Module 5Using Reasons and Examples

Information taken from:Butler, L. Fundamentals of Academic Writing. LongmanHogue, A. (2008). First Steps in Academic Writing. Longman.

Examples and Reasons

When you write a topic sentence such as Costa Rica is agreat 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 agreat place to visit or why women should be jet fighterpilots.

After you state your reasons, you need to support them. Agood way to support them is to give specific examples.

ModelDetailed Outline

TITLE

TOPIC SENTENCE

1st ReasonExample for AExample for 1Example for 1Example for AExample for 2Example for 2

2nd ReasonExample for BExample for BExample for 2Example for 2

CONCLUDINGSENTENCE

Costa Rica

Costa Rica is a great place to spend vacations for two reasons.

A. Excellent system of national parks – visitors can observe nature1. Tortugero National Park

a. Sea turtle nestsb. Baby turtles

2. Santa Rosa national parka. Unusual birds – toucans and quetzalsb. Exotic animals – spider monkeys

B. Beautiful beaches1. Beaches at Manuel Antonio National Park2. Beaches on Cañoa and Cocos Islands

a. Snorkelingb. Scuba diving

Costa Rica is a wonderful place to go if you love outdoors.

Model ParagraphCosta 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.

Transition Signals with ReasonsWhen you give reasons, you should introduce each one with atransition signal.

Example,

First of all, Costa Rica has an excellent system of national parks.

Second, Costa Rica has beautiful beaches.

First, First ofall,

Second, Third, Finally,

Conclusion Signals with ReasonsIn addition to conclusion signals such as: To sum up, in conclusion, youcan begin a concluding sentence with:

Example,

For these two reasons, Costa Rica is a wonderful place to go to if youlove the outdoors.

Another ways to write a concluding sentence is to begin it with

Example

Because of its natural parks and beautiful beaches, Costa Rica is awonderful place to go if you love the outdoors.

For these (two, three,…) reasons, ….

Because of ___________, __________, _________.

Transition Signals with ExamplesPattern 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, visitors can watch sea turtles come ashore to lay their eggsin the sand in Tortugero National Park.

For instance, visitors can watch sea turtles come ashore to lay their eggsin the sand in Tortugero National Park.

For example, ________(+Sentence)_______For instance, ________(+Sentence)_______

Transition Signals with ExamplesPattern 2

Use such as, for example, and for instance in the middle of a sentencewhen your example is a noun or a list of nouns that appear at the end ofthe sentence.

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 afterfor example and for instance.

____________, such as ________(+nouns)_______________, for example, ________(+nouns)_______________, for instance, ________(+nouns)___

Be careful when you begin a sentence with For example or Forinstance. Make sure your sentence uses either pattern 1 or pattern2.

Wrong:The restaurant specializes in shellfish. For example, fresh lobster andcrab.

Right:The restaurant specializes in shellfish. For example, it serves freshlobster and crab. (Pattern 1)

The restaurant specializes in shellfish, for example, fresh lobster andcrab. (Pattern 2)

The restaurant specializes in shellfish, such as fresh lobster and crab.(Pattern 2)