(Introduction Paragraph) As a single mother, I balance school, apartment, and child. Not only must I take care of all these elements in my life, I also must pay to see that they work smoothly, and that’s not easy. With limited skills now, I work as a waitress at Carmella’s Restaurant. Waiting tables is hard work. (The last sentence, “Waiting tables is hard work” is the thesis statement. It’s the main point or claim of the essay. The rest of the paper will support this statement be providing specific examples.)
(Body Paragraph #1) First, it’s physically demanding. I am on my feet for eight hours every workday, rushing here and there with plates loaded with steaming hot lasagna and pizza stacked up my aching arms. Carmella’s is a small place, and there are no waiters’ assistants. I must set the tables and clear them all by myself. When I first arrive for my shift, I must fill the salt and pepper shakers and the grated cheese bowls. Afterwards, when the day is over, I sweep and mop the floors.
(Body Paragraph #2) Waiting tables is emotionally demanding too. I must put up with impatient and rude customers and cope with temperamental chefs. Last week I served a woman who ate half her plate of spaghetti before she decided that she didn’t like the sauce and wouldn’t pay for it. Later that day, I served some high school kids who ordered an anchovy pizza and then complained that the milk they were drinking was too salty. They demanded replacements! One man with a crooked grin insisted that his veal parmigiana wasn’t veal at all. “Tastes like chicken,” he said gruffly.
(Body Paragraph #3) I apologized and replaced each customer’s orders, only to meet the roars of Alfonso, the chef. “There’s nothing wrong with the pasta! I made the marinara sauce to order,” he screamed. “And that guy wouldn’t know veal from chopped liver!” The owner Carmella stood by glaring. “This is costing me a fortune!” she snarled. She followed me out to the dining room to speak with the customers, but she got no satisfaction. Fortunately, many of my tables seemed to be enjoying themselves as they passed around baskets of garlic bread and chomped on mozzarella sticks.
(Conclusion) It’s not the hard work I mind. After all, hard work is what helps you ultimately fulfill your dreams. But civility goes a long way in making an unpleasant job tolerable. I teach my daughter that good manners are essential for a good life."
ILLUSTRATIVE WRITING
Illustrating
Typically thought of as something visual (painting, drawing, or sketch).
A form of visual communication—a complement for written content.
A diagram and a set of written instructions showing and explaining how to assemble something.
However, illustrations can be written using words.
Elements and Purpose of Illustrative Writing
Illustrative writing states the point you want to make and gives examples to support that point.
Illustrative examples are used in various types of writing, including argumentative, cause and effect, and process.
Elements and Purpose of Illustrative Writing
Writing illustrations effectively includes the following key elements:
a main idea
relevant examples
specific, vivid, and concrete details
an organizing pattern that follows the order of importance
Main Idea
The main idea is the point you’re trying to convey to your readers.
It consists of a topic and your opinion about the topic.
Main Idea
An effective topic sentence will clearly state the topic and the main idea.
The topic sentence will tell the reader what the rest of the paragraph will entail.
To support this sentence, the writer provides examples, each of which will be described in greater detail in the paragraph.
Relevant Examples
To help make your point, provide examples that are directly related to your main idea.
Choose examples your audience can identify with or relate to.
These examples often come from your own experiences and observations.
Research and utilize other examples that are relevant to your point.
There is no set formula for determining the exact number of examples to provide in your paragraph.
Specific, Vivid, and Concrete Details
A simple list of examples will not impact your reader.
Describe your examples using specific, vivid, and concrete details and sensory descriptions.
Sensory language allows a writer to show (or illustrate) rather than tell readers what to see, hear, touch, taste, or smell.
Organizing Illustrations
In organizing illustrative writing, use order of importance, in which you build your way up to the most vivid and important example.
Organizing Illustrations
Start with a topic sentence that will inform the reader what the paragraph will be about.
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In the rest of the paragraph, explore your examples providing vivid sensory detail for each and clearly connecting it to your main idea
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Build your way up to the most important example, which comes last.
Organizing Illustrations
Help your reader follow your train of thought by providing transitions as guideposts at key points in the essay. Illustrative writing typically uses transitions such as the following:
additionally besides in addition
along with finally just as important
also for example likewise
another for instance moreover
another example specifically as well
for one thing furthermore together with
Writing with Illustration
Checklist:
Focus on a thesis statement, or a main point, that you want to convey to your readers.
The thesis statement should be at in your introduction. Consider immediately following it with a list of examples you intend to discuss to help you make your point. Make sure they are relevant.
Construct each body paragraph with examples using specific, vivid, and concrete details. Use sensory language to show rather than tell.
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Writing with Illustration
Checklist:
Arrange examples in order of importance and use transitions to guide readers along.
Review your essay for details that may not be relevant to your primary subject; remove them from your essay.
Review to check spelling, grammar, and punctuation—especially the errors you often make.
Ask someone else to read your essay and give constructive feedback.
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School
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The body of your paper uses a half-inch first line indent and is double-spaced. APA style provides for up to five heading levels, shown in the paragraphs that follow. Note that the word Introduction should not be used as an initial heading, as it’s assumed that your paper begins with an introduction.
References Last Name, F. M. (Year). Article Title. Journal Title, Pages From - To. Last Name, F. M. (Year). Book Title. City Name: Publisher Name
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