University of Hassiba Ben Bouali of Chlef May, 2021

Faculty of Foreign Languages

Department of English
Mr. Hamerlain Djamel Eddine Abdelkader

The Classification Paragraph

Definition:

It is a paragraph in which you separate items according to the category they belong to (the
one that gathers a higher number of common characteristics).

In order to start writing a classification paragraph, you have to consider the topic
sentence because it identifies the people, objects or definitions that need to be classified in
different classes, as well as the categories being used.

In a classification paragraph, the key information is clearly illustrated; and almost any
subject can be written about, depending on different categories, groups or genres.

The role of a classification paragraph is to help the reader easily

compare, evaluate, show preference or make a choice about people or given
items. You also have to know the purpose for which you have decided to
classify your topic into categories.

Important:

Before moving any further in the course, you need to master the basics of the
definition paragraph because while drafting a classification paragraph, you will more
often than ever have to define the categories to which your main topic is related. In
other words, your priority will be to define each category when supporting your topic

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sentence. That is the reason why your thesis statement (topic sentence) should be as
narrow to the classification as possible.

Consider the following examples:

A- Although friendship is something that most people enjoy, friendships are not all the
same. Some friendships are forged from a long-term familiarity with one another, and other
friendships can spring up just by spending one fun evening together. Not all friendships result
in daily or even weekly time spent together; long-term friendships can be kept afloat using
communication tools like the Internet and telephone, while other friendships result in sporadic
get-togethers sometimes months or even years apart. People seek different things in
friendship, meaning certain friendships result around trips to a diner or video games while
other friendships may occur due to a work relationship or general common interests.

B- People looking to lose weight have a few options: exercise, diet, weight loss pills, and
surgery. Exercising involves going to a gym, working out at home, or joining some sort of
class or sports team. Those who are dieting can talk to a doctor about a plan for them. Weight
loss pills can be taken, if proper precautions and directions are followed. Individuals who are
severely overweight can talk to a doctor about having surgery to lose the weight that they
need.

C- Dogs are domesticated animals that have been living with humans for generations.
Dogs can be classified in a number of different ways. For example, they can be classified by
breed. Examples of different breeds include beagles, basset hounds, poodles and countless
others as defined by the American Kennel Club (AKC). They can also be classified by their
role in the lives of their masters and the work they do. For example, a dog might be a family
pet, a working dog, a show dog, or a hunting dog. In many cases, dogs are defined both by
their breed and their roll. For example, a dog could be a beagle that is a family pet.

As you can notice, these three paragraphs highlight a given topic which is of course
divided into two or more categories. In other words, each genre or category is being shed
light on and even compared to another one, if that is necessary. Such paragraphs classify
information according the type of data they contain.

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Remember that the topic sentence has to mention each category
from the beginning of the paragraph meaning to avoid boredom
or redundancy !

Practice Time:

Write a classification paragraph about the following topics:

1- University students.
2- Our world.
3- Importing goods.
4- Working out.
5- Bad drivers.
6- Olympic Games.
7- Fashion fans.
8- Martial Arts.
9- Arts.
10- Movies.
11- Foreign language speakers.
12- Bad neighbours.
13- Relatives.
14- Social networking web sites.