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Of all of the different essay types you can encounter, the expository essay is the one you are most likely to find on exams and for classroom assignments in lower-level coursework. The expository essay is the generic, fallback non-fiction writing assignment. It requires you to investigate an idea, use evidence to expound on the idea, and to set forth an argument about the idea in a clear manner. While you are expanding on an argument, you are not necessarily taking a position on the idea in comparison to other ideas, though you can use techniques like compare and contrast to strengthen your expository essay. At the end of the essay, the reader should have a good understanding of your topic.