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A classification essay is a type of academic essay that categorizes a topic into distinct groups based on shared characteristics or criteria. The writer's purpose is to create a clear organization of information. Classification should be logical, making it easier for readers to remember the information being presented.

Let us guess: your professor asked you to write a classification essay. But they didn't explain how to even write one, did they? They often drop students like that as a part of self-learning. That's exactly why you're here! Writing a classification essay requires research. And making sure you've got enough information, you must double check what you've already gathered. Besides, classifying may sound simple, but it takes discipline and logical thinking. Putting thoughts into words and all that… What a task! But we heard a little rumor that those who continue reading would master classification papers. It's time for you to see if this rumor is true!

What Is a Classification Essay: Definition

Classification essay doesn’t want to hide its essence, considering its name. But the primary goal of this type of article is to classify. Now, what you want to rank is up to you or your professor. Your main goal is to select topics and later put them into categories. The primary purpose of this type of essay is to show your skills in categorisation and generalization. We can take food as a good and tasty example. For instance, apples and oranges belong to the fruit category, while cucumbers will definitely be vegetables. As for avocado, you have to do the research and classify this type of food. Nevertheless, you’ll definitely need to write one of those essays during your college. So to master academic and classification writing, keep reading!

How to Write a Classification Essay

We will start by teaching you how to write a classification essay. In this case, preparation is our little saving grace. So before you begin the actual writing, typing, or scribbling, it’s a good idea to think about the overall essence of your article. For starters, here are several valuable tips worth remembering:

Select a type of organization (you can use tables, documents, or anything that will help you in organizing your work).
Choose your categories for classification.
Make sure that each category is distinct and clear.
Include different examples for visualization.

These several steps will be handy for writing a thesis and starting your introduction. Buy essay papers online once you want good results with as little time spent as possible.

Developing an Effective Classification Essay Thesis Statement

Like with other articles, the classification essay thesis is one of the most vital parts of your work. A good thing worth keeping in mind is that your thesis is the last statement of your introduction. It also determines whether your audience will continue reading your article. Here are several things you should follow to write a good thesis:

Summarize your work.
Identify your main topic, objective, or goal of your essay.
Above all, make readers understand what point you’re making and what your paper is gonna be about.
Mention the categories you have chosen.

If you can nail our list given above, congratulations, you’ve got yourself an outstanding thesis.

Classification Essay Outline

Creating a classification essay outline is one of the easiest ways to approach an excellent classification paper. It’s true that it requires a lot of research and remembering. You will not only have to write about a single subject but group topics into categories. In order to do it correctly and understandably for the reader, it’s best if you use an outline. First and foremost, your essay should follow a traditional five paragraph essay format structure. It should have a minimum of three paragraphs. But typically, professors prefer around five. So your introduction must initially include an introduction, several body paragraphs depending on the length of your article, and a conclusion. In your body paragraphs outline, it’s a good idea to describe the groups you will include in your article. So your first paragraph will group fruits according to their color, while the second one can use nutrition for a classification. This will help you to remember your points before writing.

How to Start a Classification Essay: Introduction

Classification essay introduction is very similar to any other introduction you have probably written. You should never forget that you are writing for an audience. Doesn’t really matter if your reader is your professor or some person online. The rules of good writing apply to any kind of paper. The first thing worth doing is introducing your overall concept. There is no need to give all the information at once. Just start with something more general and narrow it down later to a thesis we’ve talked about. Make sure that you also include the relevant information. Using our previous metaphor, if you’re talking about fruits, maybe mentioning vegetables will not be a good idea. Besides, staying on one topic will help you to write more clearly. And that’s our final requirement for your introduction.

Body Paragraphs of a Classification Essay

Classification essay's main body commonly has around 1-3 paragraphs. But don't forget to ask your professor about the length. The important thing to remember is that you are classifying items in your work. In order to achieve precise and successful organization, your body paragraphs must be concise. Each body paragraph should focus on a certain group. You're not making mashed potatoes. So stacking all of your ideas in one section would create a mess. Keep it simple in terms of structure:

Paragraph 1 — fruits organized by their color
Paragraph 2 — fruits arranged by expert location
Paragraph 3 — fruits ordered by size or shape

A simple and understandable organization will make your writing sharp. And your readers will definitely say thank you!

Classification Essay Conclusion

A classification essay conclusion is, just like always, crème de la crème of any article. At this point, your reader knows everything you were telling them. They know all your data, issues, and ideas. Thus, quickly summarizing what they’ve read in your body paragraphs will help a lot. But the last thing to do is organize your conclusion while leaving an impression. Now, their impressions can be different. However, your readers must think about your work for at least some time. So your conclusion must end with something intriguing like the possible future of your topic or piece of mind for the readers. Just don’t include any new information, and you’ll do fantastically!

Classification Essay Writing: Useful Tips

Even with our help, classification essay writing is challenging. So we prepared for you several good tips that will help you improve and ease your academic life. Check them out:

Define the purpose of the article before you start writing.
Avoid popular and often used topics.
Write down a number of topics before picking one. (We have a list of classification essay topics at your disposal.)
Choose a subject that will be personally interesting for you.
Remember that you are also writing for someone else who might not know everything about your topic.
Edit and proofread your work.
Take a break from writing once in a while and come back with a fresh mind and new look.
Don’t try writing about everything simultaneously. Instead, focus on one category and lead with it.

With these steps, we can definitely say that you’re ready.

Classification Essay Examples

How could we leave you without classification essay samples? You’re right; we couldn’t. Check out this example. Keep in mind that our examples always have characteristics that we talked about. So you can read the sample and return back for this article or do some revision. It will help you a lot. What are you waiting for? You can find the example right here. Or simply buy essay for college to avoid any hard work this evening.

Classification Essay: Bottom Line

Who knew that writing a classification essay wasn’t that hard? We did, and now you know that, too. You have everything it takes to create an excellent paper. You know that:

Your thesis is the most essential part of the essay.
The introduction must contain general information on the subject.
Body paragraphs must be carefully organized.
A conclusion should leave an impression without including new information.

But if you’re still looking for proficient help, our academic writing services got you covered. Our writers do excellent research before writing a paper and deliver high-quality results. We are also proud of our timely delivery of the papers.

FAQ about Classification Essays

1. what is the purpose of a classification essay.

The purpose of a classification essay is to organize and classify. In the beginning, you have several unique items. They indeed have some things in common. So your job is to identify in what categories they fit best. After doing the research and careful learning, you must put everything you have gathered into words. But still, keep in mind that the second purpose is to make your essay and classification clear to the reader.

2. How long is a classification essay?

There’s no right or wrong answer when it comes to classification essay length. Everything will depend on the guidelines. Usually, such articles are 3 to 5 paragraphs long. Their minimum is always an introduction, one body paragraph, and conclusion. However, professors definitely enjoy 5 paragraphs as a standard length. But you always need to remember that the essay should be long enough to provide necessary information for the reader. Or it must be short enough not to drag it out.

3. What is the difference between a division and classification essay?

Division and classification essays are only slightly different. The items you choose for classification essays must belong to strict and certain categories. They cannot overlap or belong to two different groups. On the other hand, division essays allow the subjects to move from one group to another. They might be divided into different groups or categories and thus overlap.

4. What are different types of classification?

There are several types of classification. Depending on the particular topic, you can choose a specific type that fits the best. Here’s what you can choose from:

Spatial classification (location, place and so on).
Chronological (you must take time and dates into consideration).
Classification by attributes (qualitative).
Classification by size (quantitative with numbers and statistics).

Daniel Howard is an Essay Writing guru. He helps students create essays that will strike a chord with the readers.

A Beginner’s Guide to Classification Essay + Examples, Topics, & Tips

10 min read

What is a Classification Essay?

A classification essay can be defined as an essay that aims to arrange its subjects in categories based on their characteristics. In other words, it's about grouping things together that share common traits.

For example, imagine you're at a library, and each book is a unique idea. The classification essay is your way of creating distinct shelves and arranging those books in an orderly fashion. It is a mixture of expository and analytical essays, as it seeks to establish, discuss, and analyze a subject’s properties and characteristics.

Moreover, it is also related to definition essays. Things are defined by their characteristics and categories to which they belong, and so the boundaries between a classification and definition essays are often blurred.

How to Write a Classification Essay?

Here are the steps you need to follow to write an excellent classification essay.

Following are the steps that should be taken to start an impressive classification essay:

Step 1: Choose a Topic

The first crucial step is selecting a topic that provides an opportunity for useful classification. Whether it's types of movies, learning styles, or modes of transportation, your topic sets the stage for a well-organized exploration.

Here's how to navigate this crucial first step:

Breadth and Relevance: Select for a topic that is broad enough to offer multiple categories but specific enough to maintain focus. For instance, instead of "sports," consider "types of outdoor recreational activities."
Consider Your Audience: Think about who will be reading your essay. Tailor your topic to their interests and knowledge level. A topic that resonates with your audience ensures that your classifications have a meaningful impact.
Room for Exploration: Look for a topic with room for exploration. A good classification essay not only categorizes but also highlights nuances within each category. This adds depth to your writing and keeps your readers engaged.

Step 2: Conduct Research

Now that you've chosen a compelling topic, it's time to delve into the world of research. Gather information to ensure you have a comprehensive understanding of the categories you plan to explore. With good research, you will have solid foundations for your classifications.

Here's how to gather the necessary information to enrich your classification essay:

Consult Reliable Sources: Start by consulting reputable sources such as books, academic journals, and credible websites. The information you gather should be accurate and up-to-date.
Diversify Your Sources: Get a well-rounded understanding by exploring a variety of sources. The more perspectives you study, the more comprehensive your classifications will be.
Take Detailed Notes: As you conduct your research, take detailed notes on relevant information, examples, and any noteworthy details. This will help in outlining and drafting your essay later.
Stay Organized: Keep your research organized. A systematic approach will save you time when you start outlining your essay.

Step 3: Brainstorm Ideas About Your Subject

To start writing a classification essay, it is important to first decide on a clear and specific criteria for classification. With credible information in hand, let your creativity flow.

Jot down all the possible categories related to your chosen topic. This brainstorming phase is about exploring various angles and finding the most meaningful ways to categorize your subject matter.

This essay’s purpose is to define and discriminate between subjects, so make sure that the categories are well-defined and clear.

Step 4: Develop a Thesis Statement

A thesis statement establishes the writer’s stance on the topic and their central argument. It is important to draft a strong thesis statement for an effective and persuasive classification essay.

Once you’ve researched and established your categories, it's time to distill your focus into a concise thesis statement. Here’s what to keep in mind:

Your thesis should clearly state the main categories you will explore in your essay. Avoid vague or overly broad statements. The reader should have a precise understanding of what to expect.
The thesis statement is the central idea around which your entire essay revolves. It should convey the main point or purpose of your classification.
It should also provide a roadmap, indicating the organization of your upcoming arguments.

Step 5: Draft an Outline

Now that you have a well-crafted thesis statement, it's time to organize your thoughts and create a roadmap for your classification essay. A classification essay outline should include these points:

Step 6: Write Your First Draft

Once you have the necessary information and an organized plan, it is time to start writing your classification essay. To draft an effective and flawless essay, follow the writing steps given below:

Write an Essay Introduction

The introduction is the first part of the essay. In this part, you need to catch the reader’s attention and introduce them to your topic. To make your introduction appealing,

Start with a catchy hook statement. A hook statement is the opening line of the introductory paragraph that attempts to draw the reader’s attention.
Provide sufficient background and context for your topic.
Close your introduction with a strong thesis statement that highlights your central point.
Draft the Body Paragraphs

The body section will contain three or more paragraphs depending on your arguments. The body paragraphs follow and justify the thesis statement made earlier in the introduction. Here’s how to write your body paragraphs:

Start each body paragraph with a topic sentence that presents the main point of that paragraph.
Provide examples, arguments, and relevant information in each paragraph to establish your argument.
Provide a detailed analysis of your subject to justify your categorizations.
Connect body paragraphs to each other through transition words and phrases. This is important for maintaining a logical flow.
Write a Strong Conclusion

The conclusion is the last paragraph, where you put together all the arguments made in the body paragraphs. Follow these tips to write a good conclusion:

Summarize the main categories without introducing new information.
Reiterate the significance of your classifications and their impact on understanding the topic.
End with a memorable closing statement that leaves a lasting impression.

Step 7: Revise, Edit, & Improve Your Draft

Congratulations on completing your first draft! However, your work is not done just yet. Your first draft could be full of mistakes and weaknesses, so you need to elevate it through the revision, editing, and improvement process. Here’s what you should do to ensure that your final draft is perfect:

Review the Overall Structure: Ensure that your introduction sets the stage effectively, each body paragraph is coherent, and the conclusion ties everything together without introducing new information.
Check for Clarity and Consistency: See that your language is clear and your ideas are presented logically. Check for consistency in tone and style throughout.
Refine Thesis Statement: Revisit your thesis statement. Does it accurately reflect the content of your essay? Make adjustments if needed to ensure it aligns with the final draft.
Trim Unnecessary Details: Trim any redundant or unnecessary details. Keep your writing concise and focused on the defining characteristics of each category.
Proofread for Errors: Thoroughly proofread your essay for grammatical, spelling, and punctuation errors. A polished essay enhances your credibility as a writer.
Get Feedback: Consider seeking feedback from peers, professors, or writing professionals. Fresh perspectives can identify areas for improvement that you might have overlooked.
Final Polish: Give your essay a final polish. Ensure that it aligns with your original vision and effectively communicates your ideas.

Classification Essay Examples

Before starting the writing process, it is better to look at some of the classification essay examples. This way, you will get a better understanding of how these essays are written.

Here are some classification essay examples to help you get started.

Classification Essay Sample

Division and Classification Essay Example

Exemplification and Classification Essay Example

Types of Friends Classification Essay

Classification Essay on Relationships

Classification Essay Topics

Choosing the right topic is the cornerstone of creating a captivating classification essay. Here's a short but diverse list of classification essay ideas to spark your imagination.

Types of Social Media Users
Genres of Music
Learning Styles
Forms of Government
Types of Movie Endings
Modes of Transportation
Gaming Genres
Personality Types in a Workplace
Human Responses to Stress
Various Kinds of Study Habits

Need more ideas? Head to our classification essay topics blog and get a list of interesting ideas to choose from!

Tips for Writing an Effective Classification Essay

Mastering the art of classification essays requires more than just following a set of steps. Consider these tips to enhance the quality and impact of your classification essays:

Choose a Niche Topic: Opt for a topic that allows for meaningful categorization. A focused and specific subject ensures a more in-depth exploration of categories.
Provide Clear Criteria: Clearly define the criteria used to categorize items. Whether it's characteristics, functions, or behaviors, explicit criteria add depth and clarity to your classifications.
Ensure Balanced Categories: Strive for balance in the depth and coverage of each category. Avoid spending disproportionate time on one category, as it can disrupt the overall equilibrium of your essay.
Use Consistent Characteristics: Maintain consistency in the characteristics you use to define each category. This ensures a coherent and logical progression throughout your essay.
Think About Your Audience: Consider your audience's interests and knowledge level. Tailor your classifications to resonate with your readers, making the essay more engaging and relevant to them.
Include Vivid Examples: Illustrate each category with vivid and relevant examples. Concrete examples provide a clearer understanding and make your classifications more compelling.
Stay Objective: Maintain objectivity in your classifications. Avoid biases and ensure that your categories are based on observable and verifiable characteristics.
Read Widely: Expose yourself to a variety of classification essays. Knowing other points of views can provide inspiration, insights, and a deeper understanding of effective categorization.

In conclusion,

A classification essay is a unique and interesting kind of writing with a few special requirements. Having read its definition and writing steps above, you now know what they are: It requires you to categorize your subject based on its features and argue for its validity.

Following the steps and tips above will allow you to craft an A-worthy classification essay. The key to success comes down to pre-writing preparation and meticulous editing and revisions. Start early, plan your essay, figure out the categories, write, and rewrite until you’re satisfied.

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How to Write a Classification Essay?

17 July, 2020

8 minutes read

Author: Elizabeth Brown

Classification essay is comparable to painting creation - an artist works on a specific structure that holds the picture’s elements together and glues different layers to create a powerful visual effect. The same principle applies to a writing piece, in which the central role is devoted to getting things in order. In this article, we’ll discuss the main features and components of a great classification essay and share some tips and tricks on how to take your piece of writing to the next level.

Classification essay definition

We bet the first thing you want to know concerning the topic is what is a classification essay? This is the task which you’ll most likely deal with at some point in your student life. The essence of this assignment is related to categorization and generalization. Remember these two words because they form the true meaning of classification essay. Also, division and classification are those elements of this essay type which highly correlate and have equal importance for essay creation. Therefore, the main task here is to organize or sort things into categories.

How to write a classification essay

Careful attention to planning marks the indication of quality in terms of classification essay. At this point, the main task is to learn how to structure the paper. The length of an article may vary, but the most frequently used “five paragraphs” method is typically applied for classification writing. What does this structure suggest? It has to do with a logical division of your essay into blocks and categories, every one of which should clarify a particular issue.

The first and one of the essential paragraphs is the introductory one. It’s an opening which illuminates the matter you’re going to discuss and the subject you’ll categorize. Besides, you can outline the purpose of your classification essay to readers to bring more clarity into the discussion. Answer the question of why you are categorizing the chosen items and what criteria you use for each of them. Then, you’ll need to close the introduction paragraph with a thesis. It will briefly sum up the objective of your classification and division essay, and identify the categories which you’ll be using for a paper.

The second part is the essay body. Here, a couple of paragraphs are applicable, preferably 3 and more. The most critical nuance you should remember while composing a body is that each paragraph will deal with a separate category. The best way to organize the central part of your division essay is to explain the criteria for each category and desirably, discuss strengths and weaknesses. More importantly, you should include examples that’ll back up your statements with a piece of evidence. Notably, there should be an equal amount of examples for every category to spread the evidence evenly. If your paragraphs in the main body are lengthy, you can also divide them into shorter ones to create a smooth transition between the blocks of text and improve readability.

The final paragraph of your classification essay is a conclusion. The closing statements will sum up the different categories highlighted in the body. Also, it’s advisable to restate each category and advise readers on the subject matter. However, if you choose to recommend this or that topic over the others, don’t forget to state the reason for your stance. This way, readers will take into account your well-grounded explanation, which is deprived of subjectivity, and make relevant conclusions for themselves.

Apart from the basic understanding of classification essay structure , you should also get prepared for the writing process. For many, implementing theory on practice is even more challenging than the stage of composing an essay. Nonetheless, with enough patience and endurance, this process is really not so bad after all. So, what steps do you need to make in order to prepare well for classification paper writing?

First things first, planning is everything when it comes to the assignment that implies classification. Without a clear and coherent plan, there’s no way you can write a good paper. Therefore, make sure that you have a robust scheme before writing your essay. For this, proceed with the following planning steps:

Generate Ideas. Evidently, your essay won’t write itself. If your professor has not assigned you a specific topic, it’s time to do some brainstorming. Remember – you need to choose a group of people, things, or ideas that can be easily divided into categories and then compared.
Choose Your Classification Method. Aim at one principle for classification for each category you describe. For example, if you write about people, you can categorize them by age, gender, appearance, or other factors. This will help you better structure your essay and make it look more organized in the eyes of readers.
Create a Thesis Statement. As previously mentioned, the thesis statement is the element which closes the introduction of your classification essay. It should include such information as the subject matter, the categories, and the criteria used to classify each category. Besides, you can note down the purpose of your division into these categories.

Classification essay outline

The outline is a general description or plan that schematically displays the main points of your essay. The main point of an outline is to help you see the structure of your essay and use it as a useful guide for writing. Usually, a typical outline describes the essence of each point in one sentence. Also, bullet points are not uncommon, so you can use them to arrange a plan the way you feel is the most appropriate.

Classification essay topics

There is a plethora of themes and subjects for division classification essays to choose from, but most of them are hard to think of straight away. That’s why we’ve collected the list of the top used classification topics for you to facilitate the process of generating ideas or searching for ones elsewhere.

The most popular devices students use nowadays
Colors and their meaning in the paintings of Frida Kahlo
The evolution of rock-music types
Standard methods students use to prepare for exams
Public speakers that have moved the world
Unique factors to determine a successful relationship
How to improve child-parent relationships
Main motives to start a political career
Learning techniques for college students
Types of TV comedy shows
Traveling destinations
The main types of mobile applications
Communication possibilities online
Strategies for making decisions in business
Leadership and leader types
Conflicts at the job and ways to cope with them
The motivation for doing sports
Methods to reduce stress

No matter which theme you choose for your classification essay and what techniques you implement to make them elaborated, remember always to keep the structure in mind. The first step to writing this type of assignment is not just sitting and jotting down detached ideas, but planning out clear statements which can later be transmitted on paper. Hopefully, our advice will help you on the way to writing an excellent classification essay which your professor will mark with an A+ grade.

Problems with writing Your Classification Essay? Try our Online Essay Writer Service!

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Macdonald DeWitt Library at SUNY Ulster

Eng 101 oer: classification.

Reading to Write
Why We Write
Rhetorical Context
Brainstorming
Proofreading & Editing
Paragraph Development
Thesis Statements
Introductions
Conclusions
Transitions & Phrases
Peer Reviews
Exemplification
Classification
Cause/Effect
Grammar Resources

Learning Objectives

Determine the purpose and structure of the classification essay.
Understand how to write a classification essay.

The Purpose of Dividing & Classifying

The purpose of classification is to break down broad subjects into smaller, more manageable, more specific parts. We classify things in our daily lives all the time, often without even thinking about it. Cell phones, for example, have now become part of a broad category. They can be classified as feature phones, media phones, and smartphones.

Smaller categories, and the way in which these categories are created, help us make sense of the world. Keep both of these elements in mind when writing a classification essay.

The Structure of a Division/Classification Essay

The classification essay opens with an introductory paragraph that introduces the broader topic. The thesis should then explain how that topic is divided into subgroups and why. Take the following introductory paragraph, for example:

When people think of New York, they often think of only New York City. But New York is

actually a diverse state with a full range of activities to do, sights to see, and cultures to

explore. In order to better understand the diversity of New York state, it is helpful to

break it into these five separate regions: Long Island, New York City, Western New York,

Central New York, and Northern New York.

The thesis explains not only the category and subcategory but also the rationale for breaking it into those categories. Through this classification essay, the writer hopes to show his or her readers a different way of considering the state.

Each body paragraph of a classification essay is dedicated to fully illustrating each of the subcategories. In the previous example, then, each region of New York would have its own paragraph.

The conclusion should bring all the categories and subcategories back together again to show the reader the big picture. In the previous example, the conclusion might explain how the various sights and activities of each region of New York add to its diversity and complexity.

Writing a Division/Classification Essay

Start with an engaging opening that will adequately introduce the general topic that you will be dividing into smaller subcategories. Your thesis should come at the end of your introduction. It should include the topic, your subtopics, and the reason you are choosing to break down the topic in the way that you are. Use the following classification thesis equation:

topic + subtopics + rationale for the subtopics = thesis.

The organizing strategy of a classification essay is dictated by the initial topic and the subsequent subtopics. Each body paragraph is dedicated to fully illustrating each of the subtopics. In a way, coming up with a strong topic pays double rewards in a classification essay. Not only do you have a good topic, but you also have a solid organizational structure within which to write.

Be sure you use strong details and explanations for each subcategory paragraph that help explain and support your thesis. Also, be sure to give examples to illustrate your points. Finally, write a conclusion that links all the subgroups together again. The conclusion should successfully wrap up your essay by connecting it to your topic initially discussed in the introduction.

Classification Essays

Amy Tan describes relationship with her heritage, her mother, and her languages in Mother Tongue :

http://www.scribd.com/doc/13297165/Mother-Tongue-By-Amy-Tan-I-Am-Not-A
http://learning.swc.hccs.edu/members/donna.gordon/sum-2010-engl-1301-5-wk-crn-33454/1301-reading-block-crn-33454/Tan_Mother%20Tongue.pdf
http://teachers.sduhsd.k12.ca.us/mcunningham/grapes/mother%20tounge.pdf

Jonathan Koppell discusses anonymity, your name, and how the Internet has changed in On the Internet, There’s No Place to Hide :

http://www.newamerica.net/publications/articles/2000/on_the_internet_theres_no_place_to_hide

Student Sample Essay

Types of Higher Education Programs

Today’s students have many choices when it comes to pursuing a degree: four-year programs, two-year programs, large or small classroom settings, and even daytime or evening classes. With all the different options to consider, potential students should learn about the different types of colleges so they can find a school that best fits their personality, budget, and educational goals.

One type of higher education program for students to consider is a liberal arts college. These schools tend to be small in size and offer a range of undergraduate degrees in subjects like English, history, psychology, and education. Students may choose a liberal arts college if they want a more intimate classroom setting rather than large lecture-style classes. Students may also consider a liberal arts college if they want to gain knowledge from a variety of disciplines, rather than focus on a single area of study. Many liberal arts schools are privately owned, and some have religious affiliations. Liberal arts schools can come with a hefty price tag, and their high cost presents an obstacle for students on a tight budget; moreover, while some students might appreciate a liberal arts school’s intimate atmosphere, others might encounter a lack of diversity in the student body. Still, students seeking a well-rounded education in the humanities will find liberal arts colleges to be one option.

Universities, another type of higher education program, offer both undergraduate and graduate degrees. Usually universities are larger than colleges and can accommodate tens of thousands of students in many different majors and areas of study. A large student body means that class sizes are often larger, and some classes may be taught by graduate students rather than professors. Students will feel at home at a university if they want a focused academic program and state-of-the-art research facilities. While some universities are private, many are public, which means they receive funding from the government, so tuition is more affordable and some even offer discounted in-state tuition for state residents. Also, universities attract many international students, so those looking for a variety of campus cultural groups and clubs will appreciate a greater sense of diversity among the student body. Universities can be overwhelming for some, but they are the right fit for students who seek research opportunities and academic studies, especially in the fields of mathematics and science.

Community college is a type of higher education program popular with students on a limited budget who want to take college courses but may not know what they want to major in. Most schools offer degrees after two years of study, usually an associate’s degree that prepares students to enter the work force; many students choose to study at a community college for two years and then transfer to a four-year college to complete their undergraduate degree. Like liberal arts schools, classes are small and allow instructors to pay more attention to their students. Community college allows students to live at home rather than in a dormitory, which also keeps costs down. While some young people might not like the idea of living at home for school, many adults choose to attend community college so they can advance their education while working and living with their families.

Online universities are another type of higher education program that are gaining popularity as technology improves. These schools offer many of the same degree programs as traditional liberal arts colleges and universities. Unlike traditional programs, which require students to attend classes and lectures, online universities offer greater academic flexibility and are a great option for students wishing to pursue a degree while still working full time. At online universities, students access course materials, such as video lectures and assessments, remotely using a personal computer and are able to speed up or slow down their progress to complete their degree at their own pace. Students may attend classes in the comfort of their own home or a local library, but students hoping for the social community of higher education might not enjoy this aspect of higher education.

With so many colleges and universities to choose from, it may be difficult for a student to narrow down his or her selection, but once a student knows what he or she is looking for, the process may become much easier. It is very important for students to learn about the different types of higher education programs available before making their selections.

Key Takeaways

The purpose of classification is to break a subject into smaller, more manageable, more specific parts.
Smaller subcategories help us make sense of the world, and the way in which these subcategories are created also helps us make sense of the world.
A classification essay is organized by its subcategories.

This is a derivative of WRITING FOR SUCCESS by a publisher who has requested that they and the original author not receive attribution, originally released and is used under CC BY-NC-SA. This work, unless otherwise expressly stated, is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License .

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11.1: The Purpose of Classification in Writing

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Amber Kinonen, Jennifer McCann, Todd McCann, & Erica Mead
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Smaller categories, and the way in which these categories are created, help us make sense of the world. Keep both of these elements in mind when writing a classification essay.

Choose topics that you know well when writing classification essays. The more you know about a topic, the more you can break it into smaller, more interesting parts. Adding interest and insight will enhance your classification essays.

Want to create or adapt books like this? Learn more about how Pressbooks supports open publishing practices.

15.5 Classification Essay

Learning objective.

Read an example of the classification rhetorical mode.

Types of Higher Education Programs

Online Classification Essay Alternatives

Amy Tan describes relationship with her heritage, her mother, and her languages in Mother Tongue

http://theessayexperiencefall2013.qwriting.qc.cuny.edu/files/2013/09/Mother-Tongue-by-Amy-Tan.pdf

Classification Essay

Classification Essay - Outline, Topics & Writing Tips

Published on: Jan 2, 2022

Last updated on: Jan 31, 2024

Classification Essay Definition

A classification essay is a formal piece of writing used to evaluate your categorizing and generalization skills. It mainly aims to arrange various subjects and objects with similar characteristics.

For this, a writer needs to categorize and classify things into different groups and mention examples that fit into each. Similarly, you are also required to follow a single categorizing approach throughout the content. However, it is up to you to decide on criteria for classification to explain the reasoning and logic.

The entire process of classification essay writing is not very different from any other type of essay. Like other academic papers, the principles of essay writing remain the same, but it requires extensive research and analysis.

How to Start a Classification Essay?

Here are some important steps that you should follow to start a classification essay.

Most professors assign you a specific topic to write your classification essay. If you are not assigned, brainstorm different ideas and come up with an engaging topic. Decide on a group of things that can be logically divided into groups. Also, come up with something that has definitive categories for comparison.

After choosing a topic, decide on classification criteria. Think about all the possible categories in which the topic can split up. Some topic ideas have several options; thus, you will have to determine the exact angle to approach the essayâs theme. Furthermore, make sure that none of the categories is overlapping.

A thesis statement is the main argument of the writer on the topic. It is the stance that supports your entire essay, including the main body. Therefore, it is important to draft a strong statement. Also, use examples and evidence to make your essay effective and persuasive.

The next step is to conduct thorough research to gather interesting information for the audience. However, make sure to collect data from credible and authentic sources. It will further strengthen the content of your essay by making it more convincing and logical.

After collecting relevant information, you are now required to structure and organize it properly. Thus, write down the main ideas and present a logical connection between them. Eliminate unnecessary ideas if there are any.

Check out the following template outline that you can use for your division and classification essay.

Introductory paragraph - (A hook statement and thesis)
Body paragraph 1/Category number 1
Body paragraph 2/Category number 2
Body paragraph 3/Category number 3

How to Write a Classification Essay?

After planning out the basic structure, start the writing process. Follow the below-given steps to write a perfect classification essay.

The introduction is the first and the most important section of the classification essay. Here, you have to identify the subject and mention the objects to be categorized.

State an interesting hook statement to make your introduction appealing. Such as strong opening line will grab the readerâs attention towards the essay. After this, provide the purpose of the essay and explain the reason for categorizing the items.

Lastly, write a strong thesis statement to highlight the subject matter in the discussion. Develop this statement early during the writing process as it will help the writer stay in the right direction.

The body section of the classification essay comprises three or more paragraphs depending on the categories. All the paragraph provides relevant information, examples, and evidence to justify the thesis statement. Also, start each paragraph with a topic sentence.

The right approach is to discuss the most important category in the last paragraph. Use classification essay transition words to ensure that the data flows logically from one paragraph to another.

The following are some common transition phrases. Apply them each time you arrange things into groups and provide examples related to each class.

The 1st kind, the 2nd kind, the 3rd kind
The 1st group, the 2nd group, the 3rd group
The 1st category, the 2nd category, the 3rd category

It is the last section of a classification essay where you put together all the categories mentioned in the main body. Here, a writer will summarize all the central arguments and restate the thesis statement.

Also, mention the various types and approaches that you have examined in your classification essay. Recommend the particular one over the others, depending on the subject matter. However, make sure to emphasize why you have come to that conclusion.

The first draft of your classification essay is full of mistakes, but you can fix it up by editing and revising. For this, read your essay twice or thrice and ensure that it includes all the important points highlighted in the outline.

Eliminate all the language, punctuation, and spelling mistakes to give it a professional look. Similarly, get rid of all the unnecessary and overly complex words and phrases before the final submission.

Classification Essay Examples

Have a look at the following classification essay examples to understand writing a good one in no time.

Classification Essay Sample

Classification Essay Example About Students

Classification Essay About Food

Classification Essay Topics

Not all ideas can be good topics. Here we have mentioned some of the best topics for a classification essay, divided into several categories. It will help you choose a unique one for your essay.

Olympic games
Different genres of modern music
Rare species of animals
Types of dogs
Ways to treat obesity
Types of human relationships
Common phobias
Psychological disorders
Movies about memory loss
Meals that may lead to diabetes

Tips for Writing a Classification Essay

Keep in mind the expert tips given below while writing a good classification essay. It will make your essay stand out and draw the readerâs attention.

It is better to avoid choosing complex topics because extremely narrow or broad topics are hard to deal with.
Conduct extensive research to gather factual data for the essay.
Make sure to define and describe all the categories.
Provide authentic evidence and examples for each classified group. Make sure it offers a typical representation of the class.
Use credible sources of information.
Draft a perfect outline to organize the data properly.
Use a comparison and contrast technique to point out various similarities and differences between each category.
Proofread and revise your essay to make it perfect.

These are a few guidelines that will help you write an A-worthy classification essay. Planning out the assignment early and figuring out the categories is the key to success.

However, if you are still unsure about your research or writing skills, get quality help from our classification essay writing service now!

Our classification essay writers will help you submit a comprehensive piece of paper that will get you the grade you deserve.

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What is Classification in Grammar?

A definition of grammatical classification with examples

An Introduction to Punctuation
Ph.D., Rhetoric and English, University of Georgia
M.A., Modern English and American Literature, University of Leicester
B.A., English, State University of New York

In rhetoric and composition , classification is a method of paragraph or essay development in which a writer arranges people, objects, or ideas with shared characteristics into classes or groups. A classification essay often includes examples and other supporting details that are organized according to types, kinds, segments, categories, or parts of a whole.

Observations on Classification

"The primary support in classification consists of the categories that serve the purpose of the classification...The categories in classification are the 'piles' into which the writer sorts a topic (the items to be classified). These categories will become the topic sentences for the body paragraphs of the essay...The supporting details in classification are examples or explanations of what is in each category. The examples in classification are the various items that fall within each category. These are important because readers may not be familiar with your categories." —From "Real Essays With Readings" by Susan Anker

Using Classification in an Introductory Paragraph

"Americans can be divided into three groups—smokers, nonsmokers and that expanding pack of us who have quit. Those who have never smoked don't know what they're missing, but former smokers, ex-smokers, reformed smokers can never forget. We are veterans of a personal war, linked by that watershed experience of ceasing to smoke and by the temptation to have just one more cigarette. For almost all of us ex-smokers, smoking continues to play an important role in our lives. And now that it is being restricted in restaurants around the country and will be banned in almost all indoor public places in New York State starting next month, it is vital that everyone understand the different emotional states cessation of smoking can cause. I have observed four of them; and in the interest of science I have classified them as those of the zealot, the evangelist, the elect and the serene. Each day, each category gains new recruits." —From "Confessions of an Ex-Smoker" by Franklin Zimring

Using Classification to Establish Place

"Each of Jamaica's four great gardens, although established along similar principles, has acquired its own distinctive aura. Hope Gardens, in the heart of Kingston, evokes postcard pictures from the 1950s of public parks, gracious and vaguely suburban and filled with familiar favorites—lantana and marigolds—as well as exotics. Bath has retained its Old World character; it is the easiest to conjure as it must have looked in Bligh's time . Cinchona of the clouds is otherworldly. And Castleton, the garden established to replace Bath, fleetingly evokes that golden age of Jamaican tourism, when visitors arrived in their own yachts—the era of Ian Fleming and Noel Coward, before commercial air travel unloaded ordinary mortals all over the island." —From "Captain Bligh's Cursed Breadfruit" by Caroline Alexander

Using Classification to Establish Character: Example 1

"Local TV interviewers come in two varieties. One is a bulimic blond person with a deviated septum and a severe cognitive disorder who went into broadcasting because he or she was too emotionally disturbed for telephone sales work. The other variety is suave, sagacious, grossly overqualified for the job, and too depressed to talk to you. Good local TV people are always depressed because their field is so crowded." —From "Book Tour" by P.J. O'Rourke

Using Classification to Establish Character: Example 2

"The English-speaking world may be divided into (1) those who neither know nor care what a split infinitive is; (2) those who do not know, but care very much; (3) those who know and condemn; (4) those who know and approve; (5) those who know and distinguish." —From "A Dictionary of Modern Usage" by H.W. Fowler and Ernest Gowers

Famous Classification Paragraphs and Essays for Study

"Conversation" by Samuel Johnson
"Here is New York" by E.B. White
"Give Her a Pattern" by D.H. Lawrence
"The Man Who Interrupts" by Bill Nye
"Of Studies" by Francis Bacon
"On Various Kinds of Thinking" by James Harvey Robinson
"The Pleasure of Quarreling" by H.G. Wells
"Shaking Hands" by Edward Everett
Anker, Susan. "Real Essays With Readings," Third Edition. Bedford/St. Martin's. 2009
Zimring, Franklin. "Confessions of an Ex-Smoker." Newsweek . April 20, 1987
Alexander, Caroline. "Captain Bligh's Cursed Breadfruit." The Smithsonian . September 2009
O'Rourke, P.J. "Book Tour," in "Age and Guile, Beat Youth, Innocence, and a Bad Haircut." Atlantic Monthly Press. 1995
Fowler, H.W.; Gowers, Ernest. " A Dictionary of Modern English Usage ," Second Edition. Oxford University Press. 1965
Examples of Great Introductory Paragraphs
How to Develop and Organize a Classification Essay
Development in Composition: Building an Essay
Classification Paragraph, Essay, Speech, or Character Study: 50 Topics
Cause and Effect in Composition
What Is Expository Writing?
Unity in Composition
Conclusion in Compositions
Topic In Composition and Speech
Taxonomy and Organism Classification
How to Use Exemplification in Writing
Definition of Typology in Sociology
501 Topic Suggestions for Writing Essays and Speeches
Definition and Examples of Analysis in Composition
Koppen Climate Classification System
Presenting Data in Graphic Form

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To classify means to divide something into groups or categories. The classification is normally made according to one or more criteria. It is often necessary in academic English to classify something you are writing about in order to make comparisons and draw conclusions. This could be done in one or two sentences, a paragraph, or even a whole essay. This page gives information about how to classify , language for classification , and essay structure (if the classification is used for a whole essay).

How to classify

When classifying something, it is important to understand what criterion (or criteria , if there is more than one) that you are using to divide the thing into different groups. There may be more than one way to classify, and you will need to choose the criteria which make most sense for what you are writing about. For example, if you were to classify students in a university class, they could be divided according to any of the following criteria:

nationality
favourite colour

Classifying according to gender would divide the students into 'male' and 'female'. Dividing according to age is more complex, as you may need to specify age ranges, for example 'between 18 and 21', 'between 22 and 25', etc.

Language for classifying

The language used for classifying depends on whether you are describing the criterion or the result of applying the criterion. Compare the following examples.

The students in the class can be classified according to gender. [ criterion ]
The students in the class can be classified into male and female. [ result ]

The phrase 'according to' shows that you are talking about the criterion, while the word 'into' shows you are talking about the result. The following are further examples of language for classification using a criterion.

The students in the class may be classified on the basis of gender. [ criterion ]
The students in the class can be classified depending on gender. [ criterion ]

The following are further examples of language for classification showing the result.

Economics consists of two kinds: micro-economics and macro-economics. [ result ]
Economics consists of micro-economics and macro-economics. [ result ]
Economics comprises micro-economics and macro-economics. [ result ]

It may be necessary to classify when there is no name for the criterion you are using. For example, you may wish to divide a group into Asian and non-Asian students, but there is no category 'Asian-ness' which you can use as your criterion. In this case, you can use the construction 'according to whether... or not' to define the criterion. The language for stating the result is the same. See the following examples:

The students in the class can be classified according to whether they are Asian or not . [ criterion ]
The students in the class can be classified into Asian and non-Asian. [ result ]

Finally, it may be necessary to sub-divide, that is, to divide something which has already been divided. In this case, use 'sub-divided' for the second classification, and 'further sub-divided' for the next. See this example:

The students in the class can be classified according to gender. They can be sub-divided according to whether they are Asian or not . They can be further sub-divided according to age, into those who are below 25 years of age and those who are above 25.

According to this classification, we will end up with eight groups: Asian males under 25, Asian males over 25, non-Asian males under 25, etc. This is summarised in the following diagram.

There are two main ways to structure a classification essay. The first way, shown in the diagram below (left), is when a single criterion (or single way of categorising) is used, resulting in distinct categories. The purpose of this type of structure is to show understanding of the categories, or justify the method of classification, by giving the categories and describing their characteristics. Sometimes the categories may be sub-divided into sub-categories, which may be listed or described. For the single-criterion classification essay, the criterion (if there is one) should be given in the general background of the introduction, and the thesis statement should list the categories which will be described in the main body. Each body paragraph will usually describe one category in detail.

The second way, shown in the diagram below (right), is when multiple criteria are used to classify the topic in different ways. The purpose of this type of classification is to show understanding of how the topic can be categorised, or justify the criteria for classification, by giving the criteria and showing examples of groupings using these criteria. For the multiple-criteria classification essay, the thesis statement should list the criteria which are described in the main body. Each body paragraph will usually describe the criteria and the groups it leads to. Depending on the level of detail, the examples might be broken down into separate paragraphs.

The two types of structure are shown in the diagram below.

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Below is a checklist for classification. Use it to check your own writing, or get a peer (another student) to help you.

Next section

Find out how to structure an essay in the next section.

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Definitions

Author: Sheldon Smith ‖ Last modified: 31 October 2019.

Sheldon Smith is the founder and editor of EAPFoundation.com. He has been teaching English for Academic Purposes since 2004. Find out more about him in the about section and connect with him on Twitter , Facebook and LinkedIn .

Compare & contrast essays examine the similarities of two or more objects, and the differences.

Cause & effect essays consider the reasons (or causes) for something, then discuss the results (or effects).

Discussion essays require you to examine both sides of a situation and to conclude by saying which side you favour.

Problem-solution essays are a sub-type of SPSE essays (Situation, Problem, Solution, Evaluation).

Transition signals are useful in achieving good cohesion and coherence in your writing.

Reporting verbs are used to link your in-text citations to the information cited.

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What is a classification essay?

There are two main parts in the definition of the classification essay, the ‘classification’ and the ‘essay’. Classification implies the process of grouping together things or people according to shared similarities. An example of a simple classification is to group cars according to their colors or body sizes. Such categories are useful in letting you identify the relationships between objects of people. In this way you can organize and compare the information. In classification, it is not necessary that the categories exist in the real world. They can exist in the mind of the writer. For instance, it is possible to classify different college students according to their study habits, or the way they study. You could also classify different students according to their age, religion or GPA.

The second part of defining a classification essay is the ‘essay’ element. Here, an essay implies a brief literary composition on a specific subject or theme, often written in prose, and can be speculative, interpretive or analytic. Different types of essay exist, and with each type comes different requirements in terms of content and format. Nonetheless, regardless of the essay type, all forms of academic writing must be coherent, and must adhere to the rules of grammar and syntax. In addition to these requirements, a classification essay takes a group of people or objects and breaks it down in the following ways:

Here, the writer breaks down the topic into several component parts that comprise the whole topic. For instance, the three important parts of an automobile are the axis, the engine, and the body. The rest of the essay then analyzes these parts in a coherent and concise manner.

Characteristics

In terms of characteristics, the classification essay outlines the features of the object or subject. For instance, when considering android phones, it helps to consider the various features that characterize such devices. Classification could also be used to define an object according to the features. For instance, a concept like a good teacher can be defined by splitting it into the various characteristics (like creative, understanding, competent), and then describe each attribute or give examples.

Alternatively, a classification essay could break down the topic into the various types of the object or subject. Staying with the example of cars, the essay could look at the various types of cars, including sedans, sports cars, and minivans. Irrespective of your chosen approach, there are some general guidelines to consider when writing a classification essay.

So how can you go about writing sound classification essay? Here are some useful tips to make your categories as clear and concise as possible. Choose only one criterion or principle to organize everything into one category. In addition, develop categories that permit the inclusion of everything or everyone you are classifying.

The next important consideration when looking to write a quality classification essay is the selection of the topic. Please note that the topic choice influences the relevance of your paper as well as the depth of your analysis. Choose a topic that would be interesting to your audience. As you formulate the topic, be original, creative and have fun.

Picking an informative, yet manageable topic can be one of the most challenging elements of essay writing. Your topic should be one that is interesting to you as well as your readers. In other words, you are likely to express yourself more clearly and with more insight if you are genuinely intrigued by the topic. In addition, choose your topic based on the course material that you have understood.

During the actual writing, much of your work will go towards supporting and explaining your thesis and individual perspective, meaning that you need to understand and be comfortable with talking about the material that will support your essay. In addition, you need to pick a topic that is not only challenging but also thought provoking. Most importantly, choose a topic that is specific enough to allow you to form an opinion, but also general enough to allow you to locate enough information and write a substantial essay.

At this level, avoid topics that are already obvious to your audience. For instance, do not write an essay the three branches of government. Instead, try to be original in your topic selection, and have a basis for the categories. For instance, you may have noticed the wide range in the quality of nursing care, and would like to write a paper categorizing nurses according to their roles in the healthcare team. Clearly label your categorizations.

In terms of the structure, here are some tips:

First, pick your main points carefully

The core of writing a high-quality classification essay is the way you choose the main points. It is these main points that will influence your classification. An important tip here is to make sure that all your points are given equal importance and weight. Giving more weight to some points over others sends the wrong message that the others are of less significance. Secondly, it helps to make sure that the points do not overlap. For instance, when writing an essay on popular music, it is easy for the category of folk and rock to overlap with a category of male vocalist. Most importantly, make sure that you do not omit any part of your subject.

White a clear and succinct introduction

The introduction is the place where you get to describe the essay topic using broad opening statements. As you progress into the introduction, you will need to get more specific on the importance of the paper. In other words, the introduction gives you the chance to prepare your readers for what is contained in the rest of the paper. At the end of the introduction, there must be a tentative thesis statement.

Write a carefully crafted thesis that clearly states your purpose

The thesis statement is perhaps the most important aspect of any quality essay. A thesis statement helps your essay by controlling the subject matter, while stating something that is important to the audience. In other words, the thesis statement is the one statement that not only summarizes the main points in the essay, but also states why the paper is important and worth the reader’s time. If your essay lacks a well-crafted and strong thesis statement, then the paper will be lacking in focus and inadequate. To summarize, a good thesis statement ought to:

Identify a specific purpose and a particular way of realizing that purpose
Assert something regarding the essay
Be identifiable, and should be clear and concise
Come at the end of the introductory paragraph

Here is an example of a simple thesis statement. “Our chess team comprises several categories of players.” Notice how this statement outlines the purpose of the essay and summarizes what the reader can expect from the rest of the paper.

In the body paragraphs, explain every category

Make sure that each point is addressed in a separate paragraph. Every category that you have listed in the thesis statement ought to be discussed in its own body paragraph. In general, classification essays can be as short or long as necessary. The length of your paper will be determined by, among other things the categories in your paper and the paper instructions. Each category should be supported with several examples that offer evidence. In an ideal sense, each category ought to be supported by a similar number of examples. The goal here is to explain each of the categories, explaining how each example provided fits into the category.

Conclude by offering a summary of all the key points in the paper, and restating the purpose of the essay

Your conclusion is your chance to have the final word on the issues discussed. In the same way that the introduction gives you the chance to make a good first impression, it is also important to make a good final impression. The goal of the classification essay conclusion is to restate the main points in your paper. In other words, it is the paragraph that reminds the audience of the strengths of your argument by reiterating the most significant evidence of the argument. However, it helps to ensure that the conclusion is not a mere repetition of some aspects of the paper, as this dilute the arguments made in the paper. Instead, write a conclusion that succinctly and persuasively restates your thesis. Remember not to introduce new information in the conclusion.

Common Essay Structures / Patterns of Development

Classification and division.

Classification and Division asks you to break something down into its component parts, offering an insight or analysis into the thing you’re breaking down. You actually use classification and division thinking a lot, perhaps without realizing it (e.g., different personality types of the people you know, different types of cars, different types of activities for your children, etc.).

In college writing, in addition to grouping and classifying, you’re also asked to make a point about the groupings that offers an analytical insight (e.g., Of all the sixteen personality types that Myers-Briggs identify, the ___ type is the best to hire in a ___ type of job, for a number of reasons.) Your point – your main idea, angle, assertion – should be complex enough for you to develop creatively. Division and classification thought is a way of organizing and dealing with complex and/or abundant information in order to provide additional understanding.

Essays using a classification and division pattern have topic sentences and units of support for each group or class. The topic sentences themselves should have angles that relate back to the main angle in the thesis.

View the following video for a clear definition and multiple basic examples of the concepts of division and classification. (Note that you will be expected to apply the concepts of division and classification to more complex concepts for college essays.)

View the following video for a further explanation of classification and division pattern in essay writing.

Here’s a graphic organizer for the Classification and Division pattern.

Hierarchical diagram; Top = Thesis, makes a point about types or categories of something; middle = Topic sentences (point about first type, point about second type); bottom = Supporting paragraphs (details about first type, details about second type)

Classification and Division in Action:

Make sure to read sample Classification and Division essays in the Sample Essays section of this text.

Classification and Division. Authored by : Susan Oaks. Provided by : Empire State College, SUNY OER Services. Project : College Writing. License : CC BY-NC: Attribution-NonCommercial
image of fruit divided and organized into boxes. Authored by : shnomoe. Provided by : Pixabay. Located at : https://pixabay.com/en/farmers-market-berries-fruit-1311017/ . License : CC0: No Rights Reserved
video Division and Classification. Authored by : Clay Rooks. Provided by : City College. Located at : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4DRPwPeOxWY . License : Other . License Terms : Standard YouTube License
video Classification Essay or Paragraph. Authored by : Shaun Macleod. Provided by : Smrt English. Located at : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wm3ObvB0mLE . License : Other . License Terms : Standard YouTube License

How to write a classification essay: A guide with explanations

May 30, 2022 | 0 comments

May 30, 2022 | Blog | 0 comments

Definition of classification essay s

A classification essay is a type of writing where you discuss a particular topic and then group it into categories or classes. It’s important to know that this type of writing isn’t just about listing out things and classifying them. You need to include an introductory paragraph and thesis statement at the beginning that gives your reader the background on what you are writing about. And at the end, you need to have a conclusion summarizing all of your points. A good classification essay is much more than just a simple list – it’s important to organize your ideas and present them in an organized manner!

Most high school and college students are often assigned to write a classification essay at some point in their academic life. Teachers assign this task to evaluate the student’s skills to categorize things. It can be a daunting task, but with the help of basic techniques, you can make the writing process easier.

How to write a classification essay

To create a good piece of writing, you need to know how to write a classification essay. This article will help you understand and write a great classification essay without huge effort. Alternatively, you can always find the best essay writing service and order the paper. Follow these six steps towards your perfect classification paper.

Step 1: Get Ideas

To write an effective classification essay, you should start by brainstorming a list of ideas and topics.

After you have created your list, go back through it and circle the topics you feel are most interesting or would like to share with others.

Suppose you’re having trouble finding topics to write about; get some inspiration from the hundreds of classification topics for essays that we’ve compiled. We’ve gathered them for you to get your creative juices flowing as you begin to craft the perfect essay.

Remember that the best ideas are always specific, and these are no exception. If you have a broad range of interests, one of these topics may spark an idea that will help you find a narrower topic for your classification essay. By reading through potential article ideas, you can better understand which topics might be best suited for a classification essay.

Once you have identified your topic, the next step is to list all the classes, categories, types, and groups that fit within that topic. Once you have identified all these sub-topics, try and organize them into a coherent structure so that each group logically flows from one group to the next. You should not just assume what classes will make sense; discuss the topic with your instructor or peers and make sure everyone agrees on how you want to organize the different sub-groups before writing your classification essay. Finally, write down all these different classes and sub-classes so they are easy to refer back to as you think about structuring your classification essay.

Step 2: Formulate the Thesis Statement

Your thesis statement needs to be clear and straightforward. It should include the following:

Introduction of the subject
Brief description of the different types/classes/categories
Purpose of your essay (what are you trying to do?)

Step 3: Plan the Process

As you can see, the planning phase is very important. It will help you stay on topic because if you have a clear plan of what you will write about, it will be easier for you to get back on track when your mind starts wandering.

How many paragraphs should this essay have? As always, it depends on the number of categories and the complexity of your text. There are no strict rules here, so let’s make them up! Let’s assume that we want to divide computers into three categories: laptops, tablets, and desktop PCs. We’ll need two body paragraphs because we’ll describe two groups in each (laptops and tablets in one paragraph and desktops in another).

Step 4: Do More Research

Now, it is important to keep in mind that you need to have evidence for every argument you make. This is a necessary part of any essay, and it helps support the thesis statement you are arguing. Therefore, before writing your final draft, take some time to do more research online or in your library to make sure that you have enough information to support your thesis statement. If not, then go back and start again. Create a Classification Essay Outline After collecting relevant information, you are now required to structure and organize it properly.

Step 5: Write the Classification Paper

You can now write your actual classification paper. Remember: The author organizes or sorts matters into categories in a classification essay. Once you have categories, make sure that they fit into the same organizing principle . The organizing principle is how you sort the groups.

When writing an effective classification essay, there are three steps: organize things into useful categories, use a single organizing principle, and give examples of things that fit into each category. 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.

Write an introduction where you present your topic and state the purpose of your division/classification. You should also explain why it is important to classify this topic.

Write one body paragraph for each category explaining what it is and giving examples of what fits in this category. For example, you might have one paragraph about cats that are friendly to people and a second body paragraph about cats that aren’t friendly to people.

Make sure each paragraph starts with a topic sentence that states the paragraph’s main point. Remember to include supporting details such as specific examples in each body paragraph. Your supporting details will differ depending on which type of organizational structure you choose to use when outlining your paper. A good rule is that if it takes more than two sentences or a complex set of words to explain what belongs in a given group, you need more categories or sub-categories! For example, if you grouped pets according to how friendly they are with people (friendly vs. not friendly) but needed several pages explaining what fits under “not friendly,” you would know this is too broad; there needs to be further divided. Within these larger groupings!

Write a conclusion that summarizes all points made by you regarding this division/classification. Do not make any new points or add new information here — restate what was explained in the body paragraphs using other words! This is also where you can make recommendations or predictions about future developments regarding your topic!

Step 6: Do the Revisions

There’s no guarantee that what you draft will be perfect when you write. You may have missed out on some details or could have changed some words for better alternatives.

Before submitting your classification essay, it’s always a good idea to read the entire essay, and revise and edit it before proofreading the final draft.

The revision process is where you check the content of your paper. You don’t necessarily have to rewrite everything in this stage; instead, you need to see if your piece has sense, flow, and other elements required for a high-quality essay.

After revising the content of your classification essay, you can now move on to editing it. This time around, when you edit your paper, all that’s left is to fix its form—grammatical errors (spelling mistakes and incorrect punctuation), syntax problems (unclear sentence structure and word choice), sentence fragments (incomplete sentences), etc.

When editing the grammar of your classification essay gets too overwhelming for you, try having someone else read and point out these errors for you!

Thanks to all preparation stages you went through, the writing process will be much easier than you expect. You already have all info and ideas you want to include in the essay. You already have the outline. Now, all you need to do is connect all those points in a coherent paper.

How to structure your classification essay ?

It is important to structure your classification essay in a way that makes sense and is easy for the reader to follow. This will help you get a good grade, but it will also make your paper easier to write. Use a comparison and contrast technique to point out various similarities and differences between each category. The classification essay outline should include all supporting ideas and examples that will explain the classifications you developed.

Introductory Paragraph

Introduce your classification essay. You’re going to be writing about how different things fit into categories, so start by talking about that. This is a great chance to show off your knowledge of the topic and show that you know what you’re talking about.
State the thesis statement of your classification essay. Now, don’t get too ahead of yourself: your thesis is just an introduction to the main idea(s) of your paper, so keep it short and sweet here!
State the classification in your classification essay. Explain who or what is being classified (e.g., types of food).
State what those classifications are in your classification essay (e.g., salty foods vs sweet foods).

Body Paragraphs

Use an outline to structure your essay. An outline is a useful tool for planning, outlining, and organizing your ideas. You can make use of the classification scheme you developed in step 1 by including it in your outline as a way to remind yourself of all the points you will be covering.
Organize your body paragraphs according to this classification scheme. Following the order of steps in the classification scheme will help you organize each body paragraph into one main idea and its supporting details. Try not to repeat information from previous paragraphs—each body paragraph should present new information or examples related specifically to its main concept or theme.
Use examples that illustrate each main point with concrete details that support these points (and avoid using irrelevant examples). Remember that each paragraph should only focus on one specific point; don’t try to include too many details about each example because doing so may make it difficult for readers who aren’t familiar with certain topics or specific terminology used within them (like science). You might also want consider using transitions between paragraphs: words/phrases such as “in addition,” “furthermore,” “however,” etc., can help connect ideas across different topics while maintaining coherence throughout the essay overall.’

Conclusion

In the conclusion, you should wrap up all the main points of your essay and make a final statement that supports your thesis. You can also give a brief summary of the whole paper and make some predictions about the future. Your conclusion should be short and to-the-point.

Summarise what you’ve just said in your essay
State your main conclusion
Give a brief summary of your essay
Make a prediction about what will happen in the future as a result of this issue
Make a call to action for readers, such as encouraging them to take part in an activity or join an organization
Recommendations: Don’t just sit there! Do something! If you want to change things, then get out there and start doing it!

Check out the following template outline that you can use for your division and classification essay . Keep in mind that the classification paper doesn’t have to come in the standard 5-paragraph form. You’ll format the body of your essay in accordance with the number of categories you’ll explore. Don’t include too many categories , since they will blur your classification.

How to structure your classification essay?

Final thoughts on Classification Essay.

This is a more formal type of essay, but it doesn’t mean that you will not be able to write it in a friendly and conversational tone. As always, the tone depends on your audience and their needs or your assignment’s requirements. You should read the requirements carefully to see what tone you need to use.

You will have to do some research before writing classification essays, but this is true for most types of essays. To write successfully about any topic, you have to know as much as possible. Therefore, you must do some research to make your essay full of interesting facts and relevant information.

Get Help from the Experts with your Classification Essay Paper

If you find it hard to write a classification essay, don’t be afraid to ask for help. You can get high-quality help in writing a classification essay from our experts. They are easily accessible and offer you their writing skills at affordable rates.

Our experts have been in the field for many years. As such, they understand the requirements of an excellent classification essay paper. They can deliver your paper within any deadline that you set. This way, you will never miss your submission deadlines again.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is classification essay example.

In a classification essay, we organize things into categories and give examples of things that fit into each category. For example, if you choose to write about types of computers (PCs and servers), each of your developmental paragraphs will define the characteristics of a different computer type.

What is the purpose of a classification essay?

The thesis explains not only the category and subcategory but also the rationale for breaking it into all the categories. Through this classification essay, the writer hopes to show his or her readers a different way of considering the state.

What is classification writing?

A classification paper says something meaningful about how a whole relates to parts, or parts relate to a whole. Like skimming, scanning, paraphrasing, and summarizing, classification requires the ability to group related words, ideas, and characteristics.

What are examples classification?

If you have a group of things, such as fruits or geometric shapes, you can classify them based on the property that they possess. For example, you can classify the apples in one category, the bananas in another, and so on. Similarly, geometric shapes can be classified as triangles, quadrilaterals, and so on.

Through my engaging and informative blog posts, I aim to provide helpful tips on topics such as essay writing, research skills, and academic planning, empowering students to thrive in their academic pursuits.

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168 Classification Essay Topics & Analysis by Division Essay Ideas

A classification essay organizes things into categories and describes the criteria for classification.

If you are ready to discover genuinely fresh classification essay topics, this article is for you! We will introduce 168 inspirational classification essay ideas that will make your papers rock. We will explain what a classification essay is, and also describe some features of classification essay structure and format! Now is the time to choose your favorite idea from the following essay topics list. Enjoy your excellent grades and the envy of your classmates.

❓ What Is a Classification Essay?

🔑 How to Write a Classification Essay?
For College Students
For a Descriptive Essay
About Yourself
About Friends
Other Topics

👀 Classification Essay Example

🔥 top 13 classification and division essay topics 2024.

Types of self-care.
Ways to earn easy money.
Eco-friendly activities.
Ways to stay productive.
Best learning techniques.
Types of social media.
Forms of political activism.
Ways of coping with stress.
Types of fashion brands.
Language learning techniques
Types of travelers.
Types of cyber attacks.
Marketing strategies.

A division or classification essay is an essay that aims to evaluate one’s skills of categorizing and generalizing. The task is to organize things into categories . Before doing this, you’ll need to choose and describe the criteria for classification. You’ll also need to provide several examples of things from each category. For instance, when writing an essay on mobile platforms, you might distinguish the following categories: iOS, Android, Blackberry, and Windows Phone.

🔑 How to Write a Classification Essay? Key Principles & Steps

A classification essay divides objects into groups according to a particular system, depending on the subject.

Writing a Classification/Division Essay: 5 Steps

Below are the five steps that will help you write a successful classification essay .

The list contains 5 classification essay writing steps.

Step #1: Choose a Classification & Division Essay Topic

This idea is the central concept behind classification and division essays. Unlike other essay types , a good classification essay usually describes how the parts relate to the whole in a given category. When choosing a topic for a division essay, keep in mind that you should divide the topic into important categories. In the article, we will suggest various classification essay topics. They may inspire you and give you the overall idea of what one should look like. Remember, a good classification and division essay topic needs to be easily divided into categories.

Step #2: Define the Categories of your Classification Essay

A classification essay combines two different techniques:

Firstly, you need to divide a complex and difficult topic into subtopics
Next, you need to determine what categories are needed and what information fits into those specific categories

For example, a newspaper. All the information inside is divided into different parts. There are news, advertisements, and classifieds. Then the information is also classified into different categories. The news may, for example, be categorized as sports, international, local, lifestyle, etc.

Before starting an essay, make sure you have chosen an organizing principle. Information can be organized chronologically, logically, etc. You also need enough examples and supporting details for each category of your classification and division essay.

Step #3: Create a Thesis Statement

Developing the correct thesis statement is crucial. The main idea of the essay is summarized and expressed in a thesis. Once you have decided on the purpose, group, and categories, develop a thesis statement.

describe the basis of the classification
name what group of people or things you intend to classify
label the categories you have developed

For example:

“The last five U.S. presidents have practiced physical fitness regimens that varied from the formal to the informal. They have been either disciplined public joggers, regular private gym-goers, or casual, active sports enthusiasts.”

Step #4: Make a Classification Essay Outline

Outlining your classification essay is an essential step if you want to get a great essay. It helps you keep your paper organized and flow from point to point naturally. It also allows you to be more flexible. An outline provides a structure for what you will articulate in every section and every paragraph of your essay. Take a look at the table below!

Step #5: Remember Classification Essay Structure

It is essential always to remember the basic essay structure.

📇 Classification Essay Topics

We have introduced some of the main principles of classification/division papers. Now, we will write about and introduce some good topics for the classification essay. This classification essay list can help you to tackle this unique type of essay creatively.

Facebook users
YouTube videos
Search engines
Computer users
Dormitory rooms
Friends in need
People queuing at the dentist
People in the street when it rains cats and dogs
Most annoying songs
Dancing styles
Movie endings
Cinema-goers
Extracurricular activities
College athletes
College fraternities
Parenting styles
Child-parent relationships
Students and their study habits
Students during an exam
Students during a class discussion
Television shows
Shop assistants
First dates
Ways to apologize
Happy couples
Reasons (not) to get married
Ways (not) to resolve a personal conflict
Christmas gifts
New Year’s parties
Halloween costumes
Attitudes to sports
Ways to quit smoking
Sports fans
Sports coaches
Ways to spend a dinner break
Sales representatives
Advertisements
Shopping behaviors
Types of restaurant decor
Family dinners
Public speakers
World religions
Political regimes
International organizations
Stereotypes
Decision-making strategies
Types of motivation
Change management strategies
Clients’ behaviors in conflictual situations
Sources of energy
Evolution theories
Debating strategies
Stress-coping strategies
Responses to jokes
Laughter sounds
Compliments

📋 10 Classification Essay Topics with Categories

Here are the top 10 topics and category examples!

🖌️ Classification Topics for a Descriptive Essay

In case you might want to consider writing a descriptive or exemplification essay, we are introducing 12 extra topics that may help you.

First, you have to remember that the descriptive essay asks the student to describe something—object, person, place, experience, emotion, situation, etc. This kind of writing encourages the student’s ability to create a written account of a particular occasion or experience. While working on a descriptive essay, try to use vivid and clear language, use your senses, and leave an impression on the reader.

Here are some classification essay topics samples:

The influence of literature on daily life. Consider some examples and thoroughly describe how they affected people in certain situations.
Behavior in critical situations. Exemplify typical and atypical behavior of people you know (or yourself) in different extreme situations or imagine how you would react.
Most influential phenomena in the 21st century. Draw a few examples from modern history and chose one of them explaining your selection.
Conflict of generations. Describe how sides of the conflict react to the same situations and draw a conclusion stating what can be done to fix the issue.
Creativity in daily life. Explore the meaning of creativity and explain how it affects our lives on a daily basis.
Circumstantial wisdom. Describe some situations from your life and what wisdom you have gained from them.
Car ownership in a future city. Give some examples of how cars would look like 50 years from now.
The Second World War lessons. Exemplify the modern-day life aspects that might have formed under the influence of WWII.
Physics in daily life. Identify real-life situations where the knowledge of physics could be a game-changer.
Importance of physical education . State your opinion on why PE is so important in life, mentioning examples of famous people.
Everyday moral choices. Describe what moral decisions you have to take every day and whether you think you choose right.
Daily heroism . Think about the people whose work we do not notice but who have great importance in our lives.

🙋 Easy Classification Essay Topics about Yourself

Essays about yourself are usually one of the simplest topics. It is always easier to write about yourself rather than an abstract object.

If you want to write about yourself, here is a bunch of simple essay topics to consider:

My sources of inspiration. You may describe what keeps you going every day.
Inspiring stories that changed my life. Here you may remember an inspiring story from your childhood that someone told you or you read yourself.
My favorite personality from real life. You could write a descriptive essay about a modern person you know or read about.
My favorite book character. The narration might provide an explanation of why you chose this particular character.
My favorite success story. You can choose a real-life person who achieved success and describe his or her path.
Modern cultural trends in my country. Describe one or two significant cultural trends and elaborate how they are influential on different groups of people.
My personal life goals. In this essay, you might critically and retrospectively think about what you wanted to achieve in the past and now. Also, tell about how your goals have changed and what the present motivation behind them is.
My modern role model. Describe who you are inspired by and what is so special about him or her.
Role models of the past and their relevance to me. This is one of the essays on people where you can review some books or internet sources to find role models of the previous 50 years and discuss their relevance to you personally.
A motivational speech I admire. Choose one example of a motivational speech, describe its relevance and how it has changed you.
Leisure activities I would rather do. Write an essay about the things you would prefer to occupy your free time with. Mention why you would consider changing your present activities.
Motivational quotes that give me strength. A motivational essay on life that sheds light on the words that have special meaning for you. Mention a few examples of how the chosen quotes inspired you to do something.
The teacher that inspired me. You might choose this topic if you have such a teacher and write about the things he or she inspired you to do.
The most influential person in my life. A descriptive essay that gives the reader an understanding of a personality of a person you chose to write about and how he or she influences you.
Essay for a scholarship. A typical scholarship essay where you build your arguments on why you need it and what you will achieve with it.
Who am I? A written answer to this existential question lets you enhance your qualities as an essay maker.
My place in a world. Another interesting essay where you can write about how you are going to contribute to society as a human being.
My culture and ancestry. Here you may elaborate on what your parents’ and grandparents’ culture is and whether you associate yourself with it. If yes, then to what extent.
Minimum and maximum of things you need for a living. Describe what you need to live the life you picture for yourself in your worst and sweetest dreams.
Internet habits at different times. Here you might research into what people usually did on the internet when it first became available to the masses as compared to what people do there now.
Internet behaviors of different social groups. An example of a classifying and divisive essay where you need to identify and tie behaviors to a specific social group .
Internet habits in different cultures. Another essay on differences in Internet use. You can ask representatives of other cultures how they usually surf the Internet and write about it.
Internet hobbies. Write about how you can productively spend your time online.
Influence of games on health. A popular topic where you can express your opinion and cite reputable sources.
Gaming habits of boys and girls. An analysis by division where you identify gender differences in gaming habits.
Problems of a modern-day social media . Describe a few problems, name their source, and how they influence internet users.
My favorite website. State your opinion on why you like this website and describe its contribution to society.
Practical ways of searching information on the Internet. Enumerate several techniques and describe how they make the search more productive or easy.
Online vs. offline games. A division paper where you need to describe features of online or offline games, stating your opinion on which is best.
Online learning techniques. Research sources and create a list of the most useful and practical techniques for learning on the Internet.
Online teaching. Imagine yourself in the role of a teacher and describe how you would organize the learning process for your students.
Best websites for e-learning . Name a few examples and state their advantages in comparison to others.
Internet commerce. A college essay where you can describe ways people sell and buy goods on the Internet.
Internet of things. This is one of the essay kinds where you have you be specific about the terms. Give an explanation of the Internet of things and state how it affects today’s world.
Big data. Define reputable sources and describe the term’s influence.
Future of the Internet technology. Try to imagine what would become of our experience on the Internet in 10-30-50 years.
The emergence of the Internet. In a story-telling mode, narrate about the internet was created.
Classification of online businesses. Write a categorical essay on the types of online enterprises and their characteristic features.

🤝 Classification and Division Essay Topics about Friends

Here are some classification paper topics for college students about friends:

Types of friendship pointed out by Aristotle . Explain the three types of friendships pointed out by Aristotle. What were the reasons for his classification?
Importance of friendship in your life. Think about the importance of friendship. What types of friends exist? What importance do they have in your life?
The characteristics of friendship. Think of the main characteristics of friendship. What kind of people can you call friends?
The major differences between a good friendship and the bad one. Think of some qualities that make up a good or a bad friendship.
The effects of friendship. What kind of effects does friendship have on a person? Think about the ways friendship influences a person.
Love and friendship. What are the differences between love and friendship? You can come up with the types of characteristics that define friendship and love.
The purpose of friendship. What kind of purpose can a friendship have?
Friendship and enmity. The difference between friendship and enmity. Think of the qualities that distinguish friendship and enmity.
Major qualities of a true friend. What the qualities of a true friend?
Friendship and its effect on the person. Think of ways friends can influence one’s character or life.

🎁 Other Analysis by Division Essay Topics

Below you’ll find some extra classification essay topics for various fields and levels of study.

🤽 Classification Essay Topics on Sports

Here are some examples of classification essay topics you can use while writing a division essay about sport:

Winter Paralympic sports . Introduce Paralympic games to the reader. Talk about the kinds of sports that people compete in during the games.
Changes in Olympic sports. Think of the changes that were introduced to the Olympic games.
Challenges associated with team sports. Talk about challenges that team sports deal with. Why is it hard to be a team player?
The most expensive sports. List the most expensive sports. Explain why.
Extreme Sports. What kinds of sports are considered extreme? Why?

Classification Essay Topics on Music

There are the topics you can use while writing about music:

Types of musical instruments.
Greatest classical musicians.
Major types of music .
History of national music .
Modern art music.

🎒 Classification Essay Topics for 6 th Graders

Below are some perfect division essay topics for the 6 th Graders:

School game sports in your country.
Unusual school subjects.
Weekend activities in your country.
Different political beliefs.
Describe different personality types.

Learning how to write good essays may take time and practice; however, it is not impossible. In this article, we have introduced 168 topics for your essay. Don’t hesitate and start writing now – practice makes perfect! Please leave comments and suggest your ideas for the classification essay topics!

That is so helpful thanks!

tnx it is very good

What are Tone Words? List of 300+ Useful Words

Table of contents

1 What is a Tone?
2.1 Positive Tone Words
2.2 Negative Tone Words
2.3 Neutral Tone Words
3 How to Find the Right Tone for Your Work
4 Tone Words Examples in Various Texts

In writing, tone plays a significant role in conveying emotions, setting the atmosphere, and establishing a connection with readers. The tone of every piece of writing – whether an argumentative essay, a page-turning novel, or a moving poem – can be set by the author’s choice of words.

It would be best to balance the subtleties of language and freedom of thought to get the desired effect. Today, we share a definitive collection of tone words to help you and every writer achieve their goals in this area.

What is a Tone?

Tone, in writing, is the author’s emotional response with deep respect to either the subject matter or the readers. It helps to create a particular atmosphere and direct the reader’s feelings by revealing the author’s point of view.

The tone is the author’s voice (in this case, their attitude, not their personality), and how the words on the page are emotion-tinted to make the reader feel a specific way.

Word choice, tone list sentence structure, imagery, and figurative language are all examples of literary methods that can be used to communicate tone. It comprises more than just the words themselves.

Also, it includes the author’s general tone and approach. To provoke various feelings and responses from the reader, a talented writer might switch tones within the same piece of writing.

Recognizing and employing tone is fundamental to effective communication because it influences the writer’s attitude and how the recipient interprets the message. It can potentially affect a message’s readability, retention, and recall. When writers use the right tone, they may impress readers, hold their attention, and get their point over.

As they delve further into the nuances of tone and tone words in literature, authors gain access to many expressive vocabularies.

The Ultimate List of Tone Words

Now for our ultimate list of tone words in literature. This comprehensive compilation encompasses a range of words that can help authors like you effectively communicate their intended emotions and engage readers on a profound level. And we are talking about a deep level indeed!

Positive Tone Words

Positive tone words inspire happy thoughts and feelings in the reader. They spark positive emotions and are incredibly powerful. Powerful? How so? Positive tone words can make you think well of someone and have a favorable impression of them even without meeting. Here are some other good tone words, word examples, and their meanings:

Joyful: Filled with happiness, delight, and great pleasure.
Optimistic: Expecting positive outcomes, hopeful, and confident about the future.
Enthusiastic: Displaying intense excitement, passion, and eagerness.
Serene: Calm, peaceful, and tranquil.
Endearing: Inspiring warmth or affection
Grateful: Feeling or expressing appreciation and thankfulness.
Empowered: Feeling confident, capable, and in control of one’s life or circumstances.
Radiant: Emitting brightness, happiness, and positivity.
Inspirational: Providing motivation, encouragement, and a sense of upliftment.
Energetic: Full of vigor, liveliness, and vitality.
Confident: Having self-assurance, belief in one’s abilities, and a positive outlook.
Empathetic: showing empathy; feeling the emotions of others.

Negative Tone Words

The use of negative tone words can considerably influence the perceptions produced by readers, regardless of whether they describe a location, a literary work, or a collective of individuals. Simply put, just as positive tone words spark positive emotions, negative ones spark negative ones.

Hence, when applying negative tone phrases, you must exercise caution and ensure your criticisms remain fair, constructive, and objective, and that is very important.

By attentively picking your words, you can provide a well-rounded perspective while keeping your message’s moral sense and integrity. Striking the correct balance between negative and positive judgments provides for a full understanding and encourages effective interactions.

Miserable: Extremely unhappy, sorrowful, or distressed.
Disgusting: Causing intense revulsion, repugnance, or strong aversion.
Aggressive: Hostile, confrontational, or prone to initiating conflict.
Chaotic: Marked by disorder, confusion, and lack of organization or control.
Repulsive: Evoking strong feelings of dislike, aversion, or disgust.
Arrogant: Displaying an exaggerated sense of superiority, self-importance, or entitlement.
Hateful: Full of intense dislike, animosity, or prejudice towards someone or something.
Depressing: Causing feelings of sadness, dejection, or hopelessness.
Inferior: Of lower quality, value, or importance compared to others.

Neutral Tone Words

Neutral tone words help maintain a fair and unbiased approach, allowing readers to form their opinions without undue influence. Here are examples of neutral tone words along with their meanings:

Ordinary: Usual, commonplace, or unremarkable.
Standard: Conforming to established norms, expectations, or criteria.
Common: Frequently occurring, widely experienced, or generally known.
Typical: Representing a characteristic example or pattern.
Balanced: Exhibiting equality, equilibrium, or impartiality.
Objective: Unbiased, based on facts, and devoid of personal opinions or feelings.
Rationale: Logical, reasoned, and based on sound judgment or reasoning.
Neutral: Impartial, unbiased, or not taking sides.
Moderate: Neither excessive nor extreme, characterized by a reasonable and measured approach.
Unbiased: Fair, impartial, and free from prejudice or favoritism.
Indifferent: Having no particular preference or bias, lacking interest or concern.
Matter-of-fact: Devoid of emotional embellishment, straightforward, and focused on facts.

How to Find the Right Tone for Your Work

So far, we have established that finding the right, powerful tone words is the key to successfully delivering your message through writing. To figure out which examples of tone words used work best for your goal, ask these reflective questions:

Why am I writing this?

It helps to know why you’re writing in the first place to set the right words of tone in your writing. What effect do you hope to have on the reader? Each goal requires specific words and unique words for the tone of the literature to be adequate.

Who exactly am I writing for?

When deciding on a tone for your writing, it is essential to keep your readers in mind. Is it an official report, a casual blog post, or a rigorous research paper? The interest and understanding of your readers will increase if you modify your author’s tone to match their expectations and preferences.

What do I hope the reader will take away from this experience?

The tone of your communication can be improved by first determining the key idea or message you wish to express. Whatever you’re trying to do through your writing – persuade, inform, or evoke an emotion – matching your tone to your intended result is crucial!

The tone of any formal writing must be clear, concise, confident, and courteous. Attempt refinement without straying into pretentiousness; balance formality and readability.

However, creative writing allows for greater latitude in tone. Still, focus on effectively using tone words, regardless of the genre. The tone you go for will be influenced by the genre you’re writing in, but ultimately, you want to get your point across, make the reader feel something, and pull them into the story.

Suppose writers take the time to evaluate these factors carefully. In that case, they can master using an appropriate tone to describe words that will connect with their target audience, improve readability, and have the desired effect. We hope you become one such writer.

Tone Words Examples in Various Texts

Again, tone words play a vital role in shaping the atmosphere and evoking emotions in different types of writing. The choice of tone words varies based on the formality of the writing and is further influenced by the genre, whether creative or formal.

Let’s explore some examples of tone words in various types of writing:

Melancholic: Conveys a tone of sadness, longing, or introspection, often found in poems exploring themes of loss or nostalgia.
Whimsical: Creates a playful and lighthearted tone, commonly used in poems that embrace imagination and fantasy.
Serene: Establishes a calm and peaceful tone, often seen in verses that celebrate nature or meditate on inner peace.
Euphoric: Creates a tone of extreme joy, vitality, or ecstasy, frequently found in poems expressing moments of joy or bliss.

Romantic Novel

Passionate: Sets an intense and vibrant tone, typically associated with love, desire, and emotional depth.
Sentimental: Evokes tender and nostalgic emotions, often found in romantic novels emphasizing deep emotional connections.
Yearning: Conveys a tone of longing or desire, frequently employed in books that explore unrequited love or longing for a lost connection.
Tender: Establishes a gentle and affectionate tone, often used to depict tender moments of intimacy or vulnerability.

Horror Fiction

Eerie: Creates a tone of unease, suspense, and impending dread, frequently found in horror fiction to heighten tension.
Sinister: Evokes a dark, malicious, or hateful tone, often depicting evil or foreboding circumstances.
Terrifying: Establishes a tone of extreme fear, horror, or terror intended to invoke a visceral response from the reader.
Macabre: Conveys a tone of fascination with the gruesome death or the supernatural, often seen in horror fiction that explores the darker aspects of human existence.

Informative News Article

Objective: Establish a neutral and unbiased tone, presenting facts and information without personal opinions or emotions.
Authoritative: Conveys a tone of expertise, credibility, and confidence, frequently employed in news articles to establish trustworthiness.
Informative: Sets a tone of clarity, providing straightforward and concise information to educate the readers.
Balanced: Establishes a fair and even-handed tone, presenting multiple perspectives and avoiding bias or favoritism.

What Is the Difference Between Tone and Voice?

Tone and voice are sometimes misunderstood or used interchangeably by writers. However, they couldn’t be more dissimilar. We’ve established that tone conveys the author’s or a character’s feelings about the subject.

Tone words in nonfiction writing reveal the author’s point of view. Tone words are helpful in fiction because they indicate a scene’s or conversation’s emotional state, whether the reader might expect tension, happiness, sadness, etc.

While the term “voice” describes the overall character of a piece of writing. One author’s scathing tone may be another’s instructive or friendliness.

What Is the Difference Between Tone and Mood?

The word for tone in literature is the mood or atmosphere that the author intends for the reader to experience while reading the text, while mood is the experience that the reader has while reading the story.

How the author feels about the setting or the character and how he wants the reader to feel determines the tone. On the contrary, the reader’s emotional response establishes the mood. Setting the mood at the opening of a story prepares the audience for what is to come.

How do you identify tone words?

Identifying tone words in a piece of writing is essential for understanding the intended emotions and attitudes conveyed by the author. Here are some key approaches to identifying tone words:

Contextual Clues: Pay attention to the overall context and the writer’s purpose. Examine the subject matter, the writer’s attitude, and the intended audience. These factors can provide valuable hints about the tone.
Word Choice: Look for words that evoke emotions or convey a particular attitude. Tone words often carry emotional weight or reveal the author’s perspective. Words with strong connotations, such as “brutal,” “uplifting,” or “serene,” can indicate the tone.
Go with your Gut: Sometimes, the best way to explain a tone is to say that you just “get it.” The text makes you feel a specific way, whether it’s urgent or melancholy. After reading it, you feel angry and get the impression that the author is also angry. Or sometimes, there is nothing specifically humorous about the writing, yet you find yourself laughing anyhow. As a result, go with your instinct when deciding how to interpret the author’s tone in passages like these.

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These groups feel U.S. race and ethnicity categories still don’t represent them

The federal government recently reclassified race and ethnicity groups in an effort to better capture the diversity of the United States, but some groups feel the changes miss the mark.

Hmong, Armenian, Black Arab and Brazilian communities in the U.S. say they are not represented accurately in the official numbers. While the revisions were widely applauded, these communities say the changes have created a tension between how the federal government classifies them versus how they identify themselves.

The groups say money, political power and even health could be at stake. Being lumped into the wrong column can mean a gain or loss of government funds that are distributed based on data. For some, it’s about their identity and feeling seen by their own country.

READ MORE: What the 2020 census shows us about race and ethnicity in the U.S. right now

The Office of Management and Budget said the working group that oversaw the revisions held 94 “listening sessions” with many advocacy groups, academics and the general public, and it will continue to reach out to communities.

Hmong and the secret war

During the Vietnam War and unbeknownst to the American public, the CIA recruited Lao and Hmong people to fight the spread of communism throughout Southeast Asia. Tens of thousands of Hmong soldiers died while others fled to the U.S. as a result of what became known as the “secret war.”

By the 1970s, many Hmong had resettled in Minnesota, Wisconsin and central California. Today, Hmong in the U.S. number more than 300,000. Some states recognize Hmong and Lao veterans with annual ceremonies, and in April, the Wisconsin governor signed a law mandating that Hmong American history be taught in schools.

Given their history fighting in that region for the U.S., many Hmong feel strongly that they should be classified as Southeast Asian. But because China is considered the Hmong ancestral homeland, the U.S. Census Bureau categorized them as East Asian after the 2020 census.

“That has been very hurtful to our elders and to our veterans who sacrificed so much to get us here to this country after everything they did to help the U.S. during the Vietnam War,” said May yer Thao, president and CEO of the St. Paul, Minnesota-based Hmong American Partnership.

The East Asian label also pains them because the Hmong were oppressed in China as an ethnic minority and sought refuge in Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam, according to Quyên Dinh, executive director of the Washington, D.C.-based Southeast Asia Resource Action Center.

Those who object to the classification also have a practical concern: the East Asian grouping could hide socioeconomic disparities between Hmong and other Asian households that need to be addressed. The per capita income of Hmong was almost $26,000, while it was more than $53,000 for Asians overall, according to the 2022 American Community Survey.

“We are still one of the most impoverished communities in this nation,” Thao said.

The Census Bureau says it’s working with the Hmong community to improve their classification.

The excluded backgrounds

When the government revised its race and ethnicity standards in March — it’s first major alteration since 1997 — its seven categories included a new one, Middle Eastern or North African, or MENA . The revisions also encouraged detailed data collection about respondents’ backgrounds, such as African American, Jamaican and Haitian under the Black category.

Missing from the list of backgrounds under the new MENA category: Black Arabs from such countries as Somalia and Sudan, and Armenians. The groups were left out after a 2015 field test by the Census Bureau found that most Armenians still identified as white and most Somali and Sudanese respondents identified as Black even when MENA was an option.

Some advocates said the decision to omit Black Arabs from being included in the MENA category was based on outdated research.

For many Armenian Americans, not having their own category amounts to an existential threat as a large part of their diaspora’s culture is now concentrated in the United States. Ethnic Armenians also have communities around Europe and the Middle East, in particular Lebanon.

READ MORE: Why Arab Americans are pushing for a ‘Middle East or North African’ category on the census

Many are descendants of those who fled the 1915 campaign by Ottoman Turks in which some 1.5 million Armenians died in massacres, deportations and forced marches. The atrocities, which emptied many ethnic areas in eastern Turkey, are widely viewed by historians as genocide. Turkey rejects the description of genocide, saying the toll has been inflated and that those killed were victims of civil war and unrest during World War I.

Without Armenian inclusion in the MENA subcategories, many will likely categorize themselves as being from a different country. That could diminish their official numbers and reduce their power when it comes to redrawing political districts in places with large Armenian communities, said Sophia Armen, chair of the Census Taskforce of the Armenian National Committee of America-Western Region.

“We will now be undercounted by potentially hundreds of thousands of people,” Armen said. “It spells out a very real destruction of Armenian identity in the next two generations.”

During the last redistricting round following the 2020 census, Armenians in greater Los Angeles — which has the largest concentration of Armenians outside Armenia — were almost split up into different city districts, but the redistricting plan was modified after they sounded the alarm. There are an estimated 460,000 Armenian Americans in the U.S., with half living in California, according to the 2022 American Community Survey.

Being identified in the data correctly also is important to local health departments. It can influence anything from vaccination outreach in the proper language to tailoring health campaigns for specific communities.

Armenian Americans, for instance, are more likely to suffer from hypertension than the general population, but there’s not a lot of data.

Many Brazilians identify as Hispanic

A coding error last year in an annual Census Bureau survey offered unprecedented insight into how large numbers of Brazilians in the U.S. identify as Hispanic or Latino.

An analysis by Pew Research Center showed that the coding mistake revealed at least 416,000 Brazilians, or more than two-thirds of Brazilians in the U.S., also identified as Hispanic in the 2020 American Community Survey.

Usually, if someone marks Hispanic and Brazilian on the survey, they are recoded as “not Hispanic” when the numbers are crunched.

Not including Brazilians, or Haitians for that matter, in the definition of Hispanic or Latino, means that large numbers of Afro-Latinos aren’t counted, Michelle Bueno Vásquez, a Ph.D. candidate in political science at Northwestern University, wrote the Office of Management and Budget.

“The OMB as it stands fails Latinos, especially Afro-Latinos who continually suffer double discrimination and marginalization, on top of statistical invisibility, in the United States,” she said.

Researching the impacts of categorizing Brazilians as Hispanic was among the recommendations a Census Bureau advisory committee made last month.

“Policy is driven by data, first and foremost,” Armen said of people who feel missed in the classifications. “It just seems like we are purposely being ignored.”

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Call for Contributions: Textures in Nineteenth-Century Material and Literary Cultures (SUNY Press)

Call for Contributions

Textures in Nineteenth-Century Material and Literary Cultures

Eds. Ariane de Waal and Anja Hartl

We invite additional contributions to an edited collection on Textures in Nineteenth-Century Material and Literary Cultures , which is under contract for publication in the series Studies in the Long Nineteenth Century (series editor: Pamela Gilbert) at SUNY Press.

The deadline for detailed proposals (up to 700 words) for this volume is 1 July 2024, with delivery of completed chapters by 1 November 2024.

The volume provides a systematic and interdisciplinary exploration of textures in British nineteenth-century material and literary cultures. Drawing on the etymological meaning of texture as a web, we conceptualize texture as a complex category that encompasses both structural and surface properties and the sensory arrangement of material objects. Texture complicates the relation between inside and outside, surface and substance, as well as subject and object. As ground-breaking progress in the natural sciences exploded the Victorians’ interest in the textural distinctions between (and within) species and geological strata, the texture of material objects became increasingly meaningful in light of Britain’s colonial expansion and rising consumer culture. The collection shows how textural evaluation turned into a vital skill in the consolidation of new consumer identities as well as class-based and racialized distinctions.

The volume argues that texture not only served as a key category for stratifying the material world in the long nineteenth century but also allowed for sensuous experiences of materiality through visual and tactile explorations of artworks, texts, and other artefacts. Pursuing an interdisciplinary approach, the chapters focus on the definition, description, and construction of textures in diverse scientific fields and in textile cultures, architecture, aesthetic theory, philosophy, and poetics. By tracing textural thinking across these areas, the volume aims to elaborate the significance of textures to the history of ideas and to elucidate their role as a crucial evaluative and aesthetic tool.

Methodology

The edited collection explores textural methodologies to reveal the intricate and complex layering of literary and material artefacts in the long nineteenth century. In literary studies, texture has so far mainly been deployed to analyze the formal, medial, and affective surface qualities as well as the reception of literary texts (Stockwell 2009; Reinfandt 2016). Queer theory has also drawn on texture as a tool of literary interpretation (Bora 1997; Sedgwick 2003). The volume extends these approaches by using the notion of texture for a systematic investigation not only of literary but also of material culture.

By introducing texture as an analytical category and critically productive terminology, the collection expands methodological approaches in the field of Victorian material culture studies. Since the “Material Turn” (Pykett 2003) in Victorian Studies, scholars have moved away from reductive views of material culture as commodity culture, offering more complex engagements with ‘things’ outside of circuits of production and consumption (e.g. Freedgood 2006; Plotz 2009). What these approaches tend to share is an understanding of material culture as constructed and perpetuated by human agents; only rarely are humans themselves considered as part – rather than as the recipients or designers – of material culture (Boehm 2012; Hartl 2022). Following up on these developments, the volume uses the concept of texture to explore the material properties of human and nonhuman matter. Problematizing binary views of surface-depth relations, the volume demonstrates how meaning is often produced ‘in between’ the internal and external dimensions of texts and objects.

Across three sections, the contributors establish the methodological potential of textural analysis through a comprehensive examination of textures in literary texts, material culture, and crafts and consumer culture. The chapters address the following fields of enquiry:

Section I: Literary Culture: Poetics and Aesthetics

- Textural writing : which techniques serve to render textures tangible or perceptible in poetry and prose? How do literary texts evoke attributes of “elasticity, bounciness, sponginess, hardness, softness, consistency, striatedness, sogginess, stiffness, or porousness” etc. (Bora 1997, 99)? In what ways does texture work “as a principle of characterisation” (Hartl 2022, 111)?

- Textural composition : how is poetic or prose writing texturally composed? To what extent can literary patterns and structural aspects be described through textural terminologies, such as distinguishing the smooth from the striated (Conte 1997)?

- Textural aesthetics : how do authors describe or mediate the aesthetic experience of texture? How do the formal, medial, and affective textural qualities of texts shape the aesthetics of reception (Stockwell 2009; Reinfandt 2016)?

- Textural phenomenology : to what extent is sense perception a textured phenomenon? Are textures primarily captured in their visual or in their tactile, haptic quality? How does the link between textures and “affect, touching and feeling” foreground literature’s “irreducibly phenomenological” aspects (Sedgwick 2003, 21)?

- Textural analysis : which methodology needs to be applied to apprehend literary/material textures? What are the narrative/structural/affective possibilities of texture?

Section II: Material Culture: Skin and Hair

- Textural classification : how do medical or scientific writers establish texture as an evaluative tool? Which race-, gender-, age-, and class-based distinctions do textural classifications normalise? How do these distinctions intersect with imperial and economic systems of meaning?

- Textural corporeality : in which contexts is the human body approached as textured? To what extent are textures, rather than bodily surfaces or depths, constitutive of social identity, health, and disease? How does the evocation of texture relate to the production of desire and aversion?

- Textural materiality: how does the textural likeness between human skin and hair and nonhuman objects or structures complicate ontological distinctions between Victorian “bodies and things” (Boehm 2012)?

- Textural pathologies: how do differentiations between porous or sealed, fixed or detachable, static or flexible textures serve to distinguish healthy from pathological bodily structures (de Waal 2020; Mathieson 2022)?

Section III: Crafts and Consumer Culture: Textiles

- Textural webs : in what ways do authors extend the meaning of texture from “a craft name” to the overarching sense of “the world as a woven one” (Silver 2020, 169)?

- Textural temporalities : how do textures mediate the relationship between past, present, and future? Does the “self-referential” quality of textures encourage reflection on the “history” of an object’s production and circulation (Green-Lewis 2017, 63)?

- Textural commodities : what is the role of textures in determining an object’s desirability or market value, especially in imperial settings?

- Textural consumption : which textural aspects are valued and experienced in processes of consumption? How did the ability to differentiate ‘rough’ and ‘coarse’ from ‘smooth’ and ‘fine’ properties of consumer products become an economically salient skill for the rising middle classes?

Chapter Proposals

Detailed proposals ( up to 700 words ) for full chapters (7,000-8,000 words, due by 1 November 2024), as well as a short biographical note (max. 100 words), should be sent to the editors by 1 July 2024 : Ariane de Waal ( [email protected] ) & Anja Hartl ( [email protected] ).

Your proposal should indicate the following:

Which section of the volume would your chapter be included in, and which key questions does your chapter address?
Which aspect(s) of texture/textural thinking/textural analysis in nineteenth-century Britain does your chapter examine?
How does your chapter contribute toward developing textural methodologies?

The volume employs Chicago Style and American English conventions for spelling.

Bibliography

Boehm, Katharina (ed.). 2012. Bodies and Things in Nineteenth-Century Literature and Culture . Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.

Bora, Renu. 1997. “Outing Texture.” Novel Gazing: Queer Readings in Fiction , edited by Eve Kosofsky Sedgwick, 94-127. Durham, NC: Duke University Press.

Conte, Joseph. 1997. “The Smooth and the Striated: Compositional Texture in the Modern Long Poem.” Modern Language Studies 27 (2): 57-71.

De Waal, Ariane. 2020. “Looking Both Ways: Middlemarch , True Skin, and the Dermatological Gaze.” Victorian Network 9: 101-122.

Freedgood, Elaine. 2006. The Ideas in Things: Fugitive Meaning in the Victorian Novel . University of Chicago Press.

Green-Lewis, Jennifer. 2017. Victorian Photography: Literature and the Invention of Modern Memory . London: Routledge.

Hartl, Anja. 2022. “Experiencing Textures: The Materiality of Illegitimacy in Wilkie Collins’s No Name .” European Journal of English Studies 26 (1): 105-123.

Mathieson, Charlotte. 2022. “‘Stimulated by These Agents to Vigorous Action’: The Language of Suntanning and Materiality of Skin in Victorian Culture.” European Journal of English Studies 26 (1): 124-144.

Plotz, John. 2009. Portable Property: Victorian Culture on the Move . Princeton: Princeton University Press.

Pykett, Lyn. 2003. “The Material Turn in Victorian Studies.” Literature Compass 1: 1-5.

Reinfandt, Christoph. 2016. “Reading Textures.” Theory Matters: The Place of Theory in Literary and Cultural Studies Today , edited by Martin Middeke & Christoph Reinfandt, 319-334. London: Palgrave.

Sedgwick, Eve Kosofsky. 2003. Touching Feeling: Affect, Pedagogy, Performativity. Durham, NC: Duke University Press.

Silver, Sean. “The Emergence of Textures.” Journal of the History of Ideas 81.2 (2020): 169-194.

Stockwell, Peter. 2009. Texture – A Cognitive Aesthetics of Reading . Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press.

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A classification essay is a type of academic essay that categorizes a topic into distinct groups based on shared characteristics or criteria. The writer's purpose is to create a clear organization of information. Classification should be logical, making it easier for readers to remember the information being presented.
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Building on Note 10.43 "Exercise 1" and Note 10.46 "Exercise 2", write a five-paragraph classification essay about one of the four original topics. In your thesis, make sure to include the topic, subtopics, and rationale for your breakdown. And make sure that your essay is organized into paragraphs that each describes a subtopic.
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Step 3: Brainstorm Ideas About Your Subject. To start writing a classification essay, it is important to first decide on a clear and specific criteria for classification. With credible information in hand, let your creativity flow. Jot down all the possible categories related to your chosen topic.
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The organizing strategy of a classification essay is dictated by the initial topic and the subsequent subtopics. Each body paragraph is dedicated to fully illustrating each of the subtopics. In a way, coming up with a strong topic pays double rewards in a classification essay.
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Updated on July 03, 2019. Classification is a method of developing an essay by arranging people, objects, or ideas with shared characteristics into particular classes or groups. After you have settled on a topic for a classification essay * and explored it through various prewriting strategies, you should be ready to attempt a first draft.
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Use the following classification equation to craft your thesis statement: topic+ subtopics + rationale for the subtopics = thesis. The organizing strategy of a classification essay is dictated by the initial topic and the subsequent subtopics. Each body paragraph is dedicated to fully illustrating each of the subtopics.
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The purpose of classification is to break down broad subjects into smaller, more manageable, more specific parts. We classify things in our daily lives all the time, often without even thinking about it. Cell phones, for example, have now become part of a broad category. They can be classified as feature phones, media phones, and smartphones.
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Keep to the number of words. If instructions specify a certain amount of characters (letters, numbers et al.) be cautious to observe the count. Precision is always rewarded. Do not use words that question your confidence regarding classifications, namely 'maybe, probably,' 'I guess,' etc.
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In rhetoric and composition, classification is a method of paragraph or essay development in which a writer arranges people, objects, or ideas with shared characteristics into classes or groups. A classification essay often includes examples and other supporting details that are organized according to types, kinds, segments, categories, or ...
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The word for tone in literature is the mood or atmosphere that the author intends for the reader to experience while reading the text, while mood is the experience that the reader has while reading the story.. How the author feels about the setting or the character and how he wants the reader to feel determines the tone. On the contrary, the reader's emotional response establishes the mood.
These groups feel U.S. race and ethnicity categories still don't
Nation May 27, 2024 5:56 PM EDT. The federal government recently reclassified race and ethnicity groups in an effort to better capture the diversity of the United States, but some groups feel the ...
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Call for Contributions. Textures in Nineteenth-Century Material and Literary Cultures. Eds. Ariane de Waal and Anja Hartl. SUNY Press We invite additional contributions to an edited collection on Textures in Nineteenth-Century Material and Literary Cultures, which is under contract for publication in the series Studies in the Long Nineteenth Century (series editor: Pamela Gilbert) at SUNY Press.

Classification Essay: A Quick Guide with Examples

What Is a Classification Essay: Definition

How to Write a Classification Essay

Developing an Effective Classification Essay Thesis Statement

Classification Essay Outline

How to Start a Classification Essay: Introduction

Body Paragraphs of a Classification Essay

Classification Essay Conclusion

Classification Essay Writing: Useful Tips

Classification Essay Examples

Classification Essay: Bottom Line

FAQ about Classification Essays

2. How long is a classification essay?

3. What is the difference between a division and classification essay?

4. What are different types of classification?

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A Beginner’s Guide to Classification Essay + Examples, Topics, & Tips

What is a Classification Essay?

How to Write a Classification Essay?

Step 1: Choose a Topic

Step 2: Conduct Research

Step 3: Brainstorm Ideas About Your Subject

Step 4: Develop a Thesis Statement

Step 5: Draft an Outline

Step 6: Write Your First Draft

Step 7: Revise, Edit, & Improve Your Draft

Classification Essay Examples

Classification Essay Topics

Tips for Writing an Effective Classification Essay

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How to Write a Classification Essay?

Classification essay definition

How to write a classification essay

Classification essay outline

Classification essay topics

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Macdonald DeWitt Library at SUNY Ulster

Learning Objectives

The Purpose of Dividing & Classifying

The Structure of a Division/Classification Essay

Writing a Division/Classification Essay

Classification Essays

Student Sample Essay

Key Takeaways

Margin Size

11.1: The Purpose of Classification in Writing

15.5 Classification Essay

Online Classification Essay Alternatives

Classification Essay - Outline, Topics & Writing Tips

Classification Essay Definition

How to Start a Classification Essay?

How to Write a Classification Essay?

Classification Essay Examples

Classification Essay Topics

Tips for Writing a Classification Essay

Keep reading

What is Classification in Grammar?

Observations on Classification

Using Classification in an Introductory Paragraph

Using Classification to Establish Place

Using Classification to Establish Character: Example 1

Using Classification to Establish Character: Example 2

Famous Classification Paragraphs and Essays for Study

Classification

How to classify

Language for classifying

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What is a classification essay?

Characteristics

First, pick your main points carefully

White a clear and succinct introduction

Write a carefully crafted thesis that clearly states your purpose

In the body paragraphs, explain every category

Conclude by offering a summary of all the key points in the paper, and restating the purpose of the essay

Common Essay Structures / Patterns of Development

Classification and Division in Action: