3.Exemplification

Exemplification:illustratingideas“Likeapicture,aspecific,vividexamplemaybeworthathousandwordsofexplanation.”--awise,anonymousprofessorAboutExamplesGoodwritersoftenillustrateacentralpointbymeansofoneormoreexamples.Examplescanbebrief,extended,oracombinationofboth,dependingonthewriter’spurposeandaudience.Writersoftenuseexamplestohookareader’sattention.Aconcreteexamplealmostalwayshasmoreimpactthanasimplestatement.Anexamplecanbringanideatolifeandconvincereadersofthebelievabilityoftheidea.SourcesofExamplesGivingexamplesfrompersonalobservationsorexperienceGivingexamplesfromoutsidesourcesGivinghypotheticalexamplesGivingexamplesfrompersonalobservationsorexperienceExamplescanincludenarrativeincidentsanddescriptivefactsordetailsthatcomefromyourownobservationsandexperience.Forexample,supposeyouplananessaystatingthatgettingajobwithjustacollegediplomaisdifficult.Youmayknowthisbecauseyouspentayearaftercollegeapplyingforjobsthatpaidadecentsalarybeforelandingajob.Youmayalsohaveobservedfriendswhohadthesameproblem.Examplesshouldbedetailed,vivid,andwelldeveloped.GivingexamplesfromoutsidesourcesExamplescanincludespecificinformationsuchasquotations,facts,statistics,oraccountsgatheredfromsourcessuchasbooks,newspapers,andmagazines.Youmayrecallsomethingyoureadorheardaboutthatwouldmakeanappropriateexampletoillustratethecentralpointofyouressay.Insuchacase,trackdowntheexampletomakesureyouuseitaccurately.Forinstance,ifyoudecidetoincludeexamplesfromoutsidesourcestoillustrateanessayaboutthedifficultiesofgettingagoodjobwithonlyacollegediploma,youcoulduseanyofthefollowingapproaches:Presentaquotationthatyoureadinanewspaperormagazine.Givefactsaboutqualificationsforvariousjobswithlocalbusinesses;getthesefactsfromclassifiedadsorbyquestioningpeopleatlocalbusinesses.Citestatisticsshowingunemploymentratesamongpostgraduatesincontrasttounemploymentratesamongpeoplewithjustacollegediploma.Interviewpeopleyouknowabouttheirjob-huntingexperiences;citematerialfromtheseinterviews.GivinghypotheticalexamplesAhypotheticalexampleisasituationorideathatmaynotactuallyexistbutthatcouldlogicallyexist.Writersoftengiveexamplesbasedonhypotheticalsituationstotestorconfirmthetruthofanidea.“Suppose,Imaginethat,Whatif”Youcoulddescribeanimaginarysituationinwhichajobhuntergoesoutonmanyinterviewsandfindsthat,whilejobsareavailable,theonesopentothosewithonlyacollegediplomapayrelativelylowersalaries.UsingtheintroductioneffectivelyBecauseyoumayuseseveralexampleswhendevelopinganessay,youmustensurethatallyourexamplesworktogethertosupportanddevelopthecentralpoint.Usetheintroductiontoshowtherelationshipofalltheexamplestothecentralpointandtopreviewtherangeofexamplesthatyouwilluse.Youmightaccomplishthisinoneofthefollowingways:Makeastatementthatpreviewstheexamplescoveredinlaterparagraphs.Youmightmakethestatement“Peoplewhotakethetimetorelaxareoftenhealthierandmoreenergeticthanpeoplewhogiveintostress.Relaxationcanbeassimpleasspendingafewminutessittingquietlyinadarkenedroomorlisteningtomusic,oraselaborateastakingupahobby.”Thebodyparagraphsmightthengiveexamplesofeachformofrelaxation.Startwithananecdotethatitselfservesasanexampleofyourcentralpoint.Youmightthenmakethestatement:“Thisincidentisoneofmanythatproveshowpetsimprovethequalityoflifeforseniorcitizens.”Suchastatementalertsreadersthatfurtherexampleswillsupportthesamepointastheopeningexamples.Beginwithafactorstatisticthatisrelatedtofactsorstatisticsthatyoupresentasexampleslaterintheessay.Openbyaskingaquestionthatwillbeansweredbyexamplesyousupplyinthebodyparagraphs.OtherfactorsThesisstatementOrderTransitionalwordsorphrases:(take…)forexample,forinstance,inparticular,namely,onesuch,specifically,suchas,thatis,acaseinpoint,takethecaseof,supposethat,justimaginethat/what/how,accordingtoarecent/latestsurvey/poll,SuggestedTopicsforWritingExemplification1.TVcommercialsareoftenamusing(misleading,irritating,sexist,racist,useless,etc.)2.Toomanyofusarepreoccupiedwithmaterialthings.3.Apersoncanbeanenvironmentalistineverydaylife.4.Wetoooftengetcaughtupinjealousy,pettiness,andself-centerednessinourdailylives.5.Issuesinprofessionalsports.ProofreadingTheEuropeanUnionhadapprovedanumberofgeneticallymodified(转基因的)cropsuntillate1998.ButgrowingpublicconcernoveritssupposedenvironmentalandhealthrisksledseveralS1EUcountriestodemandamoratorium(暂时禁止)onimportsofanynewGMproduce.Bylate1999therewereenoughsuchcountrytoblockanynewapprovalsofGMproduceS2Lastyear,AmericafiledacomplaintattheWTOaboutthemoratorium,arguingthatitwasanillegaltradebarrier（壁垒）becausethereisnoscientificbaseforit.S3AsmorestudieshavebeencompletedontheeffectsofGMcrops,thegreens’（环保主义者）caseforthemhasweakened.S4MuchevidencehasemergedofhealthrisksfromeatingS5them.And,overall,thestudieshaveshownthattheenvironmentaleffectsonmodifiedcropsarenotalwaysS6asseriousasthegreensclaim.Nevertheless,environmentalistscontinuetofindfaultofsuchstudiesandarguethatS7theyareinconclusive.WhileAmericansseemhappyenoughtoconsumefoodmadefromGMcrops,opinionpollscontinuetoshowthatEurop