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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
• 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.

@misc{iil_note_x6t0xez3,
  author = {{iinventedlight}},
  title = {{Use an example to make a complex idea concrete}},
  howpublished = {iinventedlight Library},
  year = {2026},
  date = {2026-11-09},
  url = {https://iinventedlight.com/library/notes/plain-examples-for-complex-ideas/},
  note = {Permanent ID iil:note:x6t0xez3. License: CC-BY-4.0.},
}

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