Using Exemplification in Your Writing

1. Using Exemplification in Your Writing Prof. Steven Federle, Solano College English 1 For example…

2. Use Examples to Explain and Clarify Uses for Exemplification • 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.

3. 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.

4. 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.

5. 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

6. 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.

7. Revising and Editing an Exemplification Essay • See Revising Checklist on pages 196-97 • See Editing Checklists on pages 66 & 198

8. In Class Writing Exercise • Look at the Four Tattoos (Photos) on page 205 of Patterns for College Writing.

9. 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.

10. 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?

11. 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.)