Exemplification/Illustration
One of the expository modes or strategies of writing (writing
intended to explain, inform, or teach)
Definitions:
– an item or incident that is representative of a rule, a type, or an abstraction
Definitions:
– an item or incident that is representative of a rule, a type, or an abstraction
– A parallel or closely similar case serving as a representative or model
Definitions:
– an item or incident that is representative of a rule, a type, or an abstraction
– an item or incident that is representative of a rule, a type, or an abstraction
– an instance serving to illustrate a rule or precept
4 reasons to use examples
• We use them to persuade, explain, or engage
4 Reasons to use examples
• We use them to persuade, explain, or engage– they validate your argument or position, giving
you credibility (persuade)
4 Reasons to use examples
We use them to persuade, to explain, or to engage • they validate your argument or position, giving
you credibility• they carify the meaning of a general
statement or abstract idea (explain)
4 Reasons to use examples
We use them to persuade, to explain, or to engage • they validate your argument or position, giving
you credibility• they clarify meaning that is otherwise unclear• they eliminate unintended ambiguity (explain)
4 Reasons to use examples
We use them to persuade, explain or engage • they validate your argument or position, giving
you credibility• they clarify meaning that is otherwise unclear• they eliminate unintended ambiguity• they make the writing interesting and
applicable to the real world of experience (engage the reader)
Examples should be
– relevant
Examples should be
– relevant– meaningful, graphic, engaging
Examples should be
– relevant– meaningful, graphic, engaging– accurate
Examples should be
– relevant– meaningful, graphic, engaging– accurate– representative
Examples should be
– relevant– meaningful, graphic, engaging– accurate– representative– specific
Examples should be
– relevant– meaningful, graphic, engaging– accurate– representative– specific– sufficient
We can classify examples in two ways:
• By length/development– undeveloped (a few words, a pithy phrase, or a
sentence)
We can classify examples in two ways:
• By length/development– undeveloped (a few words, a pithy phrase, or a
sentence)– developed (multisentence passage)
We can classify examples in two ways:
• By length/development– undeveloped (a few words, a pithy phrase, or a
sentence)– developed (multisentence passage)– extended (working through a whole essay or a
long multiparagraph passage
We can classify examples in two ways:
• By source– personal experience (nonfiction)
We can classify examples in two ways:
• By source– personal experience (nonfiction)– typical case (nonfiction)
We can classify examples in two ways:
• By source– personal experience (nonfiction)– typical case (nonfiction)– hypothetical (invented)