Huff 1

Pre-Writing Activity for the Expository Essay

After you have a topic idea, what next? You have to develop information that you will put into your essay and
decide on your audience and purpose. Then you will need to decide the point of view, tone, and style of writing
you will use. Sound confusing? Don't worry. Just answer the following questions to get ready to write. You can
open up a word processing program, copy these questions, and then answer them, or do it the old-fashioned
way with paper and pen.

1.

Topic idea: _______benefits/types of yoga______________________________ (write yours out).

2.

What kind of expository essay is this? (How to? How it works? Definition? Fact? Cause? History of?)

I will explain some facts about the different types of yoga and the benefits that come from each type.

Topic Evaluation
1.

Do you have enough to say or too much? Do you need to narrow your topic or expand it?

Narrow topic to only a couple examples of yoga classes

2.

What sources can you use? Where can you find them?

Online/be hot yoga

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Audience Evaluation
1.

What are some things your audience would be familiar with which you can compare your topic with?

How yoga helps stress and anxiety

2.

What do they already know?

Some people are familiar to pictures of yoga postures

3.

What would they be interested in knowing?

They probably dont know how good yoga really is for your body and mind.

4.

What kind of tone would be best for this audience? (informational, satiric, humorous, folksy,
professional?)
Professional/informational

5.

Considering your audience, which point of view would be the most effective one to write in? Would it
be better to write in first person ("I" or "we"), second person ("you"), or third person (impersonal)?

Third person as of now

Write Your Thesis
1.

Your purpose (What do you want audience to think, do, or know after reading? This will be related to
what your audience doesn't know.)

2.

Turn your topic into a question: _____what are the different types and benefits that come from yoga?

3.

Answer that question: There is Vinyasa, Yin-yang, Barre Pilates, Meditation, etc.____________

4.

Write a thesis statement: Yoga is very beneficial to bodily health as well as the mind, and it can be
found in Meditation, Vinyasa/flo, Barre Pilaties, hot yoga, Ying-yang etc.

(find out with topic I can get the most information in for my essay.)

5.

Essay map: sentence(s) which list main sub-topics (these can be headers for sections of the paper)
_____Vinyasa/flo class is useful for.

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Hot Barre pilaties class is useful for. Etc.

Essay Organization
1.

Which sort of organization would work best for you? Examples: chronological (in time), spatial (in
space and time), process (step-by-step), topical (part-by-part), cause/effect, historical overview,
comparison and contrast, or reverse expectations.

Part-by-part
2.

Write a brief outline for how you will structure the body of the paper.
I.

Intro
A. Start broad Yoga is.definition
B. Who does yoga
C. What you need
D. What level
E. Where
F. when
G. Who can do yoga
H. Why you should do yoga
I. Thesis statement Yoga classes such as Barre/Pilaties, Vinyasa/flo, Meditation,
and heated yoga can be very beneficial for bodily health as well as mind.

II.

Body Point #1
A. Topic sentence Barre/Pilaties, especially when in a heated room, can be very
beneficial for the human body.
B. Definition of barre/pilaties
C. Strengthen and tone
D. Level of difficulty
E. How it helps your mind (if it does)
F. Research/source
G. Online source

III.

Body Point #2
A. Topic sentence Vinyasa/flo yoga is used for strengthening and toning as well as
helping to clear the mind.
B. How it helps
C. Level of difficulty
D. Difference between barre/pilaties
E. Research/source
F. Online source

IV.

Body Point #3

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A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
F.

Topic sentence Meditation helps the body relax as well as clear the mind.
What you do
How it helps
Difference between vinyasa and barre pilaties
Research/source
Online source

V.

Body Point #4 (if needed)

A. Topic sentence Heated yoga, no matter what class, will help strengthen the body.
B. Burns the most calories
C. All levels
D. How each class relates to heated yoga
E. Research/source
F. Online source

VI.

Conclusion
A. Summarize main points Most people dream of having a perfect body and perfect
state of mind, and yoga is a way to get one step closer.
B. Even body builders use yoga (reference)
C. Refer to introduction in some way yoga is.definition
D. Restate thesis sentence Yoga classes such as Barre/Pilaties, Vinyasa/flo,
Meditation, and heated yoga can be very beneficial for bodily health as well as
mind.
E. Leave readers with a memorable thought All different kinds of people and levels
come together to help better themselves.
F. If it brings positive results why not try it??

Intro and Conclusion

1.

Which of these introduction and conclusion ideas could you use? Reverse expectation, expectation
fulfilled, scenario (imagined typical story, also called a case study), personal story, frame story, vivid
description, conversation, definition, comparison and contrast, analogy, startling statistic or fact,
quotation, story from book or movie.

Personal story, definition, comparison and contrast, startling statistic or fact, story from book or movie, and
expectation fulfilled

2.

Choose the best one(s) for your essay and explain what you will do.

Personal story- body builders using yoga for benefits of lifting

Comparison and contrast- different types of yoga

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Startling statistic or fact-facts about how yoga benefits the body/mind, and also stating facts about the
different types of yoga.
Story from book or movie-yoga is not what movies make it out to seem
Expectation fulfilled- peoples results from yoga (online source)