Difference Between Expository Essays & Business Communications

The expository essay is more of a college writing format, while business communications are focused on getting a message across.

Expository essays are essays in which a student explains and analyzes an idea in a concise and logical manner to show that the student understands writing concepts. While conciseness is also valued in business communication, workplace writing is focused on meeting the needs of the reader.

Features of the Expository Essay

An expository essay should contain a clear thesis statement, or a sentence which sums up the student's argument and topic, as well as an introduction, a body and a conclusion.

Features of Business Writing

Business writing is concise and to the point, using fewer words and more simple sentences than academic writing. Features such as a thesis and specific paragraph structures are not always necessary.

Purpose of Essays

The expository essay is generally used in academic settings to allow students to show their critical thinking and writing skills, as well as to demonstrate knowledge of academic concepts.

Purpose of Business Writing

The purpose of business writing is to effectively communicate the writer's goals or persuade the reader to adopt their point of view.

Rhetoric in Academic Essays

When writing academic essays, students use rhetoric to improve their credibility and to analyze academic concepts.

Rhetoric in Business Writing

Understanding the audience and the rhetorical situation is very important to business communication because each type of business writing is geared towards the reader and the situation.

References

• Purdue Online Writing Lab: The Expository Essay
• Purdue Online Writing Lab: Higher Order Concerns: Is Your Document Sound?