Writing Assignment: Classification Essay
For this assignment you will write your classification essay. You are required to submit only your final
draft for this assignment (though we encourage all students to take advantage of the additional
feedback a draft can provide). Use the grader’s feedback and the rubric to make revisions to your draft
before you submit your final. Your second draft will be graded.
You have several options for this assignment, so you will need to choose one:
• Classify the types of writers
• Classify the types of bosses/supervisors
• Classify the types of sports fans
• Classify the types of monsters
• Classify the types of characters
• Classify the types of heroes
• Classify the types of dance
• Classify the types of teachers
• Classify the types of roommates
• Classify the types of dates
• Classify the types of mothers
Keep in mind that these are general topics. You may need to further subdivide these general
topics (i.e., dance may be divided into cultural dance, for one, and then even further into
Mexican dances) in order to have a specific enough topic for your essay.
Regardless of the topic you choose, you will need to identify its classifications and provide
enough evidence to prove that your classifications are correct. This evidence (details,
reasons, and/or examples) needs to be corroborated by at least one other source. Failure to
use a source for support will constitute a point deduction. Properly cite others’ ideas and
language according to MLA guidelines. If you use any exact words from your source, you
must put those exact words in quotation marks and included a parenthetical citation. If you
put source material into your own words (i.e., if you paraphrase), you will not need quotation
marks, but you will need a parenthetical citation. Make sure that your parenthetical citations
correspond to the works cited entry. In addition to the evidence, you must explain how the
evidence you present proves that your classifications are correct.
To make your classifications clear, examine only one classification per body paragraph. The
body of the essay should follow a logical progression. You may choose to organize your essay
based on any one of the following:
• Move from the least important classification to the most important classification
• Move from the most important classification to the least important classification
• Move from the largest category to the smallest one
• Move from the smallest category to the largest one • If the classifications occur in a set space, move from left to right OR right to left
• If the classifications occur in a set space, move from back to front OR front to back
As with all college writing, your essay should have a strong thesis statement in addition to an
introduction, body, and conclusion.
You might use this as a general guideline in crafting your thesis:
The three most recognizable sports fans are the (first fan type), the (second fan type), and (third fan
type).
The guidelines for this assignment are as follows:
Length: This assignment should be at least 500 words.
Header: Include a header in the upper left-hand corner of your writing assignment with the
following information:
• Your first and last name
• Course Title (Composition II)
• Assignment name (Classification Essay)
• Current Date
Rubric: Grading Rubric for the Classification Essay
Format:
• Double-spacing throughout
• Standard font (Arial, TimesNewRoman, Calibri)
• Title, centered after heading
• 1” margins on all sides
• Save the file using one of the following extensions: .docx, .doc, .rtf, or .txt
Underline your thesis statement in the introductory paragraph.