Unit 3 Exemplification
Unit 3 Exemplification
Unit 3 Exemplification
Exemplification
The last unit was concerned with definitions. It is often useful in definitions to give examples:
this action is known as exemplification (or exemplifying), e.g. (=this is an abbreviation meaning
‘for example’)
Linguistics may be defined as the science of language, for example, its structure, sound
systems, acquisition.
Geology may be defined as the science of the earth’s history as shown by its crust, rocks,
etc.
Geography may be defined as the science of the earth‘s surface. It is concerned with a
number of features, particularly physical, climate, and products.
STAGE 1
E n g l i s h f o r G e n e r al S c i e n ce s Page 6
language the number of possible utterances is infinite. It also explains why animal cries
are very general in meaning.
Read the passage again and draw a box around all the words which have the same
meaning as the word ‘example’. Notice how they are used and the punctuation that is
used with them.
(2) The following sentences are based upon the information contained in the passage
above. Complete the sentences making use of each of the following words (use each
only once):
Illustration for example a case in point an example for instance such as
1. At the approach of danger many birds utter warning calls: this is………………………of
animals communicating with each other.
2. Cries,……………………….those of anger, fear and pleasure, are uttered by apes.
3. There are important differences between human language and animal
communication: …………………………………animals’ cries are not articulate.
4. Animals’ cries lack,…………………………………., the kind of structure that enables us to
divide a human utterance into wrds.
5. A good…………………………of changing an utterance by substituting one word for
another is a soldier who can say “tanks approaching from the north” or “tanks
approaching from the west”.
6. Th number of signals that an animal can make is very limited: the Great Tit is
………………………………………….
STAGE 2
Latin
Portuguese Spanish Italian French Rumanian etc
1. There are a number of languages which are descended from Latin; for example,
Portuguese and Latin.
This can be expressed with another way:
2. There are a number of languages, sucha s Portuguese and Italian, which are
descended from Latin.
(2) Write two sentences about the following information: firstly, one sentence as in 1
above, and then another sentence as in 2.
Latin
Romansch Provencal Catalan Sardinian etc
E n g l i s h f o r G e n e r al S c i e n ce s Page 7