Rachel HibnerErin Davidson

ShaneEvelyn

Supporting Your Ideas

Examples

Statistics

Testimony

Introduction

• Specific case referred to in passing to illustrate pointBrief examples

• Longer and more detailed to illustrate pointExtended

examples• Describes an imaginary or

fictitious situationHypothetical examples

Examples

Use to clarify

Use to reinforce

Use examples to personalize

Make your examples vivid

Practice delivery so you can maintain eye contact

Tips for Using Examples

Can clarify and support ideas

Often cited in passing to

strengthen points

Can be stacked in order to show

magnitude of an issue

Statistics

Are the statistics representative?

Are statistical measures used

correctly?

Are the statistics from a reliable

source?

Questions to answer when using statistics

Mean

Average value of a group of numbers

Mode

Number that occurs most frequently in a

group of numbers

MedianMiddle number in a group of numbers

(arranged highest to lowest)

Statistical Measures

The quotations or paraphrases used to support a point

Testimony

Expert testimony

Peer testimony

Difference between quoting & paraphrasing

Tips for using testimony

Testimony from people who are

recognized experts in the their field

Helpful to students who

are rarely looked at as

experts

Important to use when topic is controversial

Expert Testimony

Testimony from ordinary people with firsthand experience

Gives a more personal viewpoint on an issue

Conveys feelings, knowledge and insight

Peer Testimony

Quote- testimony that is presented

word for word

Paraphrasing- testimony that

restates or summarizes sources

ideas

Quoting vs. Paraphrasing

More effective than paraphrasing when brief

More effective than paraphrasing when conveys

the speaker’s meaning

More effective then paraphrasing when the quote

is eloquent, witty or compelling

Quote

Quote or paraphrase accurately

• Don’t misquote• Do not violate the

meaning of your paraphrase

• Do not quote out of context

Use testimony from qualified sources

• Example: not all celebrities are qualified to endorse certain products

Tips for Using Testimony

Examples – help draw vivid

images to ideas

Brief examples

Extended examples/narrative

Hypothetical example

Statistics – numerical data

Effective way to clarify & support

ideas

Make sure they are representative,

correct & reliable

Review