Critical Thinking: Classification

Classification is the process of grouping or dividing items into categories based on common characteristics or properties.

To classify a list or collection of items, we begin by identifying similarities and differences among the members of the group. The three most common criteria used in classification are physical characteristics, uses/functions and behavior.

T-Charts are commonly used as a brainstorming tool for writing, the divisions, or classifications could be advantages and disadvantages, for example. Venn Diagrams have similar functions.

Practice Exercise: The following excerpts are the opening sentences of several famous novels. Classify each underlined noun as a person, place or thing.

“Somewhere in la Mancha, in a place whose name I do not care to remember, a gentleman lived not long ago, one of those who has a lance and an ancient shield on a shelf and keeps a skinny nag and a greyhound for racing” (Cervantes).

“It was a pleasure to burn” (Bradbury).

“Ships at a distance have every man’s wish on board” (Neale Hurston).

“Many years later, as he faced the firing squad, Colonel Aureliano Buendia was to remember that distant afternoon when his father took him to discover ice” (Garcia Marquez).

“So, the Spear Danes in days gone by and the kings who ruled them had courage and greatness” (anonymous)

Person	Place	Thing

Noun Classifications: Specific Examples

person	poet, friend, protagonist, translator, host, partner, audience, William Blake, Ludacris, Michael Jordan
place	library, museum, England, cemetery, football field, Westminster Abbey, Polytechnic, Springfield
thing	book, manuscript, typewriter, spike, collection, nose ring, Webster’s dictionary, Oscars, snow
idea	liberty, justice, equality, humor, truth, geometry, philosophy, peace, fatherhood, death, quality
quality	beauty, fame, cleverness, intelligence, tact, warmth, roundness, openness, kind/type
emotion	Joy, anger, fondness, insecurity, restlessness, nervousness, fear, hostility, aggression, optimism
quantity	(with of) piece, strip, unit, block, drop, grain, load, loaf, lump, slice, suit