Objectives fi nding a • basis for classifi cation

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CHAPTER 
OBJECTIVES
fi nding a 
•
basis for classifi cation
making 
•
distinct categories
making the classifi cation 
•
complete
making sure the classifi cation has a 
•
useful purpose
using a step-by-step approach to create classifi cation 
•
paragraphs
studying model paragraphs to create classifi cation 
•
paragraphs
DEVELOPING 
PARAGRAPHS: 
CLASSIFICATION
Classifi cation as a method of development is very useful 
when the topic involves a large body of information. 
This chapter will explain the thinking behind the 
use of classifi cation in your writing and will give you 
opportunities to explore this method of development.
25
WHAT IS CLASSIFICATION?
Every day we are helped by systems that take large amounts of information and 
organize that information into groups or categories so that we can better manage the 
information. Libraries classify books and periodicals according to a specifi c system; 
in biology, plants and animals are classifi ed into groups and subgroups 
(kingdom, 
phylum,
class, genus, species, 
for example). In our jobs, offi ce documents must be 
organized into some logical fi ling system both in physical fi les and on computer fi les. 
Classifi cation is also a method for developing a piece of writing. This chapter will guide 
you through the thinking process needed to create paragraphs of classifi cation.
Classifi cation
is a logical way of thinking that enables us to separate a 
large number of items into categories. The result is a more manageable 
way to understand or analyze the material.
(continued on next page)
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A marketing analyst might write a brochure to classify the types of 
• 
products a company offers.
A historian might classify a century of history into its time periods, 
• 
decades, or eras.
FINDING THE BASIS FOR CLASSIFICATION
Not all topics are suitable for classifi cation. To break something down into its parts 
you must fi nd an important basis for those divisions. For instance, if you were a travel 
agent, a customer who wanted to go on a vacation might ask you to provide a list of 
vacation spots ranging from least expensive to most expensive. Another customer 
might ask for vacation possibilities that would be near a beach. Still another might 
want to know about vacations that would involve renting a cabin in a fi shing area. In 
other words, there could be many ways to approach the classifi cation of vacations.
Topic: 
Vacation spots
Three possible bases for classifying vacations:
1. By price (fi rst class, second class, economy)
2. By special attractions (the beach, the mountains, the desert)
3. By accommodations (motel, cabin, trailer)
Finding the Basis for Classifi cation
For each of the following topics, pick three different ways the topic could be 
classifi ed.
1. Topic: 
Movies
Ways to divide the topic:
2. Topic: 
Cars
Ways to divide the topic:
3. Topic: 
Houses
Ways to divide the topic: 
4. Topic: 
Religions
Ways to divide the topic:
5. Topic: 
Soft drinks
Ways to divide the topic:
EXERCISE 
1