Writing An Illustrative Essay
An illustrative essay is one of the most simple, straightforward essay form you will ever encounter. In addition, you will always continue to use in writing your future essays since all essays, whether argumentative or informational need the support that good illustrations provide.
Topics
Choosing a topic for an illustration essay can be more difficult than it would seem. The key is to select a topic that one can argue for or against its existence. Institutional racism is a good topic for an illustrative essay because some would argue that it does not exist. However, despite its controversial nature, abortion would not be a good topic because it is plainly clear that abortions exist.
Introduction
The introduction of an illustration essay should define the term using research to support the definition. It should also explain the controversy. For example, if the topic is religious discrimination in politics, the introduction should explain why some think that this discrimination does not exist or no longer exists. The thesis should clearly state that the essay will provide illustrative examples that will demonstrate that religious discrimination in politics exists.
Supporting Paragraphs
The supporting paragraphs should each offer a separate example that demonstrates that the topic of the essay exists. When possible, it is a good idea to offer examples that illustrate different angles on the topic. For example, with the topic religious discrimination in politics, it would be wise to choose examples of politicians of different religions who were discriminated against. Use modern examples, when possible, because current examples demonstrate that the concept or problem still exists.
Conclusion
The conclusion of an illustration essay should summarize the term and reiterate the facts that support that the problem or concept exists. The conclusion might also offer advice to the audience about what they can do to avoid the problem. For example, the audience might avoid discriminating against a politician's religion by focusing on their records and stances on important topics instead of their personal religious beliefs.