1 / 14

Classification Essay

Classification Essay. Organize this closet into three categories:. Objectives. Why write this essay? Division is a helpful strategy in any prewriting stage, especially complex subjects: The structure of a film Motivation of a character Controversy surrounding school prayer.

wade-diaz
Download Presentation

Classification Essay

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript


  1. Classification Essay

  2. Organize this closet into three categories:

  3. Objectives • Why write this essay? • Division is a helpful strategy in any prewriting stage, especially complex subjects: • The structure of a film • Motivation of a character • Controversy surrounding school prayer. • Strategy is helpful for analyzing complex issues. • Many college essays will veil this essay in a prompt: • “From your observations, what kinds of appeals do television advertisers use when selling automobiles? In your view, are any of these appeals morally irresponsible?”

  4. What is classification? • Writing a classification essay means dividing the members of a group. • The members in any class must share basic similar characteristics. • When classifying, you need a principle of classification.

  5. What is the basis of division? • For example, we can divide the students in Advanced ESL by • Ethnic Background • Hispanics • Europeans • Africans • Asians Which prayer is categorically different?

  6. Don’t mix classifying principles! • It’s confusing to have overlapping bases for classification. • In dividing students by ethnic background, don’t use classes like “hard-working” or “easy-going.” • After all, there are hard-working people in any ethnic background! Why would cats care to classify types of rats?

  7. Can you find the misfits? • Autos: SUV, pickup, economy • Transport: land, train, air, water • Rivers: dangerous, short, wide • Drugs: uppers, illegal, downers • Colleges: private, famous, public • Courses: year-long, half-term, math • Housing: rooms, cheap, apartments

  8. __1. SUV, pickup, sedan __2. land, air, water __3. short, wide, long __4. uppers, downers, pain-killers __5. private, public, religious __6. year-long, half-term, full-term __7. rooms, apartments, houses type of college type of housing type of river type of transportation Type of vehicle Type of medication Type of semester What are the principles of division?

  9. E 1. SUV, pickup, sedan D 2. land, air, water C 3. short, wide, long F4. uppers, downers, pain-killers A 5. private, public, religious G 6. year-long, half-term, full-term B 7. rooms, apartments, houses type of college type of housing type of river type of transportation type of vehicle type of medication type of semester Here are the principles of division:

  10. Suppose the writing prompt is “In what manner do people answer when given questions?” Don’t answer: “People answer in different ways, some of them take their time, others quick, still others kind of are, well, they’re between.” Instead, organize with parallelism: “Most people respond in one of three ways: eagerly, indifferently, or reluctantly.” Notice that each categorical word is in the samegrammarform: adverbs. Don’t mix and match the terminology!

  11. Writing the Classification Essay

  12. Questions to Consider • Do you use the most logical principle of division or classification for your purpose? • Do you stick to one principle throughout? • Have you identified components or categories that are comparable? • Have you used the best order for your components or categories? • Have you given specific examples for each of your components or categories? • Have you made a complex subject more accessible to your readers?

More Related