I can't find an example for my essay: what do I do?
Support your idea with a concrete situation, without made-up statistics.
2 min read · Updated 9/8/2026
The key idea
For an example you don't need to memorise a well-known study. A simple situation that shows how the claim might work in real life can be enough.
For instance, if you say “flexible hours help students”, show who uses flexible time and how. An example must serve the main idea of the paragraph.
Present an imaginary situation as a possibility: a student may…, for example, someone who…. Don't write an invented percentage as if it were a research result.
See an example
Idea: Recorded lectures can make revision easier.
Suitable example: A student who does not understand a calculation can replay that part of the lecture before trying the problem again.
The example shows how the idea of “making it easier” works. “Technology is popular everywhere”, however, does not make this idea concrete.
Now you try
Write an example for this idea:
Safe cycle lanes can encourage people to cycle to work.
Let the example show one person, the obstacle they face and how the cycle lane helps them.
A personal draft. It is not saved when you leave or automatically graded.
Reveal the answer and explanation
Answer and explanation
Possible example: For example, someone who avoids cycling because of heavy traffic may start commuting by bike when there is a protected route to the office.
Here the obstacle is dangerous traffic and the change is a protected route. The example explains the idea; it does not claim that the same result will occur in all cities.
What do I write in a Task 1 overview?
Official sources for this topic
IELTS · Writing