Classification Essay Writing Requires Purposeful Categorization
Students must understand difference between categories to write a classification essay
Classification essay writing is about allotting things, events, personalities or other items to various groups, depending on a particular feature, which would be common for any single group. Therefore, students need to know the property of category before they allot any item to it.
For example, a student going to participate in a painting competition may put his oil pant and brush in one packet, while the paper and highlighters would go into another one. On probing further about the reasons for this division, we find that the items have been put into two packets, based on their function and the assumed need of student at the competition site.
Hence, it becomes clear that the classification should follow certain principle, which could be the functional features of the items or their other characteristics. However, same principle should be used for categorization throughout the essay. For example, while grouping automobiles, students cannot put two-wheelers and four-wheelers in the same category as that would not meet the purpose of classification. Similarly, mixing heavy machinery like earth-moving equipment with a light engineering device, as grinder, would be incorrect as it would not meet the requirements of logical categorization.
-
Purpose of classification
Therefore, the most important aspect of writing a classification essay is about finding the categories for such allotment. However, prior to that, students need determining the purpose of classification. Hence, students should carefully read the instructions for their essay writing, which would prescribe the basis of classification. Accordingly, they should work on the necessary allotment, to place different items in groups, while keeping the given instructions in view. For example, while clearing an office desk, the secretary would keep in mind instructions from the boss, for putting papers in files, depending on the urgency required to take action on them. Hence the classification would be like,”Most Urgent”, “Urgent”, “Immediate” and “regular”. Hence going through tags of the files, boss could decide about the file that needs his urgent attention. This explains the purpose of classification. In any case, going through classification essay would further help students to understand the meaning of purpose in writing such essays.
-
Essay structure
While the classification into various categories would follow a certain principle throughout the essay, its structure must follow the rules of transition. In simpler terms, this means that students should describe the first type, then the second type and finally the third type of the groups, which they have formed for allotment of different items. For example, while categorizing various means of transport, the first type of classification would be “railways”, “waterways” and “road transport.
In continuation of this classification process, the second type would be, “express trains” and “ordinary trains” for railways. Similarly, this could be “buses” and Personal transport like, ”cars” for road transport. Therefore, students should present a well-structured essay, which would have smooth transition from one type of classification to another.
However, students could find more information on writing a good classification essay from Custom Essays.


