Instructor s Resource Manual The Writer s World: Paragraphs and Essays Second Edition PART II: PARAGRAPH PATTERNS CHAPTER 4: ILLUSTRATION
What is Illustration? What Is Illustration? When you write using illustration, you include specific examples to clarify your main point. You illustrate or give examples anytime you want to explain, analyze, narrate, or give an opinion about something. As a writer, you can use many different types of examples to help your reader acquire a deeper and clearer understanding of your subject. You can include personal experience or factual information, such as a statistic. 2 You give examples every day. When telling a friend why you had a good day or a bad day, you might use examples to make your story more interesting. At college, you might give an oral presentation using examples that will help your audience better understand your point. At work, you might give examples to show clients where or how they might market their products.
The Illustration Paragraph The Illustration Paragraph There are two ways to write an illustration paragraph: 3 Use a series of examples to illustrate your main point. For example, if you are writing a paragraph about an innovative teacher that you had, you might list things that the teacher did such as wear a costume, let students teach parts of the course, and use music to make a point. Use an extended example to illustrate your main point. The example can be an anecdote or a description of an event. For example, if you are writing about a stressful vacation, you might describe what happened when you lost your wallet.
Topic Sentence 4 The topic sentence of the illustration paragraph is a general statement that expresses both your topic and your controlling idea. To determine your controlling idea, think about what point you want to make. (topic) Part-time jobs (Controlling idea) teach students valuable skills. (Controlling idea) Our father became anxious (topic) when my sister started dating.
The Supporting Ideas 5 The Supporting Ideas After you have developed an effective topic sentence, generate supporting ideas. In an illustration paragraph, you can give a series of examples or an extended example. When you use a series of examples, you can arrange your examples in emphatic order. Emphatic order means that you can place your examples from the most to the least important or from the least to the most important. If you use an extended example, you can arrange your ideas using time order.
The Paragraph Plan 6 The Paragraph Plan A paragraph plan helps you organize your topic sentence and supporting details before writing the first draft. When you write a paragraph plan, ensure that your examples are valid and relate to the topic sentence. Also include details that will help clarify your supporting examples. Organize your ideas in a logical order.
The First Draft The First Draft 7 After you outline your ideas in a plan, you are ready to write the first draft. Remember to write complete sentences. Use transitional words or expressions in the illustration paragraph when needed: 1. To introduce an example: for example, for instance, in other words, namely, specifically, to illustrate. 2. To show an additional example: also, first, furthermore, in addition, in another case, moreover.
The First Draft Grammar Hint: Writing Complete Sentences 8 A fragment is an incomplete sentence. When you give an example, ensure that your sentence is complete. Avoid fragment errors. Fragment: For example, too many parties. Correction: For example, some students go to too many parties.
Revise and Edit an Illustration Paragraph Revise and Edit an Illustration Paragraph When you finish writing an illustration paragraph, proofread and revise for grammatical, spelling, and punctuation errors. Make sure the example(s) are clear, in a logical order, and relate to the topic sentence. Write the final draft. 9
Illustration paragraph Checklist 10 Illustration paragraph Checklist After you write your illustration paragraph, ask yourself the following questions: 1. Does my topic sentence make a point that can be supported with examples? 2. Does my paragraph contain sufficient examples that clearly support the topic sentence? 3. Do I use transitions to smoothly connect my examples? 4. Have I arranged my examples in a logical order?