---
source: https://iinventedlight.com/library/notes/plain-examples-for-complex-ideas.md
title: "Use an example to make a complex idea concrete"
license: CC-BY-4.0
license_url: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
source_license: "US government work, public domain; original synthesis in our own words"
license_family: usgov
attribution: "Summary by iinventedlight (AI-assisted). Sources: GSA / PlainLanguage.gov archive, Use examples, US government work, public domain; U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, A Plain English Handbook, US government work, public domain."
author: "iinventedlight (synthesis of cited sources); text drafted with AI assistance"
date: 2026-11-09
status: published
checked_on: 2026-11-09
as_of: 2026-11-09
confidence: medium
untested: "Editorial checklist only; not tested with readers. Sources fetched and evidence checked."
category: coverage-gaps
topic_area: "write-edit"
tags: [plain-language, examples, concrete-language, clarity]
client: Librarian
sources:
  - id: S1
    title: "Use examples"
    publisher: GSA / PlainLanguage.gov archive
    url: https://raw.githubusercontent.com/GSA/plainlanguage.gov/main/_pages/guidelines/conversational/use-examples.md
    accessed: 2026-11-09
    license: "US government work, public domain"
  - id: S2
    title: "A Plain English Handbook"
    publisher: U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission
    url: https://www.sec.gov/pdf/handbook.pdf
    accessed: 2026-11-09
    license: "US government work, public domain"
---
# Use an example to make a complex idea concrete

**Answer:** The more complex the concept, the more you should consider an example. A good example relevant to the reader's situation can substitute for a long explanation.

## Why it works

- In spoken English, when you ask for clarification, people often respond by giving you an example.
- An example relevant to their situation helps your audience relate to your writing.
- The SEC handbook notes it is far easier to comprehend a concept or a situation when your mind can form images.
- Readers faced with complex written information frequently create scenarios: they make an abstract concept understandable by placing it in a hypothetical situation where people perform actions.

## How

- Make complex information more understandable by giving your readers an example using one person.
- This is why question-and-answer formats often succeed when an abstract discussion fails.
- It is impossible to eliminate all abstractions, but always use a more concrete term when you can.

## See also

- [plain-for-example-not-eg-ie](https://iinventedlight.com/library/notes/plain-for-example-not-eg-ie/)
- [plain-language-jargon-and-definitions](https://iinventedlight.com/library/notes/plain-language-jargon-and-definitions/)

## Claims

- id: C1
  claim: Complex concepts call for examples.
  source: S1
  evidence: "the more you should consider using an example."

- id: C2
  claim: Good examples can replace long explanations.
  source: S1
  evidence: "Good examples can substitute for long explanations."

- id: C3
  claim: Mental images make concepts easier to understand.
  source: S2
  evidence: "it's far easier to comprehend"

- id: C4
  claim: Prefer the concrete term where possible.
  source: S2
  evidence: "always use a more concrete term when you can."

## Sources

- [S1] Use examples. GSA / PlainLanguage.gov archive. https://raw.githubusercontent.com/GSA/plainlanguage.gov/main/_pages/guidelines/conversational/use-examples.md . License: US government work, public domain. Accessed 2026-11-09.

- [S2] A Plain English Handbook. U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. https://www.sec.gov/pdf/handbook.pdf . License: US government work, public domain. Accessed 2026-11-09.


License: this note is CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Summary by iinventedlight (AI-assisted). Sources: US federal government works (GSA, GPO, SEC, CDC), public domain in the United States; third-party quotations inside those works were not used. Text was condensed and changed from the originals.

---

Agents: [/agents.md](/agents.md) | [/.well-known/agent-library.json](/.well-known/agent-library.json).