Writing to explain may seem a simpler task to tackle than some of the other writing styles you may be asked to adopt, such as writing to argue, persuade and advise. However it is sometimes the essay writing styles which sound the simplest that require the most technique to get them just right and score maximum points, whether you are writing to explain GCSE or explaining a theory as part of an undergraduate dissertation. So read on below for our top tips on writing to explain!
Writing to explain: structure
To provide a clear explanation of a topic in your assignment writing, it is crucial that your essay is well structured, so that it flows logically from one point to the next, giving the reader a well laid out and coherent grasp of the topic. For example, if you are asked to write an essay explaining why you would like to live in a particular place, instead of launching straight in with a complex description as you might in an essay to persuade, it would be much more effective to focus the first paragraph on the weather, the second on the economy, the third on the local people and so on. This proves to the examiner that you are aware of the key aim of writing to explain – helping your reader to fully understand the whole picture.
Writing to explain: questions
If you were explaining something to somebody in person, key part of the process would be answering any questions they had about what you were saying. So show you awareness of this to the examiner in your essay writing to explain, by including common questions or likely queries and their answers.
For example:
“You may wonder why I would want to live in such a cold, mountainous region, but the winter sports, from skiing and snowboarding to tobogganing and ice-skating, make it a paradise for winter fun!
Writing to explain: progressing your ideas
Remember, an important part of explaining something is to give the basic idea and then go into further detail about individual points. So make the style of your essay writing reflect this, with more simple sentences setting out clear points, followed by more complex, multi-clause sentences to thoroughly explain and expand on each idea.
Writing to explain: final top tip
Remember, the simplest way to check you are on the right track with assignment writing to explain is simply to read it back through to yourself, imagining you are new to the topic, and ask yourself whether you would fully understand it, or where there are any areas you might need explaining further – these are the parts you need to work on!
