分类是一种通过将具有共同特征的人、对象或思想安排到特定的类别或群体来发展文章的方法。在你确定了一篇分类论文的主题，并通过各种写作前策略对其进行了探索之后，你应该准备好尝试初稿。下面是如何发展和组织一篇五段分类文章。

引言段

在你的介绍中，清楚地确定你的主题——在本例中，是你正在分类的群体。如果你以任何方式缩小了你的主题（例如，坏司机、摇滚吉他手或令人讨厌的电影观众），从一开始就要明确这一点。

你可能还想提供一些具体的描述性或信息性细节，以吸引读者的兴趣，并说明文章的目的。

最后，包括一个论文句子（通常在导言末尾），简要说明您将要研究的主要类型或方法。

简介段落示例：棒球迷

下面是一个简短但有效的分类文章介绍段落的示例：

It's a warm evening in July, and all across the country Americans are gathering to watch a game of professional baseball. Armed with hot dogs and cold drinks, they stroll to their seats, some in grand stadiums, others in cozy minor-league parks. But no matter where the game is played, you will find the same three types of baseball fan: the Party Rooter, the Sunshine Supporter, and the Diehard Fan.

请注意这一介绍如何产生某些期望。具体细节提供了一个场景（在“7月的一个温暖的夜晚”上的一个球场），我们希望在这个场景中看到各种各样的粉丝。此外，为这些球迷（党的支持者、阳光支持者和铁杆球迷）指定的标签使我们期望按照他们给出的顺序对每种类型进行描述。一个好的作家会在文章的主体部分继续实现这些期望。

正文段落

每一段正文都以一个主题句开始，该主题句确定了一种特定的方法。然后用具体细节说明每种类型。

按照你认为清晰和合乎逻辑的顺序来安排你的正文段落——比如，从最不有效的方法到最有效的方法，或者从最常见的类型到最不熟悉的类型（或者相反）。只需确保你的正文段落的顺序与你的论文句子中承诺的安排相匹配。

正文段落示例：风扇类型

在这篇关于棒球迷的文章的主体中，你可以看到作者已经实现了引言中设定的期望(在每个正文段落中，主题句用斜体表示。）

The Party Rooter goes to games for the hot dogs, the gimmicks, the giveaways, and the companionship; he's not really that interested in the ballgame itself. The Party Rooter is the sort of fan who shows up on Buck-a-Brew Night, often with a gang of fellow partiers. He cracks jokes, hurls peanuts at the team mascot, applauds the exploding scoreboard, blasts an electronic horn whenever he pleases—and occasionally nudges a companion and asks, "Hey, who's winning?" The Party Rooter often wanders out of the park in the sixth or seventh inning to continue his celebrations in the car on the way home. The Sunshine Supporter, usually a more common type than the Party Rooter, goes to the park to cheer on a winning team and bask in its glory. When the home side is on a winning streak and still in contention for a playoff spot, the stadium will be packed with this sort of fan. As long as her team is winning, the Sunshine Supporter will be roaring at every play, waving her pennant and shouting out the names of her heroes. However, as the name implies, the Sunshine Supporter is a fickle fan, and her cheers quickly turn to boos when a hero strikes out or drops a line drive. She will stay around until the end of the game to celebrate a victory, but should her team fall a few runs behind, she's likely to slip out to the parking lot during the seventh-inning stretch.​ Diehard Fans are also strong supporters of the local team, but they go to the park to watch good baseball, not just to root for a winner. More attentive to the game than other fans, Diehards will study the stance of a power hitter, note the finesse of a quick fielder, and anticipate the strategy of a pitcher who has fallen behind in the count. While the Party Rooter is chugging a beer or dropping wisecracks, Diehards may be filling in a scorecard or commenting on a player's RBI tally over the past few months. And when a Sunshine Supporter boos an opposing player for tagging out a local hero, Diehards may be quietly applauding the expert moves of this "enemy" infielder. No matter what the score is, Diehard Fans remain in their seats until the last batter is out, and they may still be talking about the game long after it's over.​

比较确保凝聚力

注意作者如何使用比较来确保文章正文的连贯性。第二段和第三段中的主题句均指上一段。同样，在正文第三段中，作者将顽固派与其他两类棒球迷进行了明确的对比。

这样的比较不仅能使文章从一段平稳地过渡到下一段，而且还能揭示作者的同情心。他从他最不喜欢的类型开始，以他最崇拜的类型结束。我们现在希望作者在结论中证明他的态度是正确的。

结尾段

最后一段让你有机会总结你在文章主体中所研究的各种类型和方法。您可以选择对每一条进行最后的简短评论，总结其价值或局限性。或者，您可能希望推荐一种方法，而不是其他方法，并解释原因。在任何情况下，确保你的结论清楚地强调了分类的目的。

最后一段：只剩下死硬的粉丝了

在最后一段对“棒球迷”中，考虑作者是否成功地将他的观察结果结合在一起。

Professional baseball would have trouble surviving without all three types of fans. The Party Rooters provide much of the money that owners need to hire talented players. The Sunshine Supporters bring a stadium to life and help boost the morale of the home team. But only the Diehard Fans maintain their support all season long, year in and year out. By late September in most ballparks, enduring chilly winds, rain delays, and sometimes humiliating losses, only the Diehards remain.

将结论与引言联系起来

请注意作者是如何通过对比9月寒冷的夜晚和7月温暖的夜晚，将他的结论与引言联系起来的。像这样的联系有助于统一一篇文章，给它一种完整的感觉。

在编写和组织草稿时，尝试各种策略，但要记住这一基本格式：介绍你的主题和不同类型的方法；三个（或更多）正文段落，依靠具体细节来描述或说明类型；以及一个总结，将您的观点总结在一起，并明确分类的总体目的。