Writing Practice

I. A Brief Introduction

Using Examples in Essay Writing

Examples are a very effective means to clarify a thought, to support statements or to help persuade. Besides, examples add interest and vividness to an essay. Nevertheless, not all examples can serve your purpose equally well. You have to select them carefully. The following transitional words are usually used in examples: for example, for instance, as an example, an example of, namely, in particular, such as, to illustrate, a case in point, etc.

II. A Sample

It is very difficult to evaluate another person’s performance objectively. For example, Senta recently wrote irresponsible remarks about her instructor because she failed the course. Her friend Sam wrote a marvelous description of the same instructor because he received an A in the course. Both Senta and Sam were not fairly evaluating the instructor. They were influenced by the grades they earned and were biased in their judgment.

III. Homework

For this part, you are allowed thirty minutes to write a composition on the topic “My View on Opportunity”. You must base your composition on the following instructions (given in Chinese). Your composition should be no less than 120 words. Remember to write it clearly.

1. 有人认为机会少，只有幸运的人才能抓住它；也有人认为机会时刻都存在。

2. 你的观点是什么，请举例说明。

Reference:

Some people say that opportunities are rare, and only the luckiest people can obtain them, while some other people argue that in a sense everyone has opportunities from time to time.

As far as I am concerned, I agree with the latter opinion to some extent. I think that various kinds of opportunities are around us all the time. However, the opportunity will not run into you voluntarily. You must try your best to find them and make full use of them.

For example, when I was studying in high school, there was a national chemistry competition.  Most of my classmates thought that we had virtually no chance of winning the competition since we were studying in a rural high school. But I felt that it was a good chance and I must grasp it. So I prepared for it thoroughly and finally I won the first prize. In conclusion, I believe that the opportunities are abundant in our society and everyone is equal for them. We can acquire them only if we are prepared and qualified, just as a proverb says “Opportunities are only for those who prepared.”