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: 3rd person (nonfiction) Do not use I, me, my, etc. (No 1st 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 (end)

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 1st 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 and Christmas Carol