Can I use a personal example in a Task 2 essay?
It is best not to use personal example because they don't give enough evidence to support your main idea because they often include only one or a small number of people.
Let's say my main idea is that the best way to lose weight is to eat mainly fat. Next, I explain why this is true. Then, I give an example:
1) For example, I used to be overweight, but now I am very thin, and I eat one block of butter every day.
This is a poor example because it does not provide much support for the main idea. That is, it doesn't show that the best way for most people to lose weight is to eat a lot of fat.
2) For example, members of a popular weight loss group in the UK who have been following a balanced diet, which is high in vegetable content and low in fats and sugars, have been found to have lost an average of 8 kilograms in weight each.
This is a better example because it provides more support for the main idea.
