Expository Writing
* Purpose: To explain, inform, or clarify a topic.
* Focus: Provides factual information, analysis, and evidence to support a central idea.
* Structure: Often organized with a clear thesis statement, supporting paragraphs with topic sentences, and evidence to back up each point. Uses transitions to connect ideas.
* Language: Formal and objective, avoiding personal opinions or emotional language.
* Examples: Textbooks, essays, articles, reports, how-to guides, encyclopedia entries.
Narrative Writing
* Purpose: To tell a story, entertain, and engage the reader.
* Focus: Creates a sense of place, characters, and plot. It uses sensory details and vivid language to bring the story to life.
* Structure: Uses a beginning, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution. Often includes dialogue and internal monologue.
* Language: Can be formal or informal, descriptive, evocative, and often includes personal anecdotes or reflections.
* Examples: Short stories, novels, biographies, memoirs, poems, scripts, personal essays.
In a nutshell:
* Expository writing is like a teacher explaining a subject. It aims to convey factual information and enhance understanding.
* Narrative writing is like a storyteller weaving a tale. It aims to draw the reader into a world of imagination and emotions.
Examples:
* Expository: "The process of photosynthesis is a complex chemical reaction involving sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide. Plants convert these elements into glucose, a type of sugar, and release oxygen as a byproduct."
* Narrative: "The sun beat down on her face as she climbed the rocky hill, her backpack heavy with supplies. She could hear the wind whispering through the pines, a sound that both comforted and filled her with a sense of awe."
Key Takeaway: While expository and narrative writing have distinct goals, they can sometimes overlap. For instance, a narrative essay might include expository elements to explain a historical event or social issue.