EXEMPLIFICATION

1. EXEMPLIFICATION (An expository pattern of approaching a subject, sometimes called “Illustration”)

2. What are examples for? • Understanding general concepts • Explaining your ideas • Making the abstract concrete • Making the general specific • Making your writing “reader-friendly”

3. The Meanings of Illustration and Example: • Illustrations are, literally, pictures. • The word illustrate comes from the Latin word referring to light or illumination • The word example derived from exemplum, which refers to one thing from many, something that illustrates the more general category.

4. How Illustration/Exemplification Works: • Illustration works through a process of moving back and forth between general ideas and specific examples. • Examples enable readers to see how the idea exists in concrete instances in the real world. • From those specific examples, readers can generalize to understand the idea. • This principle of abstracting an idea or generalization from particular instances is closely related to inductive thinking. • When you think inductively, you start with particulars and you make generalizations.

5. An example of inductive thinking: • You observe what birds eat. • From your observations of particular birds eating, you make generalizations about how the process works in many or all circumstances. • Most birds are clingers, clinging to feeders or tree bark, to eat seed or bugs.

6. Deductive thinking: • In deductive thinking, you begin with a generalization and then find specific examples to support the idea. • If you notice that your cell or laptop loses power, you infer that the battery needs recharging. • The general idea that the cell or laptop needs energy to keep working leads you to deduce that your machine is not functioning because it needs to have its battery recharged. • Syllogisms are classic examples of deductive thinking: • All men are mortal; Socrates is a man; Socrates is mortal.

7. Examples/Illustrations Matter: • In both inductive and deductive thinking, examples are an essential element. • In inductive thinking, specific examples provide the basis or ground for generalizing. • In deductive thinking, examples serve to validate the general idea.

8. Using Illustration in Writing: • All good writing uses examples. • Without examples, writing is boring, vague, and overly general. • You can use different kinds of examples: • Facts • Stats • Instances • People, Places, Events • Anecdotes or Stories

9. And now for some visual examples…

10. Explain the inherent principle of each image. Based on each one’s title, explain how each object is designed to fulfill its purpose. How does the shape of the original forms of each object achieve their purpose? Are these objects amusing to you? Why/why not? If not, why might Carelman think these objects are funny? Jacques Carelman’s “Unfindable Objects” Coffeepot for Masochists The Pendulum Converging Tandem Bicycle

11. Let’s generate some examples: • Worst Reality TV Shows: • Most Memorable Moments in Movies: • Most Difficult Songs To Sing/Play: • Most Physically Demanding Aspects of Musical Theater: • Worst Pet Names Ever: