This document provides guidance on using reasons and examples to support arguments in academic writing. It discusses including reasons to support topic sentences, and backing up reasons with specific examples. A model is presented that outlines a paragraph about Costa Rica, including a topic sentence, two reasons supported by examples each. Transition signals are also covered for introducing reasons and examples in sentences and paragraphs.

1. Module 5
Using Reasons and Examples
Information taken from:
Butler, L. Fundamentals of Academic Writing. Longman
Hogue, A. (2008). First Steps in Academic Writing. Longman.

2. Examples and Reasons
When you write a topic sentence such as Costa Rica is a
great place to visit, or Women should be jet fighter pilots,
you need to support it with reasons.
You need to explain why you think that Costa Rica is a
great place to visit or why women should be jet fighter
pilots.
After you state your reasons, you need to support them. A
good way to support them is to give specific examples.

3. Model
Detailed Outline
TITLE
TOPIC SENTENCE
1st Reason
Example for A
Example for 1
Example for 1
Example for A
Example for 2
Example for 2
2nd Reason
Example for B
Example for B
Example for 2
Example for 2
CONCLUDING
SENTENCE
Costa Rica
Costa Rica is a great place to spend vacations for two reasons.
A. Excellent system of national parks – visitors can observe nature
1. Tortugero National Park
a. Sea turtle nests
b. Baby turtles
2. Santa Rosa national park
a. Unusual birds – toucans and quetzals
b. Exotic animals – spider monkeys
B. Beautiful beaches
1. Beaches at Manuel Antonio National Park
2. Beaches on Cañoa and Cocos Islands
a. Snorkeling
b. Scuba diving
Costa Rica is a wonderful place to go if you love outdoors.

4. Model Paragraph
Costa Rica
Costa Rica is a great place to spend a vacation for two reasons. First
of all, Costa Rica has an excellent system of national parks where visitors can
observe nature. For Example, in Tortuguero National Park, visitors can watch
sea turtles come ashore to lay eggs in nests in the sand. Then they can come
back several months to see the new babies crawl down to the sea. In Santa
Rosa National Park, visitors can see unusual birds, such as toucans and
quetzals. They can also observe exotic animals, such as spider monkeys.
Second, Costa Rica has many beutiful beaches. For instance, the beaches at
Manuel Antonio National Park are among the most beutiful in the world, and
the beaches on Cañoa and Coco Islands ofer perfect conditions for snorkeling
and scuba diving. Indeed, Costa Rica is a wonderful place to go if you love the
outdoors.

5. Transition Signals with Reasons
When you give reasons, you should introduce each one with a
transition signal.
First, First of
all,
Second, Third, Finally,
Example,
First of all, Costa Rica has an excellent system of national parks.
Second, Costa Rica has beautiful beaches.

6. Conclusion Signals with Reasons
In addition to conclusion signals such as: To sum up, in conclusion, you
can begin a concluding sentence with:
For these (two, three,…) reasons, ….
Example,
For these two reasons, Costa Rica is a wonderful place to go to if you
love the outdoors.
Another ways to write a concluding sentence is to begin it with
Because of ___________, __________, _________.
Example
Because of its natural parks and beautiful beaches, Costa Rica is a
wonderful place to go if you love the outdoors.

7. Transition Signals with Examples
Pattern 1
There are three transitional signals to introduce examples: for example,
for instance, and such as.
Notice the different punctuation patterns used with them.
For example, ________(+Sentence)_______
For instance, ________(+Sentence)_______
For example, visitors can watch sea turtles come ashore to lay their eggs
in the sand in Tortugero National Park.
For instance, visitors can watch sea turtles come ashore to lay their eggs
in the sand in Tortugero National Park.

8. Transition Signals with Examples
Pattern 2
Use such as, for example, and for instance in the middle of a sentence
when your example is a noun or a list of nouns that appear at the end of
the sentence.
____________, such as ________(+nouns)___
____________, for example, ________(+nouns)___
____________, for instance, ________(+nouns)___
Visitors can see rare birds, such as toucans and quetzals.
Visitors can see rare birds, for examples, toucans and quetzals.
Visitors can see rare birds, for instance, toucans and quetzals.
Notice the comma before such as and the commas before and after
for example and for instance.

9. Be careful when you begin a sentence with For example or For
instance. Make sure your sentence uses either pattern 1 or pattern
2.
Wrong:
The restaurant specializes in shellfish. For example, fresh lobster and
crab.
Right:
The restaurant specializes in shellfish. For example, it serves fresh
lobster and crab. (Pattern 1)
The restaurant specializes in shellfish, for example, fresh lobster and
crab. (Pattern 2)
The restaurant specializes in shellfish, such as fresh lobster and crab.
(Pattern 2)