Giving Examples

for example

for instance

Dave is always doing dumb things. For instance, last week he put his cat in the microwave to dry it.

as follows

‘as follows’ is used to introduce a basic list

Dave is always doing dumb things, and a few examples are as follows:…

that is (to say)

‘that is’ introduces an example/statement that clarifies a point that may be ambigious

The one good thing about Dave is that he is predictable; that is to say he is always doing dumb things.

in this case

‘in this case’ gives a specific case to prove a point (it usually involves a ‘lead in’ statement, such as ‘and he did so again today’)

Dave is always dumb things, and this morning was no different. In this case….

namely

‘namely’ simply allows the exact naming of the examples

There are two things I hate about Dave, namely….

in other words

the most common way ‘in other words’ is used is to make a simple statement that sums up a longer, more difficult example

Dave’s life is one of misadventures:…In other words he is always doing dumb things.

to illustrate/as an illustration

After giving a general point, ‘to illustrate’ leads to an example

To illustrate an example of Dave being dumb let me tell you about…

as can be seen (by/in)

‘as can be seen’ leads to a specific example that proves a point. It is often used as ‘as can be seen by the fact…’ or ‘as can be seen by the time…’

Dave’s habit is doing dumb things, as can be seen by….