How to Write an Exemplification Essay?

What is an exemplification essay

Let’s first embark on the vital by clarifying the exemplification essay definition. This type of paper belongs to the category of an argumentative essay in which examples are used to prove a certain idea or point. In other words, it’s a simple argumentative paper, only with more details and a more convincing tone. So if your teacher has given you such an assignment, get ready to arm yourself with facts. These are a pillar of a sound argumentative essay which enhances the credibility of your statements and proves readers that they are true.

What does exemplify mean?

Exemplify, as you’ve probably guessed, stands for illustrating or clarifying statements with reliable examples. For instance, you want to prove the idea that climate change is real, or that sugar is not the direct cause of diabetes. For maximum persuasion of skeptics, just stating that global warming is bad for our environment is not enough. The same goes to the ghost proof which says that sugar has little to do with a genetic disorder. Without facts, such claims have zero importance since they display only your opinion, not the evidence of acclaimed doctors or ecologists.

Exemplification essay outline

The process of creating an essay outline is crucial for any exemplification essay. It serves as a kind of template that gives your paper clarity. At this point, your essay will be a half-baked version of a completed paper, but an outline is an effective mean of structuring it. This way, it’ll be much easier to conduct further research on the given topic and fill in the blanks.

So what does the outline consist of? It basically implies jotting down single or several sentences for each of the examples you’ll use in your exemplification essay. Schematically, the outline looks like this:

• In paragraph 1, write one sentence outlining your topic, and one sentence describing your thesis statement.
• In paragraph 2, give several sentences to describe the first example and prove it with facts
• In paragraph 3, describe the second example and give short evidence
• In paragraph 4, describe the third example and give short evidence  
• In paragraph 5, state your thesis statement again and sum up your exemplification essay by providing the included examples. Also, express your final argument and prove the main point of your essay.

A word of warning: before proceeding to the outline, make sure that your topic is relevant for this type of essay. That is, the topic should be neither too broad nor narrow. For example, if your teacher gave you the freedom to write an exemplification essay about the writing path of a specific writer, don’t opt for an author who has written only one book or a couple of short stories. Yes, this might be your favorite writer, and you’ll long to reveal some astonishing facts about their life. But in terms of career, you’ll sooner or later realize that there’s nothing much to write about. Therefore, you should consider a different writer with a bigger collection of legacy so that you could gather facts and provide examples of their works.    

Exemplification essay thesis

Like any other piece of writing, exemplification essay is meant to have a thesis. It can be defined as an assertion of your attitude to the issue you address. Thesis consists typically of 1 or 2 sentences and includes such information as the essay subject and your personal view of the issue. This primary statement should also function as a clarifying moment for readers, aimed at showing the importance of your essay and transparently explaining the theme.

Many students wonder where to place their thesis statement in the text. There is only one rule here that you should remember: thesis is included not in the middle of the paper and not in conclusion. Its place is in the introduction part only. If the paper is lengthy, the thesis can be located in the second paragraph. But if it’s a short one, include your thesis in the opening sentence. Why is the right placement of the thesis so important, you may ask? Because it helps readers to dive into the topic and understand your standpoint instantaneously. Also, the thesis of your exemplification essay should be clear, i.e., deprived of vague expressions and words that need deciphering. Rest fixated on a particular idea and develop it throughout your paper, and make sure that each unknown word or phrase should be well explained for readers so that they could follow the content easily.     

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How to write an exemplification essay?

The question of how to start an essay is indeed a challenging one. There are several basic and universal processes involved in exemplification essay writing which you can easily use as a guide for your paper. First things first, you should think of a topic. Often, teachers assign specific topics to their students. Likewise, students can decide on the topic themselves. In the latter case, try to come up with a topic which can be easily proved with facts, numbers, examples and other types of evidence.

The next step of exemplification in writing is a little easier if you have an outline. At this stage, you need to provide specific examples that’ll develop your thesis. You can look at the examples highlighted in your outline before writing and take them as evidence to elaborate your essay. Once the examples are well defined and articulated, you can establish the main idea of your exemplary essay. In sum, these three parts constitute the first paragraph of your essay. They encapsulate the main idea of a paper and help readers easily grasp it.

Then comes the process of writing. Here, the main task is to use all of the earlier decided examples and form a body of your exemplification paper. As mentioned earlier, you ought to use several pieces of evidence and divide them logically into paragraphs so that each example belongs to a separate text block. Also, you should adhere to the thesis while writing the body part and by no means depart from the main topic. So, for example, if you write about why the literary style of Dan Brown is a good example of the historical writing method, don’t slide in the wrong direction by retelling his book plot. Instead, underpin your claims with examples directly from the book.

Finally, take stock. Write a relevant finishing remark in which restate your thesis statement. Remember: new information in the closing paragraph will be just superfluous, so think twice before implementing this way to impress readers at the end of your essay. Instead, a good conclusion will wrap up the points and examples you’ve already stated in the body paragraphs and let readers get the main exemplification essay ideas.

Exemplification essay topics list

Now that you know what exemplification essay is and how to write it let’s take into account some good exemplification essay topics. These will make it easier for you to come up with a great idea for your paper theme.

1. Is it necessary to have a college degree today?
2. Should drugs be decriminalized?
3. If a class is separated by gender, does it provide a better learning environment?
4. Should everyone have access to healthcare?
5. Gun regulations should be more strict
6. Does working from home improve employee productivity?
7. The role of symbolism in poetry
8. Will artificial intelligence reign the world in the nearest future?
9. Can technology cause the extinction of manual labor jobs?
10. What are the inevitable consequences of using the Internet nowadays?
11. Is capital punishment better than a life sentence for prisoners?
12. How do the top enterprises generate more profit using customer relationship management?
13. International relations should be a compulsory discipline for every college student
14. Business benefits of using social media
15. The exchange of information and ideas among employees is an inalienable ingredient of success for every business

Overall, exemplification essay is a specific type of essay that combines the elements of argumentative and research paper. The main aspect to make such work authoritative and interesting for readers is examples. This kind of evidence is the main tool which helps to organize the essay, prove the main point, and provide straightforward illustrations for building maximum credibility. Hopefully, our advice will assist you in writing a brilliant exemplification essay which your professor will grade with an A+.