Explanatory essays can serve a variety of purposes, depending on the specific guidelines attached to the assignment.
The writer might be explaining an idea or how something is done or what happens as a result (cause and effect). Explanatory essays can also speak to the background or context of a particular event or situation. Or the essay can have an observational aspect where the writer is observing and explaining the results of those observations.
For a comprehensive overview of the types of explanatory essays you might be asked to write, consult the following tip sheet:
A process analysis essay can be considered as a form of explaining--the writer is explaining how a process is carried out and providing all the steps and tools necessary to achieve the end result. Follow the link below for more information on the content, structure, and purpose of these types of essays:
Cause and effect is another type of explanatory writing in which the writer discusses the origin of a situation or problem and then discusses what happened afterward--or the effect. Learn more about this mode of writing here:
