Prewriting to Select a Topic

Revising for Paragraph Unity

Focusing on one idea in a paragraph is called unity. For example, the sentences in each paragraph in your essay should focus on the category mentioned in the paragraph’s topic sentence. A paragraph lacks unity when it includes ideas that do not relate to its topic sentence. In the example paragraph below, the topic sentence is in bold type, and an unrelated idea is deleted.

1. Poison ivy is an enemy of campers and other nature lovers. It contains an oil that irritates the skin. The oil gets onto the skin when the plant’s leaf is crushed. Walking through or on top of poison ivy can release the oil. You can easily recognize poison ivy because it usually grows as a vine and has compound leaves made up of three leaflets each. Poison sumac is also a problem for campers. Poison ivy is an enemy of campers and other nature lovers. It contains an oil that irritates the skin. The oil gets onto the skin when the plant’s leaf is crushed. Walking through or on top of poison ivy can release the oil. You can easily recognize poison ivy because it usually grows as a vine and has compound leaves made up of three leaflets each. Poison sumac is also a problem for campers.

Writing the Beginning Paragraph

The beginning of your classification essay should introduce your topic with some interesting background information and then give your focus statement.

Lead Sentence

We humans have created devices, such as camouflage-patterned military fatigues and pepper spray, to protect ourselves in dangerous situations.

Detail Sentences

Have you ever wondered where we got the ideas for these tools? They may have come from examples set by other members of the animal kingdom. Animals face many dangers in their environments, and they have some unusual and inspired methods of defense.

Focus Statement

Three ways in which animals protect themselves are by changing colors, releasing chemicals, and giving up a body part.

Writing the Middle Paragraphs

Prewriting to Focus Your Ideas

What Interests Me

Prewriting to Select a Topic

You should be able to break down the subject of your essay into three or four parts or categories that can be explained in separate paragraphs. A subject that is too broad may include too many categories or categories that are difficult to explain. A subject that is too narrow will not have enough categories.

Warm-Up for Classification Essays

Explanatory essays share information about a topic. One way to explain a topic that interests you is to write a classification essay.

What Is a Classification Essay?

© Thoughtful Learning 2016

In a classification essay, you break information down into smaller parts, or categories, and then explain each part. By learning about the topic’s parts, a reader gains a better understanding of the topic as a whole.

For example, what if someone asked you what makes up a perfect pizza slice? You might start by discussing a crust with a crisp base and bread-like center. On top of that, you want pizza sauce with oregano and a touch of sweetness. Then comes the mozzarella cheese, the mushroom slices, the onion, the pepperoni. Each component needs to be in the right proportion and baked to perfection for a great slice.

In this unit, you will be asked to write an essay that breaks down a topic (such as a hobby, sport, career, or skill) into its important parts and then explains each part. For example, if you’re interested in guitars, you could write an essay explaining the role of the lead guitar, rhythm guitar, and bass guitar in a band. Or, if you know a lot about robotics, you could write an essay telling how robots move, sense objects, and perform tasks. The key to your writing is to select a topic that truly interests you and that you know a lot about.

Thinking About Categories

What if you went to the library to choose a book, but the books weren’t arranged in categories? You’d face a tough search! Books is a broad topic, after all. Here's one (of many) ways to break it down:

Editing for Commas with Intro Words

When a sentence starts with four or more introductory words, insert a comma after them, before the main part of the sentence.

Responding to a national initiative, our school changed its lunch program.

Even though Sam prefers white bread, he is giving wheat bread a chance.

Editing for the Right Word

“Affect” and “effect” sound the same but have different meanings and spellings.

• Affect is a verb that means “influence.”
• Effect is most often used as a noun to mean “result.” Effect can also be used as a verb to mean “bring about” or “accomplish.”

Revising for Depth of Detail

Each middle paragraph should fully explain the specific cause or effect identified in the topic sentence. If a paragraph lacks support, you need to add details to the paragraph.

Middle Paragraph 1

Middle Paragraph 2

Middle Paragraph 3

Middle Paragraph 4

Revising for Focus

You can revise paragraphs for focus by developing one main idea and cutting unrelated details.

Unfocused paragraph (includes too many ideas and unrelated details)

One major cause of erosion is water. Over time, rainfall splashes against rock, causing it to wear away. Strong wind is another major cause of erosion. Crashing waves produce a similar impact. Huge waves can be dangerous for swimming. Lastly, powerful floods lead to rapid erosion.

Revised paragraph (one main idea developed in detail)

One major cause of erosion is water. Over time, rainfall splashes against rock, causing it to wear away. Crashing waves produce a similar impact. Lastly, powerful floods lead to rapid erosion.

Writing the Beginning Paragraph

Your beginning paragraph starts with a lead that gets your reader's attention, includes detail sentences that explain the cause-effect relationship, and ends with a focus statement that tells readers just what your essay will be about.

1. Ask a question.

   What did you eat for lunch today?

2. Relate the topic to your own experience.

   Last year, school lunches changed in a big way.

3. Start with a thought-provoking fact or statement.

   School districts are taking a closer look at school lunches.

Lead Sentence

Detail Sentences

Focus Statement

Prewriting for Topics

Cause-effect essays explain how one thing leads to another. To brainstorm cause-effect essay topics, think about changes to your school, community, or environment. Also consider important events in history.

1. What changed or is changing in my school or community?
2. What changed or is changing in the world?
3. What changed or is changing in the environment?
4. What is one event or invention that changed history?