diff --git a/docs/src/main/tut/monoid.md b/docs/src/main/tut/monoid.md
index 9a133ecefe..8ff8f37f7c 100644
--- a/docs/src/main/tut/monoid.md
+++ b/docs/src/main/tut/monoid.md
@@ -7,17 +7,20 @@ source: "https://github.com/non/algebra/blob/master/core/src/main/scala/algebra/
 ---
 # Monoid
 
-`Monoid` extends the [`Semigroup`](semigroup.html) typeclass, adding an `empty` method to semigroup's 
-`combine`. The `empty` method must return a value that when combined with any other instance of that type
-returns the other instance, i.e.
+`Monoid` extends the [`Semigroup`](semigroup.html) type class, adding an 
+`empty` method to semigroup's `combine`. The `empty` method must return a 
+value that when combined with any other instance of that type returns the 
+other instance, i.e.
 
     (combine(x, empty) == combine(empty, x) == x)
     
-For example, if we have a `Monoid[String]` with `combine` defined as string concatenation, then `empty = ""`.
+For example, if we have a `Monoid[String]` with `combine` defined as string 
+concatenation, then `empty = ""`.
 
-Having an `empty` defined allows us to combine all the elements of some potentially empty collection
-of `T` for which a `Monoid[T]` is defined and return a `T`, rather than an `Option[T]` as we have a
-sensible default to fall back to.
+Having an `empty` defined allows us to combine all the elements of some 
+potentially empty collection of `T` for which a `Monoid[T]` is defined and 
+return a `T`, rather than an `Option[T]` as we have a sensible default to 
+fall back to.
  
 ```tut
 import cats._
@@ -28,8 +31,9 @@ Monoid[String].combineAll(List("a", "b", "c"))
 Monoid[String].combineAll(List())
 ```
 
-The advantage of using these typeclass provided methods, rather than the specific ones for each
-type, is that we can compose monoids to allow us to operate on more complex types, e.g.
+The advantage of using these type class provided methods, rather than the 
+specific ones for each type, is that we can compose monoids to allow us to 
+operate on more complex types, e.g.
  
 ```tut
 import cats._
@@ -38,9 +42,40 @@ import cats.std.all._
 Monoid[Map[String,Int]].combineAll(List(Map("a" -> 1, "b" -> 2), Map("a" -> 3)))
 Monoid[Map[String,Int]].combineAll(List())
 ```
+
+This is also true if we define our own instances. As an example, let's use 
+[`Foldable`](foldable.html)'s `foldMap`, which maps over values accumulating
+the results, using the available `Monoid` for the type mapped onto. To use this
+with a function that produces a tuple, we can define a `Monoid` for a tuple 
+that will be valid for any tuple where the types it contains also have a 
+`Monoid` available:
+
+```tut
+import cats._
+import cats.implicits._
+
+val l = List(1, 2, 3, 4, 5)
+
+l.foldMap(identity)
+l.foldMap(i => i.toString)
+
+implicit def tupleMonoid[A : Monoid, B : Monoid]: Monoid[(A, B)] =
+   new Monoid[(A, B)] {
+     def combine(x: (A, B), y: (A, B)): (A, B) = {
+       val (xa, xb) = x
+       val (ya, yb) = y
+       (Monoid[A].combine(xa, ya), Monoid[B].combine(xb, yb))
+     }
+     def empty: (A, B) = (Monoid[A].empty, Monoid[B].empty)
+   }
+
+l.foldMap(i => (i, i.toString)) // do both of the above in one pass, hurrah!
+```
+
+-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  
 N.B.
-Cats does not define a `Monoid` typeclass itself, it uses the [`Monoid`
+Cats does not define a `Monoid` type class itself, it uses the [`Monoid`
 trait](https://github.com/non/algebra/blob/master/core/src/main/scala/algebra/Monoid.scala)
 which is defined in the [algebra project](https://github.com/non/algebra) on 
 which it depends. The [`cats` package object](https://github.com/non/cats/blob/master/core/src/main/scala/cats/package.scala)