the report of a chain of events that occurred in a specific
historical moment marked by the time expression “in 2004”. It is also worth noting that besides using a
sequence of verbs in the Simple Past, the author exposes his supporting argument towards one of the causes
of the high death tolls with the reiterating expression “by the fact that”.

In 2004, a tsunami triggered by a 9.1 magnitude undersea quake off Indonesia decimated coastal
communities around the Indian Ocean, killing at least 225,000 people across a dozen countries. The
huge death toll was in part caused by the fact that many communities received no warning.

(Adapted from Miller, 2022)

You have also come to realize the importance of strong propositions in the introductions and of supporting
evidence in the bodies of expository productions. When developing such arguments, a widely used structure is
the Simple Present, which we can spot in another paragraph you have read before:

Not all experts think that animal early warning systems are a viable option for predicting disasters. And
even if they do help, animal movements alone are unlikely to be enough to provide: people will need to
rely on a combination of early warning signals to get the full picture. Still, while we may not be able to
talk to animals quite yet, perhaps it's time to pay more attention to their warnings.

(ADAPTED FROM MILLER, 2022)

In the previous example, there is an exposure of the voices of experts in biological field research.

Atenção
These voices of authority justify the use of claims in the Present Simple tense. Downing and Locke
(2006) highlight the use of such verb tense in the development of “general statements and timeless
statements” (p. 321).

When there is the need to shed light on ongoing states, authors might also recur to continuous aspects.

In the opening paragraph below, the author opposes two moments in the history of the town of Nucla: past
versus present, acutely marked by the expressions “before” and “now”. The milestone that changed the traits
of the place, the author argues, was the mining operations.

Nucla, Colorado, was founded by socialists before becoming a mining town. Now, as wealthy liberals with
different values encroach, the town is fighting for its economic survival.

(BECKET, 2017)

In the example above, the contrast between the past and the present economic data of Nucla is emphasized
by the progressive aspect.

According to Downing and Locke (2006), this is one of the functions of discourses in the
Progressive: it “presents an ongoing event as something directly observed in relation to some point
in time” (p. 340).

In the following chart, you can get a glimpse of tenses and their core semantic effects. Think of the expository
texts you will produce in the future. Which tenses would be more suitable in each section according to your
intentions? Why?
 Tense Reason for use Example

Present Simple General rule it is a fact that...

Present Continuous Current situation are decreasing

Present Perfect Recent event have noticed

Present Perfect Recent, with emphasis on action that has been

have been rising
Continuous ongoing for a long time

Simple Past Finished, with time phrase occured

Finished, with emphasis on action that

Past Continuous were looking for
continued for a long time

had been
Past Perfect Refers to a previous past period
developed

Future Prediction will be possible

Chart: Tenses and uses.

Adapted from Bailey, [2003]2011, p. 250.

Quotations
Referencing the work of others
Neil Murray (2012) highlights that however paramount it is to state our own positions in our texts, as they
constitute settled and secure academic postures, we should always reference the works of others, given the
dialogism of knowledge construction. Furthermore, as explained before, quotations are useful tools to support
a thesis or report throughout expository texts.

When it comes to genres such as news articles or feature articles, direct citations are usually accompanied by
the name of an illustrious person and, if need be, by a brief description of the speaker. In such cases, the
direct discourses are placed within quotation marks or inverted commas. See the example below, which
expounds part of President Biden’s statement on the conviction of the murders of George Floyd.

President Biden said the sentence ‘seemed to be appropriate’ (...).

(Retrieved from George Floyd’s murder: Derek Chauvin sentenced to over 22 years. BBC
News, 2022)

Academic expository texts, on the other hand, are guided by way more rigid conventions, determined by the
writing style adopted by each publisher. Some journal editors or event organizers demand, for example, the
style of the American Psychological Association (known as APA style), conventions of the Chicago Manual
Style or, in Brazil, the norms of the Brazilian Association of Technical Standards (ABNT). The differences
among them may be subtle and are exemplified in the chart below.
 Referencing
Full Reference In-text citation
Styles

Downing, A., &; Locke, P. (2006). English Grammar. (Downing &;

APA
Taylor &; Francis. Locke, 2006)

Downing, Angela, and Philip Locke. 2006. English (Downing and

Chicago
Grammar. Taylor &; Francis Locke 2006)

DOWNING, A.; LOCKE, P. English Grammar. English (DOWNING;

ABNT
Grammar. 2ed. New York: Routledge, 2006, 610 p. LOCKE, 2006)

Chart: Some Differences in Referencing Styles.

Erika de Freitas Coachman and Izabelle da Silva Fernandes.

As you can verify above, perhaps the most striking difference in ABNT style in comparison to the other two is
the use of capital letters. As for similarity, Murray (2012) observes that direct quotations which “exceed two or
three lines (p. 122)” are usually detached from the rest of the formatting of the text, by smaller fonts and
bigger margins. If we include a word or phrase inside an in text-reference, it must be marked by square
brackets.

Demonstration
The next text you are going to read is part of a Press Release from the United Nations Security Council on the
wrenching living conditions of women in war zones worldwide. Read it and observe the way authors structured
their exposition of that issue.

Facing pandemic lockdowns, spiking violence and eroded access to services and legal protections,
women in war zones continue to suffer and global commitments remain largely unmet, the United
Nations senior official on sexual violence in conflict told the Security Council today, calling for a
“paradigm shift” in how resources are allocated in the post-COVID-19 world. Pramila Patten, who is the
Secretary-General’s Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict, briefed the 15-member
Council’s quarterly debate on women, peace, and security, which was held in a videoconference format.
Spotlighting worrying increases in misogyny and attacks on women who are visible in public life, she
urged States — many of whose resources are dwindling amid the pandemic’s economic shocks — not to
cut funding to crucial health care and protection programmes for victims of sexual and gender-based
violence. Instead, she said, they should shift their historically massive military expenditures towards
human resilience.

(Retrieved from United Nations )

The whole text revolves around the thesis statement that inequality in war zones is a long-standing and
pressing issue that has not been properly avoided. Therefore, authors resort to the Simple Present tense to
report such conditions, characterizing them as a reality to be exposed by means of supporting evidence. It is
also worth noting that the verb “continue” is particularly indicative of the author’s highlighting of the severity
of the situation (as it is still recurrent).

Furthermore, there is a shift to the Simple Past tense. It occurs when the text starts exposing the specialists’
behavior during an event that was held and completed in a past period of time which is explicit in the text (“the
15-member Council’s quarterly debate on women, peace, and security”).
Hands on

Question 1

Choose the alternative containing a structure denoting a current reality.

Experts affirmed that it would be better to recur to another experiment.

The method had already been tested by the time it was contested.

Next Sunday, citizens are protesting for better retirement conditions.

Unfortunately, time and again, thousands of lives are lost in unjustifiable wars.

The previous conference was held three years ago.

A alternativa D está correta.

As stated by Downing and Locke (2006), the Simple Present tense (used in option D) is generally used to
denote factual utterances and general truths.

Question 2

Read the paragraph below and choose the option which contains a phrase in which authors expose a
condition that started in the past and is still relevant and true up to the moment of writing.

“The Golden Arches Theory of Conflict Prevention once proposed that no two nations with McDonald’s
franchises would go to war; people in those kinds of economies would rather queue for burgers. The thesis
was not only crass, but soon disproven. Yet it nodded to a broader truth: that economic ties were drawing
countries closer together, creating a global interdependence which would not quickly be undone. Times have
changed. On Tuesday, the American fast-food giant suspended its operations in Russia.” (Retrieved from The
Guardian view on deglobalisation: McDonald’s quits Moscow. The Guardian, 2022)

“no two nations with McDonald’s franchises would go to war”

“it nodded to a broader truth”

 C

“people in those kinds of economies would rather queue for burgers”

“Times have changed.”

“the American fast-food giant suspended its operations in Russia.”

A alternativa D está correta.

The Present Perfect tense used in option D is marking a cultural and economic change that invalidated the
quotation presented in the first sentence. According to the author, such changes, initiated decades ago, still
influence countries worldwide.

Question 3

The following statements were retrieved from a feature story which tackles cleaning measures against
Covid-19. Read the options and choose the one in which the author exposes a recurrent situation that
occurred in the past.

“Reports of COVID-19 cases were popping up across the United States”

“Disinfectant factories worked around the clock to keep up with heavy demand.”

“As evidence has accumulated over the course of the pandemic, scientific understanding about the virus has
changed.”

“By the end of 2020, global sales of surface disinfectant totalled US$4.5 billion”

“Nevertheless, scientists warn against drawing absolute conclusions.”

 A alternativa A está correta.
The Past Continuous tense in alternative A highlights the fact that cases of infection through Covid-19 were
continuously emerging and spreading in the country.

Question 4

Choose the option containing an in-text citation written in APA style.

(MOITA LOPES, 2006)

(Rajagopalan 2012)

(RAJAGOPALAN, 2012)

(SILVA; 2012)

(Moita Lopes, 2006)

A alternativa E está correta.

According to the writing style conventions of the American Psychological Association (known as APA), the
surname of an in-text citation should be written in lowercase (except for the initial letters), followed by a
comma and the year of publication.

Question 5

Match the verb tenses commonly used in expository text with their meaning effects.

(1) Simple Present

(2) Simple Past

(3) Present Perfect

 A

(1) general truths/ (2) continuous past actions/ (3) past actions which are still relevant

(1) quotations/ (2) finished past actions/ (3) ongoing states

(1) general truths/ (2) finished past actions/ (3) past actions which are still relevant

(1) past actions which are still relevant/ (2) continuous past actions/ (3) past actions in explicit periods of time

(1) habits/ (2) ongoing states/ (3) recent actions

A alternativa C está correta.

Indeed, scientific facts and general statements are commonly referred to by means of the Simple Present
tense. Besides, when the time a past action occurred is explicit in the discourse, we should opt for the
Simple Past tense. Finally, the Present Perfect usually alludes to actions that started in the past, yet with
ongoing effects in the present time.

Question 6

Read the extract and complete the blanks with the appropriate structures.

“Dozens of studies on Long COVID (1)_________________ in recent months [...] The most recent, [which]
(2)_________________ in Nature on March 7, (3)_________________ that SARS-CoV-2, the virus that
(4)_________________ COVID-19, can damage the brain—even among people who experienced mild cases.

(Retrieved and adapted from What causes long Covid? Time Magazine, 2022)

(1) have been published/ (2) was published/ (3) suggests/ (4) causes

(1) were published/ (2) which has been published/ (3) has suggested/ (4) causes

(1) are being published/ (2) was published/ (3) suggests/ (4) caused

(1) are being published/ (2) published/ (3) is suggesting/ (4) has caused
 E

(1) had been published/ (2) was published/ (3) will suggest/ (4) caused

A alternativa A está correta.

The expression "recent months" justifies the use of the Present Perfect tense, since it accounts for an
indefinite, relative time in the past. The same does not apply to option (2), in which the Simple Past is more
suitable due to the presence of a specific date ("March 7"). In options (3) and (4), the author exposes
scientific findings, justifying the use of the Simple Present tense.

Theory in practice
Now look at this headline of a feature story: “'We're All Handcuffed in This Country.' Why Afghanistan Is Still
the Worst Place in the World to Be a Woman”. It does not name the speaker of such an appalling affirmation,
but the second sentence adds another hint to the tenor of the text, situating it in terms of place, time, and real
characters of the story exposed.

The author uses the Simple Present tense to categorically depict Afghanistan not only as an indubitably
terrible country for women but also as “the worst” of them all. This statement is emphasized by the time
expression “still”, which designates a current state which should have been vanished long ago.

What is more, the quotation at the outset of the headline (also in the Simple Present) tends to arouse the
projected readers’ curiosity and establish a bond between them and the woman in question.

In the end, what truly matters in this feature story is not quantitative data about the conflict, but the exposition
of severe circumstances experienced by particular people.

Right after, in the first paragraph, the author starts reporting the story of the real protagonist of the text: a
“23-year-old” woman named Khadija, who “set herself on fire”. Her desperate sequence of actions is exposed
through Simple Past phrases, as the tragic day is explicit in the sentence, not only in relation to the date itself
but also to the weather conditions and time period of the day. All of these details help readers create an
indelible mental imagery of Khadija’s experience.

“It was a sunny morning in early December last year when 23-year-old Khadija set herself on fire. She kissed
her three-month old son Mohammed goodbye and said a short prayer.

“Please God, stop this suffering,” she pleaded in the sun-soaked courtyard of her home in Herat, Afghanistan
as she poured kerosene from a copper lamp over her small frame. She then struck a match. The last thing she
heard were birds chirping.
The next morning, she realized her prayer had gone unanswered.”

(Retrieved from We're All Handcuffed in This Country.' Why Afghanistan Is Still the Worst Place in the World to
Be a Woman. Time Magazine, 2018)

Only five paragraphs later the author exposes her thesis statement: after a long war, Afghan women are still
subject to inhumane extremism, despite North-American claims that the situation would be fought. When
exposing this current state, she marks it with verbs in the Simple Present and with the adverb “still” (i.e., “is
still”; “maintains”). Besides, the Present Perfect is also justified in this part, for it exposes a war which dated
from 2001 and was still happening as of the moment of writing.

“It wasn’t supposed to be like this for Afghanistan, the country of 35 million people where America has waged
its longest war. The war was billed, in part, as “a fight for the rights and dignity of women.” [...]

But seventeen years and almost $2 trillion later, the country is still in turmoil as the Taliban maintains its grip
on almost 60 percent of the country, the most territory it has controlled since 2001.”

(Retrieved from We're All Handcuffed in This Country.' Why Afghanistan Is Still the Worst Place in the World to
Be a Woman. Time Magazine, 2018)

Let’s look into the final paragraph! Which strategies are being used?

To Naseri, Khadija is one of far too many invisible victims in the country’s war against women.
“I could have been Khadija,” Naseri said. “Who knows what separates us? Nothing does.”

(Retrieved from We're All Handcuffed in This Country.' Why Afghanistan Is Still the Worst Place in the World to
Be a Woman. Time Magazine, 2018)

Chave de resposta

The final paragraph is another example of the way the author attempts to put readers in Afghan women’s
shoes. To achieve this goal, she concludes the text by quoting a lawyer who is an activist for gender
equality in the country. Her words reinforce Khadija and other women’s neglected reality (with the defining
verb “be” in the Simple Present), and then situate herself in the same position of Khadija with a past
hypothetical conditional in the Present Perfect: had she not been lucky enough, she would have been a
potential victim of violence. Her closing words in the text are also a call for empathy: she affirms (time and
again resorting to the Simple Present) that nothing differs her from her compatriot.

Language and Grammar of Expository Texts

In this video professor Erika Coachman will talk about the language used in expository texts. If you are still
unsure about which verb tenses to use in your expositions or about how to reference the work of others, this
video is definitely a must-see!
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Learning check

Question 1

Choose the alternative containing an accurate explanation on one of the verb tenses used in the paragraph
below.

“Polish people know the pain of being invaded. This is what an opera singer told me as she handed out hot
stew to Ukrainian refugees in a tent near the mountainous border between Ukraine and Poland on a chilly
night in early March. [...] ‘We were in the same situation in 1939,’ said Susan Grey, the opera singer, referring to
the Polish people during World War II. ‘We didn’t have such an opportunity to be welcomed. We didn’t have a
place to go.’” (Retrieved from: Stockman, F. The war next door. The New York Times, 2022)

The Simple Past phrases in the last two sentences are not appropriate since the author does not mark the time
when the actions occurred.

The verb “handed” in the second sentence refers to an action in progress in the past.

The verb “know” in the first sentence denotes an action in progress at the time of the writing.

The verb “know” is in the Simple Present in the first sentence because it outlines a factual statement in the
author and interviewee’s view.

The Present Perfect tense would be more suitable in the opening sentence of the article.

A alternativa D está correta.

Indeed, the verb "know" in the opening sentence is used to refer to common-sense lore or to a generally
accepted truth reiterated by both the journalist and the interviewee, which is why the Simple Present tense
is accurate.

Question 2

Label the statements about grammatical features of expository texts as either True (T) or False (F).

(I) Direct quotations may be used as supporting evidence to defend a proposition and they should be written
in smaller fonts when exceeding three lines.

(II) The Present Perfect tense is adequate in feature stories when the author expresses the moment when an
action occurs.

(III) Time expressions such as “still” and “hitherto” may help emphasize a present state initiated in the past.

(1) T/ (2) T/ (3) T

(1) F/ (2) T/ (3) T

(1) F/ (2) F/ (3) T

(1) T/ (2) F/ (3) T

(1) F/ (2) F/ (3) F

A alternativa D está correta.

Indeed, direct quotations may support a thesis statement whenever it mentions a voice of authority in a
given field of study. However, the Simple Past tense is more adequate when we refer to specific moments in
the Past. Besides, when accompanying structures in the Present Perfect Tense, adverbs such as "still" and
"hitherto" may be used as emphatic tools by the writer or speaker.
4. Conclusão

Considerações finais
Although expository writing is not determined by hard and fast rules, you have learned in this Unit that
expositions may typically conform to several typical characteristics. In the first section, you dealt with the
structure of expository texts and learned about the roles of some of its most essential components. The
second section was devoted to different types of expository writing and invited you to investigate many
strategies you may put at work to write creative and authentic expositions. As of last, the third section tackled
the linguistic and discursive features of expository discourse.

Podcast

Let’s recap!

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Explore +
If you want to keep on improving your writing skills, you will find the New York Times article entitled 10 Ways
to Develop Expository Writing Skills particularly handy. As you go through the explanation, you will find links
that can redirect you to New York Times actual articles that have employed the techniques recommended
within the piece.

Referências
ARRINGTON, P. Reflections on the Expository Principle. College English v. 54, n. 3, 1992, p. 314-32.

BAILEY, S. Academic Writing - A Handbook for International Students. 3 rd edition. London and New York:
Routledge. [2003]2011.

BECKET, L. Under siege by liberals: the town where everyone owns a gun. The Guardian, 14 Jul. 2017.
Accessed March 10th, 2022.

BRODY, J. The Fog That Follows Chemotherapy. New York Times, 4 Aug. 2009. Accessed March 11th, 2022.

DOWNING, A.; LOCKE, P. English Grammar: A University Course. New York: Routledge, 2006.

EXPOSITORY Essays. Purdue Online Writing Lab. Accessed March 7th, 2022.

GAYLE, D. Millions suffering deadly pollution ‘sacrifice zones’, warns UN expert. The Guardian, 10 Mar. 2022.

GIBBS, S. Best UK streaming and pay-TV services 2021: Sky, Virgin, Netflix, and Amazon Prime compared and
ranked. The Guardian, 5 March 2021.
JERKINS, R. 5 ways to help keep children learning during the covid-19 pandemic. Unicef, 25 Aug. 2020.
Accessed March 11th, 2022.

KALMUS, P. I’m a climate scientist. Don’t Look Up captures the madness I see every day. The Guardian, 19
Dec. 2021.

MILLER, N. The animals that detect disasters. BBC, 14 Feb. 2022. Accessed March 3rd, 2022.

MURRAY, N. Analysing and answering the question. Writing essays in English Language and Linguistics.
Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, p. 45-71, 2012.

POGUE, D. Bing, the Imitator, Often Goes Google One Better. New York Times, 8 July 2009.

QUAGLIA, S. Plants humans don’t need are heading for extinction, study finds. The Guardian, 10 Mar. 2022.

RATHNAYAKE, Z. The ingenious living bridges of India. BBC. 17 Nov. 2021.

TEN Ways to Develop Expository Writing Skills. New York Times, 2009. Accessed March 9th, 2022.

WRITING features, reviews, and press releases. BBC Bitesize. Accessed March 10th, 2022.