CLASSIFICATION

Method of Paragraph Development by CLASSIFICATION

Classifying is the grouping together of items/

objects according to a given basis. In
classifying, it is important to consider the
similarities of objects and dividing them
according to their differences.

Mills and Waters (1980) in Igoy et. al.

defined classification as almost any act of
noting relationships; the act of locating a
specimen of all the different kinds of objects
which possess a given characteristics.

Inrhetoricandcomposition,classification
is a method of paragraphoressay
developmentin which a writer arranges
people, objects, or ideas with shared
characteristics into classes or groups.

A classification essay often includes

examplesand other supporting detailsthat
areorganizedaccording to types, kinds,
segments, categories, or parts of a whole.

"The primary support

inclassificationconsists of the categories
that serve thepurposeof the classification.
"The categories in classification are the 'piles'
into which the writer sorts atopic(the items
to be classified). These categories will
become thetopic sentencesfor the
body paragraphsof the essay. . . .

"Thesupporting detailsin classification are

examplesor 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."
(Susan Anker,Real Essays With Readings, 3rd
ed. Bedford/St. Martin's, 2009)

Examples of a Classified
Paragraph

Cybercriminals
"Cybercriminals generally fall into one of three
categories, he [Michael DeCesare, president of
McAfee] says. First there are the
'Anonymouses of the world' or the
hacktivists--people who expose information
about a company or government they morally
oppose. Second is organized crime. 'They're
realizing there's far more money in cybercrime
than prostitution,' Mr. DeCesare says. 'You can
buy somebody's I.D. for less than $10 online.'

Third are activities funded by states and

other political groups. 'Every government has
a cyber division,' he says, including the U.S.
But cyber dangers now stretch beyond state
lines to groups such as al Qaeda. 'Cybercrime
is a lot like that[the country is] almost not
relevant anymore,' making it difficult to hold
governments accountable."
(Alexandra Wolfe, "Michael DeCesare."The
Wall Street Journal, December 14-15, 2013)

Book Owners

"There are three kinds of book owners. The

first has all the standard sets and best
sellers--unread, untouched. (This deluded
individual owns woodpulp and ink, not books.)
The second has a great many books--a few of
them read through, most of them dipped into,
but all of them as clean and shiny as the day
they were bought. (This person would
probably

like to make books his own, but is restrained

by a false respect for their physical
appearance.) The third has a few books or
many--every one of them dogeared and
dilapidated, shaken and loosened by
continual use, marked and scribbled from
front to back. (This man owns books.)"
(Mortimer J. Adler, "How to Mark a Book."The
Saturday Review of Literature, July 6, 1941)