000 12/05/2025 Explanatory Essay Writing Basics

To persuade readers to agree with the writer's opinion

To inform or explain a complex idea objectively

To entertain readers with creative storytelling

To complain about things that annoy the writer

It's too obvious and doesn't explain how or why places matter

It uses informal language that isn't academic enough

It doesn't mention any of the three authors we studied

It's written in Comic Sans font instead of Times New Roman

Theme, connecting ideas from all three authors together

Author, with one paragraph for O'Keeffe, Twain, and Hurston

Chronological order, from oldest to newest historical events

Alphabetical order, because that's how dictionaries do it

All three moved to New York City to pursue their careers

They all wrote about places that provided freedom to develop authentic identity

They all preferred urban settings over rural natural environments

They all hated traveling and only wrote about their hometowns

Shapes who you become or influences your development

Follows a strict format that cannot be changed

Happened in the past and no longer matters today

Belongs on a form you fill out at the doctor's office

Include evidence from ALL authors and explain how it proves your thesis

Restate your thesis sentence in every single paragraph

Focus on one author per paragraph without connecting them

Write about your personal life story and ignore the texts

Readers won't understand the connection between evidence and the main argument

The essay will be too short to meet the required length