1. Expository Text
Features

2. WHAT IS EXPOSITORY TEXT?
Non-fiction (True!)
Informative
Analytical
Descriptive
It can be…boring
Expository text can range from many categories including history,
science, sports, biographies, and any other non-fiction source. By the
end of this lesson, all of you should be able to explain expository text
and identify the various features that help when reading expository text.

3. WHERE IS IT FOUND?
Expository text can be found in many different informational resources including:
Academic websites
Textbooks
Almanacs

4. WHERE IS IT FOUND? (CONTINUED)
Encyclopedias
Newspapers
Biographies
As well as any other non fiction text. If you are learning, it’s probably expository!

5. HOW TO READ EXPOSITORY TEXT
Look for expository text features, or “clues,” that will help you to understand the
reading material. Some features are:
Photographs
Headlines and titles Captions (Often
appear below
pictures)
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Footnotes
1
A footnote appears at the bottom of a text beside a number (in order), and tends to provide background information on a subject, or provides references as to where material was gathere

6. FEATURES (CONTINUED)
Graphs and tables
Maps
Table of Contents

7. CONTINUED…
Bolded words
• Bullets or symbols 
Glossary

8. FEATURES EXPLAINED

9. PRACTICE! IDENTIFY THE FEATURES IN
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THIS SAMPLE TEXT
1
Source for all text and the picture of Jefferson material, and to see more examples of expository text
features: http://www.history.org/Almanack/people/bios/biojeff1.cfm

10. PRACTICE! IDENTIFY THE FEATURES IN THIS
SAMPLE TEXT 1
1
Source for text, map, and photograph regarding ancient Rome, and for further
examples if expository text/historical information:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/primaryhistory/romans/the_roman_army/

11. REVIEW
Explain why the Thomas Jefferson biography excerpt and
the historical information on the Romans is expository
text.
Because it’s non-fiction informational text. (It’s
true!)