Using Exemplification in

Your Writing
Prof. Steven Federle, Solano College English 1

For example…
 Uses for Exemplification
 Use Examples to Explain and Clarify

Practice Writing Topic:

Are you an optimistic or pessimistic person?

•Answer this question, and support your
answer with a few sentences that uses
examples to explain or clarify your
answer.
Practice Writing Topic continued:
Are you an optimistic or pessimistic person?
Add another example to what you’ve
written to add interest to your
explanation.
Practice Writing Topic
continued:
Are you an optimistic or
pessimistic person?
Add another example to
what you’ve written to
persuade the reader that he
or she should be optimistic or
pessimistic too.
Planning an Exemplification Essay

 Provide enough examples

 Choose representative examples
 Use transitions (see list of transitions on
page 43)
 Good transitions for exemplification
include:
 For example, for instance, in fact, namely,
specifically, that is, thus
 Structuring an Exemplification
Essay

 Your Introduction includes a thesis statement

 Each body paragraph may
 Develop a separate example, OR
 Explore one aspect of a single, extended example.
 Arrange your examples chronologically, in order
of increasing complexity, or in order of
importance.
 Your conclusion reinforces the main idea and
may re-state the thesis.
 Revising and Editing an
Exemplification Essay
 See Revising Checklist on pages 196-97
 See Editing Checklists on pages 66 & 198
 In Class Writing Exercise

 Look at the
Four Tattoos
(Photos) on
page 205 of
Patterns for
College
Writing.
How would you
describe each of the four
tattoos pictured?
Brainstorm with the
class on the prominent
features of each, and
then write a sentence or
two that describes each
of them.
 Write a one sentence general statement
that sums up your ideas about tattoos.
 Why do you think people get tattoos?
 Do you see tattoos as a way for people
to express themselves?
 Do people use tattoos to express
individuality?
 Are tattoos are a form of rebellion?
 Do you have enough
examples to support your
general statement about
tattoos?
 Would you ever get a
tattoo?
 Now write a paragraph in
your writing journal in
response to this question.
Use your answers to the
questions above to
support your topic
sentence (If you have a
tattoo, explain why you
decided to get it.)