Academic Writing

1 Using examples
Generalisations are commonly used to introduce a topic:
Many plants and animals are threatened by global warming.
But if the reader is given an example for illustration, the idea becomes more concrete:
Many plants and animals are threatened by global warming. Polar bears, for example, are
suffering from the lack of Arctic ice.
Without examples, writing can seem too theoretical:
The overuse of antibiotics has had serious negative consequences.
But an example makes the idea easier to understand:
The overuse of antibiotics has had serious negative consequences. Hospital – acquired infections
such as MRSA have become more difficult to treat and this has resulted in many deaths.
The example may also support the point the writer is making:
A participatory public has been a defining feature of American politics and historically a
strength of the political system. Alexis de Tocqueville’s classic treatise on ‘Democracy in
America’ (1835) stressed the participatory tendencies of Americans in contrast to European
publics.
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See 
Unit 2.8
Generalisations
Examples
UNIT
2.7
Examples are used in academic writing for support and illustration. Suitable
examples can strengthen the argument, and they can also help the reader to
understand a point. This unit demonstrates the different ways in which examples
can be introduced, and practises their use.

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2.7: Examples
113
2 Phrases to introduce examples
(a) for instance, for example (with commas)
Some car manufacturers, for instance Kia, now offer seven-year guarantees.
(b) such as, e.g.
Many successful businessmen such as Bill Gates have no formal qualifications.
(c)