This document discusses exemplification/illustration as an expository writing strategy. It defines exemplification as using an item or incident that represents a rule or abstraction. The document lists four reasons to use examples in writing: to persuade, explain, or engage the reader. Examples validate arguments, clarify meanings, eliminate ambiguity, and make writing more interesting. The document provides guidelines for examples, such as being relevant, meaningful, accurate, representative, specific, and sufficient. It also classifies examples by length/development and by source.

1. Exemplification/Illustration
One of the expository modes or
strategies of writing (writing
intended to explain, inform, or teach)

2. Definitions:
– an item or incident that is representative of a rule,
a type, or an abstraction

3. Definitions:
– an item or incident that is representative of a rule,
a type, or an abstraction
– A parallel or closely similar case serving as a
representative or model

4. Definitions:
– an item or incident that is representative of a rule,
a type, or an abstraction
– an item or incident that is representative of a rule,
a type, or an abstraction
– an instance serving to illustrate a rule or precept

5. 4 reasons to use examples
• We use them to persuade, explain, or engage

6. 4 Reasons to use examples
• We use them to persuade, explain, or engage
– they validate your argument or position, giving
you credibility (persuade)

7. 4 Reasons to use examples
We use them to persuade, to explain, or to
engage
• they validate your argument or position,
giving you credibility
• they carify the meaning of a general
statement or abstract idea (explain)

8. 4 Reasons to use examples
We use them to persuade, to explain, or to
engage
• they validate your argument or position,
giving you credibility
• they clarify meaning that is otherwise unclear
• they eliminate unintended ambiguity (explain)

9. 4 Reasons to use examples
We use them to persuade, explain or engage
• they validate your argument or position,
giving you credibility
• they clarify meaning that is otherwise unclear
• they eliminate unintended ambiguity
• they make the writing interesting and
applicable to the real world of experience
(engage the reader)

10. Examples should be
– relevant

11. Examples should be
– relevant
– meaningful, graphic, engaging

12. Examples should be
– relevant
– meaningful, graphic, engaging
– accurate

13. Examples should be
– relevant
– meaningful, graphic, engaging
– accurate
– representative

14. Examples should be
– relevant
– meaningful, graphic, engaging
– accurate
– representative
– specific

15. Examples should be
– relevant
– meaningful, graphic, engaging
– accurate
– representative
– specific
– sufficient

16. We can classify examples in two
ways:
• By length/development
– undeveloped (a few words, a pithy phrase, or a
sentence)

17. We can classify examples in two
ways:
• By length/development
– undeveloped (a few words, a pithy phrase, or a
sentence)
– developed (multisentence passage)

18. We can classify examples in two
ways:
• By length/development
– undeveloped (a few words, a pithy phrase, or a
sentence)
– developed (multisentence passage)
– extended (working through a whole essay or a
long multiparagraph passage

19. We can classify examples in two
ways:
• By source
– personal experience (nonfiction)

20. We can classify examples in two
ways:
• By source
– personal experience (nonfiction)
– typical case (nonfiction)

21. We can classify examples in two
ways:
• By source
– personal experience (nonfiction)
– typical case (nonfiction)
– hypothetical (invented)