Reading Language Arts (RLA) STAAR Academic Vocabulary Practice Test

Exposition is the part of a text that provides the background and necessary setup so you can understand what comes next. It introduces the setting, the characters, and the initial situation, laying out the information readers need to follow the story or argument. Think of it as the opening groundwork that makes the rest of the text make sense. For example, in a story, the exposition might tell where and when the events take place and who the main characters are, so you know why the ensuing actions matter. In an essay or article, it might present the topic and key terms or context, so readers understand the upcoming points. Background information is related, but the formal term used for this introductory material in fiction and nonfiction is exposition. Narration refers to the telling of events themselves, and a conclusion is the ending that wraps things up.