The exemplification essay is a type of argumentative essay. The purpose of an exemplification essay is to prove a point through the use of examples. Instead of relying solely on scholarly sources to support the main point, the writer makes use of specific examples. These examples may be hypothetical, or they could be real examples pulled from the news or real life. This method helps to illustrate the argument in a tangible and relatable way, making the abstract more concrete and understandable.
Audience
The audience for an exemplification essay, like most argumentative essays, consists of those people who disagree with the author’s thesis. For example, if the author’s thesis is “Most people are robbed because of inadequate home security,” the audience would be those people who disagree with this statement. The goal of the essay is to sway these people through the use of compelling and relevant examples. Understanding the audience’s perspective is crucial as it helps in selecting the most effective examples to change their views.
Planning
The exemplification essay should be carefully planned to avoid getting off topic. To do this, many writers find it useful to begin with a prewriting technique called clustering. In clustering, a writer begins by jotting down the problem in the center of the page. In the home robbery example, the writer would write “causes of home robbery” in the center of the page. Then, the writer jots down the various causes for home robberies surrounding the main cause. Finally, the writer can draw lines to make connections between interrelated ideas, such as lack of an alarm system and lack of surveillance cameras.
Once the writer has found the connections between the ideas, they can create an outline. The outline helps to keep the writer on task. This is especially important with the exemplification essay because writers tend to get off track and just provide a series of unconnected examples. This lack of organization fails to persuade the reader because it doesn’t lead to a coherent argument.
Parts of The Essay
Introduction
The introduction of the exemplification essay should present the problem. It should explain what the problem is, the scope of the problem, and present relevant statistics and facts. The introduction should also contain a thesis statement. The thesis should make an assertion that the author intends to support through the use of examples. For example, in the case of the home robbery topic, the introduction might begin with a startling statistic about the frequency of home burglaries, followed by an explanation of common causes and the thesis statement asserting that inadequate home security is a primary cause.
Supporting Paragraphs
The supporting paragraphs should each make a point that supports the thesis. Each paragraph should contain one or more relevant examples. For instance, in the home robbery example, one point might be “Homeowners fail to take basic security measures.” The examples might include failing to lock the doors, leaving windows open, or placing spare keys in obvious places where robbers can find them.
Another paragraph might focus on the lack of modern security systems, using examples of homes that were robbed because they didn’t have alarms or surveillance cameras. Hypothetical scenarios can also be effective. For instance, imagine a homeowner who decides against installing an alarm system to save money and subsequently becomes a victim of burglary.
Real-life examples add credibility. The writer could cite news stories about burglaries that occurred due to simple oversights, such as a homeowner who left a window open or a case where a burglar found a spare key under a doormat. These examples concretely illustrate the thesis and make the argument more compelling.
Conclusion
The conclusion should reiterate the main point of the essay. It can also provide basic suggestions for solving the problem or look to the future and guess at how the problem might change. For the home robbery essay, the conclusion might summarize the main points about inadequate home security leading to robberies and then suggest practical steps homeowners can take to improve security, such as installing alarm systems, using smart home technology, or joining neighborhood watch programs. Additionally, the writer could speculate on future trends in home security, such as advancements in technology making homes safer.
Revising
Like all essays, the exemplification essay should be revised for clarity and to ensure that the essay does not contain any grammatical or syntactical errors. It is often a good idea to have a friend or a classmate review your paper. It is usually easier for someone else to catch your errors than it is to find them yourself. Revising involves not only correcting mistakes but also refining the argument and ensuring that the examples used are the most effective.
Practical Examples
To further illustrate the process, consider a few practical examples:
- Improving Public Transportation: If the thesis is that improving public transportation can reduce urban traffic congestion, the essay could include examples of cities that have successfully implemented extensive public transit systems, like New York or Tokyo. It could also present hypothetical examples of how improved bus routes and frequency in a medium-sized city could alleviate traffic problems.
- Benefits of a Vegetarian Diet: For an essay arguing that a vegetarian diet has significant health benefits, the writer could include examples of studies showing lower rates of heart disease and obesity among vegetarians. Personal anecdotes about people who switched to a vegetarian diet and saw improvements in their health can also be powerful.
- Technology in Education: If the thesis is that integrating technology into the classroom enhances learning, the writer could cite examples of schools that have adopted tablets and interactive software, showing improvements in student engagement and test scores. Hypothetical scenarios might describe a classroom where students use virtual reality to explore historical sites or conduct science experiments.
Conclusion
The exemplification essay is a powerful tool for arguing a point through the use of examples. By carefully planning the essay, organizing thoughts through clustering, and creating a detailed outline, writers can stay on topic and present a coherent argument. The introduction should clearly present the problem and thesis, the supporting paragraphs should provide relevant examples to back up the thesis, and the conclusion should summarize the main points and suggest solutions or future trends.
Revising the essay ensures clarity and correctness, while practical examples help to ground the argument in real-world scenarios. By following these steps and incorporating practical, relatable examples, writers can create compelling exemplification essays that effectively persuade their audience.