Classification Essay Outline - A Complete Guide

Classification Essay Outline

A type of essay in which the writer classifies or categorizes subjects, objects, characters, events, or ideas, is called a classification essay. Most high school and college students are assigned to do this type of essay. Through this kind of essay, a teacher is able to analyze the student’s critical thinking ability and evaluation skills. Have you been assigned to write a classification essay? Begin by writing a classification essay outline. This guide will thoroughly explain to you the process of writing a classification essay outline. Along with the steps, there are multiple tips and examples for you to get a better idea of a classification essay outline and its structure. So, without any further ado, let’s begin!

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How to Write a Classification Essay Outline?

  1. Introduction
  2. Body Paragraph 1
  3. Body Paragraph 2
  4. Body Paragraph 3
  5. Conclusion

The number of paragraphs in your essay may vary according to your topic or the essay requirements. However, the general three sections of an outline are Introduction, body paragraph, and conclusion.

How to Write a Classification Essay Introduction?

The first section of a classification essay is its introduction. The introduction paragraph introduces the topic and the terms being discussed in the essay.

To ensure that a reader reads your essay thoroughly with interest, hook them to your essay right from the beginning. So, it is recommended to begin your introduction paragraph with a hook sentence on an attention grabber.

Once you have successfully hooked the reader to your essay, you can introduce the topic to your reader and provide relevant background. Lastly, you need to put forward our thesis statement towards the end of your introduction paragraph.

An effective introductory paragraph for a classification essay will have the following elements:

A hook is an interesting attention grabber that compels your reader to read the essay further on. There are multiple types of hooks that can be used. You can view hook examples to select an appropriate hook for your essay.

You can select an appropriate hook according to the nature of your essay and the topic. If it is a serious topic you can begin with a fact or a quotation. However, if it is a funnier topic you can go for a light-hearted anecdote.

Introduce the topic of your essay. If there are any technical terms try to explain them here. Otherwise, give a general overview of the topic briefly.

Tell the background of your topic or the purpose of writing an essay on this specific topic. This will help in developing the context of your essay.

A thesis statement is a two-three sentence statement. It tells your viewpoint or main claim of the essay to the reader. It should be concise and clear.

To properly end the introduction paragraph you can add a transition sentence at the end. This sentence will create the flow of your writing and connect the introduction paragraph to the upcoming body paragraphs.

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How to Write a Classification Essay Body Paragraphs?

The next section of your classification essay is the body. All the details that are to be written in an essay are mentioned paragraph-wise in the body section.

Usually, there are three body paragraphs. However, the number can increase according to the number of categories that you make.

Each body paragraph begins with a topic sentence that highlights the separate category being discussed in the paragraph. After the topic sentence, mention the supporting details and then end the paragraph with a concluding sentence.

The body paragraphs of a classification essay can be written in the following manner:

How to Write a Classification Essay Conclusion?

Lastly, you will end your essay with a conclusion paragraph. The conclusion section is drafted to summarize the whole essay and to conclude the discussion.

Keep in mind that no new information or argument is ever added in the conclusion paragraph. Instead, the conclusion paragraph only summarizes the essay.

A wise strategy is to summarize each of the outline points in a single sentence within the conclusion paragraph.

The concluding parargaph of a classification essay should include the following information:

Make sure to effectively conclude the essay else your whole essay can fall flat. Your conclusion should be such that it leaves the reader thinking about your essay

Significance of Writing a Classification Essay Outline

Most students usually jump directly to essay writing and start with an essay without creating an outline first. This is not a wise strategy and can cause writing troubles for you. Here is why writing a classification essay outline can help you:

These points tell you how significant it is to write an essay outline. They show you how an outline can help you improve your academic papers and writing skills.

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Classification Essay Outline Examples

Students are mostly looking for examples and samples to learn from while writing their academic assignments. So, here are some classification essay outline samples for your help:

Division and Classification Essay Outline

Classification Essay Outline Template

This guide would have surely helped you and guide you well on how to write a classification essay outline. Follow the above-mentioned guidelines. You will be able to create a good classification essay outline for your own classification essay topic as well.

However, if you still think you won’t be able to manage it by yourself, then don’t hesitate to take help from an essay writing service.

5StarEssays.com offers customized “write my essay” help for any type of assignment. We write thesis, dissertations, essays, and other custom papers for students. Rest assured that all these papers are written by subject matter experts, so they are sure to impress your teachers.

Cordon J.

Cordon. is a published author and writing specialist. He has worked in the publishing industry for many years, providing writing services and digital content. His own writing career began with a focus on literature and linguistics, which he continues to pursue. Cordon is an engaging and professional individual, always looking to help others achieve their goals.

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