Classification Essay Examples

Throughout their university education, every student will encounter a wide variety of different types of assignments. From research projects to group work, presentations, and writing assignments, the variety of skills a student will be expected to hone are very broad. Each type of assignment brings with it its own unique skill set that must be mastered. Even within one type of assignment, there are many different details to get to grips with. When it comes to writing essays, this is especially true.

Many various kinds of essays that students have to write throughout their studies all offer slightly different challenges and pose different requirements. Before embarking on any writing exercise, it’s very important to have a clear understanding of exactly what type of essay is being requested and the requirements and expectations of that type of essay. One important form of essay writing to get to grips with is the classification essay. Here we’ve put together a comprehensive guide to this style of writing, including a classification essay definition, a guide on how to write a classification essay, and examples of classification essay topics.

What Is a Classification Essay?

First things first, it’s important to understand the definition of this style of writing. The key purpose of a classification essay is exactly what it sounds like from the name: to take a given topic and classify its different components. This requires having a great sense of oversight over the topic at hand, as it is the student’s job to dissect and organize all the components that comprise the subject matter.

Classification essays are assigned by teachers for a number of reasons. Firstly, being assigned a classification essay requires doing a lot of research and gaining an overview of the entire subject matter. This makes it an excellent type of writing assignment for teachers who are looking to encourage their students’ research skills. Secondly, assigning this kind of work gives students the opportunity to truly take the time to delineate their understanding of a topic.

All too often students spend a long time researching and studying a topic and feel as if they have a good understanding of it, only to find themselves struggling when asked to explain or break down the ins and outs of the subject matter. Writing a classification essay is a perfect way for a student to untangle their knowledge of a subject and lay it out in a clear and organized manner.

A classification essay example title would, for instance, be to give an overview of different systems of government, different genres of music, or the major world religions. It is the task of the writer to take this topic and clearly lay out all the different subtypes that make up the overall classification. Almost any topic can be turned into such an essay, and all you have to do to write one is break down the components and classes that make up the given topic.

How to Write a Classification Essay

Now that we have a clear idea of exactly what the function of a classification essay is, we can move on to the question of how to write classification essay pieces. There are several steps involved in writing a top-notch piece of this nature, but once you follow them, the process becomes relatively simple. These steps are:

1. Research

When it comes to writing an essay of this kind, the first step is perhaps the most important. No classification essay idea is properly executed without the author having a comprehensive and in-depth understanding of the topic they are setting out to classify. The research phase requires pushing yourself to explore all the different facets of your topic and look for the contrasts and similarities that exist in the subcategories you find.

While performing the research phase, it’s highly important to take notes and keep track of all the information you’ve gathered. Without careful note-taking and an orderly approach to retaining information, you’ll find yourself overwhelmed when it comes to the next steps of the writing process.

2. Thesis statement

Your thesis must be arguable; it must state a claim or refute a claim about your issue. A thesis must have some chance of being true in order to be debatable. It should not, however, be widely recognized as true; instead, it should be a statement that people can disagree with. It's important to remember that a thesis includes both an observation and an opinion:

observation + opinion (the "why") = thesis

Seeing if your thesis creates a powerful antithesis is an excellent approach to determine how strong it is.

Common thesis pitfalls:

• A thesis in the form of a fragment.
• A thesis that is overly broad.
• A thesis that is phrased as a question. (The thesis is usually derived from the solution to the question.)
• Extraneous information is included in a thesis.
• A thesis that begins with the words "I believe" or "In my opinion."
• A thesis that deals with a tired or cliched topic.
• A thesis that includes phrases that lead to erroneous generalizations (all, none, always, only, everyone, etc.)

3. Outline

Once you have completed comprehensive research on your topic, it is time to begin outlining your classification essay. In order to create an effective classification essay outline, it’s best to fit all the research material you’ve accumulated into the classic essay structure, which we will go through further down in this guide. Outlining your writing requires taking the basic structure of your essay and fitting in each piece of research material accordingly. Preparing a clear and well-thought-out outline will make the actual writing process far smoother.

4. Write

Having written your outline, you may then proceed to the writing portion of your essay. This, in many ways, is actually the simplest step of the process, as the outline you’ve created should provide a clear guide that takes you from point to point. During the writing phase,  your job is to flesh out the information for the points you have listed in your outline.  

5. Revise

All good writing needs to be proofread and revised before it is submitted. Re-reading your own work once you’ve finished writing is incredibly important in order to avoid any potential mistakes you might have made along the way. Having peers or other teachers read your work and give advice is another great way to spot any imperfections that you yourself might have missed.

How to Structure Your Classification Essay

The structure of most classification essay examples is similar to the basic essay structure that students will encounter in their other writing assignments. This structure consists of:

1. Introduction

The introduction should, as expected, introduce your readership to the topic about to be discussed. This section should give a brief overview of what the readers can expect to be discussed in the rest of the essay, and it acts as a guide for them to reference as they read your work.

2. Body paragraphs

The body paragraphs of any good example of classification essay writing dive deep into the subcategories of your given research topic. It is in this section of the text that you will display the depth and breadth of the research you have performed. The goal of this section of the essay is to highlight the differences between the different subgroups that make up your topic, in order to help the readers understand the full breadth and diversity of your subject matter.

3. Conclusion

Such is the case in any piece of academic writing, the classification essay conclusion is the critical section that summarises both for yourself and your readers what exactly has been covered in your paper. This section will highlight what knowledge or conclusions can be drawn from the different examples of your research that you have presented. When it comes to classification essay examples, the conclusion section generally offers an insight into what the different sub-groups you have laid out say about the nature of your topic as a whole.

Thesis Statement of a Classification Essay

One key element of every classification essay sample, as with most academic writing, is the inclusion of a thesis statement. Unlike the case with more argumentative styles of writing, the purpose of a thesis statement in this style of writing is to clearly delineate the topic you will be exploring. There does not necessarily need to be an assertion or conclusion intended by the thesis statement, merely the statement of the intended scope of the essay.

It’s important to make sure you have a clearly formulated classification essay thesis statement prepared during the outline phase of writing, as it acts as a guide for your writing and makes sure you stick on track.  

Classification Essay Examples

1. Friend Classification

2. Classification of Shoes

3. Classification of Vibration

Classification Essay Topics

Classification Essays About Movies

1. Differential in Views on Movie Rating Classification
2. Alfred Hitchcock’s contribution to the movie industry.
3. Cradle of pop stars: What does the future hold?
4. How animation is created from sketches to the film.
5. Amusement in the Horror films.
6. Christina Aguilera’s musical career.
7. Comparison between Hollywood and Bollywood.
8. Movies: Broadway musicals.
9. Cinematography: African-American role in the movie industry.
10. Bollywood films are musical.

Types Of Friends Classification Essay Topics

1. Why Is Spending Time with Family and Friends Important
2. Best Friend Comparison
3. Betrayal: Best Friend
4. The Value of Friendship
5. Describing Friend’s Character
6. The Most Valuable Thing in Life Is Friendship Do You Agree?
7. A Recipe for Friendship
8. Regret: Best Friend
9. Being A True Friend: A Friend In Need Is A Friend Indeed
10. The Role of Friendship in My Life

Types Of Students Classification Essay Topics

1. Classification of Students
2. Evaluation of The Reasons Why Students Engage in Cyberbullying
3. School Administrator Career for Students
4. Essay About Friendship for Students
5. How Friendship Helps Students Succeed in The University
6. The Effects of Alcohol Consumption in College Students
7. Supreme Court Cases Where Students Influenced The Constitution
8. The Effects of Hazing on Students' Self-esteem
9. Dealing With The Stress of College Adult Students
10. The Future of Students in a Continuously Changing Job Market

Music Classification Essay Topics

1. Music in the Teenager's Lives
2. The Beatles – The World’s Most Influential Group of Musicians
3. An Examination of the Message of NOFX’s 2003 Album The War on Errorism
4. Contribution Of Ludwig Van Beethoven Into Classical Music
5. Analysis of The Most Important Songs in The Beatles’ Music Legacy
6. Good Example Of The Market Study Presentation
7. Sample Research Paper On Vivaldi’s Four Seasons
8. Do Not Give Up: Perseverance
9. The Influence of the Women’s March on the Rise of the Music Industry
10. Misogyny in Rap Music and Hip Hop

Using these easy classification essay topics as a starting point, you can quickly get to grips with this writing style.

Developing your ability to write classification essays comes with more benefits than just high grades. Practicing the research and organization techniques necessary to master this kind of essay has positive repercussions on your overall ability to study. This style of writing is a great way to build expertise in a topic, and for that reason is a personal favorite among many university students. Using this comprehensive guide, you can start your next classification essay with ease and confidence!  

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