Anker Susan. Real Essays with Readings with 2009 MLA Update

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WRITING ESSAYS

Chapter 13 • Process Analysis 217

STEPS IN PROCESS ANALYSIS HOW TO DO THE STEPS

Write a draft.

See Chapter 8 for more on

drafting.

■

■ Write an introduction that gets your readers’ interest and

presents your thesis statement. See if you can use one of

the introductory techniques in Chapter 8.

■

■ Write topic sentences for the essential steps in the process,

supported by explanations of those steps.

■

■ Add time transitions to move readers smoothly from one

step to another.

■

■ Write a concluding paragraph that has energy, refers

back to your point about the process, and makes a ﬁ nal

observation or recommendation.

■

■ Title your essay.

Revise your draft.

See Chapter 9 for more on

revising a draft.

■

■ Ask another person to read and comment on your draft.

■

■ Revise your thesis to make it more energetic.

■

■ Reread the body of your essay to make sure you haven’t

left out any essential steps. Try to imagine that you have

no idea of how to perform the process or how the process

works. Add any details that would make the steps clearer,

and cut details that aren’t relevant.

■

■ Reread your introduction, and make changes if it is dull

or weak.

■

■ Reread your conclusion to make sure that it is energetic

and convincing and reminds your readers of your main

impression.

■

■ Add time transitions to connect your ideas.

■

■ Make at least ﬁ ve changes to your draft to improve unity,

support, or coherence (see pp. 127–40).

■

■ Check to make sure the draft follows the four basics of

good process analysis.

Edit your draft.

See Parts Four through Seven

for more on editing.

■

■ Use the spell checker and grammar checker on your

computer, but also reread your essay carefully to catch any

errors.

■

■ Look for errors in grammar, spelling, or punctuation.

Fragments and run-on sentences can be a particular

problem in process analysis, so focus ﬁ rst on those. Then,

read for errors in subject-verb agreement, verb errors, and

other areas where you know you often make mistakes.

■

■ Ask yourself: Is this the best I can do?

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218

You Know This

You already use

classiﬁ cation.

• You use the col-

lege bookstore,

where books are

classiﬁ ed by dis-

cipline (English,

biology, eco-

nomics) and by

course number.

• You use catalogs

that are orga-

nized by type of

product.

Classiﬁ cation

Writing That Puts Things into Groups

FOUR BASICS OF GOOD CLASSIFICATION

It makes sense of a group of people or items by organizing

them into useful categories.

2. It has a purpose for sorting the people or items.

3. It uses a single organizing principle.

4. It gives detailed examples or explanations of the things that

ﬁ t into each category.

Understand What Classiﬁ cation Is

Classiﬁ cation is writing that organizes, or sorts, people or items into

categories.

The organizing principle for a classiﬁ cation is how you sort the

people or items, not the categories themselves. The organizing principle

is directly related to the purpose of your classiﬁ cation. For example,

you might sort clean laundry (your purpose) using one of the following

organizing principles (how you achieve your purpose) — by ownership

(yours, your roommate’s, and so on) or by where it goes (the bedroom,

the bathroom).

■ IDEA JOURNAL

Write about the

different kinds of

friends you have.

In the following paragraph, each number corresponds to one of the

four basics of good classiﬁ cation.

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This image has been omitted intentionally

from your eBook due to electronic permissions

issues. Regrettably, we cannot make this

image available to you in a digital format.

You may be able to find a copy at your local

or school library; the author and title are

included in your eBook’s table of contents.

WRITING ESSAYS

Chapter 14 • Classiﬁ cation 219

All people do not learn in the same way, and 2 it is helpful to know

what learning style you prefer. How do you naturally take in and ab-

sorb new information? The VARK learning styles inventory is a thirteen-

item questionnaire that reveals which 3 learning style a person favors.

1 The ﬁ rst of its four learning styles is visual ( V ). 4 Visual learners absorb

information best by looking at images or by drawing or diagramming a

concept. For example, a visual learner may learn more by studying a

ﬂ owchart of information rather than reading that same information in

paragraph form. 1 The second learning style is auditory (A). 4 Auditory

learners take in information most efﬁ ciently by hearing and listening. They

remember information that they hear better than they remember infor-

mation that they read. Even reading aloud is better than reading silently

because hearing is key. Auditory learners beneﬁ t from discussion with

others rather than working alone silently. 1 The third learning style is read/

write (R). 4 Read/write learners learn best by reading written material.

They also beneﬁ t from writing about what they have read. For example,

many read/write learners study by reading and then writing a summary

of what they have just read. Many people who are not naturally read/

write learners have used that learning style in school because schools are

oriented toward reading and writing. For example, a person whose score

on the VARK is split evenly between auditory and read/write is probably

an auditory learner who has learned to use a read/write learning style for

school. 1 The ﬁ nal learning style is kinesthetic (K). 4 Kinesthetic learn-

ers learn by doing and by being active. For these learners, experiments

in science may be easier to understand than reading a chapter in a book,

listening to a lecture, or looking at an image. Kinesthetic learners often

need to create activity in order to learn well: They may make ﬂ ash cards,

walk around as they study, or make a static activity interactive in some

other way. All learners beneﬁ t from learning techniques such as highlight-

ing and making notes, though different kinds of notes work for differ-

ent learning styles. All learners are active learners: They learn best when

they actively involve themselves in a task rather than passively observe it.

■ TEACHING TIP

If students have not

taken the VARK

learning styles

questionnaire, have

them do so now.

(See pp. 15–17.)

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WRITING ESSAYS

220 Part Two • Writing Different Kinds of Essays

2 Taking a learning styles inventory is both fun and useful, particularly

for students.

Whenever you organize or sort things to make sense of them, you are

classifying them. Here are some ways that you might use classiﬁ cation:

COLLEGE In a nursing course, you discuss three types of antibiotics

used to treat infections.

WORK For a report on inventory at a software store, you list the

types of software carried and report how many of each

type you have in stock.

EVERYDAY You look at the types of payment plans that are available

LIFE with your car loan.

Main Point in Classiﬁ cation

The main point in classiﬁ cation uses a single organizing principle to

sort items in a way that serves the writer’s purpose. The categories must

be useful — helping to achieve the purpose of the classiﬁ cation. Imagine

the following situation, in which a classiﬁ cation system isn’t logical or

useful.

You go into your video store to ﬁ nd that it has been rearranged. The

signs indicating the location of different types of videos — comedy, drama,

action — are gone. When you ask the clerk at the desk how to ﬁ nd a video,

she says, “The videos over on this side are arranged by length of the ﬁ lm,

starting with the shortest. The videos on the other side are arranged alpha-

betically by the lead actor’s last name.”

This new arrangement is confusing for three reasons:

• It doesn’t sort things into useful categories. (Who’s likely to select a

video based on its length?)

• It doesn’t serve the purpose of helping customers ﬁ nd videos.

• It doesn’t have a single organizing principle. (Even if you know the

length of the video and the actor’s last name, you still don’t know on

which side of the store to start looking.)

The diagram on the following page shows how videos at most stores

are classiﬁ ed.

■ DISCUSSION

Ask students about

traits they look for

when purchasing a

computer, CD player,

or other electronic

device.

■ For an example of

an actual classiﬁ cation

written for work, see

page 226. The piece

was written by the con-

sultant who is proﬁ led

in the box on page 225.

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WRITING ESSAYS

Chapter 14 • Classiﬁ cation 221

The following examples show how thesis statements for classiﬁ cation ex-

press the organizing principle and purpose.

Organizing principle + Purpose = Thesis statement

There are several kinds of equipment you will need to enjoy a

backpacking trip.

In addition to the purpose and organizing principle, a thesis state-

ment in a classiﬁ cation may also include the categories that will be

explained.

Organizing principle + Purpose + Categories = Thesis statement

There are several kinds of equipment you will need to enjoy a back-

packing trip, including proper footwear, versatile outerwear, and

decent cooking supplies.

TOPIC

PURPOSE OF

CLASSIFICATION

ORGANIZING

PRINCIPLE

CATEGORIES

(types of ﬁ lms)

EXAMPLES

(arranged

alphabetically

by title)

Movies

Helping customers ﬁ nd videos

Type of movie

Comedy Drama Action

The Incredibles

Juno

Shrek the

Third

American

Gangster

Million Dollar

Baby

The Bourne

Ultimatum

Gladiator

Spider-Man 3

■ TEACHING TIP

Ask students to create

another such chart for

books, vehicles, music,

or anything else they’re

interested in.

■ For online

exercises on main

point and support,

visit Exercise Central

at bedfordstmartins

.com/realessays.

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WRITING ESSAYS

222 Part Two • Writing Different Kinds of Essays

Support in Classiﬁ cation

The primary support in classiﬁ cation consists of the categories that

serve the purpose of the classiﬁ cation.

The categories in classiﬁ cation are the “piles” into which the writer

sorts a topic (the items to be classiﬁ ed). These categories will become the

topic sentences for the body paragraphs of the essay.

TOPIC College costs

THESIS Tuition is only one of the many costs of going to

STATEMENT college.

ORGANIZING Types of costs other than tuition

PRINCIPLE

PURPOSE To show the different kinds of costs and their signiﬁ cance

CATEGORIES/ Fees, costs of course materials, transportation

PRIMARY expenses

SUPPORT

The supporting details in classiﬁ cation are examples or explana-

tions of what is in each category. The examples in classiﬁ cation are the

various items that fall within each category. These are important because

readers may not be familiar with your categories.

CATEGORY: Fees

EXAMPLES/SUPPORTING DETAILS: General student fee assessed to each

student, lab fees, computer fees

CATEGORY: Costs of course materials

EXAMPLES/SUPPORTING DETAILS: Costs of books, lab manuals, software

CATEGORY: Transportation expenses

EXAMPLES/SUPPORTING DETAILS: Costs of gas, parking, bus fare

Organization in Classiﬁ cation

Classiﬁ cation can be organized in different ways depending on its purpose.

For example, read the thesis statements and purposes that follow:

THESIS The high costs of college make higher education

STATEMENT impossible for many students.

PURPOSE To argue that some costs should be reduced

■ RESOURCES

For online writing

and grammar

resources, go to

bedfordstmartins

.com/rewritingbasics.

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WRITING ESSAYS

Chapter 14 • Classiﬁ cation 223

How might this classiﬁ cation be organized?

Order of importance

THESIS STATEMENT My daughter has every kind of mess imagin able

in her room, making it clear that she needs a

lesson in taking care of her space and her

things.

PURPOSE To prove the need for the lesson by describing

the messes

How might this classiﬁ cation be organized?

Spatial order

THESIS STATEMENT During my teenage years, I adopted three

distinct clothing styles.

PURPOSE To show how a person’s style changed

How might this classiﬁ cation be organized?

Chronological order

The chart on the right shows a general pattern for classiﬁ cation

essays.

As you write your essay, you might ﬁ nd the following transitions

helpful as you lead from one category to the next or from one example

to another.

First category

Examples/explanations

Second category

Examples/explanations

Third category

Examples/explanations

Conclusion

Refers back to the

classiﬁ cation’s purpose

and makes an observation

Introduction with thesis

statement:

Organizing principle +

purpose OR

Organizing principle +

categories + purpose

CLASSIFICATION

AT A GLANCE

Common Transitions in Classiﬁ cation

another ﬁ rst, second, third (and so on)

another kind for example

for instance

Read and Analyze Classiﬁ cation

Before writing a classiﬁ cation essay, read the following examples — one

each from college, the workplace, and everyday life — and answer the

questions that accompany them.

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WRITING ESSAYS

224 Part Two • Writing Different Kinds of Essays

Classiﬁ cation in College

The following student essay was written for an English composition class.

VOCABULARY

The following words are italicized in the excerpt: skeptical, validity,

strive, trendsetter, ruthless, compassionate, individualists, adaptable,

tactful, downside, procrastinate, horoscope. If you don’t know their

meanings, look them up in a dictionary.

BLOOD TYPE AND PERSONALITY

Danny Fitzgerald

1 In Japan, the question “What’s your blood type?” is as common as

“What’s your sign?” in the United States. Some Japanese researchers

claim that people’s personalities can be classiﬁ ed by their blood types.

You may be skeptical about this method of classiﬁ cation, but don’t judge

its validity before you read the descriptions the researchers have put

together. Do you see yourself ?

2 If you have blood type O, you are a leader. When you see some-

thing you want, you strive to achieve your goal. You are passionate,

loyal, and self-conﬁ dent, and you are often a trendsetter. Your enthusi-

asm for projects and goals spreads to others, who happily follow your

lead. When you want something, you may be ruthless about getting it or

blind to how your actions affect others.

3 Another blood type, A, is typically associated with a social person. You

like people and work well with them. You are sensitive, patient, compas-

sionate, and affectionate. You are a good peacekeeper because you want

everyone to be happy. In a team situation, you resolve conﬂ icts and keep

things on a smooth course. Sometimes type A’s are stubborn and ﬁ nd it

difﬁ cult to relax. They may ﬁ nd it uncomfortable to do things alone.

4 People with type B blood are usually individualists who like to do things

on their own. You may be creative and adaptable, and you usually say

exactly what you mean. Although you can adapt to situations, you

may choose not to do so because of your strong independent streak.

You may prefer working on your own to being part of a team.

■ TEACHING TIP

Read this essay aloud,

give students a few

minutes to respond to

the questions in writ-

ing, and discuss the

responses as a group.

Ask students what

other organizing prin-

ciples they might use

to classify personalities

(for example, birth

order).

PAUSE: What do

you expect the rest

of the essay to be

about?

⻬

PAUSE: Do you

know people who

fall into these cate-

gories? Do you

think blood type

determines what

category they fall

into?

⻬

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WRITING ESSAYS

Chapter 14 • Classiﬁ cation 225

5 The ﬁ nal blood type is AB, and if you have this blood type, you

are a natural entertainer. You draw people to you because of your charm

and easygoing nature. AB’s are usually calm and controlled, tactful, and

fair. On the downside, though, they may take too long to make decisions.

And they may procrastinate, putting off tasks until the last minute.

6 Classifying people’s personalities by blood type seems very unusual

until you examine what researchers have found. Most people ﬁ nd the

descriptions fairly accurate. When you think about it, classiﬁ cation by

blood type isn’t any more far-fetched than classiﬁ cation by horoscope

sign. What will they think of next? Classiﬁ cation by hair color?

1. Double-underline the thesis statement.

2. What is Danny’s single organizing principle?

Blood types

3. What introduction techniques does Danny use to get the reader’s

attention?

He opens with a surprising fact and a question.

4. Underline the topic sentences that present the categories.

5. Put a check mark (

⻬) by the supporting details.

6. Does Danny’s essay have the four basics of good classiﬁ cation? Be

ready to explain your answer.

⻬

PAUSE: What is

your blood type?

Does it match the

description given

here?

■ TEAMWORK

This activity works well

in pairs or small groups.

■ For a list of the four

basics of good classiﬁ -

cation, see page 218.

Giovanni

Bohorquez

Chief Executive

Ofﬁ cer, Algrita, Inc.

Classiﬁ cation at Work

BACKGROUND: At the age of eleven, I left Colombia and came to the

United States to live with my father in New Jersey. My family was poor,

so I worked at several jobs and was earning signiﬁ cant wages by the age

of twelve. After high school, I went to a community college and then

transferred to the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), where

I ﬁ nished my bachelor’s degree. I received a master’s degree in business

administration (M.B.A.) at UCLA’s Anderson School and, after graduation,

founded Algrita, Inc.

COLLEGES/DEGREES: El Camino College (A.A.), UCLA (B.S., M.B.A.)

EMPLOYER: Algrita, Inc.

WRITING AT WORK: Proposals, project plan reports, contracts, sales letters,

documentation of business processes, e-mail

Proﬁ le of Success

The following proﬁ le shows how a CEO uses classiﬁ cation at work.

Giovanni

Bohorquez

Chief Executive

Ofﬁ cer, Algrita, Inc.

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WRITING ESSAYS

226 Part Two • Writing Different Kinds of Essays

Giovanni’s Classiﬁ cation

The following is a description of the types of services that Algrita, Inc.,

can provide to clients.

VOCABULARY

The following words are italicized in the excerpt: facilitate, synergistic,

navigate, resolution, implementation, expertise, penetrate, segmen-

tation, branding, outsourced, breadth, intranet, retain, augmenting,

innovative. If you don’t know their meanings, look them up in a

dictionary.

1 Algrita Consulting is a professional services ﬁ rm specializing in strat-

egy, process, and systems consulting. It offers a range of high-quality

consulting services that are designed to facilitate the exchange of prod-

ucts and services worldwide by providing synergistic value in everyone

we touch. Our service consultants analyze and learn our clients’ busi-

nesses and most pressing needs. We help our clients quickly navigate

the process of targeted solution designs, issue resolution, approvals, and

implementation.

2 One area of expertise we offer is in the area of business services.

Algrita offers strategic analysis of the market for your industry. We help

our clients identify and penetrate new markets, develop new marketing

strategies ranging from segmentation to branding, merge multidivisional

companies to allow cross-selling, and effectively tie in leading technolo-

gies to stay ahead of the curve. In addition, we have experience lead-

ing and transforming businesses in the area of operations management,

human resources (employee hiring, training and development), market-

ing, and ﬁ nancial analysis.

■ COMBINING

MODES: If you have

talked about illustra-

tion, point out to

students that

Giovanni’s writing

classiﬁ es services and

gives examples of

them. His second para-

graph deﬁ nes the term

collaboration, while

the excerpt as a whole

is process analysis.

PAUSE: What cat-

egories of profes-

sional services does

Algrita specialize

in?

PAUSE: What area

of expertise does

this paragraph

describe?

HOW GIOVANNI USES CLASSIFICATION: My company, Algrita, Inc., is a

consulting ﬁ rm that analyzes other companies and helps them improve

their operations. I write reports that suggest the kinds of new technol-

ogy that a business could adopt, the kinds of changes that could beneﬁ t

them, and the kinds of services that Algrita offers.

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