Ask “Why This Example?”

Why This Ritual Matters

Writers don’t choose examples randomly. Every anecdote, statistic, case study, and illustration serves a purpose — it’s there to prove something. When you encounter an example in a text, you’re witnessing a strategic move in an argument. The question is: do you see the move, or does it slip past you?

Critical thinking in reading begins with this simple question: “Why did the author include this particular example?” The answer reveals not just what the author is saying, but how they’re trying to convince you. Are they appealing to emotion? Establishing credibility? Making an abstract idea concrete? Preempting an objection?

Most readers absorb examples passively. They nod along, register the information, and move forward. But this passive approach misses half the meaning. An example doesn’t just illustrate a point — it reveals what the author considers persuasive, what audience they’re imagining, and often what counter-arguments they’re worried about. Reading examples actively turns every illustration into a window into the author’s mind.

This skill becomes especially crucial in competitive exams, where questions routinely ask about the function of specific passages. “Why does the author mention the 1987 study?” “What purpose does the anecdote serve?” These questions are testing exactly this ritual: your ability to see examples as rhetorical choices, not just content.

Today’s Practice

Today, every time you encounter an example — a story, a statistic, a quotation, a case study, an analogy — pause and explicitly ask: “Why this example? What is it meant to prove or support?”

Don’t settle for vague answers like “it’s interesting” or “it illustrates the point.” Push deeper. What specific claim does this example support? Could a different example have worked just as well? Why might the author have chosen this particular one?

You might find it helpful to mentally complete this sentence after each example: “The author includes this example in order to __________, which supports their larger argument that __________.”

How to Practice

1. Identify the example clearly. First, recognize when you’re encountering an example versus when you’re reading the author’s main argument. Examples often begin with phrases like “for instance,” “consider the case of,” “take,” or “such as.” But sometimes authors drop in examples without signposting — a sudden anecdote or data point mid-paragraph.
2. Look backward first. Before analyzing the example, glance at the sentence or paragraph immediately before it. What claim was being made? The example almost always serves that preceding point. If you can’t identify what it’s supporting, you may have misread the structure.
3. Categorize its function. Ask: Is this example meant to (a) make an abstract idea concrete, (b) provide evidence for a factual claim, (c) create emotional resonance, (d) establish the author’s credibility, (e) preempt or address a counterargument, or (f) simply add variety and engagement? Most examples serve multiple purposes, but one usually dominates.
4. Evaluate the fit. Does this example actually support the claim it’s meant to support? Sometimes authors use examples that are emotionally compelling but logically weak. Noticing this gap is a higher-order critical thinking skill.
5. Consider alternatives. What other example could the author have used? Why might they have chosen this one specifically? Is there something about the example’s source, familiarity, or emotional weight that influenced the choice?
6. Check for patterns. After reading several examples in a piece, do you notice a pattern? Are they all from the same domain (science, history, business)? Do they appeal to similar values? This reveals the author’s assumptions about their audience.

What to Notice

Pay attention to your automatic responses when you encounter examples. Do you accept them at face value, or do you question their relevance? Many readers relax when they hit examples — the narrative feels easier to follow than abstract argument. This is precisely when your critical thinking should sharpen, not soften.

Notice also how different types of writing use examples differently. Journalism tends toward specific anecdotes that humanize abstract issues. Academic writing favors data and citations that establish evidentiary weight. Opinion pieces often select examples that create maximum emotional impact. Business writing loves case studies that imply replicability. Recognizing these genre patterns helps you read examples with appropriate skepticism.

Watch for what’s not there. Sometimes the most revealing question isn’t “why this example?” but “what examples are conspicuously absent?” An article about economic policy that only uses examples from wealthy nations is making an implicit choice. A piece about education reform that ignores certain types of schools has a silent agenda. The examples an author doesn’t use often reveal as much as those they do.

The Science Behind It

Cognitive scientists describe this skill as “metacognitive reading” — reading that simultaneously tracks both the content (what the text says) and the rhetoric (how the text tries to persuade). Research shows that readers who engage metacognitively demonstrate significantly better comprehension, retention, and critical evaluation.

The brain processes examples differently than abstract claims. Examples activate narrative and visual processing centers, making them more memorable and emotionally engaging. This is precisely why authors use them — and why you need to be alert. The memorability of an example can make you overweight its importance or accept a conclusion that the example doesn’t actually support.

Studies in argumentation theory show that examples function as a form of “argument by analogy.” The implicit logic is: “This example worked this way; therefore, the general principle must be true.” But analogies can be faulty. The example might be an outlier, not representative. Noticing this requires actively questioning the example-to-argument relationship.

Interestingly, readers who are trained to question examples often become better writers themselves. Understanding why examples work helps you choose better examples in your own communication.

Connection to Your Reading Journey

This ritual builds on your growing structural awareness. Earlier this month, you learned to track transition words and identify main ideas. Now you’re developing a more granular skill: analyzing the building blocks authors use to construct their arguments. Examples are among the most common and most powerful of these building blocks.

In competitive exams like the CAT, GRE, or GMAT, “function” questions are ubiquitous. “The author mentions the Renaissance primarily to…” “The discussion of cellular biology serves mainly to…” These questions are testing exactly the skill you’re practicing today. Readers who habitually ask “why this example?” find these questions straightforward, while readers who process examples passively struggle to reconstruct the author’s purpose.

As you continue through the 365 Reading Rituals, you’ll build on this foundation. Tomorrow you’ll learn to visualize structure on paper. Later, you’ll trace cause-and-effect chains. Each skill layers onto the others, creating a sophisticated toolkit for analytical reading. Today’s question — “why this example?” — will remain one of your most frequently deployed tools.