demonstrationslike

Demonstrationslike is a term used in discourse analysis and education to classify a broad set of expressions and constructions that perform a demonstration or illustration within discourse. Devices labeled as demonstrationslike typically present a concrete instance to support a claim, making abstract statements more relatable or verifiable. The category is not a fixed grammatical class, but a pragmatic label for talk that foregrounds exemplification as a demonstration.

The term blends demonstration with the suffix -like to indicate similarity. It has appeared in studies of argument structure, classroom discourse, and cross-linguistic exemplification. Demonstrationslike encompasses explicit exemplifiers such as for example, such as, and as shown, as well as cross-linguistic counterparts like Chinese 比如 (bǐrú) and Spanish por ejemplo.

Functions include anchoring claims in concrete instances, guiding interpretation, and aiding persuasion. They help organize discourse, reduce ambiguity, and support learning by linking theory to observable cases. In classroom interactions, demonstrationslike utterances often accompany demonstrations, experiments, or demonstrations in science education.

Examples illustrate the range of demonstrationslike usage. English phrases such as “for example” and “such as” introduce instances that ground a claim. Phrases like “as shown in figure 2” explicitly reference demonstrations. Cross-linguistic realizations include 比如 (bǐrú) and por ejemplo. In multimodal discourse, accompanying gestures or pointing can also function as demonstrationslike, reinforcing or clarifying spoken content.