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. 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 "tourist-oriented" water sports, don't use another unifying principle, such as "native water sports," which would have different categories: pearl diving, outrigger, or canoe racing.

3. 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.

4. Arrange the ideas logically. The categories in the classification essays should be arranged logically – either from the least important to the most important or voce versa.

Task 11. Logical Order. Arrange the following ideas for the classification essay in the logical order:

Technology:

a. ___makes people lazy;

b. ___hurts environment;

c. ___can cause health problems.

Task 12. Classification

In each of the following groups, identify the principle by which you can divide the group into the categories. Then, cross out one category that does not belong.

1. vacations principle __________________

Seashore, mountains, summer, abroad

2.furniture principle____________________

Couch, kitchen, living room, bedroom

3.news principle_____________________

World, sports, local, national

4.deseases principle_____________________

By contact

Fatal

Genetic

Sexually transmitted

CLASSIFICATION ESSAY OUTLINE

Topic

I.Introduction (paragraph 1):

1.General statements.

2.Thesis statement (introduces the subjects and points of cassification).

II. Body:

7. Paragraph 2 (first point of classification) topic sentence

· Support

· Support

· Transition sentence

8. Paragraph 3 (second point of classification) topic sentence

· Support

· Support

· Transition sentence

3. Paragraph 4 (third point of classification) topic sentence

· Support

· Support

· Transition sentence

III.Conclusion (paragraph 5):

· Conclusion (restated thesis)

· Final sentence (suggestion, opinion or prediction)

Peer editing. It is never enough writing your essay once. A good essay usually requires more than one draft. Think of the first draft of your essay as your first attempt. Before you rewrite, it is helpful to let someone read your paper and offer comments. In class, peer editing is the easiest way to get comments on your essay. Peer editing is used both for outlines and for essay drafts. Use Peer Editing Sheet #1 for outlines (Appendix 7) and Peer Editing Sheet #2 for essay drafts (Appendix 8).

Date: 2014-12-29; view: 1192