Examples

Unit3ExamplesWritersoftenuseoneormoreexamplestoexplainorillustratetheirmainidea.Topicsentence[Inthiscentury,thepresidentismuchmorecutofffromcontactwiththepeoplethaninearliertimes.]Example[Ordinarycitizens,forexample,couldgettoseeAbrahamLincolndirectlyintheWhiteHouseandmaketheirrequeststohiminperson.]Somewritersannouncetheirstrategyoutrightbythewordsforexampleorforinstance.Otherwritersmayincludeseveralexampleswithoutannouncingthemdirectly,andtherebyexpectthereadertonoticethattheyareindeedspecificexamples.Tomakeaclearcase,thewriterusuallywantstogiveseveralexamples,oftentoshowseveralsidesofanidea.ThewriterofthepreviousexamplemightwanttoaddanexampleaboutJimmyCarterorRonaldReaganandhowtheyvisitedprivatecitizensintheirhomesorinvitedthemtospecialceremonies.Orperhapsthewritermightwanttoaddanexampleofanothertypeofpresident—howNixonwashardtoreach,evenbyhisownstaff.Examplesareimportantandnecessary.Sometimes,withoutconcreteexamples,thereaderwillhaveonlyavagueideaofwhatthewriter’stopicsentenceorthesisstatementmeans.Inthefollowingparagraphs,noticehowtheexamplesillustrateandclarifythetopicsentences.TheAmericancolonistsusedavarietyofgoodsinplaceofmoney.Thesegoodsincludedbeaverpelts,grain,musketballs,andnails.Somecolonists,especiallyinthetobacco-growingcoloniesofMarylandandVirginia,circulatedreceiptsfortobaccostoredinwarehouses.Indianwampum,whichconsistedofbeadsmadefromshells,wasmainlyusedforkeepingrecords.ButIndiansandcolonistsalsoaccepteditasmoney.Thecolonistsalsousedanyforeigncoinstheycouldget.Englishshillings,Spanishdollars,andFrenchandDutchcoinsallcirculatedinthecolonies.ProbablythemostcommoncoinswerelargesilverSpanishdollarscalledpiecesofeight.Tomakechange,apersoncouldchopthecoinintoeightpie-shapedpiecescalledbits.Twobitswereworthaquarterofadollar,fourbitsahalfdollar,andsoon.Westillusetheexpressiontwobitstomeanaquarterofadollar.Differentwaysinusingexamples:1.oneexample(oneextendedexample)2.manyexamples3.acombinationofthetwostrategiesWhenusingexamplesinyourownwriting,brainstormforpossibilitiesandselectthosethatillustrateyourideamostaccurately.Inchoosingamongpossibilities,favorthosethatyousenseyourreaderwillrespondtoasconvincingandcolorful.Severalwell-chosenexampleswilloftenholdyourreader’sinterestandaddcredibilitytoyourmainidea.Astudent’sworkThereisagoodexampleamongKoreanswhichmakesmefeelproudofwhatpeoplecanaccomplishdespitehardship.Mr.andMrs.Lee(norelationtous)hadasonnamedSammy.ThefirsttimeIsawhim,hewasonlyelevenmonthsold.IwatchedhisprogressallthewaythroughtheUniversityofSouthernCaliforniaSchoolofMedicine,wherehebecameadoctor,specializinginear,nose,andthroatailments.Hewasalwaysplayingintheswimmingpoolsandbecameinterestedinhighdiving.ThecoachatUSCtookaninterestinhimandhelpedhimtodevelopintoanexperthigh-platformdiver.SammyLeewontheOlympicGoldmedalforhigh-platformdivingin1948andsuccessfullydefendedhidtitlein1952.In1953hebecamethefirstnon-CaucasiantowintheJamesE.SullivanMemorialTrophy.Hisparentshelpedwithallhisexpensesbyworkingintheirchopsueyrestaurantformanyyears.Tworeadings:TheshoeasastrategicweaponAttemptstolimitfemalemobilitybyhamperinglocomotionareancientandalmostuniversal.Thefoot-bindingofupper-classChinesegirlsandtheNigeriancustomofloadingwomen’slegswithpoundsofbrasswireareextremeexamples,butallovertheworldsimilarstratagemshavebeenemployedtomakesurethatonceyouhavecaughtawomanshecannotrunaway,evenifshestaysaroundshecannotkeepupwithyou.Whatseemsoddisthatallthesedeviceshavebeenperceivedasbeautiful,notonlybymenbutbywomen.Thelotusfoot,whichseemstousadeformity,waspassionatelyadmiredinChinaforcenturies,andtodaymostpeopleinWesternsocietyseenothinguglyintheseverelycompressedtoesproducedbymodernfootwear.Thehigh-heeled,narrow-toedshoesthatformostofthiscenturyhavebeenanessentialpartofwomen’scostumeareconsideredsexuallyattractive,partlybecausetheymakethelegslooklonger–anextendedlegasthebiologicalsignofsexualavailabilityinseveralanimalspeciesbecausetheyproducewhatanthropologistscalla“courtshipstrut.”Theyalsomakestandingforanylengthoftimepainful,walkingexhaustingandrunningimpossible.Thehalting,tiptoegaittheyproduceisthoughtprovocative—perhapsbecauseitguaranteesthatnowomenwearingthemcanoutrunamanwhoischasingher.Worstofall,iftheyareworncontinuallyfromadolescenceon,theydeformthemusclesofthefeetandlegssothatitbecomesevenmorepainfulanddifficulttowalkinflatsoles.Questionsaboutthewriter’sstrategies:Whatisthetopicsentenceoftheparagraph?Whereisitlocated?Doesthewriterusemanyexamples,oneextendedexample,orcombinationofthetwostrategies?Whatmodeofdevelopmentdoesthewriteruse?Doessheusemorethanonemode?MymotherneverworkedBonnieSmith-Yackel“SocialSecurityOffice”(Thevoiceansweringthetelephonesoundsveryself-assured.)“I’mcallingabout…I…mymotherjustdied…Iwastoldtocallyouandseeabouta…death-benefitcheck,Ithinktheycallit…”“Isee.WasyourmotheronSocialSecurity?Howoldwasshe?”“Yes…shewasseventy-eight….”“Doyouknowhernumber?”“No…I,ah…don’tyouhavearecord?”“Certainly.I’lllookitup.Hername?”“Smith.MarthaSmith.OrmaybesheusedMarthaRuthSmith….Sometimessheusedhermaiden