Text types: General Descriptions

Identifying the topic

Classifying and defining

Classifying

When we organise our knowledge about an animal, we usually begin by classifying the animal, that is, identifying which class or category the animal belongs to. Here is a simple chart which primary school students might use in order to classify an animal. On this chart there are two categories, or classes, of animals, ie invertebrate and vertebrate:

We can use this chart to classify bats with a sentence in which the relating verb are relates bats to the class vertebrates:

Defining

The word vertebrates is a technical term. We give a technical term meaning by defining it. In the following example, the sentence defines vertebrates. In this sentence the verb are relates the technical term vertebrates to a noun group . The noun group has a qualifier which tells us which characteristic of an animal makes it a vertebrate. 

Classifying and defining in the IDENTIFICATION stage

In the IDENTIFICATION stage of the general description of Bats, our knowledge about bats is organised by classifying and defining. In the DESCRIPTION stage of the general description of Bats, our knowledge about bats is organised by classifying. 

The sample text Bats uses the following sentences in the IDENTIFICATION stage:

Bats are mammals. (classification)
They are flying mammals. (classification)
They are the only mammals which can fly. (definition)
There are two types of bats, mega bats and micro bats. (sub-classification)

These sentences identify bats based on the classification system illustrated in the following chart:

Classifying in the DESCRIPTION stage

The DESCRIPTION stage of a general description uses classifiers in noun groups to answer the question 'What kind of ...?' Sometimes classifiers are nouns, sometimes they are adjectives and sometimes they are verbs. 

Here are some examples from the sample general description: