PATTERNS OF ESSAY

DEVELOPMENT

DIVISION AND CLASSIFICATION

Lecture 11
THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE RIGHT WORD AND
THE WRONG WORD IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A
LIGHTENING AND A LIGHTNING BUG.
- MARK TWAIN
 EXPOSITORY WRITING:
DIVISION AND CLASSIFICATION
 Division breaks an item into its main parts.

 Classification groups items together into categories.

 To classify is to gather into types, kinds, or categories according

to a single basis of division.

Whether you classify rocks by their origin for a science course or

children by their stages of growth for a psychology course, you will
be organizing large groups into smaller, more manageable units that
can be explained to your reader.
 DIVISION
It’s a good method for organizing information when you are
explaining a complicated subject that has several distinct parts.
For example, you could write about kinds of guitars and divide
your subject into acoustic guitars and electric guitars or into
modern guitars and early guitars.
 CLASSIFICATION
Use classification to explain how similar items can be sorted into
categories. For example, if you were explaining your school’s
sports program, you might discuss tennis, volleyball, and
swimming and show how these sports fall into category of lifelong
sports – sports that can be enjoyed well through one’s adult years.
 PRE-WRITING STAGE: DIVISION
The first step in dividing a subject is to determine a method of
division that fits your purpose and allows you to say something
meaningful about your subject. You can develop a chart to help
you organize the division.

Think about dividing the following subjects into two (or more)
categories:
 Music
 Celebrations
 Careers
 Shopping centers
 WRITING A FIRST DAFT: DIVISION
Once you decide on a method of division to use, you should then
choose an appropriate method of organization for your paragraph.
For example, using spatial order would help you to explain the
locations of the various rides in an amusement park. Chronological
order would help you trace the stages of development in an
interpreter’s career. Order of importance would help you explain
how your state government is divided into different branches. Use
transitions to connect ideas. Remember about the importance of a
topic sentence.
 PRE-WRITING STAGE: CLASSIFICATION

When you classify, you group items by type or kind. For example, you
might classify or group the texts in your literature textbook by literary
genre – poems, plays, short stories, essays – or by theme. Classifications
should be consistent and not overlap. It means your classification should
be based on one principle not several, e.g. cost, size, or source.

Choose one of the subjects listed here and decide two methods of
classifying it:
 Books
 Planets
 Transportation
 Foods
 WRITING A FIRST DAFT: CLASSIFICATION
When you group items into categories, you should arrange your
categories in an order that makes sense to you and that will interest
your readers. You may want to use chronological order, spatial
order, or order of importance.

Use the transition words and phrases to help you classify the
relationships among items.
 CLASSIFICATION PARAGRAPH EXAMPLE
Houseguests can be classified according to their level of self-sufficiency as
independent, semi-dependent, or completely dependent. Independent
guests make an effort to fit their routines to yours; they make their own
beds, cook breakfast if they get up early, and know how to entertain
themselves if you have other things to do. These usually are guests you
want to invite back. Semi-dependent guests demand more of your attention
and companionship; they may want to be driven around town or may urge
you to play chess with them even though you hate chess or have a research
paper due. Still, the guests in this category may have charming qualities
that make their visit worthwhile. Most infuriating are the helplessly
dependent guests, who enter your house as if it were a hospital or spa,
expecting to be taken care of. My friend George, for example, sprawls on a
chair, his feet on my coffee table, complaining about his love life while I
cook dinner and set the table. After two days of waiting on George while I
try to solve his problems, I’m exhausted. As these categories show,
houseguests are a mixed blessing – some more mixed than others.
 CLASSIFICATION PARAGRAPH EXAMPLE
ANALYSIS
Topic sentence: Houseguests can be classified according to their level of
self-sufficiency as independent, semi-dependent, or completely dependent.

Type 1 – Independent houseguests

Type 2 – Semi-dependent houseguests

Type 3 – Completely dependent houseguests

Conclusion: Houseguests are a mixed blessing.

The classification is based on a single principle: how self-sufficient

houseguests are.
TRANSITIONAL EXPRESSIONS

 can be divided
 can be classified
 can be categorized
 the first type
 the second kind
 the last category
 YOUR HOMEWORK
Write one classification paragraph on
one of the following topics:
- Methods of teaching English
- Stylistic devices
- Types of translations
- University courses
- University professors
Keep in mind the importance of
a topic sentence and transitions.
MIGHT YOU HAVE ANY
QUESTIONS/SUGGESTIONS/COMPL
AINTS

Do not hesitate to contact me via e-mail

(liubov.didyk@oa.edu.ua)

Or

Post a message/comment/complaint on your Google

classroom discussion board
 Thank you!
Have a great day!