ClassificationBY: Shade Ajani

Monique JohnsonAyanna Sinclair

Jessica Rose-MorganLiseli James

English 002-12

What is Classification ?

A way of organizing material to make better sense of it.

An essay writing style that divides one main subject into different parts so the audience can comprehend the essay topic better.

Two Types of Classification

Informational Classification

Personal Classification

Informational Classification

Informational Classification is the type of essay

whose purpose is to inform readers about a subject

that the writer is familiar with.

Personal Classification

Personal Classification is the type of essay, whose

purpose is not only to inform readers, but to excite

and give interest to the reader about a subject.

Personal and Informational

What are examples of a personal

classification essay?

What are examples of an informational

essay?

Reader’s Eye

The following are some pertinent issues to keep in mind while writing the classification essay with a Reader’s eye:

Decide whether the type of classification used is going to be PERSONAL or INFORMATIVE.

Ensure that each class or category is DEFINED so that the reader is never confused about your meaning.› E.g.. ‘The lecturer does just what the label indicates: lectures, usually

from notes.” (WM 358) Ensure that the level of vocabulary used in the essay is inviting to the

reader and not too technical that the reader will lose interest Make sure that your categories are clear and distinct.

› E.g.. ‘I will classify breakfast foods in the following three categories: foods that are nutritious, foods that take little time to prepare and foods that taste good.” (WM 360)

Reader’s Eye Cont’d

Make sure the topic that you choose is appropriate for the TYPE of classification essay you are writing (personal or informative).

Prewrite: select the categories you will use, come up with examples or a preliminary thesis etc. This stage of the writing process is very informal.

Organize your essay: work up an outline, how will your categories be ordered in the essay?

Keep in mind the general structure of a body paragraph of a classification essay:› Category name› Define or explain the category› Examples of items within the category

Finally, compose a draft of the essay and revise it thoroughly.

Writers Eye

Some classification essays may be boring.

Make it come alive.› Give good

description.› Use rhetorical

devices. Keep the essay

interesting.

Pictures of Slaves being beaten by their masters, Slaves beating their masters,

and Nat Turner.

Essay and QuestionsIdentify the thesis.Thesis: “Many masters as well as slaves got the reputation of being

‘bad’, which contributed to the tension that seemed to be mounting everywhere as the institution developed.”

Identify the topic sentences.

Q. What is this Slave Resistance classifying and what are the different parts?

A. The essay is classifying slavery and what happened during the time period of slavery.

The masters were beating the slaves brutally. Slaves started to kill themselves. Slaves started to kill their masters and mistress. Slaves started to REVOLT.

Essay and Questions Cont’d

Q. Is this an informational or a personal essay?A. Informational Essay

Works Cited

Franklin, John Hope. “Slave Resistance.” From Slavery to Freedom: A History of Black Americans, 8th Ed. (2000). Rpt. in Revelations: An Anthology of Expository Essays by and About Blacks. Eds. Teresa M. Redd and Caroyln E. Shuttlesworth. Boston: Pearson, 2010. 27-32. Print.

Maimon, Elaine P, ed. Writing Matters: A Howard University Student Handbook. 2nd Ed. Boston: McGraw Hill, 2010. Print.