Exercise 1.
Look at the examples below and decide whether they can be used to illustrate the topic sentence “I had a terrible day at the office today.”
1. I had a fight with my boss.
Comment:
2. I quarreled with my husband last night.
Comment:
3. One of the important documents was missing.
Comment:
4. I was unhappy all day.
Comment:
5. I forgot an appointment with one of my clients and was severely scolded by my boss.
Comment:
Exercise 2
Restore the logical sequence of the following sentences and decide in which pattern of exemplification the paragraph is written.
1. Also, you always have to worry about one of the girls finding out about each of the others, and that could prove to be a hairy experience.
2. One of the biggest disadvantages is when you bring one of the girls home for dinner and Mom slips and calls her by the wrong name.
3. Although having more than one girlfriend can sometimes be an advantage, it does have its disadvantages.
4. And what could be more of an disadvantage then is when your birthday arrives and they all want to help you celebrate.
5. All of these examples prove that more than one girlfriend can be a big disadvantage.
6. For example, when a birthday or holiday arrives, you have to buy a present for each of the girls, and that could cost you a lot of money.
7. Last but not least, a final disadvantage is trying to remember what you said to each of the girls without acting like you can’t remember.
8. Scheduling dates usually turns out to be more of a carefully planned strategic move than a spur-of-the-moment decision.
Pattern of Exemplification:
Exercise 3
If you want to write a paragraph to prove that some of the laws in Massachusetts seem ridiculously funny in today’s world, pick out the effective examples you will use from among the listed seven sentences.
1. Massachusetts passes some funny laws about getting married.
2. According to an old law of Truro, Massachusetts, a young man could not get married until he had killed either six blackbirds or three crows.
3. To take a bath in Boston, Massachusetts, you must have a doctor’s written prescription.
4. Singing out of tune in North Carolina is against the law.
5. It is illegal to eat peanuts in church in Massachusetts.
6. In Gary, Indiana, it is illegal to attend the theater within four hours of eating garlic.
7. Massachusetts has a ridiculous law about church.
Exercise 4
Read each of the following examples, the write a topic sentence.
1. Topic sentence:
(1) Arena is always the last to get up in the morning.
(2) When it is almost time for class, she gets up slowly and never has the time to fold her quilt.
(3) What’s more, she almost never washes her clothes until all the dirty clothes pile up under her bed.
(4) As for study, she always spends her self-study time reading popular novels and listening to pop music.
(5) She almost never does her homework.
2. Topic sentence:
(1) For example, they often use VCRs and television to give students practice in listening to commercials, parts of movies, video music, etc.
(2) Another way teachers have students practice listening comprehension is with tape recorders that can play songs, lectures, conversations, and prerecorded English lessons.
(3) Teachers also use computers to give students a chance to practice grammar and vocabulary lessons at their own pace.
(4) Another example is the use of magazines and newspapers in the classroom to give students practice in reading about current events.
3. Topic sentence:
(1) In the early 1900s many Americans were forced to work six or seven days a week to earn a living.
(2) By 1950 most Americans worked only five days a week with daily lunch and coffee breaks.
(3) In the 1980s some Americans were demanding three-and-four day weeks.下载本文
