Understanding Expository Writing: Structures and Types

What is Expository Writing?

An exposition is a textual form that develops a subject in a clear, orderly, and objective manner, with the intention of being understood by others. Expository texts address issues related to knowledge and culture. Hence, this form of writing is primarily used for transmitting scientific and technological advances in academic fields, humanistic disciplines, and journalism. Therefore, the language used should be clear and precise.

Common Structures of Expository Texts

As with all forms of writing, one cannot speak of a single, fixed structure. The organization of these texts generally depends on their nature and the author. Although there are several types of structures, the two most common forms are:

• Deductive (or Analyzing) Structure: The author begins by explaining the main idea or theme and then adds facts, examples, or other details to confirm or verify this idea.
• Inductive (or Synthesizing) Structure: The procedure is reversed. The author starts with specific details to arrive at a general conclusion that represents the text's main theme.

Types of Expository Texts by Audience

Considering the author's intention and the target audience, we can establish two types of exposition: informative and specialized.

Informative Texts

Informative texts are intended for a general audience, not specialists in the field. This requires special care in presenting the content, which must be perfectly clear and orderly. To make the information understandable, the author often relies on outlines, summaries, and examples. Regarding the lexicon, the vocabulary in informative texts is typically simple and non-specialist. If technical terms appear, they are usually words familiar to the general public.

Specialized Texts

Specialized texts, in contrast, are aimed at a niche audience with extensive knowledge on the subject, typically professionals. In this case, the emphasis is less on order and clarity and more on the rigorous treatment of the subject. Consequently, the vocabulary will be abundant with technical terms specific to the subject.