An illustration is a technique used in the body paragraphs of various essays. It is where the essay writer supports the topic of a paragraph with examples and evidence. However, an illustration essay can be an essay on its own, which unlike other essays, focuses solely on how the writer illustrates the examples. 

Illustration essays are also known as exemplification essays. 

Important tips to keep in mind

When gathering examples to support your thesis you should keep certain things in mind regarding the content and placing of your illustrations.

Arranged Chronologically

If the examples are on a timeline then it’s good to keep the chronology in mind. This helps to bring clarity to the readers instead of confusing them by going back and forth in time.

Placing events chronologically will also give you a natural flow to the essay, and will help you retain the reader’s attention.

Arranged by Importance

Many people like to start with their main examples, leaving their weakest in comparison to the later parts of the essay. The downside of this strategy is that the reader will finish the body of the essay on a low. The hook and the thesis statement in the first paragraph do a good job in capturing the reader’s attention, such that you don’t need to work for it at the start of the body paragraphs--the attention is already there. 

Keeping the important example at the end and your least at the start is the way to go, helping your reader end on a high.

Arranged by their Complexity

Throwing a complex example at the readers at the start can throw them off. The readers are attuned to the central theme and the main idea, as they go further into the essay. It is best to have them read the complex examples when they are comfortable with the topic, having gone through several illustrations beforehand. You can also get your essay arranged through essay writer free online. 

Prewriting and Structure for an Illustration Essay

The illustration essay follows the usual structure of Introduction, Body Paragraphs, and Conclusion.

To make sure the contents of the essay settle with the structure, it is important to choose the right topic if it’s not chosen for you. If your instructor gives you a topic to write upon, most often than not, the topic will be well-suited to the illustration essay. However, if you are to choose a topic on your own, choose one that will allow you to gather examples easily.  

You will also need to keep your audience in mind when gathering information and examples to support your thesis. A good way to do that is to ask yourself this: Are the examples too complex for the reader to understand or too simple as to lose the reader’s interest? Remember, the difficulty level for the text should be just right for your audience.

Prewriting techniques will help you come up with a strong thesis (a thesis statement that informs the readers about your intention to explain through illustration) and let you arrange your examples. Techniques such as Mind Mapping and Listing helps you structure and arrange the illustrations around your main essay thesis.

A Final Word

Illustration essays are a great way to demonstrate the importance of using examples to convey a point or an idea. It helps the writer see the power of illustrations and how the right examples can convey the idea and strengthen the thesis without a need for further explanation.

Practicing this essay will force the writers to use nothing but illustrations to convey the point. It also proves beneficial when you will be working on other academic essays. Get yourself helped from essay writer online to reduce efforts.