Writing to explain

In a nutshell

By writing to explain you present the facts of your argument, then go into detail about the cause and effect of the main points. In this way, explanatory writing shares characteristics with other forms of writing. In this summary, you will learn how to explain clearly in order to get across to your audience what has occurred or what will occur. You will also be learning the features that are needed when successfully writing to explain.

Facts

A fact is something that can be proven to be true. Facts are used as evidence to explain certain concepts or to prove a point. Not everything is a fact; sometimes people present information as fact when it cannot actually be proven, especially online. This means that before you use facts, make sure that they are true (this is called fact-checking). Otherwise you can mislead your readers or be misled yourself.

Things to consider before writing

Before you start your writing process, it is important to outline and plan the following aspects of your writing: the form, audience and the topic you wish to explain. By breaking these features down individually, it will help you present your explanation more clearly.

form	There are four basic forms of writing: narrative, descriptive, persuasive and expository (also known as explanatory). For this lesson, expository (explanatory) writing will be the form you choose.
audience	Knowing your audience is important. This will help you determine what to include in your writing as they will be the ones reading it.
Topic	It is important to know your topic well and to plan your writing ahead of time. This can help you stay on track while writing, so you don't lose focus on trying to make your main points. Always keep this in mind, so your writing is as effective as possible.

Cause and effect

The relationship between cause and effect must be presented clearly to explain your main point. This can also be presented as the reasons and results of an issue. Remember to present this as a relationship based on facts.

Example

cause	Climate change has long-term effects on the climate and weather patterns.
effect	Temperatures all over the world, including the UK, are rising; certain species of animals are becoming endangered; water is becoming more scarce.

Common features of writing to explain

When writing to explain, these features will help you create a clear piece of explanatory writing.

connectives	Use connectives expressing cause and effect to create a clear order, for example, '*as a result', 'because of this', 'thus', 'consequently*'.
present tense	When explaining a current event or something happening in the present, use the present tense. When referring to things that occurred in the past, use the past tense.
past tense	When explaining something that has already occurred, make sure you are using past tense in your writing.
pronouns	It is common in explanatory pieces to write in the third person. However, if you would like to include yourself in the audience to create a connection, you can also use the pronoun 'we'.