Classification Essays
A classification essay is a common type of assignment students handle in the course of their time in high school or college. The paper tells the reader something meaningful about how a whole part relates to other features.
In classification projects, the writer is required to group ideas that are related to one another. This guide will discuss how to structure a classification essay with examples for your academic work.
What is a Classification Essay?
When writing a classification essay, you first need to understand what it is before you can structure and organize things into groups.
A classification essay is an essay type that allows you to categorize things, ideas, characteristics into groups based on particular criteria. The critical point in this kind of project is the various methods that items can be classified based on your purpose.
Prewriting and Purpose
A classification paper requires the author to prewrite the essay and create categories and group ideas, thoughts, or things in several ways, depending on the purpose. The groups you generate must have a distinct source of organization, and they must fit into the category you propose.
For instance, workers in a company can be classified in several ways, such as by age group, level of education, marital status, previous occupations, religious affiliations, etc. You can group this information to write about the spending power of the middle class.
Conversely, if you want to write about an individual's private life, you might select information on personal relationships or hobbies.
Structuring a Classification Essay
Structuring a classification essay is a crucial part of the writing process. You may choose to go with the famous five-paragraph method accustomed to other essay types, but it's allowed to add in other paragraphs as you see fit.
Here is how you structure the essay;
1. Introductory paragraph
When you're introducing your topic in a classification essay, you want to present your subject matter. Enlighten the reader what you want to group and explain the purpose of your paper.
You also want to present your ideas as classified groups as you close your introduction with a thesis statement.
2. Body Paragraphs
The body contains three or more paragraphs that explain the different categories based on your research. Present a summary in each section and define the criteria for each group of ideas.
Body paragraphs should also include examples and evidence of the subject matter at hand. Be thorough, and don't leave any critical classes. On the other hand, don't have too many categories, especially if they're not closely related to the topic, you can quickly lose your reader.
3. Conclusion
When you're summarizing a classification essay, you should pull together various groups of ideas discussed in the body and bring them into a compelling conclusion. Depending on the topic, you can recommend a particular class over the other and explain why you support that category.
How to Write a Classification Essay
Now, you have an idea of how you should structure your essay. Next, you need to plan how you will pen down the thoughts into a classification essay. Here is an outline of the initial planning;
- Brainstorm ideas
If your instructor has not given out any topic, you need to brainstorm potential ideas to form your subject matter. Look for a group of items, things, people, or something you can define into categories.
It would generally help if you looked at three to five classes of things that can make comparisons. However, don't focus on many topics as you may not have enough word count to deal with all the details
- Prepare the Categories
After narrowing down to a specific topic, it's time to think about the order and categories you will place your ideas. If you have multiple options, decide which angle you will tackle your subject on a single basis of classification.
Plan the Process
Plan the order in which you want to place the categories during the presentation. It would help to make bullet points on the types you want to discuss.
Highlight the differences and similarities to make it easy when linking sentences and paragraphs. Write your points in a logical order from the most important to the least important.
- Formulate a Thesis Statement
Once you have decided on the groups and categories, its time to write down your thesis statement. The statement should include the topic and how ideas, items, or things are grouped.
As part of your introductory paragraph, a thesis statement should shape the entire process of your project. It keeps you on track and helps to avoid vagueness, and you discuss the properties and criteria of your subject matter.
Here are three things you should keep in mind when writing a thesis statement for a classification essay;
i) Names of the groups of things, ideas, or people you intend to group
ii) Define the basis of the grouping
iii) Label the classes you have created
When you're done with this initial pre-planning process, you're now ready to craft a winning classification essay. You need to write at least the first draft to get it right, as your plan may slightly change along the way.
- Write the classification paper and revise it before submission.
When crafting your paper, ensure that you write meaningful sentences and paragraphs that a reader can understand. Note down the relationship between ideas, things, or people in different groups so that you can bring your project into the desired conclusion.
If your instructor asks you to write 3000 words, it should be 3000 words that are clear, concise, and meaningful. Revise your paper before submission and cut down on fluff and wordiness to help create a strong essay. Also, check for grammatical errors and plagiarized material.
Conclusion
A classification essay groups' ideas and shows how they relate to each other. When dealing with this kind of project, the crucial thing to remember is the method that classifies items based on your purpose. A classification essay helps harness the skills that you will need in your career and the business world.
Order Your Custom Classification Essay or Term Paper Today!
