If you're looking to keep your writing varied, you'll want to avoid repetition too often throughout your text. One phrase that is often overused is 'for example.'
In this article:
'For example' is a phrase you use if you want to illustrate what you've just said so your reader can better understand what you mean. Sometimes examples are more effective than the argument itself in conveying meaning. But the problem is, if your text contains a lot of examples, you might find yourself repeating the phrase over and over.
The average dictionary contains over 300,000 words, and it's reported that people know approximately 40,000 of them. It's pretty much guaranteed there'll always be an alternative word you can use instead of recycling the same old stuff.
Today we will look at other ways to say 'for example.' If you write a lot, it's a phrase you probably use often. And let me tell you, there are most definitely alternatives out there that you'll like.
Depending on the topic you're writing about, you might want to adjust the complexity level.
For general writing, the Hemingway app says writing at a Grade 6 level is a good place to aim for, as this keeps your text nice and easy to read. After all, you just want to get your point across. If your audience has to struggle over tedious and complex nouns, verbs, and adjectives, they'll just lose patience and look for another article with better readability.
In line with those findings, here are some simple alternatives for 'for example.' These words and phrases are pretty much synonymous with 'for example.' You can use them and follow them up with your example.
1. For instance
2. Such as
3. To give you an idea
4. Imagine
5. Picture this
6. Say that
I'll use some of these in a sentence to demonstrate:
Choose the membership that suits your needs. For instance, if you work 9-5, you'll want the option to access the gym during peak hours.
Savanna animals are some of the fastest on the planet. To give you an idea, cheetahs can run up to 120 kilometers per hour.
His behavior is a perfect case in point for what I was saying earlier.
Simple language isn't always what you're aiming for. Sometimes you might want something a little more formal or advanced. Some texts call for that: academic journals, textbooks, or business presentations, to name a few.
In those scenarios, here are some more complex variations of the phrase 'for example:'
7. To illustrate
8. Suppose that
9. By way of example
10. By way of illustration
11. To demonstrate
12. To exemplify
Some of these are also more complex because of their required sentence structure. 'Suppose that,' for instance, calls for the past indefinite tense, making the entire sentence much more challenging to read.
Let me illustrate:
Suppose that it started raining, and we were trapped outside with no umbrellas.
These are great for embellishing your text and are super easy to use in a sentence.
Here are some case studies to illustrate my point.
By way of example, he referred to specific clients throughout his presentation.
His behavior is a perfect case in point for what I was saying earlier.
There are also ways that you can explain yourself without giving an example. These phrases aren't exactly synonyms of 'for example,' but they allow you to make your point.
14. In other words
15. In layman's terms
16. More specifically
17. Namely
18. In light of
19. Think about it as if
20. By and large
21. In the same vein
Let's look at some examples of these in a sentence, so you can see how to use them and how exactly they help you illustrate your idea.
I'm done with this place. In other words, I'm leaving!
I learned something very interesting today; namely that nature is infinitely clever.
Cinammon rolls are by and large the best pastry out there.
There are lots of other ways that you can introduce an example in your speech or writing. These words aren't exactly synonyms of 'for example,' but they represent alternative ways to present your argument.
22. as documented
23. as illustrated
24. as revealed
25. as suggested
26. examples include
27. let's say
28. additionally
29. consequently
30. indeed
31. similarly
32. in fact
33. in particular
34. to clarify
35. to explain
36. consider this
37. look at it this way
38. think of it this way
39. figures that show this
40. this would be like
41. with this in mind
Have you ever heard of abbreviations? They're words that have been shortened for simplicity. The two abbreviations that are commonly used to mean 'for example' in the English language are: 'e.g.,' and 'i.e.,'
Let me explain.
I.e., stands for the Latin id est, which means:
So what it actually means is "in other words." It's intended to be used as a way to explain something in more detail, which, granted, is close in meaning to 'for example,' but not entirely the same.
Here are some ways you can use 'i.e':
I'm grateful for the growth in popularity of eco-friendly traveling, i.e., cycling, hiking, and carpooling.
She was vegetarian, i.e., she didn't eat any meat or fish.
You can see in the first sentence that the meaning is very close to 'for example.' A good rule of thumb is to replace 'i.e.' with 'that is,' and if it works, you're onto a winner.
E.g., however, is an excellent substitute for 'for example.' It stands for exempli gratia, which means 'for example' in Latin. So you see, it's more than just a synonym; it's quite literally the same word!
Use, 'e.g.,' to your heart's content in your sentences, for instance:
They've decided they're going somewhere warm for our honeymoon, e.g. Thailand or the Caribbean.
Can you give us more specific guidelines, e.g., a deadline and expected outcomes?
As you can see, you can use many words and phrases instead of 'for example.' Just take your pick!
Don't stress about it, though; it's okay to recycle words two or three times in a text; what matters is that you aren't always using the same ones. That's why it's great to have alternatives.
To summarize:
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