UNIT 2

EXPLORING EXPOSITORY
TECHNIQUES
PRESENTED BY:

QUIRINO G. PASCUA, PhD

Technical Writer/Subject Professor in Technical Writing
This Chapter shall be divided into four
topics which will explain the nature and
the use of the following expository
techniques as they are applied in
technical writing: classification,
definition, description of a
process, and description of a
mechanism.
Exposition is a writing technique used by a
writer when his/her intention is
(a)to explain something
(b)to analyze an idea
(c) to classify a thing
(d) to give the correct definition of a term
(e) to make others follow directions
(f) to point out similarities or differences, (g)to
clarify causes and effects
(h) to present data and
(i) to interpret research work
“In the old days, you would have one lawyer to
handle everything, speeding tickets, buying a
house, contracts, litigation, real estate,
copyrights, leasing, entertainment, intellectual
property, forensic, accounting, criminal
offenses… the list goes on. Now, you have to
have a separate lawyer for each one of the
categories!

-James Belushi
 Topic 1: CLASSIFICATION

Classification is dividing something into groups,

classes, categories, etc. This is normally done in
accordance with several criteria (standards or principles
on which judgement are based).

Classification is done by the writer when he/she

believes that there are shared qualities or
characteristics about a subject matter.
 GENDERED POWER PATTERNS

Research (Helgessen, 1990; in Wood, 2001) reveals general

differences in how women and men define and use power. Men
tend to see power as a finite and as something to guard closely.
Women are more likely to regard power as unlimited and to
share it freely. Another difference is how the sexes see the ends
of power. In general, men see power as something an individual
has and uses to enhance individual status. The tendency among
women is to perceive power as a resource for empowering
others and building strong collaborative teams. Differences in
orientations toward power are consistent with gender
communication and cultures and the divergent rules of
communication they teach men and women.
How to Classify?

One way of classifying objects or

ideas is to look for relationships
among them and to organize them
into groups. It may either be on the
basis of their similarities or
differences.
Try to find the similarities or differences of the words listed
below by classifying them into identifiable categories. Be
ready to explain why you grouped the words in those
categories.

Ignition Vietnam Conjunction Car Seat

Noun Wiring harness Albert Bandura Cambodia
Philippines Gloria Arroyo Break system Verb
Rodrigo Duterte Jean Piaget Engine Oil System Adjective
Fidel Ramos Benigno Aquino III John Dewey Singapore
 Education in the Philippines

Education in the Philippines is provided by public and private

schools, college, universities, and technical and vocational
institutions. Funding for public education comes from the national
government.
At the basic education level, the Department of Education (DepEd)
sets overall educational standards and mandates standardized
tests for K-12 basic education system, although private schools are
generally free to determine their own curriculum in accordance
with existing laws and Department Regulations.
On the other hand, at the higher education level, the Commission
on Higher Education (CHED) supervises and regulates colleges and
universities, while the Technical Education and Skills Development
Authority (TESDA) for technical and vocational education programs
and institutions.
For the academic year 2017-2018, about 83% of K-12
students attended public schools and about 17% either
attended private schools or were home-schooled.
By law, education is compulsory for thirteen years
(kindergarten and grades 1-12). These are grouped into
three levels: elementary school (kindergarten-grade 6);
junior high school (grades 7-10); and senior high school
(grades 11-12); they may also be grouped into four key
stages: 1st key stage (kindergarten-grade 3), 2nd key
stage (grades 4-6), 3rd key stage (grades 7-10) and 4th
key stage (grades 11-12). Children enter kindergarten at
age 5.
Institutions of higher education may be classified as
either public or private college or university, and public
institutions of higher education may further be
subdivided into two types: state universities and
colleges and local colleges and universities.
 TOPIC 2: DEFINITION

“Without words, without writing and without

books, there would be no history, there would
be no concept of humanity”.

-Herman Hesse
When we define words or unfamiliar terms,
we give concise but exact meanings of
unfamiliar words and special meanings of
familiar words.
For people of all ages, definition is a useful
technique in oral or written communication. It
is particularly a must for technical writers to
be able to define the terms with multiple
meanings and those that are unfamiliar to the
reader.
 Methods of Defining Terms

There are two methods of defining terms:

simple and extended definition.

A simple definition could be formulated by

bearing in mind its three parts: the species,
genus and differentia. This method of
definition is commonly used in technical
writing whether formal, semi-formal or non-
formal.
When using simple definition, note that a species
or the term to be defined may be introduced by a
determiner, a genus or the class/category where a
term belongs is always connected to the species
by a linking verb. Both species and genus can be
introduced by a determiner. To make the
definition complete, a differentia is written to give
the characteristics of the term that make it
different from other terms belonging to same
genus.
 Species Genus ( the class Differentia ( a
(term to be defined) where the term characteristic of the
belongs) term)
Language is a form of communication

An Architect is a professional who designs

building
Communication is a process of giving and
receiving
information
Another method of defining a term is by
expanded definition. This is done by
stipulation, operation, explication, cause
and effect, classification, example, and
other rhetorical functions.
Informal definition on the other hand does not
follow a pattern. The only objective is to give
meaning of a familiar word.
Word meanings enter informal definition by
means of providing denotative or connotative
meaning.
Denotations is the basic literal meaning or the
dictionary meaning of words while connotation
is the additional shade of meaning that words
imply aside from its dictionary meaning.
Connotation is the positive or negative
associations a word naturally carries.
Pointers in Defining Terms

1.Never give definitions of a term that include

any of its derivatives. For example: definition is
the act of defining.

2.Do not use “is where” or “is when” to define

a term. Don’t say “Christmas is when Jesus
Christ is born” or “A classroom is where you will
find students”.
Pointers in Defining Terms

3.Use the simple present tense (active and passive

voice). Consider the following examples:
Documentation is the process of acknowledging the
sources used in developing a research paper. (active)
The process of acknowledging sources is called
documentation (passive)
4.Often we use relative clauses to give additional
information. For example,
“Documentation is the process of acknowledging the
sources used in developing a research paper. This is also
another way of helping researchers who may be later
on reading your work to do further research
themselves.
Apply the concepts you have learned in Topic 2. Answer this activity by
providing the formal definition of the terms. Choose the appropriate
definition. Make the sentences correct by supplying the correct word to
link or connect ideas.
 TOPIC 3:
DESCRIPTION OF A PROCESS

“Writing the perfect paper is a lot

like a military operation. It takes
discipline, foresight, research,
strategy, and if done right, ends in
total victory.”

-Ryan Holiday
There are writings tasks that entail an
explanation of how something works, how
something is done, or how something is made.
That is why, knowing how to describe a process
will enable a technical writer and his/her reader
to perform or to do something.
In describing a process, a writer explains the
arrangement of a sequence in chronological
order. As it is used in technical writing, the
process is a kin to mechanism description. Here,
process description includes sequence,
instructions, and procedure.
There are two separate concepts which
we must briefly explain here:
“How to do something” and “How
something occurs”.
How to do something calls for
instructions or procedure
How something occurs calls for sequence.
In like manner, process is also a
description of equipment, materials, and
procedures. Graphic materials are used
for detailed presentation of the process.
The writer makes use of sequence
markers to follow the natural or
mechanism system.
When we describe a process or procedure we
often use the present passive tense: is/are + v +
ed. For example: is manufactured, is controlled,
etc.

When describing a process, we use sequence

markers to link sentences like first, second,
then, next, subsequently, finally, at last.
Activity 5

Have you ever dreamed of driving your own automatic car? What if you can drive it
today? Below are steps in starting an automatic car. Imagine that you are starting
your own automatic car! Write the number of the sequence to this process:

_______ Push the brake pedal and insert the key to the ignition to turn it on.
_______ Gently shift the gear to the D.
_______ Then, release the pressure on the brake pedal slowly.
_______ The vehicle will start slowly.
_______ And, if you want the car to move faster, press the gas pedal.
_______ First, make sure that the lever should be at “P” before starting the car.
 TOPIC 4
DESCRIPTION OF A MECHANISM

“If a writer knows enough about what he

is writing about, he may omit things that
he knows. The dignity of movement of an
iceberg is due to only one ninth of it being
above water.”

-Ernest Hemmingway
We may belong to different fields and
disciplines but there are certain machines
or apparatuses that we use to make our
work easier.
Description of a mechanism is an
explanation of a system or parts of an
apparatus.
This includes the characteristics and
functions of a piece of the device and the
totality of the mechanism.
It also explains the arrangement and shape of
an object in space. In writing, a description of a
mechanism, the writer may be guided by the
following questions:
• What is it (equipment, machine, device,
apparatus)?
• What is its function?
• What does it look like?
• How does it work?
• What are its principal parts?
THANK YOU FOR LISTENING!!!