How to write an expository article?

First, grasp the characteristics of things and the center of interpretation.

Everything has its own characteristics, which is a sign that distinguishes it from other things. When writing expository articles, only by grasping the characteristics of things can we introduce the things explained to readers accurately and clearly, so that people can have a definite understanding of things. Grasping the characteristics of things to write is to grasp the center of interpretation. Of course, things often have many characteristics, and it is impossible to introduce them all in an explanatory article. We can only talk about one or two characteristics at a time as needed. For example, ducks and chickens are poultry, they can walk, they have wings, and they can make meat. But to write an expository article about ducks, we must grasp the characteristics that distinguish ducks from chickens and other poultry. Compared with chicken, it likes to live on water, and its tail can secrete oil; There are a pair of palm webbed, which can paddle; Long flat mouth, and so on. By grasping these characteristics of ducks, people can have a clear understanding of their living habits and appearance. Of course, different things have different characteristics, and similar things often have differences. These differences are their characteristics, so we should firmly grasp these characteristics when writing expository articles. For example, the article "Stone Arch Bridge in China" describes Zhao Zhouqiao and Lugou Bridge, both of which are stone arch bridges with many similarities, but each has its own characteristics. Mr. Mao Yisheng grasped their respective characteristics and made a comparative exposition, which made readers understand the different shapes, structures and artistic styles of the two bridges.

Grasping the characteristics of things and grasping the center of explanation is the basic requirement for writing a good explanation. To do this, the key is to observe, analyze, compare and study things in depth, so as to be really familiar with what is explained and master the characteristics and laws of this thing itself. Only in this way can we explain things well.

Second, according to the specific situation, choose a good explanation angle.

Writing articles is targeted, such as what kind of people to see; Writing articles is also purposeful, such as what kind of problems are solved through articles. For example, if the reader is a farmer, the purpose is to teach farmers the technology of planting peanuts, then according to the growth law of peanuts, we should explain how to plant peanuts to obtain high yield, with emphasis on how to select seeds, land, sowing, fertilization and management. If the target is a chef or a worker in a food processing factory, the purpose is to introduce how to process edible peanuts, then it is necessary to focus on the nutritional value of peanuts and how to process ingredients to make them more delicious. When we middle school students write expository articles, we can imagine who to write to first, so as to explain the specific situation and avoid writing articles in disorder and unclear purpose.

Third, pay attention to structural arrangements and achieve coherence.

The organization of the article is the reflection of the characteristics and laws of objective things and events themselves in the structure of the article. Explanatory articles should be arranged in the order of explanation according to these relations, so as to be clear-cut and clear-cut. For example, there are a group of clay figurines in the rented house of the landlord manor exhibition hall in Dayi County, Sichuan Province. These pictures are relatively independent and in a parallel relationship. When the landlord collects the rent, there are four customs, followed by the inspection of the valley, the wind valley, the bucket and the accounting. Every farmer who pays rent has to go through four levels. From the first time to the fourth time, there is a sequential relationship. These individual examples are the same as exposing the evil of landlords' cruel exploitation and oppression of farmers. This is the overall situation of "renting houses". This general situation and individual cases become the total score relationship. The article "Review of Rent Collection House" captures these relations. Taking the writing method of "summarizing first and then dividing", this paper briefly introduces the evil of landlord Liu's cruel exploitation and oppression of farmers at the beginning, and then introduces them separately in the order of clay sculpture pictures, highlighting the basic idea that there must be revolution and resistance when there is oppression and exploitation.

Things in a parallel relationship should also pay attention to the orientation order, either from top to bottom, or from front to back, from left to right, from outside to inside, from near to far, and so on. Only by writing these orders can we be clear. For example, the Palace Museum introduces an ancient architectural complex in full text, and the author introduces this magnificent architectural complex clearly and orderly according to the method of summarizing first and then dividing. When writing local buildings, the level is also very clear. For example, write a section of the Hall of Supreme Harmony, first from the outside to the inside, and then introduce the outside of the Hall from top to bottom, from the sky to the top of the Hall to the pedestal. When introducing its interior, it is explained in the order from middle to both sides, from front to back, from top to bottom, and from far to near, which gives a clear impression.

Explanatory notes on the production process should be described in chronological order; Explanatory articles about plant growth should consider their growth order and explain them in turn. Of course, no matter what kind of expository text, we should pay attention to the distinction between primary and secondary.

Fourth, pay attention to language art and improve the effect of explanation.

The language of explanatory writing is simple and plain, and technical terms are often used, which is easy to give people a boring feeling. In order to improve the effect of explanation, we must work hard on language. The language of explanatory writing is not to pile up gorgeous words, but to use accurate, accurate, popular and interesting words.

How do we do this?

First of all, on the basis of careful observation and thorough understanding of the characteristics of things, choose the words that best reflect the objective things, especially pay attention to the proper choice of words that limit the scope and express the conditional relationship. For example, Lugou Bridge is mentioned in China Stone Arch Bridge: "The bridge is about eight meters wide and the road surface is flat, almost parallel to the river". A word "about" means that the bridge deck is not exactly eight meters, and only approximate figures are taken here; "Almost" means that the road surface is basically parallel to the river surface, but not completely parallel. Thin clouds in the sky are often a symbol of sunny weather; Those low and thick clouds are usually signs of rain and snow. "It is very accurate and accurate to use the words describing the morphological characteristics of clouds together with the words expressing timeliness.

Secondly, we should pay attention to mastering and using necessary technical terms to prevent "layman's words". For example, "aerospace" and "aviation" are two different concepts. An airplane flying in the atmosphere is called an airplane. Satellites and spaceships flying outside the atmosphere are called space flight. They use different aircrafts in different spaces to complete their tasks. You must pay attention to such differences when writing articles.

Third, the proper use of metaphor, personification, imitation and other rhetorical devices. For example, the article "China Stone Arch Bridge" begins: The bridge opening of the stone arch bridge is arched, like a rainbow in the sky. Using "rainbow" as a metaphor for stone arch bridge is vivid, which makes readers clearly understand the modeling characteristics of stone arch bridge. For another example, in The Language of Nature, the author uses metaphors and personification to illustrate that "flowers and birds sing, plants grow, and warblers fly" are natural languages, and working people master seasonal laws and arrange farming according to these phenomena. This passage is not only easy to understand, but also vivid and interesting because of the use of rhetorical devices such as metaphor and personification.