Exemplification and classification
Exemplification
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The action of giving examples
Commonly used in academic writing
There are several ways of referring to examples, not just
the expression for example or e.g. (although these are the
most common)
Commonly used abbreviations
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f.e. / e.g. – for example
i.e. – that is (to say); in other words
viz. – namely; it is/they are
e.g. There are four language skills, viz. listening, speaking,
reading and writing.
What is Language?
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Read the text What is Language (p. 39)
The definition:
A language is a signalling system which operates with
symbolic vocal sounds, and which is used by a group
people for the purposes of communication.
Finding exemplifiers
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Read the text again and circle all the expressions which
have the same meaning as for example
Draw a line under all the examples
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For example, many birds utter warning calls..
Such as expressions of anger, fear and pleasure
For instance, animals’ cries are not articulate
For example, the kind of structure given by the
contrast between vowels and consonants
Illustration of this is a soldier who can say
e.g. ‘tanks approaching from the north’
The great tit is a case in point
Complete the sentences using:
illustration, for example, a case in point, an example,
for instance, such as
At the approach of danger many birds utter warning calls: this is _______
of animals communicating with each other.
Cries, ____________ those of anger, fear and pleasure, are uttered by
apes.
There are important differences between human language and animal
communication: ___________, animals’ cries are not articulate.
Animals’ cries lack, ____________, the kind of structure that enables us
to divide a human utterance into words.
A good _________ of changing an utterance by substituting one word for
another is a soldier who can say...
The number of signals that an animal can make is very limited: the great tit
is __________________.
At the approach of danger many birds utter warning calls: this is AN
EXAMPLE of animals communicating with each other.
Cries, SUCH AS those of anger, fear and pleasure, are uttered by apes.
There are important differences between human language and animal
communication: FOR INSTANCE, animals’ cries are not articulate.
Animals’ cries lack, FOR EXAMPLE, the kind of structure that enables us to
divide a human utterance into words.
A good ILLUSTRATION of changing an utterance by substituting one word
for another is a soldier who can say...
The number of signals that an animal can make is very limited: the great tit
is A CASE IN POINT.
Exercise 3
Read the following carefully (especially the part in
italics):
There are now over two thousand different languages
in the world; an examination of them shows that
many of them belong to a group of related languages,
and some of these groups are very large, constituting
what we can call language families. An example of such
a family is the Semitic group of languages. Examples of
members of the family are Arabic and Hebrew.
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Write out a sentence or two substituting the following:
Germanic – e.g. English, German, Dutch, Swedish, Danish,
Norwegian
Vocabulary aid
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Alternatives to the word examples: cases, instances
Other commonly used verb forms and methods of
expression:
This is shown/exemplified/illustrated by
X shows/exemplifies/illustrates this
Writers such as (such writers as) X and Y
Classification
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Dividing something into groups, classes or categories
Classification is normally made according to a criterion or
several criteria (e.g. age, size, number...)
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Read the text State Schools in England and Wales (p. 43)
Complete Exercise 1 below the text
Answer key
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Schools can be classified according to the pupils’ ages
and type of education.
There are two types of school: primary and
secondary.
Primary schools can be subdivided into infant and
junior schools.
Secondary school pupils may be grouped according to
their ability.
The criterion for classifying secondary schools is
whether or not there is an examination.
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Exercise 2 (p. 44) – put the sentences in the correct
order
Answer key
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1e
2b
3g
4a
5f
6d
7c
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Write a brief description of the education system in your
country!
Pyramid Discussion
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Which purposes of compulsory education are the most
important?
Read the list on p. 47 and select from it; the order of the
choices is not important.
Add one or more purposes of your own.
Exercise
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Write a brief description of the criteria that should be
used for determining if education has been successful!
Vocabulary aid
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Useful nouns: criterion/criteria, basis/bases, features,
characteristics, categories, classes, gruops, types, kinds,
sorts, species, breeds, orders, divisions, families, members
sub-categories/classes/divisions/groups
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Useful verbs:
to classify, categorise, group, divide into, arrange in, put
into, distinguish (between), differentiate (between/from)
To sub-classify, sub-categorise, sub-group or sub-divide
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Something may be classified
1. according to…
2. on the basis of…
3. depending (up)on
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The classification is based upon…
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Thank you for your attention!