240 Writing Topics with Sample Essays
LIKE TEST PREP
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Contents
H ow to W rite an E ssay
Q 121. W h ich season—w inter, spring, su mmer, or fall—is y ou r favorite? W h y ?
Q 122. If y ou cou ld plan th e perfect d ay to spend w ith y ou r close friend s, w h ere w ou ld y ou go and w h y ?
Q 123. W h at is th e most frigh tening experience y ou h ave ever h ad in y ou r life?
Q 124. Sh ou ld a cou ntry ’s government tell its citizens h ow many ch ild ren th ey can h ave? W h y or w h y
not?
Q 125. W h en y ou begin w orking, w ou ld y ou rath er a) earn a lot of money w orking in a job th at y ou
d on’t like, or b) earn less money d oing someth ing y ou tru ly enjoy ?
Q 126. Sh ou ld stu d ents w ork w h ile th ey stu d y ? W h y or w h y not?
Q 127. W h ich d o y ou th ink is better for th e environment, to bu ild few er factories or to create more
w ild life preservation areas?
Q 128. W h en ch ild ren misbeh ave in pu blic, sh ou ld parents scold th em righ t aw ay ?
Q 129. Sh ou ld stu d ents consu lt th eir parents abou t th eir majors and career or sh ou ld th ey consu lt th eir
teach ers and friend s instead ?
Q 130. In ord er to get h ealth y , sh ou ld people exercise more or sleep more?
Q 131. If y ou cou ld give a meaningfu l gift to a family member, w h at w ou ld it be?
Q 132. Different stu d ents h ave d ifferent learning sty les. Some learn best by listening to lectu res, and
some from read ing. E xplain y ou r learning sty le
Q 133. W h at d o y ou th ink are cau ses of obesity in ch ild ren?
Q 134. Do y ou th ink th at seeing violence in vid eo games or movies cau ses people to beh ave violently ?
Q 135. Sh ou ld parents force ch ild ren to eat food th ey d on’t like, or sh ou ld th ey be allow ed to eat only
th e food s th ey w ant?
Q 136. Sh ou ld ch ild ren be given th e freed om to d ress any w ay th ey w ant?
Q 137. W ou ld y ou save y ou r money at a bank or at y ou r h ome? W h y ?
Q 138. If y ou cou ld ch oose y ou r ow n stu d y h ou rs, h ow many h ou rs w ou ld y ou stu d y ?
Q 139. Is it important for ch ild ren to learn h ow to sw im at an early age?
Q 140. Sh ou ld old er ch ild ren learn to cook so th ey can h elp prepare th e family meals?
Q 141. Among listening, speaking, read ing, and w riting, w h ich skill d o y ou th ink is most important in
langu age learning?
Q 142. W h ich is y ou r favorite eth nic (e.g. Italian, Ch inese, Mexican, etc.) food ?
Q 143. Are lau gh ter and joy essential aspects for a h ealth y life?
Q 144. W h at d o y ou d o to h elp y ou rself feel better w h en y ou are sad ?
Q 145. Is it a good id ea to loan money to friend s? W h y or w h y not?
Q 146. Is it important to h ave expensive bu t beau tifu l th ings, su ch as fancy cars and d esigner label
cloth es?
Q 147. W h at is y ou r favorite ty pe of exercise?
Q 148. W h ich is more important in ch oosing a friend , h onesty or look?
Q 149. If th ere w as a fire or some oth er ty pe of d isaster in y ou r h ou se, w h at w ou ld y ou take w ith y ou ?
W h y ?
Q 150. W h o is y ou r best friend ? W h y is h e/sh e important to y ou ?
Q 151. If y ou cou ld be famou s for someth ing, w h at w ou ld y ou w ant to be famou s for?
Q 152. Sh ou ld teenagers be allow ed to d rive?
Q 153. If y ou cou ld meet one w orld lead er, w h o w ou ld it be and w h y ? Give specific reasons and d etails
for y ou r answ er
Q 154. W h ich d o y ou th ink is better, going to college righ t after h igh sch ool or after taking a few y ears
off?
Q 155. W h ich d o y ou th ink is better—to live on campu s or to rent an apartment off campu s?
Q 156. Some people prefer going to a movie th eater instead of w atch ing a movie at h ome. W h ich d o y ou
prefer? W h y
Q 157. W h at is y ou r favorite w ay to spend y ou r free time? E xplain and inclu d e d etails and examples to
su pport y ou r explanation
Q 158. Some people prefer learning from books, w h ile oth ers prefer learning from experiences. W h ich one
d o y ou prefer?
Q 159. W h o d o y ou ad mire th e most? Give specific reasons to explain y ou r answ er
Q 160. Describe an important social or political event in y ou r cou ntry
Q 161. W h at are th e ad vantages and d isad vantages of moving to a new h ome?
Q 162. You fou nd $20 u nd er y ou r d esk at sch ool. W h at w ou ld y ou d o, tell th e teach er or keep it?
Q 163. W h at is y ou r preferred place to visit on w eekend s?
Q 164. E xplain in d etail y ou r h appiest ch ild h ood memory and provid e reasons as to w h y it is y ou r
h appiest
Q 165. W h at is y ou r most valu ed possession non-reflective of monetary valu e, bu t of sentimental valu e?
Q 166. T alk abou t a teach er w h o h as inspired y ou . E xplain w h y th is person is an inspiration
Q 167. W h at is y ou r favorite location or establish ment to eat at?
Q 168. W h ere in y ou r tow n is a good place to h ave fu n?
Q 169. T alk abou t an embarrassing experience in y ou r life
Q 170. W h at is y ou r favorite su bject in sch ool?
Q 171. Discu ss an interesting tou rist attraction th at y ou h ave visited
Q 172. Discu ss a time in y ou r life w h en y ou felt su ccessfu l d u e to a goal or obstacle being overcome
Q 173. W h en h iring a new employ ee, sh ou ld th e employ er h ire a person based on th eir know led ge or on
th eir experience?
Q 174. T h ere is su ch a th ing as being too ind epend ent. Do y ou agree or d isagree?
Q 175. Sh ou ld th e mistakes a person makes in th e past affect a person’s fu tu re? W h y or w h y not?
Q 176. Describe a tactic th at h elps y ou to stu d y better
Q 177. Is 18 an appropriate age to make a d ecision abou t th e fu tu re of a cou ntry , state, or city ? W h y or
w h y not?
Q 178. Libraries, bookstores, coffee sh ops, parks, and oth er locations are w h ere people stu d y . W h ere is
y ou r favorite place to stu d y and w h y ?
Q 179. E xplain th e one food y ou can’t live w ith ou t
Q 180. W h at place h as given y ou fond memories?
Q 181. Describe a person w ith h istorical significance in y ou r cou ntry . E xplain th e reason for h is or h er
importance
Q 182. W h at ty pes of places, tropical, d esert, rainforest, etc., w ou ld y ou like to go to spend a vacation?
Q 183. Describe an activity th at y ou and y ou r family enjoy d oing togeth er
Q 184. W h o is th e w isest person y ou know ? W h at makes h im or h er w ise?
Q 185. W h at are more effective rew ard s, intrinsic rew ard s, su ch as praise, or extrinsic rew ard s, su ch as
money ?
Q 186. W h at cu stom or trad ition th at is u niqu e to y ou r cou ntry
Q 187. W h ich person d o y ou d epend on for ad vice w h en d ealing w ith a problem?
Q 188. Name a place th at y ou h ave visited in y ou r cou ntry th at y ou w ou ld recommend to oth ers to visit
Q 189. O f all th e ty pes of w eath er, rainy , su nny , snow y , etc., w h ich is y ou r favorite ty pe of w eath er?
Q 190. If y ou ’re given a month of leisu re to d o w h atever y ou ’d like to d o, w h at w ou ld y ou d o in th at
month ?
Q 191. W h at is y ou r most memorable moment th at y ou h ave experienced in sch ool?
Q 192. Compare th e ad vantages of positive rew ard s against th e ad vantages of negative pu nish ments
Q 193. If a close friend w as in need of an organ, su ch as a kid ney , and y ou w ere a viable option, w ou ld
y ou give th em th e organ need ed ?
Q 194. W h at w ou ld y ou like to know if y ou cou ld learn one th ing abou t th e fu tu re?
Q 195. Describe a pecu liar d ream of y ou rs
Q 196. Describe w h at y ou w ou ld miss from y ou r h ome if y ou w ent abroad to stu d y
Q 197. Do y ou prefer to relax or to d o anoth er activity w h en y ou are taking a break from stu d y ing?
Q 198. Do y ou prefer learning abou t movies before y ou see th em or not know ing any th ing abou t th em
and being su rprised ?
Q 199. W h at mu st be consid ered w h en ch oosing a job or career?
Q 200. If y ou h ad th e opportu nity to learn a mu sical instru ment, w h at w ou ld y ou learn?
Q 201. Describe an experience of going on a picnic w ith y ou r sch ool
Q 202. Describe h ow y ou d ress. W h y d o y ou d ress th is w ay ?
Q 203. Describe y ou r favorite h olid ay . W h y is it y ou r favorite h olid ay ?
Q 204. Describe h ow y ou learn a foreign langu age. W h y d o y ou learn th is w ay and is it th e best w ay for
y ou to learn?
Q 205. Describe y ou r favorite sport
Q 206. W h at is th e most important su bject y ou stu d y at sch ool?
Q 207. W h at h as been y ou r most important acad emic ach ievement?
Q 208. W h at ty pe of mu sic d o y ou like th e most?
Q 209. W h at expectations d o y ou h ave of y ou r parents?
Q 210. W h at w ou ld w ish for if y ou h ad one w ish ?
Q 211. Some parents give th eir ch ild ren money on a month ly basis. At w h at age sh ou ld ch ild ren receive
an allow ance and h ow mu ch sh ou ld th ey receive?
Q 212. W h o d o y ou like th e better, ath letes or entertainers?
Q 213. Describe y ou r most u nforgettable d ay . W h y w ill y ou never forget th is d ay ?
Q 214. W h o w ill y ou remember th e most after y ou finish sch ool, y ou r friend s or y ou r teach ers?
Q 215. Describe y ou r id ea of a h appy life
Q 216. W h ich genre of books d o y ou enjoy read ing th e most? W h y ?
Q 217. W h ich fru it d o y ou like th e most? W h y ?
Q 218. W h at is y ou r favorite T V sh ow and w h y ?
Q 219. W h at is y ou r favorite movie and w h y ?
Q 220. Compare th e ad vantages and th e d isad vantages of Smart Ph ones
Q 221. W h ich option is h ealth ier, eating th ree large meals a d ay or eating fou r to five small meals a d ay ?
Q 222. If y ou cou ld w in a lot of money , h ow mu ch w ou ld y ou w in and w h y ?
Q 223. W e are continu ou sly learning and d oing new th ings in life and often times w e fail at ou r first
attempt. Describe y ou r first attempt to gain someth ing new
Q 224. Describe y ou r id eal h olid ay resort
Q 225. W h at is y ou r biggest ambition in life?
Q 226. W h ich family member h as influ enced y ou th e most? W h y is th is person a positive or negative role
mod el in y ou r life?
Q 227. W h ere d o y ou see y ou rself in tw enty y ears?
Q 228. W h at qu ality or qu alities d o y ou look for in a best friend ?
Q 229. Parents sh ou ld be requ ired to pay for th eir ch ild ren’s u niversity ed u cation. Do y ou agree or
d isagree w ith th is statement?
Q 230. Describe th e qu alities of a good citizen?
Q 231. W h at are th e most important qu alities of a good teach er?
Q 232. W h at qu alities d oes a good stu d ent h ave to h ave?
Q 233. W h at w ou ld y ou ch ange abou t y ou r cou ntry opportu nity ?
Q 234. Do y ou agree or d isagree w ith th e follow ing statement? An ey e for an ey e. W h y or w h y not?
Q 235. W h at is th e most important job or task y ou h ave ever h ad ? W h y w as it important?
Q 236. W h at are th e ad vantages and d isad vantages of stu d y ing abroad ?
Q 237. Describe y ou r d ream job. W h y is it y ou r d ream job?
Q 238. At w h at age is it appropriate to allow a ch ild to stay at h ome alone?
Q 239. Some people say th at th e qu ality of a prod u ct is more important. O th ers say th at th e price of a
prod u ct is more important. W h ich statement d o y ou agree w ith and w h y ?
Q 240. H ow w ill y ou h elp a foreigner learn abou t y ou r cou ntry ?
How to Write an Essay: Outline
Outline your argument and ideas in the following way so that you can easily form an
introduction paragraph. In order to write an essay in 25-30 minutes, you should train yourself so
that you can finish your outlines in 5-10 minutes. Here is how to do so.
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Prompt (question): “If you have an opportunity to send your child to study abroad, would you have
him/her educated in the US or in your home country?”
1. Argument: I will have my child educated in the United States.
2. Support 1: My child can learn English better.
3. Support 2: My child can experience various languages and cultures.
4. Support 3: My child can play sports.
5. Thesis: Since my child can be better educated in the United States, I will send him/her to study
in the United States. (argument+why)
1. Argument: State your argument clearly.
2. Support 1: Give specific reasons and examples.
3. Support 2: Give specific reasons and examples.
4. Support 3: Give specific reasons and examples.
Good writers do not give similar reasons to support their argument. In other words, their three
reasons (supports) should be distinguishable from each other.
5. Thesis: Usually a thesis appears in the middle or at the end of the introduction. It has to contain
the rephrased main argument (should not be the same as the main argument) + why.
How to Write an Essay 1: Essay Types
In general, there are four types of argumentative (persuasive) essays.
1) experience & example
2) prefer
3) agree/disagree
4) compare and contrast or advantages and disadvantages
With the first three essays, it is easier to write a five paragraph essay.
5 paragraph essay (experience & example, prefer, agree/disagree)
Intro – The paragraph should be at least 3-5 sentences.
Support 1 - The paragraph should be at least 3-5 sentences.
Support 2 - The paragraph should be at least 3-5 sentences.
Support 3 - The paragraph should be at least 3-5 sentences.
Conclusion-The paragraph should be at least 3-5 sentences.
Sometimes it is easier to write a four paragraph essay.
4 paragraph essay (compare and contrast, advantages and disadvantages)
Intro – The paragraph should be at least 3-5 sentences.
Advantages-The paragraph should be at least 3-5 sentences.
Disadvantages-The paragraph should be at least 3-5 sentences.
Conclusion-The paragraph should be at least 3-5 sentences.
How to Write an Essay 2: Introduction
Your outline should easily become your introduction without useless words.
1. Argument: I will have my child educated in the US.
2. Support 1: My child can learn English better.
3. Support 2: My child can experience various languages and cultures.
4. Support 3: My child can play sports.
5. Thesis: Since my child can be better educated in the US, I will send him/her to study in the US.
(argument+why)
Remember this? With the above, we can now easily create a complete introduction.
I will have my child educated in the US. There are three reasons for this. First, my child can learn
English better. Second, my child can experience various languages and cultures. Third, my child
can play sports. Because my child can be better educated in the US, I will send him/her to study in
the US.
As you see, I only added one sentence to it. It is underlined. Isn't this simple?
How to Write an Essay 3: Body
All we have to do is to write the support and give specific reasons, details, and explanations.
For example,
First of all, my child can learn English better in the US than in Korea.
At school, my child
will learn various subjects like Math, Science, Social Studies, Music, and Art in English.
Doing
so, he/she can talk and write about various topics in English.
Then after school, my child will
converse with others in English.
his way, he/she will practice conversational English.
To explain, sentence
is called the “topic sentence” and it contains the most important
information. Sentences
,
,
, and
contains specific examples and details that explain
how the child will learn English better. After sentence
, you can write a sentence about your
next paragraph. However, this is not required.
Got it? You can write the other two supporting paragraphs the same way. Now, expand the
second and the third paragraphs in your own words.
Second of all, my child can experience various languages and cultures in the US. (expand this
like paragraph 2 and write at least four more sentences.)
Thirdly, my child can play various sports in the US (expand this like paragraph 2 and write at
least four more sentences.).
How to Write an Essay 4: Conclusion
In the conclusion, you have to rephrase, summarize, and conclude. Here, you cannot simply
copy the introduction. Instead, be creative.
US education can benefit my child in many ways.
My child can master the English
language, broaden his horizons, and become more physically strong.
Therefore, if I have an
opportunity to have my child educated in the US, I will not hesitate to send him abroad.
In sentence
, I rephrased the main argument.
Introduction -> Conclusion
main argument: I will have my child educated in the US. -> US education can benefit my child in
many ways.
In sentence
, I summarized the supports.
Supports: My child can learn English better. My child can experience various languages and
cultures. My child can play sports. -> My child can master English, broaden his horizons, and
become more physically strong.
Point 3: I wrote the conclusion by rephrasing the thesis.
Thesis: As my child can be better educated in the US, I will send him/her to study in the US.-> If I
have an opportunity to have my child educated in the US, I will not hesitate to send him abroad.
How to Write an Essay: Sample Essay
If I have the opportunity, I will have my child educated in the US. There are three reasons for
this. First, my child can learn English better. Second, my child can experience various languages
and cultures. Third, my child can play sports. Since my child can be better educated in the US, I
will send him/her to study in the US.
First of all, my child can learn English better in the US than in Korea. At school, my child will
learn various subjects like Math, Science, Social Studies, Music, and Art in English. Doing so,
he/she can talk and write about various topics in English. Then after school, my child will converse
with others in English. This way, he/she will practice conversational English.
Second of all, my child can experience various languages and cultures in the US. Unlike Korea,
one can experience many different cultures and languages at a very close distance. For example, if
my child wants to learn Vietnamese and their culture, he/she can go to the Vietnamese community
and mingle there. If he/she wants to try the Italian cuisine, he/she can visit Little Italy. Moreover,
there are many different ethnic festivals and ceremonies that my child can visit locally in the US.
Thirdly, my child can play various sports in the US. Unlike most Korean schools, US schools
have excellent sports facilities. For example, many schools have swimming pools, football fields,
basketball gym, tennis courts, and many others. Moreover, these schools encourage students to play
sports. However, most Korean schools do not have such fine sports facilities and they discourage
students from playing sports.
US education can benefit my child in many ways. My child can master English, broaden his
horizons, and become more physically strong. Therefore, if I could have my child educated in the
US, I will not hesitate to send him/her abroad.
Q121. Which season—winter, spring, summer, or fall—is your favorite? Why?
A. Essay Outline
Argument: Summer is my favorite season.
Support 1: I have a lot of free time in the summer.
Support 2: There’s more daylight so I can play longer.
Support 3: The summer is always very warm.
Thesis: Because it’s easier to have fun in the summer, I like summer the best.
B. Model Essay
I would have to say that summer is my favorite season of all. First off, it means that school is out and I can do
whatever I want. Next, it means that there are more daylight hours to enjoy. And thirdly, summer is a time to enjoy
being outside in the warm sunshine. Summer is my favorite season of all because of these reasons.
First of all, summer is when school is out and I can spend all of my time playing both outside and in. My parents
encourage me to get out in the sunlight as much as possible and this is fine since my friends and I like to go out together
and have a good time. We like to go out and go exploring on our bikes, usually through the woods outside our
neighborhood. Of course, it rains quite frequently in the summer as well, so we usually try to hang out in one another’s
houses. We always have a great time together in the summer, because we have all the time we need to have fun.
Another thing that makes summer my favorite season of all is that there’s more daylight hours to enjoy. The sun
stays out longer, usually sometime after eight in the evening. This means that there’s a lot more sunshine to be out in and
enjoy while going out and having fun. I can go swimming in the sunlight or just lay and get a suntan, so long as I don’t
do it for too long, I don’t want to get burned. The sun is the reason why we go out and it just means we can be out
longer during the summer.
The last reason is that it’s the warmest time of year for us and we don’t get very much warm weather where we come
from. For most of the year, it’s usually cool and wet or cold and icy. We only have three months of reprieve from the
chill and wet and that is summer. When my neighbors and I want to celebrate the summer, we go out, have barbecues,
or just sit and talk outside. This is a good thing to do at night, when the heat of the day lingers in the night air. So the
warmth of the summer air is a rare treat for us and we relish it when it comes around each year.
So summer is my favorite season of all because it’s the time of year that really puts together everything I like to do
and experience. There’s no school in the summer so we can really have all the fun we want during the day. There’s more
daylight during the day so there’s more day to enjoy. And the warmth of summer is something we only have a limited
time to enjoy throughout the rest of the wetter, colder parts of the year for us. That’s why summer is my favorite season.
C. Useful Expressions
1. I would have to say that summer is my favorite season of all.
2. My parents encourage me to get out in the sunlight as much as possible, and this is fine since me and my friends like
to go out together and have a good time
3. Of course, it rains quite frequently in the summer as well, so we usually try to hang out in one another’s houses.
4. I can go swimming in the sunlight or just lay out and get a suntan, so long as I don’t do it for too long.
5. We only have three months of reprieve from the chill and wet and that is summer.
6. This is a good thing to do at night, when the heat of the day lingers into the night air.
7. So the warmth of the summer air is a rare treat for us and we relish it when it comes around each year.
8. So the summer is my favorite season of all because it’s the time of year that really puts together everything I like to do
and experience.
9. There’s no school in the summer so we can really have all the fun we want during the day.
10. And the warmth of summer is something we only have a limited time to enjoy throughout the rest of the wetter,
colder parts of the year for us.
Q122. If you could plan the perfect day to spend with your close friends, where would you go and why?
A. Essay Outline
Argument: A perfect day would include an outing to an island close to my town.
Support 1: We can go swimming all day.
Support 2: We can have a big party without bothering our neighbors.
Support 3: We can spend the night stargazing.
Thesis: Because we can engage in many outdoor activities, my friends and I would have the perfect day at an island.
B. Model Essay
There’s a lake with an island in the middle of it north of our town, and I would go there for the perfect day, an all
day camp out. It’s a great place to go swimming because it’s deep and cool. It’s a great place to have a cookout or picnic
because it’s far away from the rest of humanity and we don’t have to worry about being noisy to our neighbors. And it’s
far away from the light of houses and the town, so it’s a perfect place to go to sleep under the stars. The perfect day for
me would be an overnight camp out to that island.
The first reason why I would plan a perfect day on that island is because it’s a great place to go swimming with my
friends. The lake is nice and deep around where the island is. There’s a place where we can dive right in off of a tire
swing we put there. The water is cool and we all have a great time splashing around and playing in the water. We always
have a great time when we go out there and go for a long swim around that island.
The second reason a campout there would be a perfect day is that we could have as big a party we want without
anyone being bothered. We could play our music loudly and dance and sing and no one would threaten to call the police
on us. We could eat all the food we brought while we chatted loudly with ourselves and no one we would know would try
to crash the party. It would just be me, my friends, some great music, and enough food to last us until we left the
following morning. That would make it a perfect day, that we could eat and party without worrying about the neighbors.
The last reason I would consider a campout at that island to be perfect would be that we could fall asleep looking at
the stars. In the town where we live, we could never have seen the stars because there were so many houses with lights
on. We would also only sleep inside with our parents nearby, so there was no sense of adventure. But on the island, with
the town so far away, we can see the night sky clearly. We can all gather together, look at the stars and tell each other our
wishes and other personal worries to each other as we drift into sleep. The stars always look beautiful and we feel a sense
of peace as we stare up at them from our small island.
So that island in the middle of the lake would be where we would spend our perfect day. It’s a great place to swim
because it’s deep, cool, and we can dive in without getting hurt. It’s a great place to have a party and cookout because no
one is there to threaten to call the cops or to crash the party. It’s also a great place to camp because we can see the stars
at night, something we could never do at home. That’s why a day on that island would be a perfect day.
C. Useful Expressions
1. It’s a great place to have a cookout or picnic because it’s far away from the rest of humanity and we don’t have to
worry about being noisy to our neighbors.
2. There’s a place where we can dive right in off of a tire swing we put there.
3. We could play our music loud and dance and sing and no one would threaten to call the police on us.
4. We could eat all the food we brought while we chatted loudly with ourselves and no one we would know would try to
crash the party.
5. It would just be me, my friends, some great music, and enough food to last us until we left the following morning.
6. That would make it a perfect day, that we could eat and party without worrying about the neighbors.
7. We would also only sleep inside with our parents nearby, so there was no sense of adventure.
8. We can all gather together, look at the stars and tell each other our wishes and other personal worries as we drift off to
sleep.
9. The stars always look beautiful and we feel a sense of peace as we stare up at them from our small island.
10. It’s a great place to have a party and cookout because no one is there to threaten to call the cops or to crash the
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