Definition

andClassification/Division

Reading

See: Strategies for Successful Writing. 5th ed. (Canadian). Chapters 10 and 12.

Academic Writing: A Handbook for International Students. 3:126-129.

What is a Definition?

A description of something by identifying its properties (Classification) while isolating it from everything else in its class (Division).i.e., by saying shat it is not.

A definition puts a word or concept into a general class (Classification) …

and then provides details to distinguish it from others in its class (Division).

Love isn’t …

Why Know How to Write Definitions?

Definitions are necessary for precision in language in cases of :• unfamiliar words (e.g., "accoutrements,"

"countenance")• words open to interpretation (abstractions such as

"liberal, "hate")• words used in a particular sense (terms such as "ram")

They establish a common, mutually agreed-upon language.

Define “knife.”

Classification:A cutting instrument

Division:With a sharp blade set in a handle, either fixed or pull-out,Of a “convenient” length,Used for stabbing, slicing.

To review …

• Classification: Groups items into categories according to some consistent principle. - Synthesis

• Division: Divides an item into its parts. - Analysis (an act of critical thinking)

Examples

As you read these two paragraphs,

establish which deals with classification and which deals with division.

Example A. Every lever has one fixed point called a

"fulcrum" and is acted upon by two forces - the "effort" (exertion of hand muscles) and the "weight" (object’s resistance). Levers work according to a simple formula: the effort (how hard you push or pull) multiplied by its distance from the fulcrum (effort arm) equals the weight multiplied by its distance from the fulcrum (weight arm). Thus two pounds of effort exerted at a distance of four feet from the fulcrum will raise eight pounds located one foot from the fulcrum.

There are three types of levers, conventionally called "first kind," "second kind," and "third kind." Levers of the first kind have the fulcrum located between the effort and the weight. Examples are a pump handle, an oar, a crowbar, a weighing balance, a pair of scissors, and a pair of pliers. Levers of the second kind have the weight in the middle and magnify the effort. Examples are the handcar crank and doors. Levers of the third kind, such as a power shovel or a baseball batter’s forearm, have the effort in the middle and always magnify the distance.

• Notice that the first paragraph describes and explains the quality of "leverness," i.e., how a lever works (classification),

• while the second distinguishes between three different types of levers with examples (division).

(As the engineer sang to the secretary, "There must be fifty ways to love your lever.")

Example B.In the following paragraph, Julian Huxley uses the

classification/division technique.Ants are among the very few organisms other than man which go to war. Individual insects or spiders, fish or birds or mammals, fight each other for food or mates or breeding sites; but this is not war. When a herd of wolves attacks a herd of wild horses, and the prey vigorously defends itself, this is a first approximation to war. But strictly the term should be confined to battles between armies of the same or closely related species. In ants there are all gradations from the pure predatism of such forms as the Legionaries, against which no other ant defends itself, up through stages where the species preyed upon occasionally defends itself vigorously or even takes the offensive, to those of habitual warfare between closely allied species, and, finally, battles between different nests of the same species. (Julian Huxley, Ants)

Questions

1. What is the purpose of the paragraph?2. What is the subject of the paragraph?3. What is the basis for classification (the basic

definition)?4. What is the basis for division?5. Huxley identifies four forms of warfare. A. What

are they? and B. Why are they in this order?6. Show how this paragraphs might be interpreted

as an analogy.

Answers

1. Purpose - Define "war" and give examples2. Subject - Ant warfare3. Basis for classification - Organism that "go to war"4. Basis for division - "battles between armies of the same or closely related species"

Answers (cont’d)

5. Forms of warfare - A. What are they? a) Predatism or predationb) Occasional defence and occasional attackc) "Habitual warfare between closely allied

species"d) "Battles between different nests of the same

species"

Answers (cont’d)

B. Why in this order?

Answers may vary. Perhaps the order is predicated upon a perception of intensity of biological imperatives (food, continuance of the gene pool, territory), and the closeness of the species of the combatants.

Answers (cont’d)An analogy?

6. While Huxley does not specifically show it in this paragraph, we could read this as a condemnation of human warfare. The moral justification for warfare in ants (Yes, I know that is a bit of a stretch and implies an anthropic (also "anthropical") moral sensibility in ants) appears to lessen as the biological imperative lessens and the closeness of the species increases.

How to write definitions

1. Synonym.

Spice up your writing with synonyms. ("face" for "countenance," "accessory" for accoutrement")

2. Formal Definition

Place the item in a general class then describe its particular characteristics. e.g., A "watch" may be defined as a mechanical device which is used for telling time and is usually carried or worn. e.g., "Semantics" is an area of linguistics concerned with the study of the meanings of words.

3. Extended Definition

Usually used for controversial or abstract terms which require interpretation, and often are several paragraphs long.

e.g., Define "obscene" by stating what it does not mean and contrasting it to related terms such as "pornographic" and "exotic."

One might then describe different types of obscenity.

Guidelines to help you use classification/division

1. Identify a clear purpose, and be sure that your principle of division is appropriate to that purpose. To determine the makeup of a student body, for example, you might consider the following principles of division: college or program, major, class, level, sex. It would not be helpful to divide students on the basis of their toothpaste unless you had a purpose and thus a reason for doing so.

2. Divide your subject into categories that are mutually exclusive.

An item can belong to only one category. For example, it would be unsatisfactory to divide students as men, women, and athletes.

3. Make your division and classification complete.

Your categories should account for all items in a subject class. In dividing students on the basis of geographic origin, for example, it would be inappropriate to consider only home states, for such a division would not account for foreign students. Then, for your classification to be complete, every student must be placed in one of the established categories.

4. Be sure to state clearly the conclusion that your division and classification lead you to draw.

For example, a study of the student body might lead you to the conclusion that 45 percent of the male athletes with athletic scholarships come from west of the Mississippi.

Ethical Considerations

1. Avoid features that are unfair. e.g., When defining "excessive force," have you included "reasonable means" as an example (Reinking 204).

2. Avoid skewing (slanting) to promote a bias. (Reinking 204).

Assignment for next class

Brainstorm as many ideas you can think of that might help you define an abstract term of your choosing. These terms include:

Charm Friendship Hatred FreedomLeadership Liberal Conservative TrustCommitment Religion Love ObscenityPornography Exotic Art Despair JoyAnd any number of other abstractions.

Your essay should be a minimum of five (5) paragraphs in length and should contain a clear introduction and conclusion. The standard formatting requirements apply.

You may include any of the rhetorical modes studied this semester, among them: examples comparisons descriptions analogies narrations cause/effect

A final definition to consider

Workshop and Reflection

• Regular• EHNAHCED