HOW TO WRITE A CLASSIFICATION ESSAY
If you are in high school or college you are likely to encounter more than one classification essay. The aim of a classification essay is to evaluate your ability to divide information based on certain properties. When you first encounter this kind of essay, it will seem like a tough ask. However, once you learn how to write a classification essay you will enjoy doing it. But what are some of the things involved in writing a classification essay? Hold that thought!
What is a classification essay?
The most appropriate classification essay definition would be that it’s a type of essay that is designed to test your skills in categorizing and generalization. For the essay to be accepted, you will have to organize things or ideas into groups and give examples for each of these groups or categories. In most cases, you will have the freedom to decide how you want to classify the information. However, you will need to explain why you chose that criteria.
What would a classification essay outline look like?
If you want to write an effective classification essay, you need to first understand how to structure it. The structure is important for any essay and the success of any largely depends on it. Just a heads up, the structure for this one doesn’t vary so much from that of any other essay. There are three main parts that you should know;
- The introductory paragraph: Any essay has to start with a good introduction. The introduction usually identifies the subject to the reader. For a classification and division essay, you will need to explain what you will be categorizing. Tell your reader(s) what you are writing this essay. Tell them why you are categorizing these items. Once you have stated the purpose of your essay, you will need to form a thesis – the question that the essay will be answering. The thesis should point out your groups and explain briefly the criteria for each of them.
- Body Paragraphs: The body of your division and classification essay should have three or more paragraphs. Each paragraph should explain a different category. Often you will be required to explain the criteria first and then discuss their strengths and weaknesses. Paragraphs can be broken down into shorter ones depending on how much information each category may have. Just make sure you transition well from one category to the next. Here’s some insight on how to effectively classify the categories;
- Sort the categories out first in a useful format
- All categories should follow a single organizing principle
- Each category should be accompanied by examples
- Conclusion: Your classification essay conclusion should bring together all the categories you have explained in your essay. Give a summary of what each of them represents. Sometimes you may want to elevate one category over the others. However, should you decide on this path, ensure you explain why that is the case.
Classification essay topics and how to successfully write one
Knowing the outline of a classification essay does not guarantee that you will successfully write one. You still need to sit down and plan. Don’t start on your first draft unless you are absolutely convinced that you have a good plan. These planning steps should get you on your way to writing a great essay;
- Start by working on topic ideas: Sometimes your moderator or professor will assign you a topic to work with. If that is not the case, you may need to brainstorm a few classification essay topics. Think of groups of people, things, or ideas that can logically be subdivided. It’s recommended that you pick something with definite categories so that it’s easy to draw comparisons. Don’t choose a topic with too many categories. The general rule of thumb is that you aim for three to five categories – this largely depends on the word count allocated. Pick a number that will be easier to make comparisons and also allow you to be in-depth with your criteria for classification.
- Think about how you will categorize: Categories are the next step in your essay after you have brainstormed essay topics. Some topics will present you with many options and it’s up to you to decide how you approach them. For instance, if it’s about people, you will need to find out whether to classify them by age, appearance, jobs, or something different. Ensure each category has a single basis of classification.
- Organize your essay: Once you sort out the categories you will use in your essay, it’s time to organize it in a nice flow. Make notes on how you will discuss each category. This will help you identify similarities and link sentences and ideas within your essay. Check other paragraphs you have already written and draw comparisons. When organizing your essay, you can choose how to order your points. A good rule of thumb is to start with most important to least important.
- Define your thesis before you start: Now that we know how we will organize our essay, it’s time to come up with a thesis statement. Here you will want to state what you will be dividing into categories. List the categories and say why you chose to classify them. Say whether you are going to pick one group over all. This will guide you as you write your essay.
Write your classification essay
The steps above will help you write an effective essay. Remember to take each step seriously and stay within the parameters given to you by the moderator or professor. You will probably need more than one sitting to knock out a classification essay. You will probably need a few drafts before you can come up with the final piece. Remember our professional essay writing service can give you some ideas on how to get you started. Also, if you feel completely lost or stuck, you can reach out and make a quick order from our website. Your essay will be assigned to an expert who will finish it off excellently and on time. Order Now
