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Classification Essay
What is a Classification Essay?
In a classification essay, a writer
organizes, or sorts, things into categories.
How to Write an Effective
Classification Essay
1.
Determine the categories.
Be
thorough; don't leave out a critical category. For
example, if you say water sports of
Hawaii include snorkeling and sailing, but leave
out surfing, your essay would be
incomplete because surfing is Hawaii's most famous
water sport. On the other hand, don't
include too many categories, which will blur
your classification. For example, if
your topic is sports shoes, and your organizing
principle is activity, you wouldn't
include high heels with running and bowling shoes.
2.
Categories should be meaningful and not
based on superficial differences.
One
might
write a meaningful essay about
American Presidents by dividing them by their
politics,
their
attitudes
toward
the
Supreme
Court,
or
their
religious
convictions.
But
dividing
Presidents by their
horoscopes, their pets, or their nicknames serves
little purpose.
3.
Classify by a
single principle.
Once you have
categories, make sure that they fit
into
the
same
organizing
principle.
The
organizing
principle
is
how
you
sort
the
groups. Do not allow a different
principle to pop up unexpectedly. For example, if
your unifying principle is
principle, such as
diving,
outrigger, or canoe racing.
4.
Classification
must not use categories that overlap
Example:
Y
ou could divide
your classmates into intelligent and good-looking.
However,
perhaps some of your
classmates are both intelligent and good-looking.
That means
that those two groups
overlap. Therefore, it is a bad
classification.
T
here is another
reason this classification is bad. The types of
groups should be
consistent. You could
use good-looking and ugly or intelligent and
stupid, but you
cannot mix the types
such as the first example of intelligent and good-
looking.
H
owever, even
with good-looking and ugly, we have a problem. Do
you really think
that all of your
classmates fit into those categories? Probably
not. There are probably
plenty of
average-look
ing students in your class.
(I’m just guessing.) It is very
important that your groups include
everyone in your class.
Classifications have to
include all the possible classes to
completely cover that topic.
5.
To
avoid oversimplifying your subject, qualify your
remarks and point out possible
exceptions
:
Most
people deal with loss in three ways. . .
In most instances investigators use one
of four methods to detect fraud .
6.
Announce the
topic and explain the method of division. State
the number of
subtopics can help
readers recall major points.
People cope with loss in four common
ways: anger, depression, denial, and compensation.
Children develop personal values from
three major influences: parents, peers, and
teachers.
What type of
computer should you buy?
That will
depend upon your purpose. .... The
two
major categories of computers are IBM and
Macintosh.
7.
Use
parallel patterns to develop categories and items.
8.
To make your
division easier to follow and remember, consider
using bold type or
larger fonts to
highlight each subtopic.
9.
Support equally each category with
examples.
In general, you should write
the same
quantity, i.e., give the same
number of examples, for each category. The most
important
category, usually reserved
for last, might require more elaboration.
Below are some
sample thesis statements:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
I
am interested in
several kinds of
work opportunities.
Television shows may
be
classified into
five types.
My present life
is divided
into
four aspects.
My friends (enemies) may
be
grouped into
three major types.
Several steps led
to
former President Nixon's resignation
from the White House during
the
Watergate scandal.
Literature
is classified
into
four different forms: short story,
novel, drama, and poetry.
7.
8.
9.
So far in life
I have experienced
three kinds of
love: parental devotion, deep
friendship,
and romantic attraction.
The people I know may
be classified into
mere
acquaintances, casual friends, bosom
buddies, and loved ones.
The people I know
fall
into
four different political groups:
radical, liberal, conservation,
and
indifferent.
10.
The people in my life
are
classifiable into
three distinct
classes, each with its own
peculiar way
of behaving: lower class, middle class, and
snooty.
11.
My friends, relatives, and
acquaintances
fall neatly
into
three groups: the were-fats,
the are-fats, and the will-be-fats.
The following
are some sample statements for each specific
category:
12.
Coal is
a kind of
non-renewable resource.
13.
Coal is
a type of
non-renewable
resource.
14.
Coal
falls under the
category of
non-renewable resources.
15.
Coal
belongs to the category
of
non-renewable resources.
16.
iCoal is
a part of
the category of
non-renewable resources.
Coal
fits into the category
of
non-renewable resources.
Coal
is grouped
with
non-renewable resources.
Coal
is related
to
other non-renewable resources.
17.
Coal
is associated
with
other non-renewable resources.
Reading for fun
Types of Girls You Might
See In The Restroom
Sloppy -
Skirt drags in toilet while squatting, pees all
over front of toilet seat, never uses toilet
paper, drags her business
all over
seat, forgets to flush and emerges with back of
skirt caught in pants.
Timid - Looks under stall door to see
if anyone else is in the can, turns on faucet full
force, backs up to toilet, squats
quickly, flushes for constant flow of
water, coughs, hums, listens intently to learn if
sound other than faucet can be
heard.
Ends up with loud fart, walks out blushing.
Frivolous -
Lets stream go in little squirts to the tune of
Literary -
Always takes book of the month to the can with
her. Blames
Cautious - Has heard of so many girls
contracting VD from toilet seats that she
straddles bowl, leans over to flush, pees
on her nylons.
Worried - A week past due. Squats
thoughtfully, counting days overdue on fingers.
Uses toilet paper, examines it
hopefully. Peers into toilet before
flushing, sighing deeply. Walks out biting nails
after forgetting to wash hands.
Resolves never to go to bed drunk
again.
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