1. Essay 2- ENG 1510

2. Whether or not religious beliefs should be taught in school is a growing debate. Can you think of a time that something else was debated about schools?

3. What is Illustration Using specific situations to reveal the essential characteristics of a topic or reinforce the thesis Using examples to make abstract ideas concrete Connect the audience with experiences

4. Characteristics of Illustration Uses examples to support generalizations Usually there are generalizations in the thesis Examples to explain or clarify the unfamiliar Unfamiliar topics Difficult concepts Abstract Terms Maintain the Reader’s Interest Events and circumstances that allow the audience to imagine themselves there

5. Characteristics of Illustration (Cont.) Takes audience into account Series of related examples vs. one extended example Comparing cars= several examples Consequences of dropping out of school= 1 long example Type of examples Technical examples vs. personal story Carefully selected examples Relevant Accurate Representative Striking

6. Characteristics of Illustration (cont.) Organize Details Effectively How to organize examples How to organize the details supporting your examples

7. How to Choose the Best Illustration Decide on a topic Do some research Choose your position Write your working thesis Decide whether one extended example or multiple short examples would be most effective. Decide on the most important point/s of your essay Go back to the research and find stories and examples

8. How to pick Consider What is the emotional impact of the illustration? Will this help support my thesis? Or detract? Is the example representative? It will only help if the intelligent reader cannot see through it Did this support your thesis? Even if you have a great story or example, it needs to be eliminated if it does not fit the criteria above.

9. Writing the Essay Be sure to have Your citations in order and format figured out Strong introduction ending in the thesis statement Transitions between ideas Well defined topic for each paragraph that supports the thesis statement As many paragraphs as you need to make your point well Well written conclusion which restates the thesis and wraps up all loose ends. Revised and Edited your paper- They are expected to be essentially error free