English Composition I

Expository Essay Draft

Write a 1000-1500-word essay about a topic of your choice in the style described within Unit VI and VII. 

Purpose: Throughout Units VI and VII, we have discussed the conventions of the expository essay. The purpose of this assignment is to measure your mastery of those conventions by putting your knowledge to practice. As we discussed in Unit VI, Lesson 1, the expository essay is a general term for an essay that expounds upon or explains a topic. The objective of the essay is to convey information to the reader; most importantly, an expository essay is an exploration of a topic, and the tone is explanatory. After choosing your topic, you will need to choose the form that is most appropriate to fit the topic: cause and effect, problem and solution, or sequential. A thesis statement, which contains the paper’s argument, will be appropriate to the form you choose.

Process: For the expository essay, you will complete the following steps:

1. Choose a topic:  See Unit VI, Lesson 2, (SeeAttached) for more information about choosing a topic. 
2. Create a plan of action: See Unit VI, Lesson 3, for strategies for assessing what you already know and assessing what you need to know. 
3. Research the topic: See Unit VI, Lesson 4, for instruction on research methods. 
4. Choose the organization of your essay: Choose between cause and effect, problem and solution, or sequential organization types. See Unit VI, Lesson 1, for a list of the three organizational forms, and see Unit VII, Lesson 1, for a description of thesis statements written according to the organizational form of the essay. 
5. Create a thesis statement: See Unit VII, Lesson 1, for a description of thesis statements written according to the organizational form of the essay.
6. Draft the essay: See Unit VII, Lesson 1, for keeping brainstorming in mind and Unit VII, Lesson 2, for more on the drafting process and description of each essay section. 

Stylistic details: All essays must meet the following requirements: 

• Include 1000-1500 words.
• Write in Times New Roman, 12 pt. font.
• Include one-inch margins on all sides.
• Use double spacing (top-to-bottom every page, to include above and below titles and centered words).
• Include an APA title page (for all essays) and reference list that includes all of the sources used in the essay.
• Include page numbers (upper-right corner only).
• Adhere to APA convention and documentation style (See the CSU citation guide for assistance.).
• At least one source is required. All sources used must be cited.

The following document will assist you in creating this assignment:

• Expository essay example

2

Unit VI

The Expository Essay, Part 1: Planning the Essay

Lesson 2: Choosing a Topic

Introduction

Often students will find it difficult to come up with a good topic. They may have a vague notion of what they want to write about, but the topic is too broad many times. When a topic is too broad, then it will cause you to gloss over a large area, rather than being precise about your exposition. For example, let’s say that you wanted to write an essay about pollution. While a topic like this might take any of the three forms, you decide that the best form for your essay is cause/effect. The problem is that pollution is a huge topic! You could write about air, water, ground, or even noise pollution. You do not really want to write about all of these topics because then your essay would just be a gloss. Instead, you decide that you will write about water pollution only. But even the topic of water pollution is a big topic because you might write about ocean, lake, or stream pollution. Then again, you might write about trash and non-biodegradable materials or toxic dumps into water. What would be the best way for you to go about narrowing your topic?

Think about the methods that we discussed in Unit II Lesson 3. In that lesson, we discussed concepts of invention, which were all about coming up with a good topic for you. We looked at methods of prewriting, such as brainstorming, mapping/clustering, and freewriting. Use these methods in your own pursuit of a topic.

Talking to Those Around You

One way that you can narrow a topic is to talk to those around you—your friends, family, co-workers, etc. Sometimes you can become interested in a topic just by seeing what others are concerned or curious about. Many times, when you are drawing a blank on possible topics, you can find that others may be clued in to issues that you may not be familiar with or that did not seem readily apparent to you.

Observing Important Issues

As we discussed in Unit V, public information is a good place to begin when looking for a topic. The best topics are controversies that appear on the news or in print. These types of controversies often demonstrate a smaller concern about a larger topic. For example, if we look at our water pollution example again, we might see something in the news about a specific company that has dumped fracking waste in a particular river in a certain state. These types of news stories can help you to discuss the larger topic of water pollution, while looking at one specific instance of pollution. We often see these stories in our current events.

Another possible source for information can be ongoing issues, such as gun control, education, or civil rights. Again, these are larger issues that are just too big to write about, but you can investigate these larger topics in smaller ways. For example, you might want to write about gun control, but the topic is much too large. Instead, you may find that your state congress is discussing a bill that would allow firearms on all state-funded university campuses. The controversy around this bill is the perfect way to write about the larger controversy of gun control, while still writing about one definite issue that is currently affecting your state.

Similarly, you might want to look at issues that face you and your community locally. Sometimes local issues affecting your state, county, or city can be a great way for you to discuss a controversy without trying to tackle an issue that is too large in scope. For example, you might look at a proposed city tax that would add ½ cent to each transaction within the city limit with the funds going to local animal shelters. Those who are for the measure want to see these shelters supported because they provide an important service for the community. Those who are against the measure want people to have the option to donate if they choose to and/or the option to direct their funds to a different non-profit organization. The job of an expository essay is not to take a side on the controversy—to argue what is right or wrong—but to explain the controversy to someone who may not be familiar with it.

Reflecting on Issues that Are Important to You

Another way to think about or to narrow down a topic is to think about issues that matter to you. Perhaps, you are a hunter, and you are concerned with the length of the turkey-hunting season or the number of birds your state allows each season. You could easily use a topic like that as fodder for your exposition.

Thinking About Topics in Relation to Disciplinary Categories

One other way of coming up with a topic that is interesting to you is to choose something that is important to the discipline that you are studying at CSU.

For example, if your major is fire science, then you may want to write an exposition about a particular kind of equipment used or an unsafe type of building material. If you are a psychology major, then you might want to write about the effects of stress on young children. If you have not yet declared a major, then you may want to think about academic disciplines that interest you and what some major issues are for those disciplines.

Review

1. It is important to narrow down the scope of your exposition essay topic as much as possible so that you can write in-depth about a specific topic rather than glossing over a larger, broader topic.

2. One way that you can narrow a topic is to talk to those around you—your friends, family, co-workers, etc.

3. The best topics are controversies that appear on the news or in print. These types of controversies often demonstrate a smaller concern about a larger topic.

4. Another possible source for information can be ongoing issues, such as gun control, education, or civil rights.

5. You might want to look at issues that face you and your community locally.

6. Another way to think about or to narrow down a topic is to think about issues that matter to you.

7. One other way of coming up with a topic that is interesting to you is to choose something that is important to the discipline that you are studying at CSU.

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Good Clean Fun: Grooming the Samoyed Dog

Student Name

Columbia Southern University

Course Name

Instructor Name

Date

EH 1010 EXPOSITORY ESSAY
SEQUENTIAL

EXPOSITORY ESSAYS
The expository essay is a paper that explains a topic. The goal of the expository essay is to
research and explore a topic, then to deliver the information in an organized way to the

reader. This can be done in four different forms: Cause/effect, comparative,
problem/solution, and sequential.

SEQUENTIAL ESSAYS
Sequential essays explain a topic or a process by putting the essential information in a
certain order. The sequential essay uses this organization style to clearly describe how

something happened or how to perform a task. This sample paper illustrates the form of
a sequential essay and provides additional instruction on several points.

For more information about drafting an essay, please view the Essay Writing tutorial.

APA 7th edition allows for a variety of different font choices for papers. Options include

Times New Roman (size 12), Calibri (size 11), Arial (size 11), Lucida Sans Unicode (size 10),

and Georgia (size 11). This example paper is written in Times New Roman, size 12. The

same font and font size should be used throughout the entire paper.

http://columbiasouthern.adobeconnect.com/essaywriting7/

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Good Clean Fun: Grooming the Samoyed Dog

Considered one of the most ancient dog breeds, the Samoyed can be traced back to

around 1000 B.C. (Peña, 2016). These beautiful dogs were selectively bred by the nomadic

Samoyede people to serve both as companions and workers, resulting in a sweet, affectionate

disposition with high energy levels. One of the breed’s most important roles among the

Samoyede people was to sleep with their humans and keep them warm in the freezing Siberian

nights (Samoyed Club of America [SCA], n.d.). The Samoyed’s double coat and affectionate

nature were perfectly suited for this task. The modern Samoyed dog no longer needs to keeps its

humans warm, but the thick white coat remains the trademark feature of the breed. The eager,

loving temperament of these dogs paired with their gorgeous fur makes them a very appealing

pet. However, many first-time owners are not properly prepared for the amount of upkeep that

those glorious white coats require. Samoyeds need to be brushed daily, but a more intensive

grooming session should be performed around once a month for good hygiene (Schnepel, 2019).

An effective method for grooming a Samoyed begins with a preliminary brushing and trimming

followed by a bath with a good whitening shampoo, and should finish by blow drying the coat.

The Samoyed’s dense fur can easily conceal a number of sanitary problems even with

regular maintenance, and these must be identified and handled before the dog can be given a

bath. Mats are the most common issue that a Samoyed owner will run into during a detailed

grooming. The dog should be brushed first with a fine-tooth comb to catch loose dirt in the

undercoat and help find any problem spots (SCA, n.d.). Then, the owner can attempt to untangle

any mats or carefully cut them out of the fur. Once any mats are removed, a rake brush should be

The thesis statement for a sequential

expository essay should tell the reader what

the steps of the process are. Keep in mind

that these steps should be simplified here;

save the details for the paragraphs to come.

The thesis statement should be the last

sentence in the introduction.

The introduction (the first paragraph of the paper) serves to attract the reader’s attention and

introduce the main idea. Narrowing the scope of the paper from an interesting fact or idea is a

good way to deliver background information and earn the reader’s interest.

Notice that every sentence in this introduction serves to move the discussion from a general

fact (the dog breed is ancient) towards the main topic (how to groom the dog).

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used to pick up any loose fur from the undercoat. Popular de-shedding brushes like the

Furminator should be avoided, as these cause damage to the outer guard hairs and can result in a

rougher texture (Schnepel, 2019). This step is essential because bathing a Samoyed with a loose

undercoat can result in more matted fur.

After a thorough pre-bath brushing, the owner should trim fur that has grown too long.

Samoyeds should never be shaved or trimmed past the outer guard hairs. This is because their

thick double coat regulates their body temperature, even in heat, and protects their pink skin

from the sun; a shaved coat can quickly become a health concern (SCA, n.d.). Many Samoyed

owners do opt for a sanitary trim, where the fur is cut shorter under the tail and along the legs.

Keeping the fur shorter in these areas helps to cut down on the time spent on daily coat

maintenance. Samoyeds also grow long hair between their paw pads; this should be brushed out

and then trimmed level with the pads. Allowing this to grow too long can cause the fur to mat

and collect painful rocks or spurs (SCA, n.d.). Any fur deeper between the pads should be left

alone to avoid causing injury to the dog’s feet. Trimming the fur at home is a delicate procedure

that requires a steady hand, especially with an excitable dog, and great care should be taken to

avoid nicking the skin. A good haircut is important for keeping the Samoyed comfortable and

helps to ensure long-lasting cleanliness from the bath.

Use illustration sentences to give additional information about completing the step using an example or

facts. The explanation sentence helps the reader understand why the illustration sentence is important.

Here, the illustration sentence comes first and is outlined in gold, while the explanation sentence comes after

and is outlined in gray.

The concluding sentence should be the last sentence in each body paragraph. This sentence will help to

reiterate the most important ideas presented in the paragraph and can also be used to transition into the

next paragraph. In this concluding sentence, the author reiterates that trimming keeps the dog comfortable,

but also suggests that it improves the effects of the bath, which is the topic of the next paragraph.

The point sentence directly calls back to the thesis. For example, this paragraph’s first sentence

refers to the second step in the process that the thesis statement outlines – trimming.

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Once the dog has been brushed and trimmed, its coat should be in prime condition for a

bath. Bathing a Samoyed is much like bathing any other dog; the biggest difference is that a

high-quality shampoo should be used to promote a bright white, soft coat. Whitening shampoos

are the most popular choice for Samoyeds, but hypoallergenic shampoos are a better option if the

dog is going to be bathed more frequently (BarkSpace, 2018). The dense undercoat of the

Samoyed also takes longer to saturate due to its water-resistant properties, so it is important to

make sure the dog’s coat is wet through before shampooing. The shampoo should then be

massaged through the fur. Whitening shampoo does not create much of a lather, but its typical

blue color should easily show where it has been applied. Like all dogs, the Samoyed’s eyes,

nose, and ears should be avoided; the owner should carefully apply the shampoo around them,

then massage back and away from these sensitive spots. A similarly gentle method should be

followed when rinsing the dog’s face. Because of the blue color of the shampoo, it is extremely

important to rinse thoroughly. Leftover shampoo will temporarily stain the dog’s white coat if it

is accidentally missed and dried (SCA, n.d.).

After being bathed, it is critical to make sure that the Samoyed is moved quickly to a

small, clean area for the drying process. Samoyed fur picks up dirt and debris easily when dry,

but even more so when wet. Because their coats are so dense, Samoyeds need to be blow dried

after baths to prevent matting and mildewing (Schnepel, 2019). This can be accomplished

quickly with a high-velocity pet dryer, but a regular hairdryer set to cool will work as well. Dogs

can easily get impatient during this step, so this is another time when rewarding good behavior is

key. The thickness of the fur can make it difficult to determine when the hair is completely dry; a

good indicator is whether a section of hair blows all in one direction or scatters under the blow

dryer. Once the hair scatters in all directions, that section of the coat is completely dry (Schnepel,

Transition words and sentences play an important role

in sequential essays. Transitions can be introduced in

the concluding sentence or in the first sentence of

each paragraph. Placing a transition at the start of the

paragraph helps the reader to better understand the

order in which the process described in the paper

takes place. For more information, please view the

Transitions: Words and Phrases tutorial and the

Transitions: Sentences tutorial.

http://columbiasouthern.adobeconnect.com/transitions17/

http://columbiasouthern.adobeconnect.com/transitions27/

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2019). When the entire coat is dry, the dog should be brushed one last time. Using a slicker brush

for this step will give the Samoyed a soft, sleek look.

Following a monthly grooming routine of brushing, trimming, shampooing, and blow

drying will help any Samoyed owner to maintain their dog’s beautiful coat. Brushing and

trimming allows the Samoyed dog to enjoy an active, playful lifestyle without matting fur or a

significant buildup of dirt. High-quality shampoos should keep the dog’s coat soft and healthy,

and finishing with a blow dryer will prevent any additional matting. For the Samoyed, grooming

is necessary not only for looks, but for the dog’s well-being. The Samoyed dog may have a high

maintenance coat, but the joy that this loving companion brings is well worth it.

The conclusion is the last paragraph in the paper. It should restate the main idea or thesis,

summarize the most important parts of the paragraphs, and leave the reader with a final thought on

the subject. For more information, please view the Introductions & Conclusions tutorial.

This first sentence restates the thesis statement. Keep in mind that this should not repeat the thesis

statement word-for-word. The purpose of the restatement is to help the reader understand how the

different parts of the paper fit into the original thesis now that they have all of the information.

This last sentence leaves

the reader with the

author’s final thought on

the topic.

Notice that the supporting sentences of

the conclusion serve to summarize the

most important points of the paper. Each

individual paragraph does not need a

complete corresponding sentence here,

but highlighting the critical parts of the

process helps to reinforce the information

given in the body of the paper.

http://columbiasouthern.adobeconnect.com/introductionsconclusions7/

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References

BarkSpace. (2018, March 15). What’s the best shampoo for Samoyed?

https://www.thebarkspace.com/whats-best-shampoo-samoyed/

Peña, M. (2016, December 20). Extinct, primitive, or ancient: Which are the oldest dog breeds?

Dogster. https://www.dogster.com/lifestyle/extinct-primitive-or-ancient-which-are-the-

oldest-dog-breeds

Samoyed Club of America. (n.d.) Grooming. https://www.samoyedclubofamerica.org/the-

samoyed/health-and-care/grooming/

Schnepel, M. (2019, January 11). How often should I groom my Samoyed? The Samoyed—All

About the Smiley Dogs. https://siberiansamoyed.com/2019/01/11/how-often-should-i-

groom-my-samoyed/

The word “References”
should be centered at
the top of the page,

boldfaced.

EH 1010 requires at least one reference for the expository essay.

If you have any generalized questions

about your references page, refer to

the APA Citation Guide.

https://www.thebarkspace.com/whats-best-shampoo-samoyed/

https://www.dogster.com/lifestyle/extinct-primitive-or-ancient-which-are-the-oldest-dog-breeds

https://www.dogster.com/lifestyle/extinct-primitive-or-ancient-which-are-the-oldest-dog-breeds

Grooming

Grooming

How Often Should I Groom My Samoyed?

How Often Should I Groom My Samoyed?

https://www.columbiasouthern.edu/citationguide7