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In academic writing definitions are very important. Extended definitions are sometimes developed by the very expository techniques we are thinking about in this module—examples, comparison and contrast, classification, process, cause and effect. A paper that is an extended definition will look like a paper that is written to conform to a particular rhetorical format. |
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A logical definition has two parts: genus and species. No, writing definitions is not biology; it’s simply using words in precise and careful ways! The genus part of the definition states the class or category to which the item belongs. The species part shows how the particular item is different from other members of its class.
Another way a definition paper might be used is to
set (or define) a standard to which the writer then compares something. Example:
Define sonnet form and show how “On First Looking into Chapman’s
Homer” by Keats conforms to the standard. This type of paper can show the reader that the writer understands a particular concept; it can also explain a new idea so that the reader can understand. This would be a comparison/contrast paper.
Possible Topics: 1. Define a literary genre and measure a particular work against the definition. 2. Discuss characteristics of a particular group of people (Cherokees, Melungeons, Navy Seals, Old Testament prophets, etc.). 3. Define a particular organization or institution (Vanderbilt University, Microsoft, the United Nations). 4. Define a particular chemical (element, compound, or mixture). |
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Key
Idea
