Division and Classification LECTURE NINE Division and Classification

LECTURE NINE III. Types of Writing Division and Classification Essay Analysis Assignment

Division and Classification Division is used to deal with one thing. Its purpose is to separate that thing into parts. Classification is used to organize things which share certain qualities. Its purpose is to group these things systematically. Division stresses the distinction between things; classification emphasizes the similarities. Division deals with the whole, and classification, the parts.

Basis of Classification The members in a class must share similar characteristics When classifying, you need a principle of classification. For example, we can divide the category “cell phones” into the following: Sizes Small sized cell phones Average sized cell phones Large sized cell phones

Don’t Mix Principles! It’s confusing to have overlapping bases for classification. For example, if you’re characterizing cell phones by size, don’t include classes such as “expensive” or “nice looking.” Stay within the three categories you are classifying!

Find the out-of-place item Autos: SUV, pickup, economy Transport: land, train, air, water Rivers: dangerous, short, wide Drugs: uppers, illegal, downers Colleges: private, famous, public Courses: year-long, half-term, math Housing: rooms, cheap, apartments

Complete the Categories When you’re classifying, don’t leave anyone or anything out. Look for obvious missing elements. Say the writing prompt is “What kind of students are there in your math class?” You answer: “Fast and slow learners.” But what about the average learners? After all, you need three categories!

Use Parallel Construction Organize your thesis statement with parallelism: “Most people respond in one of three ways: eagerly, indifferently, or reluctantly.” Each categorical word is in the same grammar form: adverbs.

Strategies for writing classification Strategy 1: Select a principle of classification and stick to it. Strategy 2: Make the classes or categories of a subject mutually exclusive. Strategy 3: Avoid either/or and too many categories Strategy 4: Avoid a shift in rank.

Clothing material function fashion Animal products Plant products shirt, jacket Synthetic products function Clothing pants, skirt Stylish clothes shoes, socks fashion Out-of-style Never stylish

Essay Analysis: Mall People How does the author attract the reader’s interest? Does the author present his thesis in the introductory paragraph? Just what goes into “having fun”? For many people, “fun” involves getting out of the house, seeing other people, having something interesting to look at, and enjoying a choice of activities, all at a reasonable price. Going out to dinner or to the movies may satisfy some of those desires, but often not all. But an attractive alternative does exist in the form of the free-admission shopping mall. Teenagers, couples on dates, and the nuclear family can all be observed having a good time at the mall.

Essay Analysis What is the topic sentence of this paragraph? What details are used to support the idea? Which sentence in this paragraph should be omitted in the interest of paragraph unity? How does the author organize the paragraph? (S1) Teenagers are drawn to the mall to pass time with pals and to see and be seen by other teens. (S2) The guys saunter by in sneakers, T-shirts, and blue jeans, complete with a package of cigarettes sticking out of a pocket. (S3) The girls stumble along in midriff-baring tank tops, with a cellphone tucked snugly in the rear pocket of their low-waisted jeans. (S4) Traveling in a gang that resembles a wolf pack, the teenagers make the shopping mall their hunting ground. (S5) Mall managers have obviously made a decision to attract all this teenage activity. (S6) The kids’ raised voices, loud laughter, and occasional shouted obscenities can be heard from as far as half a mall away. (S7) They come to “pick up girls,” to “meet guys,” and just to “hang out.”

Essay Analysis What is the topic sentence of this paragraph? What details are used to support the idea? What transitions does the author use to connect the details? After which sentence in this paragraph are more supporting details needed? Couples find fun of another sort at shopping malls. The young lovers are easy to spot because they walk hand in hand, stopping to sneak a quick kiss after every few steps. They first pause at a jewelry store winding bands. Then, they wander into furniture departments in the large mall stores. Finally, they drift away, their arms wrapped around each other’s waist.

Essay Analysis What is the topic sentence of this paragraph? What details are used to support the idea? How does the author organize the details? Mom, dad, little jenny, and Fred, Jr., visit the mall on Friday and Saturday evenings for inexpensive recreation. Hearing the music of the antique carousel housed there, Jenny begs to ride her favorite pony with its shining golden mane. Shouting “I’m starving!” Fred, Jr., drags the family toward the food court, where he detects the seductive odor of pizza. Mom walks through a fabric store, running her hand over the soft velvets and slippery silks. Meanwhile, Dad has wandered into an electronics store and is admitting the sound system he’d love to buy someday. The mall provides something special for every member of the family.

Essay Analysis What conclusion technique is used in the essay, summary, prediction or question? Sure, some people visit the mall in a brief, businesslike way, just to pick up a specific purchase or two. But many more are shopping for inexpensive recreation. The teenagers, the dating couples, and the nuclear families all find cheap entertainment at the mall.

Outline Many people can enjoy their time in malls. 1. teenagers a. guys who pick up girls b. girls who meet guys c. those who are just hanging out 2. couples a. young lovers who are walking along b. lovers who are shopping 3. nuclear family a. Jenny b. Fred Jr. c. Mom d. Dad

Assignment Preview: Definition