Developed Informational and Explanatory Writing · seed 1 · A4, ink-friendly. The answer key prints on its own page for grown-ups.

Building an Explanation Essay

English · Writing Composition · ages 11-14
Name ______________________   Date ____________

  1. Which of these is a quotation, not a fact or definition?

    • Magma is melted rock beneath the surface.
    • "The eruption released enormous energy in seconds," said the geologist.
    • The volcano erupted in 1980.

  2. What are the three main parts of an explanatory essay, in order?

    • Introduction, body paragraphs, conclusion
    • Conclusion, body, introduction
    • Body, introduction, conclusion

  3. Headings help a reader find and follow different sections of an explanatory essay.

    Circle one:   True   False

  4. Which detail would best develop a paragraph about how bread rises?

    • Yeast eats sugar and releases carbon dioxide gas, which gets trapped in the dough.
    • Bread tastes good with butter.
    • Many people enjoy baking on weekends.

  5. A student writes: 'Bread gets big because of stuff happening inside it.' What is missing?

    • A heading
    • A conclusion
    • A precise, domain-specific word for what's happening

  6. Look at this essay outline. How many body paragraphs does it have?

    IntroBody 1Body 2Body 3Conclusion

    Answer: ______________

  7. A paragraph says: 'Volcanoes are cool and scary.' Which revision adds a fact, a definition, and precise vocabulary?

    • 'Some volcanoes are big and some are small.'
    • 'Volcanoes are really cool and I like them a lot.'
    • 'Magma, molten rock beneath Earth's crust, builds pressure until it erupts, sometimes releasing ash clouds miles high.'

  8. An essay explaining how bread is made puts the conclusion first, then jumps into random facts with no headings. What's the biggest problem?

    • The topic is too difficult
    • The organization does not follow a logical order and lacks headings to guide the reader
    • The essay uses too many quotations
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Answer key

For grown-ups. Fold this page away before handing over the rest.

Building an Explanation Essay W1-mt_zCUIJLdK_s-s1

  1. "The eruption released enormous energy in seconds," said the geologist. · A quotation uses someone else's exact words, usually in quotation marks with credit to the source.
  2. Introduction, body paragraphs, conclusion · An explanatory essay opens with an introduction, develops ideas in body paragraphs, then wraps up with a conclusion.
  3. True · Headings break the essay into clear sections so the reader always knows what part they're reading.
  4. Yeast eats sugar and releases carbon dioxide gas, which gets trapped in the dough. · This detail is a specific, relevant fact about the process, exactly what a body paragraph needs.
  5. A precise, domain-specific word for what's happening · 'Stuff happening' is vague. A precise word like fermentation or yeast tells the reader exactly what's going on.
  6. 3 · Count the parts between the introduction and the conclusion: Body 1, Body 2, and Body 3, three body paragraphs total.
  7. 'Magma, molten rock beneath Earth's crust, builds pressure until it erupts, sometimes releasing ash clouds miles high.' · This revision adds a definition of magma, a fact about pressure building, and precise vocabulary instead of vague opinions.
  8. The organization does not follow a logical order and lacks headings to guide the reader · Readers need a logical order, intro first, then body, then conclusion, plus headings so they can follow along.
Worksheet · LightMySky