How to write a classification essay (definition, step by step)

Writing a classification essay is usually required when learning various concepts in high school and colleges. These types of essays require creating an analogy between two items, group, or events. In the essay, the writer should prove that these concepts should be classified in such and such way or not.

For example: should rap music be considered as a musical genre or a form of popular culture?

Let us now define what we mean by a classification essay.

What Is a Classification Essay?

A classification essay is a type of essay that requires organizing or classifying concepts into different groups or categories.

There are many ways to write, organize, and express the ideas if you want to classify items. Sometimes it is not required at all. When writing about something new it usually necessary to compare, show similarities and research various aspects related to given topic.

When you do research, it is better to collect and compile facts and information from various sources.

Another example: Is James Bond a hero or a villain?

James Bond is a character in Ian Fleming’s eponymous series of spy novels. The last novel was written in 2008; since then the series has been continued in short stories. The official James Bond series has produced twenty-three full-length films since 1962, with a twenty-fourth due in 2012.

What Is a Classification and Division Essay?

A classification and division essay is a type of essay that requires you to take something and classify it into two or more groups.

Classification Essay Outline Example

Below is a basis classification essay outline example.

Classification Introduction– (classification keywords, reasons for classification)
Introduce concepts – (concept 1 features and qualities, concept 2 features and qualities, concept 3 features and qualities….)
Classification Conclusion – (concept 1 vs. concept 2, reasons for classification)

How to Write a Classification Essay In 6 Steps

The process of writing a good classification essay involves 6 steps listed below:

Brainstorming Ideas.
Formulate Thesis Statement.
Plan the Process.
Carry out extensive research.
Write the paper.
Revision: Proofread and edit your paper.

Now, let us break down each step and see what it entails:

Step 1: Brainstorming Ideas.

Your first step in writing a classification essay is to brainstorm for ideas. You can do this by yourself or with a group of people that you trust. Start writing down all the research topics which you can write about. If you are working on your own, take an hour or two and jot down as many ideas as possible. Write down anything that comes to mind without censoring yourself. It is much easier to evaluate the ideas when you have written them all down in a list.

You can also take help from word association lists to generate essay ideas. This is where you write the first thing that comes into your head and see what words it brings up in your memory. Some random words commonly used as prompts are grapefruit, mud, leather boots, etc.

Your brainstorming list should contain at least five topics or more that you feel like writing an essay about.

If there is nothing that appeals to you among the ideas, choose another session and try again until you succeed.

Step 2: Formulate Thesis Statement.

Once you have your list of interesting essay topics, the next step is to narrow down and choose one topic from the list. Many students choose a topic and then try coming up with a thesis statement. This can be challenging as it involves trying to create something out of nothing which takes time and effort. A much better strategy is to come up with your thesis first before selecting a topic as this will help in saving valuable time. Simply pick any topic from the list and look at its general theme or main idea rather than looking at small details such as specific examples or situations. Then formulate a thesis statement that sums up what you plan to write about; for example, a classification is a useful tool for understanding particular phenomena, especially when the chosen phenomenon has several components.

Here you can see that the main idea of the chosen topic is to explain what classification means and how it works in relation to various elements that come under one general group or another. The thesis statement sums up this idea and states it in a concise sentence which can serve as an outline for your essay.

Step 3: Plan the Process.

Once you have selected an essay topic and written down its thesis statement, it is time to plan out your essay by creating an outline based on your ideas and research material. Choose any word processing program such as MS Word or MS Works for writing your essay; these programs offer great formatting options when it comes to creating an essay outline.

Main Heading: This is the main heading that will go across the top of your essay. You should label each section according to its content so that you can easily locate it. For example, if the topic of your paper is ‘Trampolines’, possible section headings could be History or How It Began, Physical Aspects or Structure, Types of Trampoline, etc.
Subheadings: Ideally speaking, every other heading within a classification essay should be a subheading which helps in breaking down the larger ideas into smaller chunks and making it easier for readers to grasp what you are trying to say. You can either use descending numbers or alphabets to mark the subheadings.
Content: In this section, you can lay out your argument or thesis statement in a well-structured manner by getting straight to the point and talking about each of your main ideas followed by its relevant supporting material. It is also common for people to have specific sections within their content that deal with different aspects or details of their chosen idea or topic, which they then set up accordingly according to the given outline format. The more structured your essay appears, the better it will be for your reader.
Conclusion: A classification essay conclusion should summarize what you have already said in your essay and make a point of summarizing the overall topic addressed by the paper. Here is an example- Trampolines are a wonderful source of recreation and entertainment that can easily be made at home with minimal expenses and effort due to their simple design and structure that require only basic materials such as hardwood, springs, cloth, etc. The main idea behind this conclusion is to briefly summarize what you already discussed about trampolines in terms of their history or how they began, different types, etc., while also bringing forth the key points that are most relevant to their simple construction which makes them easy to build but at the same time more efficient than many other forms of recreational equipment.

As this outline demonstrates, it is important to divide your paper into logical sections that deal with different elements or aspects of the main idea. Having proper subheadings can make your essay appear more structured and readable which in turn makes it easier for readers to follow what you are trying to say. Finally, always remember to summarize or conclude your argument by stating its most relevant points along with an explanation about why these points are most relevant under the given circumstances. This will give you a chance to focus on the main ideas mentioned above rather than getting distracted by smaller details that may not be as relevant as you originally thought they would be. Proper classification essay structure allows you to present your topic effectively without going overboard on its details, while also giving you a chance to highlight the most significant aspects of your topic.

Writing an outline for a classification essay is a good way to get yourself started on your paper by coming up with logical categories through which you can later organize and present your ideas. It is best if you use this structure from the very beginning rather than trying to shift things around after writing has been completed. This will help in making it easier for you to complete your assignment within the given timeframe without forgetting or missing out on any important points or elements that might make your argument sound incomplete.

Step 4: Carry our extensive research.

For an in-depth analysis and proper understanding, you will need to carry out extensive research on your topic. Make sure that all the facts and information presented in your essay are accurate and verifiable through credible sources such as journals or articles related to your chosen field of study.

Step 5: Write your paper.

It is common for people who have never written anything like this before to feel overwhelmed when it comes to writing a complete paper from scratch. As such, it often makes sense to create a rough draft which you can then edit at a later point in time. A good way to start with something like this is by coming up with an outline that allows you to list down all the points that you want or need to cover in your paper. Once you have a list, you need to go through and fill in all the necessary details so that your main points do not get lost amidst the numerous details and examples mentioned in each point.

Step 6: Revision: Proofread and edit your paper.

To make sure that your arguments are accurate and easy to understand. You will need to proofread and edit the essay with finesse at least two or three times before submitting them. This will help in removing any grammatical errors or typos while ensuring that what you wanted to say is properly communicated with your readers without any confusion or misunderstandings arising from anything said by you.

Once everything is perfect in terms of content, structure, and wording, submit your paper before the assigned deadline.

Carrying out these steps will help in making sure that your classification essay is properly structured and researched so that you can carry out an effective analysis about how well or badly constructed a certain type of recreational equipment or building might be.

Looking for more information on this classification paper writing? click here to ask a question and get answers from professionals.

How to Structure Your Classification Essay With Examples

The structure of a classification essay can be organized in 3 parts:

Introduction to the topic
Main body part
Conclusion.

Introduction

The introduction should contain a thesis or a statement which depicts what you are going to write about. It should also include a summary of two concepts, which will be compared in the body part of the paper later on. In this paragraph usually goes a background information, which provides readers with general background knowledge about the topic.

For example: Let us compare James Bond, a character in Ian Fleming’s spy novels and Agent 007, played by different actors in the official film series produced by EON Productions.

Main body essay body paragraphs

The main essay body paragraphs is where you discuss similarities and differences of these two concepts. When writing this section it is important to include at least two points for similarities and two points for differences.

Conclusion

The final parts of the essay are conclusion, where you say what is your point of view, summarize the key points of the paper, etc. You can also offer some advice or your thought about classifying these concepts together.

For example: We conclude our essay by saying that Ian Fleming’s character of James Bond, the British spy created in 1953, together with all his incarnations on the silver screen are definitely more of a fantasy than reality. Agent 007 is not worthy of being called hero or villain since he cannot be classified unambiguously.

This is how you structure a classification essay if you want to earn a better grade.

4 General Tips for How to Write a Classification Essay

To write a good classification essay paper, these are some general tips to follow when writing your classification essay:

Make sure to have a clear thesis statement that answers the question you are attempting to answer or prove in your classification essay. It is okay if you wish to argue for a position, but it must be a debate worthy claim.
If there are multiple factors used in your classification paper, make sure they are clearly delineated in separate sections or categories.
Clearly define the terms that might be important but also easily misunderstood within your classification paper. You should not assume that everyone in your audience is well-versed in the definitions of terms.
Make sure to stay on track and cover all parts of your classification paper; otherwise, you risk not getting a good grade for this assignment. It is also important to address each part of your paper so that you can fully explain your position.

In conclusion, writing a good classification essay is something that not everyone can do easily. While it might seem like an easy assignment to complete, there are many important factors that go into determining the final grade. Make sure to follow these tips when working on your own classification essay.

Classification Essay Examples

Here are some classification essay examples that you can read to understand the process of writing your own classification papers for school.

Classification Essay Example 1: Different types of discrimination

There are many different types of discrimination in the world today, but one that has been a hot topic of debate is discrimination against homosexuals. Many people feel that they must keep their sexual orientation to themselves because they fear being looked down upon by others for their preference in gender when sleeping with someone. However, there are also many people who feel that everyone should be able to love whoever they choose and it is wrong for someone to tell them what they can and cannot do.

One of the most well-known pieces of literature dealing with discrimination against homosexuals is the tragic play “Romeo and Juliet” by William Shakespeare. In this work, it is clear that Romeo Montague is heterosexual while Juliet Capulet is a homosexual. When the two meet after attending a party, they fall in love almost instantly and must deal with many problems since their families are feuding rivals. Throughout the play, there are references to homosexuality being looked down upon, even by some characters who are homosexuals themselves, which makes them feel that they are not accepted for who they are.

Another example of discrimination against homosexuals can be found in “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson. In this story, there is an annual tradition where people gather on July 4th to draw lots out of a box. The last name drawn out will be stoned to death as punishment for committing some horrible crime. This year when the box is opened, the piece of paper that falls out has the name “Jackson” written on it instead of a family’s last name.

The townspeople all look at Mrs. Jackson and accuse her of committing adultery to get pregnant so someone else could draw her name out of the box. They insist that she must be stoned to death for her crime, but Mr. Jackson comes forward and insists that he made love to his wife right before she got pregnant so they would have a child together. Even though it is apparent that Mr. Jackson was telling the truth, Mrs. Jackson still gets stoned to death because people come forward and claim that they saw them commit adultery many times in public places like movie theaters and restaurants, which makes everyone feel that they must be guilty of something.

While these two works are very different, they both describe discrimination against homosexuals in some way. Even though it is clear that it is wrong to discriminate against anyone based on their sexual orientation, there are still many people who feel this way and will judge others without considering the facts. Discrimination like this has existed for centuries and will likely continue to exist far into the future unless people realize how hurtful certain beliefs can be.

Classification Essay Example 2: The Dog as a Domestic Animal

Below is another example of a classification essay:

Classification Essay Example: The Dog as a Domestic Animal

There is no such thing as an “ordinary” dog. Each and every breed has its own unique characteristics. Even between breeds, there are so many different breeds of dogs to choose from that picking the perfect pooch can be very difficult. It all depends on what you want your dog to do for you and how much time and money you can afford to spend. To help answer questions like “What kind of pet should I get?”, we will need to look at them one-by-one and decide which type would suit us best.

This does not mean we should only choose the most popular types; we must also consider who we are (do we have children? other pets? an active lifestyle?). Then, we should match the dog’s needs and personality to our own preferences. Let’s take a look at the different types of dogs and discover which breed might be best for us.

The first major “type” is the sporting dogs. These include breeds such as Golden Retrievers, Spaniels, Beagles, Pointers and Setters. Sporting dogs are typically good-natured, friendly and intelligent; however they do require extensive exercise (think lots of off-leash walks). If you’re looking for a family pet that will play with your kids as much as it plays with you – this is it!

Next we have the herding dogs: Collies (Lassie), Shetland Sheepdogs (Bash), Australian Shepherds (Nanook) and Corgis. These breeds are very intelligent, loyal and very good with children. If you want a dog that can “herd” you through your daily routine – this is it!

Thirdly we have the hunters: Labrador Retrievers, Beagles and Weimaraners. These dogs tend to be highly energetic and often require hours of exercise each day; however they can make excellent pets if their hunting instincts are not too strong (yes, some Weimaraners will actually chase cats). If you like spending time outdoors hiking or camping – this is definitely the type for you!

Also popular as family pets are the guard dogs such as Pit Bulls, Rottweilers, Dobermans and German Shepherds. These dogs are extremely loyal to their owners, but should be well-trained before being allowed around children or other pets. If you need a dog to protect your family or your possessions – this is definitely the type for you!

Finally we have the working dogs: Siberian Huskies (Nanook), Alaskan Malamutes (Kodiak), Saint Bernards (Samson) and Komondors (Bash). These breeds were specifically bred for cold climates; therefore they require regular exercise in order to maintain good health. They are very intelligent and strong yet patient with children – if you want a big dog that will help you haul firewood or pull sleds through the snow – this is it!

There are many other types of dogs not included in the list above, but these are by far the most popular. One thing to remember when choosing a dog is that you should love it unconditionally – no matter whether it’s big or small, purebred or mixed-breed, furry or hairless. If you can handle the responsibility and care for your pooch well enough to make him/her happy, then you’ve found your perfect pet!

Good classification essay topics and ideas

Here are some classification essay topics, classification and division essay topics and ideas to write about:

Types of clothes.
Grouping things by shape.
Classes of animals.
People or social groups – income group, ethnic group, native country, generation, city people as opposed to those who live in the country.
Professions – teachers and professors, white collar professions, blue collar professions.
Different types of jobs – jobs you can do with a college degree or high school diploma.
Classification essay topics that are subtopics of subtopics, or different classifications – houses can be classified by their architecture or style, and within different types of architecture there are many styles.
Government classification essay topics – the different types of government in world history.
Classification essay topics on things that are organized in a hierarchy – countries, states and provinces.
Different types of scientific classifications – grouping plants and animals by their kingdom, phylum, etc.
Events in history – wars. Classification of wars by the types of weapons used, for example, or by the number of people who died.
Systems of government – democracy, republic, monarchy.
Ancient cultures.
Different ways that things are organized.
Different types of rocks and minerals.
People’s beliefs – religious beliefs, political beliefs, belief about the origin of the universe, etc.
Different types of games and sports – some people like to play American football, while others play soccer.
Various types of food – there are many types of cuisine in the world.
Different types of music – there are many types of music, and there are even subtypes within some genres.
Types of literature – some people prefer to read fantasy, others enjoy reading mysteries.
Different types of consumer products available – different types of cars, for example.
Methods of classification essay topics – how you can classify things, and what some of the main methods are.
Different types of consumer products purchased by the average person – food, appliances.
The different ways that scientific discoveries are classified.
Names of individual insects.
Different types of sandwiches – examples include the BLT, peanut butter and jelly sandwich, Monte Cristo, etc.
Classification essay topics on different types of insects – what are the different kinds?
Classification and division essay topics on types of houses.
Different kinds of cities.
Different types of clothing.

Visit classification essay topics page for comprehensive list of classification and division essay topics that will help you write a good classification and division essay.

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Classification and Division Essay Topics & Ideas