What is a Classification Essay?

Classification (sometimes called classification and division) is the process of establishing categories, of grouping items that share certain characteristics.

Sometimes one can wish to break categories down into smaller units (division).

Writers use classification essays to group items according to their similarities and differences. Items are combined into a number of discrete groupings and then each group is labeled. In many instances classifying is a matter of dividing something into its constituent parts in order to consider the elements of each part separately. Classification involves more than just making a list of items. When you classify, you impose order on the list. To decide on the order to use, you choose a principle of organization. This is the guideline or method that divides items into groups.

For example, the paragraph “Writing for a purpose” in Exercise 1, Unit 1, p.3 classifies paragraphs and essays. The principle of organization is according to their purpose. This organizing principle allows the writer to divide paragraphs and essays into different groups and categories based on the purposes for which they are written.

As a strategy, classification and division serve as a means of organization, of creating a framework for the presentation of information.

The most important concept to keep in mind in classifying or dividing is that you are establishing a variety of levels. You must not confuse major and minor categories. The following guidelines should help you to prevent this error.

1. Use only one basis at a time (if you classify cars according to the size do not include another basis. say, colour).

2. Choose a basis consistent with your audience and purpose (always take into account the possible readers of your paper: your group mates, teachers, schoolchildren and so on).

3. Avoid overlap (совпадать, пересекаться, частично покрывать) (Make sure that no single item could logically be placed in more than one category of your classification or in partition. Overlapping generally results from changing the basis of classification.).

4. Be inclusive (ничего не пропускай) (be sure to include all the categories).

5. Arrange the categories in a logical sequence (after establishing your categories and subcategories of classification or partition, arrange them according to some reasonable plan: time (first to last), space (top to bottom), importance (most to least, and so on.).

Classification is common in professional and academic writing. For example, scientists classify types of genes; business people categorize marketing strategies; dancers classify dance steps. The same set of items can be classified in different ways using different principles of organization.

Study this example:

Items to be classified: cars

Possible principles of organization: size, price, power, comfort, speed, safety.

When you divide materials up, you must be sure the division meets several basic requirements. First of all, it must be appropriate to your writing purpose. You shouldn’t divide material simply to have smaller bits of information. Your divisions should be consistent (последовательный), exclusive (исключающей) and complete. These may be defined as follows:

Consistency. The resulting parts must all be based on the same principle of division.

Exclusiveness. Parts resulting from the division should not overlap.

Completeness. No important parts should be omitted in the division.

The principle of division, one uses, depends primarily on one’s purpose. Most topics can be divided in a number of ways. For example, based on the purpose of the study, a team of sociologists might divide a survey’s respondents according to age, education, education, income, answer given to a particular question. The division results from the writer’s analysis of the topic and of all information gathered regarding the topic plus any idea or insights he or she may have. Only full and thoughtful analysis of the topic and a carefully defined principle of division can assure that the division or system of classification will be consistent, exclusive, and complete.

To maintain unity in classification essays, it is important to use only one organizing principle when you classify the items in a group. If you use more than one, the classification system breaks down, and your essay will lose unity.

For example, you might classify flowers according to their colour: red, orange, yellow etc. If you then include a group labeled “tall”, you will have changed the principles of classification and will confuse your reader.

There are many techniques for adding coherence to paragraphs and essays. Effective use of transition expressions is one of the most important of these techniques.

Transition expressions: one/another/ a third… + classifying word

one + classifying word

Function: begins the classification process; gives the first category

Use: One is a determiner and is followed by another classifying noun or pronoun which specifies the organizing principle.

Examples: There are several types of cars, depending on their size. One type is the

compact car.

Flowers are often categorized according to their colour. One popular

colour is red.

another + classifying word

Function: to signal the introduction of a category that comes after another category

Use: Like one, another is a determiner and is followed by a classifying word such as type, or category or by another classifying noun or pronoun that specifies the organizing principle.

Examples: Another type of car is the mid-sized car.

Another very popular colour for flowers is blue.

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