ENG ESSAY

2

Unit V

Lesson 2:

Two Types of Illustration Essays

Introduction

There are two types of illustration essays: single-example and multiple-example. Both structures operate in nearly the same way; the differences are (1) the way that the thesis statement is written and (2) the way that illustrations are used within the body paragraphs. Both essays feature an introduction with a thesis statement, at least three body paragraphs, and a conclusion that brings the essay to a close with a summary and a final thought about the topic.

Single-Example Illustration Essay

A single-example illustration essay develops body paragraphs that parse three or four aspects of one example. Sometimes a single-example essay is referred to as an extended-example essay because of the way that the essay examines one example in detail.

Thesis: Social networking has more negative effects than positive by draining people’s time, impacting job stability and opportunities, and diminishing face-to-face interactions.

· Aspect 1: Social networking can be a drain on a person's time.

· Example of Aspect 1: According to Adler (2014), people spend more time on social networks than on any other kind of website or on any other activity on the Internet.

· Aspect 2: Social networking can impact job stability and opportunities.

· Example of Aspect 2: Stephanie Bon, an HR assistant at a bank, was terminated for posting her superior's salary on Facebook: The "new CEO gets £4,000 an hour. I get £7. That's fair" (Emerson, 2011, slide 4).

· Aspect 3: Social networking inhibits face-to-face interactions.

· Example of Aspect 3: According to the Center for the Digital Future (2012), “the percentage of Internet users who said they spend less face-to-face time with family in their household has grown dramatically, from a low of eight percent in 2000 to a peak of 34 percent in the two most recent surveys (p. 19),” which includes the 2012 survey.

Multiple-Example Illustration Essay

A multiple-example illustration essay develops body paragraphs around a central idea or theme, with each illustration depicting a different example.

Thesis: Spending too much time on Internet-enabled devices can harm interpersonal relationships.

· Point 1: Social networking can harm interpersonal relationships.

· Example 1 of Topic A: According to the Center for the Digital Future (2012), “the percentage of Internet users who said they spend less face-to-face time with family in their household has grown dramatically, from a low of eight percent in 2000 to a peak of 34 percent in the two most recent surveys (p. 19),” which includes the 2012 survey.

· Point 2: The presence of cell phones inhibits interpersonal communication.

· Example 2 of Topic A: According to a set of studies by Przybylski and Weinstein, “interacting in a neutral environment, without a cell phone nearby, seems to help foster closeness, connectedness, interpersonal trust, and perceptions of empathy—the building-blocks of relationships” (Lee Lin, 2012, para. 2).

· Point 3: The use of tablets, especially at a young age, could have adverse effects upon the development of interpersonal skills.

· Example 3 of Topic A: According to a study by Jenny Radesky and her team (as cited in Walters, 2015) at the developmental-behavioral pediatrics division of Boston University’s School of Medicine, it may be that using tablets to distract toddlers may severely limit their ability to self-regulate, leaving researchers to seriously question the ways that these media devices may inhibit the “development of sensorimotor and visual-motor skills” (para. 12).

Review

1. There are two types of illustration essays: single-example and multiple-example.

2. A single-example (extended-example) illustration essay develops body paragraphs that parse three or four aspects of one example.

3. A multiple-example illustration essay develops body paragraphs around a central idea or theme, with each illustration depicting a different example.

References for Examples

Adler, E. (2014). Social media engagement: The surprising facts about how much time people spend on the major social networks. Retrieved from http://www.businessinsider.com/social-media-engagement-statistics-2013-12

Center for the Digital Future. (2012). Special report: America at the digital turning point. Retrieved from http://www.worldinternetproject.net/_files/_Published/_oldis/789_cdf_10_year_digital_turning_point.pdf

Emerson, R. (2011). 13 controversial Facebook firings: Palace guards, doctors, teachers and more. Retrieved from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/10/17/facebook-firings_n_1003789.html

Lee Lin, H. (2012). How your cell phone hurts your relationships. Retrieved from http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-your-cell-phone-hurts-your-relationships/

Walters, J. (2015). Tablets and smartphones my affect social and emotional development, scientists speculate. Retrieved from http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/feb/01/toddler-brains-research-smartphones-damage-social-development

Thesis: Features 3 different examples related to the same topic

Example 1 of Topic A

Example 2 of Topic A

Example 2 of Topic A

Point 1

Point 2

Point 3

Thesis: Focused on three aspects of one topic

Aspect of topic 1

Aspect of topic 2

Aspect of topic 3

Example of Aspect

Example of Aspect

Example of Aspect