This question and image were taken from a previous Year 11  ETAWA Semester examination.

Before we look at the modelled examples, let’s remind ourselves what at EXPOSITION looks like.

An EXPOSITION is the bit at the START of your narrative that:

• establishes setting
• introduces character
• establishes tone
• gives a context for the narrative
• establishes narrative point of view
• includes some action to ensure the narrative begins efficiently.

Here are TWO expositions to the same image:

This one is quite lighthearted, deliberately melodramatic and uses hyperbole to create a more ironic sense of trepidation.

This one is more conventional in the ways in which it constructs the fear of the person about to scale the climbing wall. Note the language patterns here which help to construct a sense of fear, of reluctance and general nervousness.

What BOTH examples have in common is this:

• Note how both examples SHOW the reader the emotions of the subject rather than TELLING the reader these things. Effective writers SHOW the reader rather than signposting these things in an overly obvious manner.
• Setting is clearly established.
• Character is introduced.
• Verbs and adverbs are used extensively to construct the tone of the exposition.
• A context is given for the action.
• The action begins when the action begins. There is no getting ready, getting dressed, getting to the venue… you don’t have time in your examination to do this.

So… when you write your own expositions, be as efficient as possible. Get straight to the heart of the action, use language to create a distinct tone and engage your reader in the setting, context for your narrative.