How To Write An Illustration Essay: Smart Tips For College Students


An illustration essay is a piece of writing that is used to describe a subject or topic using examples. It basically allows the writer to use examples to explain why he/she believes what he/she believes. It uses a great deal of literary imagery to portray a topic and adjectives play a valuable role when writing an illustration paper. While this may sound pretty straightforward to experienced learners, it may prove to be problematic for first-time English class college students and a little guidance can be helpful in such instances. There is an easy formula on how to write an illustration essay using these smart tips for college students.

  • Define the Aspect you intend to Illustrate
  • Begin by clearly defining the aspect or element that you intend to illustrate. This is the first step and you must have a precise idea of exactly what you intend to say in order to be in a position to support it. Additionally, you need to think about three main/key phrases or words that offer an explanation as to why you believe or do not believe the element, aspect or idea. This is important as it will help you to develop the thesis statement.

  • Introduce your Topic
  • After coming up with the main idea in the form of a sentence, the second step on how to write an illustration essay is writing the introductory paragraph. The introductory paragraph should include approximately two or three sentences that provide a general overview of the aspect or element that you shall be illustrating. You should also include two sentences that offer some brief suggestions as to why others may hold varying opinions from yours with respect to this aspect or element. Conclude your introductory paragraph by writing the thesis statement that you formulated.

  • Create the Outline
  • The third step is creating an outline for the essay. Since you have already written the thesis statement and the three main reasons, you can consider this as a suitable skeleton of the outline. You can proceed to writing a paragraph for each of the reasons. Ensure that you provide elaborate examples or illustrations to support why those reasons have guided you to the conclusion or how the reasons support your thesis. You can use three or four sentences to present a clear, precise and supportive example for each reason.

  • Write the Conclusion
  • While writing a conclusion involves summarizing the essay, do not repeat what you have discussed in the body. You need to restate the thesis using one or two sentences. You should also write about two to three sentences briefly highlight certain examples from the body paragraphs. Finally, write a closing sentence that will wrap up the reasons why you arrived at the conclusion.



Structured Content and Logic Presentation

Each of essay sections should be well defined and written clearly. This means you should know what details to include while minimizing the amount needed. You may need to rewrite each section more than once before settling on your final copy. You should also remember to proofread, edit, and revise as these elements help make your structure more solid. Think about your details in how you want readers to view it from your perspective.

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