Rhetorical Strategy:
Classification & Division
Classification & Division
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Division:
Take one entity and break it into parts
Division:
A dvd store is divided into sections: westerns, horror films,
science fiction, romance, and others.
Classification:
Take a number of items and group them into categories
Classification:
Dvds are sorted into the appropriate groups.
Star Wars goes into the science fiction area.
Friday the Thirteenth goes into horror.
Chocolat goes in romance.
With Division & Classification: Remember E.D.
EQUAL & DEFINED
Equal: Horror, Romance, Adventure
Not Equal:
Horror, Adventure, and Movies With Animal Characters
Clearly Defined:
SAMPLE THESIS WITH FORECASTING STATEMENT:
Novice voters are individuals, regardless of age, voting for the first time in the
November 2008 election; major types include the suddenly eligible voter, newly
passionate voter, and slightly pressured voter.
SAMPLE TOPIC SENTENCES:
a. First, the suddenly eligible voter refers to an individual, voting for the first time,
because of a qualifying change in age or citizenship.
b. Second, the newly passionate voter is an individual who has developed a desire
to vote for the first time although he or she was previously eligible to do so.
c. Third, the slightly pressured voter is an individual who has agreed to vote for the
first time because a family member or other influential person has pushed him or her
to do so
NOT SO CLEARLY DEFINED
Novice voters are voting in the 2008 election; major types include the suddenly
eligible voter, newly passionate voter, and slightly pressured voter
The suddenly eligible voter is excited and hopeful.
Take one entity and break it into parts
Division:
A dvd store is divided into sections: westerns, horror films,
science fiction, romance, and others.
Classification:
Take a number of items and group them into categories
Classification:
Dvds are sorted into the appropriate groups.
Star Wars goes into the science fiction area.
Friday the Thirteenth goes into horror.
Chocolat goes in romance.
With Division & Classification: Remember E.D.
EQUAL & DEFINED
Equal: Horror, Romance, Adventure
Not Equal:
Horror, Adventure, and Movies With Animal Characters
Clearly Defined:
SAMPLE THESIS WITH FORECASTING STATEMENT:
Novice voters are individuals, regardless of age, voting for the first time in the
November 2008 election; major types include the suddenly eligible voter, newly
passionate voter, and slightly pressured voter.
SAMPLE TOPIC SENTENCES:
a. First, the suddenly eligible voter refers to an individual, voting for the first time,
because of a qualifying change in age or citizenship.
b. Second, the newly passionate voter is an individual who has developed a desire
to vote for the first time although he or she was previously eligible to do so.
c. Third, the slightly pressured voter is an individual who has agreed to vote for the
first time because a family member or other influential person has pushed him or her
to do so
NOT SO CLEARLY DEFINED
Novice voters are voting in the 2008 election; major types include the suddenly
eligible voter, newly passionate voter, and slightly pressured voter
The suddenly eligible voter is excited and hopeful.
COLLEGE COURSE SAMPLES
History: Different Kinds of Wars / Different Periods in History
Music: Different Types of Music
Psychology: Different Kinds of Learning Preferences
Biology: Different Kinds of Organisms,
Different Parts of Organisms
Political Science: Different Political Parties, Different Kinds of
Elections, Different Styles of Marketing to Potential Voters
Culture Studies: Different Types of Reality Television Shows
These English 450 textbook readings feature classification:
"Types of Rollerbladers" pgs. 256 - 257
"Beware of Misleading Statistics" pgs. 236 - 239
AN IMPORTANT QUESTION TO REMEMBER: SO WHAT?
COLLEGE CLASSIFICATION ESSAY OR BUST: So What?
1. A paper categorizing animals by the first letter of their
names (i.e. monkey and mice in one category / bear and
bobcat in another)
2. A contemporary history paper, analyzing the different kinds of
effects 9/11/01 has had on the lives of people, living in the United
States
3. A business paper analyzing different styles of business
leadership styles
4. A child development paper analyzing the different kinds of play
children engage in
5. A history paper, analyzing the different roles of animals in
ancient Egypt
6. A sociology paper, analyzing different reasons for divorce