Teaching children

Expository

Expository texts, or informational texts, are non-fiction texts that give facts and information about a topic. These academic texts are common in subjects such as science, history and social sciences. Examples: business letters, how-to essays, recipes, instructions, news stories, personal letters, press releases, term papers, scientific reports, textbooks, articles, cuisines

Examples of expository text

The process diagram shows how coffee is produced by using a dry method. There are twelve stages altogether, beginning with the beans being sorted and ending with the coffee being packed and sold at a supermarket or shop.

To begin with, the beans are sorted by hand and then cleaned by using a sieve. Next, they are dried in the sun for four weeks, before being raked and turned. Then they are stored in a silo until the time when they are sent to a mill in a truck.

At the mill, the beans are hulled and graded before they are bagged. After the process of being bagged, the coffee is sold in bulk to retailers, who will undertake the last two steps of the process. Finally, it is roasted, packed, and then sold again to the consumer in a shop. The bag of coffee is the final product.

Types of expository text

• descriptive essays
• process essays,
• comparison essays
• cause/effect essays
• problem/solution essays

Argumentative

An argumentative text type is a text where the writer is either 'for' or 'against' an issue or subject, or presents the case for both sides. Examles: research report, scientific article, paper, thesis

Example of argumentative text (fragment)

As college sports continue to be hugely popular and the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) brings in large amounts of revenue, people have revived the debate on whether college athletes should get paid. 

There are many ways payments could work. They could be in the form of a free-market approach, where athletes are able to earn whatever the market is willing to pay them, it could be a set amount of money per athlete, or student athletes could earn income from endorsements, autographs, and control of their likeness, similar to the way top Olympians earn money.