This document provides guidance on writing an illustration essay. It explains that an illustration essay uses examples and anecdotes to support and explain claims, generalizations, and behaviors. It recommends choosing a topic to illustrate, developing a thesis statement, using climactic structure with the strongest point last, and including topic sentences and examples in paragraphs. It also provides potential topic ideas that could be illustrated through examples, such as abilities, attitudes, vacation spots, habits, and behaviors. The audience for the essay includes the instructor, classmates, other students, and potential employers.

1. Illustrate It! Your 2 nd writing assignment

2. What is it? Illustration is a type of discourse that builds on description and narration. We use illustration to support claims about our abilities and interests, to explain another's behavior, or to support a generalization about an object or place.

3. What do you learn by writing an illustration essay? • Examples to support a general claim • Organization • Familiarization with a specific audience

4. Who is your audience? • Your instructor • Your classmates (people like you: intelligent adults) • Students in other classes on the web • Potential employers

5. How do you compose an illustration essay? • Develop a subject. • Focus on a topic. • Develop a thesis as a major claim or generalization. • Use climactic structure; that is, save the strongest point to last. • Use paragraphs with general topic sentences or claims. • Use examples, illustrations, and anecdotes within paragraphs to develop topic sentences. • Use both abstract and concrete diction appropriately. • Use transitions to indicate movement from generality to specific.

6. Some ideas….. • Your abilities • Your attitudes, i.e. incidents that show you are optimistic or pessimistic; • A friend or relative's attitudes or abilities; • A wonderful (or awful) vacation spot; • Habits that drive you or others crazy; • Why people have fears; • Why your pet is the cutest or the ugliest; • Effective (or ineffective) parenting; • The most fun a person can have; • The best (or worst) car a person can own; • The best game or sport • What people's behavior says about them; • How certain people or groups are portrayed in the movies; in fiction; on TV; • Childhood beauty pageants--give examples to prove that they are or are not harmless; • Illustrate the point that some habits are nearly impossible to break; • Use examples from a celebrity's life to show that sports figures (or other celebrities) are poor role models; • Use examples from a celebrity's life to show that this person was/is a suitable role model; • Use examples to show that stereotypes about the homeless are wrong; • Airbags--do they cause more accidents than they prevent? Use examples to support your position. • Is it true that childless couples are happier than those with children? Use examples to support your position. • Use examples to show that living well in 2000 requires two salaries--or to show that families can get along on one salary; • Use examples to show that spanking is or is not harmful.