An idea without an example is only a claim. Add one specific example and one effect, and the idea becomes a paragraph the reader can picture.
This lesson is part of SPM English guided writing. It builds on turning bullet points into a coherent plan.
What is the idea, example and effect pattern?
Each paragraph has three short parts. The idea is what you suggest, the example shows it in a real situation, and the effect says what changes or why it matters.
You do not need to label the parts. Write them in this order and the paragraph will feel complete.
Worked example: the book swap
Continue the Reading Week email. The bullet point is: suggest one activity.
Vague version. “I suggest a book swap. Many students will like it. It will be good for the school.”
The sentences are correct, but none of them is specific. “Many students will like it” could be said about any activity in any school.
Supported version. “I suggest a book swap on the first day. Each student brings one book they have finished and takes home a different one from the table.”
“A Form 2 student who brought a detective novel, for instance, might go home with a science fiction story and discover a new kind of reading. This gives students a free way to try books they would not normally choose.”
Now the idea has an example and an effect, and the reader can picture the table, the swap and the result.
How do you test an example?
Ask two questions. Does it prove the exact idea I wrote? Could it appear in a different answer about a different idea? If yes to the second, the example is too general.
An example about students playing football would not support a book swap, even if it sounds lively. An example about a student trying a new kind of book does.
The mistake that loses marks
The common slip is to write a group phrase instead of an example, such as “many students” or “some people”. The reader cannot picture anything from these phrases.
The repair is to name one situation. Replace “some people” with one kind of person, in one place, doing one thing, in a sentence or two.
Check yourself
Your idea is: “The school should have a quiet reading corner.” Write a one-sentence example and one effect.
Answer
Example: “During recess, a student who finds the canteen noisy could sit on a cushion in the corner and finish a chapter of her novel.”
Effect: “This gives students a calm place to read, even on busy school days.”
Both parts point to the same idea. The example has a person and a time, and the effect says what it gives students.
What to study next
Next, learn to join supported paragraphs into one smooth answer in writing clear topic sentences and transitions. Use the English writing task checklist to test each paragraph for an example.
If you would like a teacher to help you find specific examples for your own tasks, see online one-to-one English tuition.