INTEGRATING CLASSIFICATION OR DIVISION INTO AN ESSAY
Classification and division are often used along with one or more other patterns of development.
- An essay that argues for stricter gun control may categorize guns in terms of their firepower, purpose, or availability.
- A narrative about a writer’s frustrating experiences in a crowded international airport terminal may describe the different parts or areas of the airport.
When incorporating classification or division into an essay based on another pattern of development, keep the following tips in mind.
- Avoid focusing on why the classification or division is meaningful. When used as a secondary pattern, the significance of the classification or division should be clear from the context in which it is presented.
- State the principle of classification briefly and clearly.
- Name the categories or parts. In the sentence that introduces the classification or division, name the categories or parts to focus your readers’ attention on the explanation that follows.
(For a reading that uses classification as well as other patterns of development, see “The Dog Ate My Flash Drive, and Other Tales of Woe”).