You probably won't encounter many writing assignments that ask you to write an "explanatory paper" or an "expository report." More often, you'll do some explanatory writing as part of a bigger assignment, such as a research paper or a report of information. That's why it's important to understand where explanatory text is appropriate--you need to know when to treat a topic with more depth or detail and how best to organize the ideas in your explanation.
Click each of these images to see how explanatory text might be used in a writing assignment or a longer report.
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As in all forms of writing, it's important to keep your audience in mind. If you explain something too obvious, such as how to tie a shoe or what a carnivore eats, your reader will most likely lose interest. On the other hand, if you choose a topic that is too obscure--such as how to replace the alternator brushes on a 1987 Ford Mustang or the electrophoretic purification of precursor polypeptides--you might cause readers to feel lost or confused.
Question
What kind of explanatory text would be used for the origami tutorial?
