What is a Classification Essay?
The classification essay is a type of academic writing that requires students to demonstrate their ability to organize things into different categories. It can be anything from objects, events, or groups of people; this includes everything!
The defining factor for categorizing an object is how one decides the basis or characteristics of that particular thing. For instance, dividing animals into different categories such as reptiles because they are vertebrates and have backbones such as turtles, lizards, crocodiles, etc.,
The major aim of a classification paper is to:
- Divide things into an important category
- Ensure that a uniform classification principle is being followed
- Come up with an equal number of examples that fall under each category
By now, you must have understood the classification essay definition. Let’s move on and learn how to write it.
Classification Essay Outline
The following points will help you structure your classification essay. Plan ahead! Make sure to follow these guidelines when creating outlines.
- Introduction
The introductory paragraph is an integral part of the essay since it is the first thing that your reader goes through.
Use it to grab the reader’s attention and build their interest in the paper. You can hook them by presenting some unusual or intriguing information relevant to the topic.
Next, get them familiar with the topic at hand with the help of some background information. Leave out details regarding the categories at this stage. Just give them an overview of your concept.
Finally, state the thesis statement that you defined earlier to give the reader an idea about what to expect from your paper.
- Body Paragraphs
A classification essay differs from a typical five-paragraph essay. The number of paragraphs here depends on the number of categories that you have.
Start each body paragraph with a topic sentence. In other words, open with a brief summary of the content presented in that particular paragraph.
Make sure that your topic sentences are interesting and make the reader want to read further. If you don’t have a clear idea about them, check out this detailed guide on writing a topic sentence .
When writing the body paragraphs, make sure that you follow a logical approach and use appropriate transitions.
- Conclusion
A classification essay conclusion restates the thesis statement and highlights the importance of classifying people or objects in groups.
How to Write a Classification Essay?
Classifications are different from your typical essays. You need to do research and plan before you start writing. Your essay needs to be planned out. You need to think about what categories it would fall under, the traits of those categories, and more!
Following are some useful steps to craft an interesting and informative classification essay:
1. Brainstorm Ideas
The first step is figuring out a topic, in case you haven’t been assigned one already. Writing a topic of your choice is both a challenge and an opportunity.
You get to brainstorm and explore different ideas and choose the one that interests you the most. But at the same time, looking for objects that can be logically organized into different groups can be a bit challenging.
The trick is to look for objects that have an apparent basis for comparison. However, don’t go with something that has more than five categories.
We have mentioned some interesting classification essay topics in the coming sections to give you a better idea.
2. Determine the Categories
The next after deciding on a topic is to choose the categories to divide them. There can be different angles in some cases, so determine the approach you want to stick with. For instance, if you’re analyzing a group of people, then you can filter them by demographics, age, gender, etc.
However, make sure that you aren’t skipping an important category. And every category follows unique criteria for grouping.
3. Develop a Thesis Statement
Although the thesis statement is part of your introductory paragraph, it’s better to define it at this stage. A thesis statement defines the purpose of your paper, along with its main points. Think of it as the foundation of your essay that highlights the subject under analysis and the criteria being used to classify it into different categories.
This will help you give a sense of direction and help keep the essay on the right track. However, if you want, you can refine the thesis as you go.
4. Develop a Strategy
It can be hard to come up with an essay when you have no idea where the paper is going. However, this doesn't mean that there aren’t any steps in achieving success - just stick with it! A good way of doing so would be by dividing your time between different tasks and always keeping one step at hand.
5. Carry Out Extensive Research
Before you start writing the essay, have a clear idea of what type and how many sources your teacher is looking for. Use different research and writing methods to make it easier on yourself when reading over all that work later!
6. Writing the Essay
Finally, coming to the most important part – the write-up itself. In order to make your write-up organized and concise, it’s always a good idea to start with an outline. This will help you maintain a logical flow of information throughout the entire piece so that there are no confusing tangents or dead-ends in sight!
7. Revise and Update
When you are done with the first draft, give yourself a break. Go back to your essay and make sure there aren't any inconsistencies or errors in what was written before coming up for air!
Classification Essay Example
Before starting the wiring process, it is better to look at our expert writer’s example. This way, you will better understand how professional essays are written and for that, go ahead and take a peek at this one from their division example library!
Classification Essay Example PDF
Good Classification Essay Topics
As promised earlier, here are some interesting ideas that you can use to craft your classification paper.
- Types of the movie ending
- Dance styles
- Different types of diet
- Extracurricular activities in college
- Child and parent relationship
- Types of friends
- Ways to spend a summer break
- Stress-coping mechanisms
- Different types of religions
- Categories of atheists
- Male pop artists
- Animals in Africa
- Water sports in Hawaii
- Tips in restaurants
- Films on historical events
Classification Essay Tips
To make your classification essay stand out, pay attention to the content's small yet important things. Taking care of a few things can make your essay writing exceptional and help you win that scholarship!
Follow these professional tips below while writing:
- Avoid choosing topics that are too broad.
- You need to research and find good information when you write. People might only read the headline, but they will want to read more if you have information about it.
- Provide strong evidence and examples for each classification.
- Use sources that give you the most accurate information.
- To make sure you don't miss any important information, draft a perfect classification essay outline.
- Proofread your work for errors or mistakes before finalizing it.
This was everything you needed to write classification essays. However, if you're still confused, don't worry; there’s a way out. 5StarEssays.com has a team of exceptionally professional writers who craft interesting and unique content from scratch.
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