How to Write an Explanatory Essay That’ll Leave Readers Amazed

As a student, you are not unaware of the challenges of crafting an essay that should grab your readers’ attention right from the start. You must know how to write an explanatory essay from the ground up to explain the topic concisely and clearly, especially when it’s a complex topic. This blog will cover every aspect of writing and give you practical explanatory essay tips along with expert suggestions so you can create an engaging, well-informed, and effective essay for your audience. Let’s begin!

Explanatory Writing Guide – An Introduction 

An explanatory essay is a popular type of academic writing that focuses on explaining a particular idea or topic. Such a type of essay aims to give readers a clear and unbiased understanding of the topic, backed by logical reasoning and credible evidence. Unlike persuasive or argumentative essays, explanatory essays only focus on providing relevant information objectively without injecting personal preferences, biases, or opinions.

In addition to academics, explanatory writing is used in the professional setting as well in the form of business proposals or scientific reports to give data analysis or explain how a product or service is created. In simple terms, explanatory writing is used to explain why things are how they are. You should provide accurate information, define the terminologies, and use evidence from authoritative sources to support various explanations.

Now that you have the definition and purpose of explanatory writing let’s decode the essay outline before learning how to write an explanatory essay. Like any other essay, explanatory essays, too, comprise an introduction, body, and conclusion. 

• The introduction includes background information and the thesis statement.
• The body is divided into multiple paragraphs, each focusing on a specific point supporting the thesis, followed by evidence supporting the same, an explanation of the evidence given, and a concluding statement. 
• The conclusion is the summary of the main points, a restatement of the thesis, and includes a call to action or future action.

The introduction should be the Crème de la crème of your essay. It must be impactful, purposeful, and pique readers’ minds to go deep and know more. According to the essay writing guide, an explanatory essay introduction should include three rudimentary elements: a hook, background information, and a thesis statement.

• Hook: An attention-grabbing opening line that can be anything from a thought-provoking question to a surprising fact or a quote. 

Example: “Ever wondered why the sky is blue?”

Tip: Use vivid imagery, strong verbs, or surprising elements to create a hook that urges your readers to proceed.

• Background Information: Background information aims to provide relevant context on the topic of discussion for readers to understand its significance. It should be short and to the point.

Example: “To understand the scientific reasons behind the sky’s color, we must explore the Earth’s atmosphere, the properties of light, and the scattering of light.”

Tip: A brief overview of the essay background helps readers anticipate what they are likely to get from the read.

• Thesis Statement: The main idea or context of your essay should be clearly and specifically defined. Additionally, ensure that the thesis is arguable and is open to debate and interpretation. 

Example: “The essay sheds light on the science behind the blue color of the sky.”

Tip: Remember your thesis statement determines the fate of your essay. Make it strong, concise, and effective.

Read about How to Format a College Essay

How to Write an Explanatory Essay – A Step-by-Step Guide

The best way to understand how to write an explanatory essay and overcome the typical writing obstacles is to practice. Practicing the steps will enable you to grasp the basics better and gain confidence in effectively presenting data in an easy-to-understand manner. The following section will discuss how to write an explanatory essay by covering some effective explanatory essay tips and key considerations for crafting a high-quality write-up. Check out the details of each section below. 

Step 1: Choose a Topic

Understandably, the first step to learning how to write an explanatory essay is to master the skill of brainstorming and finding topics that align with your personal interest. Writing about a topic you are passionate about makes the writing process more fun and enjoyable and encourages you to dig deep to gain a strong topic understanding. 

Also, when you are considering topics, keep in mind your readers’ interest. Think about what they may be interested in reading about and gather topics from current events and trendy highlights to narrow down your search. Here are some possible explanatory essay ideas with substantial information available for writing a comprehensive essay. 

General Interest Topics:

• Social Issues:

• The impact of social media on mental health
• The ethics of artificial intelligence
• The role of social justice movements in contemporary society
• Science and Technology:

• The future of space exploration
• The potential benefits and risks of genetic engineering
• The environmental impact of cryptocurrency mining
• Arts and Humanities:

• The influence of postmodernism on contemporary culture
• The representation of gender and sexuality in film and television
• The impact of globalization on traditional art forms

Specific Academic Topics (Depending on Your Field of Study):

• Business:

• The impact of ESG investing on corporate performance
• The future of remote work and its implications for businesses
• The role of digital marketing in modern business
• Engineering:

• The potential of renewable energy sources to address climate change
• The ethical implications of autonomous vehicles
• The use of artificial intelligence in healthcare
• Computer Science:

• The future of cybersecurity
• The impact of quantum computing on technology
• The ethical considerations of developing AI

Tip: Always prioritize your passion and your audience’s interests while choosing a topic. The more you are into the topic, the easier it will become for you to research and make your essay more well-researched and engaging. Also, clarity and research are two aspects you cannot ignore while brainstorming. 

Clarity: Always pick topics that are clear and specific. For example, instead of writing an explanatory essay on the history of the U.S., be more specific and pick a specific area like the American Civil War. Being more specific with the topic will help you conduct focused research and simplify the writing process.

Research: Preliminary research is a must for every topic to determine if there are sufficient trusted sources like journals, sites, books, peer-reviewed articles, and the like on the topic.

Let’s consider you are writing an explanatory essay on climate change. Here’s how you must use reliable sources in the copy. 

Topic Sentence: Rising global temperatures are the primary threat to the planet’s ecosystems.

Supporting Detail: A survey in Nature Today found that the average global temperature has risen by 1 degree Celsius since the pre-industrial era.

Reference:

Miller, M., Kim, R. (2020). Dangers of natural warming: climate change between 1951 and 2020. Nature Today, 1(8), 76-92.

Check the explanatory writing guide for more expert-recommended explanatory essay tips.

Step 2: Conduct Thorough Research

Detailed research on any explanatory essay topic is imperative for gathering relevant information. So, before you begin with research, identify the topic you want to work with and develop the focus to determine what types of sources you need and where to find them. 

Search various sources like library catalogs, online databases, search engines, etc., and evaluate their credibility. Double-check the author’s credentials, publisher, and publishing date. Note them for each source so all your important information is in one place. Here are three important factors you should consider while researching:

• Reliable Sources: Stick to credible sources like books, reputable databases, journals, and websites, and avoid unreliable, open sources like Wikipedia. For instance, you can cite articles from NASA when writing an explanatory essay on a science topic. 
• Note-Taking: Use systems like outlining or Cornell Notes to organize your research findings. The last thing you want is to lose out on important data and findings at the last minute. Well-organized notes will keep you focused and efficient.
• Fact-Checking: In order to boost the credibility of your essay, you must ensure that all information in the copy is accurate. And the best way to verify information is to check multiple sources. If similar information is found in a few authoritative sources, it’s clear that the information is genuine.

Step 3 : Write Clear and Concise Body Paragraphs

The main goal of your essay is to express your views on the topic using relevant evidence from quality sources. The body paragraphs of your explanatory essay entail evidence to prove the thesis statement. Evidence, such as examples, opinions, facts, and data, are obtained from thorough research that is relevant and accurate to demonstrate a vivid understanding of the topic. Have a look at the key elements of the explanatory essay body: 

• Topic Sentence: The first sentence of each body section introduces the main context of that paragraph.

Example: “Rayleigh scattering is the phenomenon behind the blue color of the sky.”

Tip: A strong topic sentence should give readers a clear idea of what the paragraph is about.

• Supporting Details: Back your claims with expert opinions, evidence, and examples to increase their trustworthiness.

Example: “Rayleigh scattering is the outcome of light waves colliding with particles in the atmosphere, causing the light to scatter in different directions.”

Tip: Be specific and relevant with the details you use for strengthening your argument.

• Analysis: Highlight the importance of the shared evidence and its relevance to your thesis statement

Example: “The shorter wavelengths of blue light are scattered more easily than longer wavelengths, which makes the sky blue.”

Tip: Evaluate your evidence to prove your understanding of the topic.

• Transition: Adequate use of transition phrases and words maintains the flow of writing and connects ideas and context between paragraphs. 

Example: “In addition to the Rayleigh scattering phenomena, factors like the atmosphere’s bulk attenuation, the sunlight spectrum, and the human eye and brain also contribute to the sky’s blue color.”

Tip: Smooth transitions improve the quality of writing and make reading more enjoyable and engaging for readers. 

Step 4: Write a Strong Conclusion

Coming to the last section of your explanatory essay, the conclusion. It is basically the summary of evidence you have given in support of the thesis statement. The concluding paragraph is the summary of the thesis statement and other important information discussed throughout the paper. It links the key ideas together to build a connection between the thesis statement and the main ideas. 

Also, you must present your opinion in this section with context to the evidence provided in the body sections. You can either agree or disagree with the thesis statement as long as you have enough credible sources supporting your claim. Besides, the conclusion also provides scope for action or possible future recommendations. Hence, remember to use these three factors while drafting the concluding paragraph:

1. Restate Thesis: Summarize the main argument in different words to leave a lasting impression on readers.

Example: “As we have understood, the blue color of the sky occurs due to the scattering of light by particles in the atmosphere.”

1. Recap Key Points: Revisit the main points from the discussion 

Example: “Rayleigh scattering, the properties of light, and the Earth’s atmosphere are three main players behind the sky’s blue color.” all play a role in creating the blue sky we see.”

Tip: Keep your conclusion concise to reinforce your argument.

1. Final Thought: Write a powerful closing statement to leave the readers thinking.

Example: “Next time you look up at the sky, remember the complex scientific processes that create its beautiful color.”

Tip: Take time and write a thought-provoking final statement that will leave the reader impressed.

Read about Essay Structure

Additional Explanatory Essay Tips:

Here are some more tricks on how to write an explanatory essay that you should keep in mind while writing explanatory essays to elevate its quality from “meh” to “yay:”

1. Avoid weak verbs to create a greater impact on your writing. 
2. Use strong hooks like the following in introductions:

• A powerful quote or proverb
• A colorful description
• A controversial opinion
• A shocking statistic
• An unpopular opinion
• A thought-provoking question

• Use diverse sources like interviews, definitions, personal stories, numbers, and statistical data to explain the topic from multiple perspectives
• Write smooth transitions to avoid jumping from one idea to another and create a logical flow of information. Some effective transitional phrases you can use:

• To begin with
• At this point
• Next
• For example /instance
• Finally
• For this reason
• As a result

• Mind the way you end your essay. Aim to create something lasting and impressive. 
• No matter how strongly you believe in a topic or idea, avoid stating your personal opinion. Stick to recording official facts and data and let them speak for themselves.
• Provide counterarguments to show readers you have done your research. Every story has another side. Provide both arguments and counterarguments and let the readers decide which one is correct over others. 
• Finally, do not forget to proofread and edit your essay. Take time and review your essay and make corrections wherever necessary to elevate the overall quality.

References:

1. Purdue Online Writing Lab (OWL): A comprehensive resource for writing and research.
2. The Writing Center at UNC-Chapel Hill: Provides tips on various writing topics, including explanatory essays.
3. Harvard Writing Center: Reference guidelines on academic writing and explanatory writing.
4. Additional Academic Journals/Articles: Link to authoritative sources or provide citations for the claims made in the article.